The power of nature has a humbling effect, reminding us of our small place in Siva’s vast cosmic universe. Our own nearby volcano is an ever present reminder of the dynamic state of our planet. The volcano on the big island is considered to be in a state of eruption, but that state is more like a constant “bubbling” of the lava. Residents of what we know here as “The Big Island” (which has the same name as the state itself: “Hawaii”) keep a watch on the activity as they are all living on top of this boiling mass!

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory division keeps constant and very detailed data on the current state of the activity. For the geologically minded among you, or just for a fascinating read you can find out about the nature of the lava tube, it’s location, depth and the exact state of things in the last 24 hours here: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov. They also publish photos daily. Click the photo or this link to see a larger version of the photo at the left.