Spectacular footage has captured lava from a volcano on a French island making contact with the ocean for the first time in years.
Since the Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupted last month on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, molten rock has been slowly creeping towards the shore.
After the two finally came together, huge plumes of steam and gas have been billowing into the sky.
The scalding lava vaporises the water into steam, casting mystical shrouds back over the island, while the rock solidifies and grows the size of the island.
Mesmerised crowds have gathered to watch the natural phenomenon, which the island has not seen for almost 19 years.
They faced a difficult trek, but the awaiting scenes were worthwhile.
Pierre Dubois, who lives on the island, told Euro News: ‘What we see here is truly the union of new rock being formed and the Earth itself being created.
‘It crashes against the ocean, caresses it, and we see the two truly merging.’
Spectacular footage has captured lava from a volcano on a French island making contact with the ocean for the first time in years
Since the Piton de la Fournaise volcano erupted last month on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, molten rock has been slowly creeping towards the shore
Volcanologists are also working on the ground to understand how the eruption is evolving.
They are using drones and thermometers – applied directly to the lava – to track its flow and measure its temperature.
Zacharie Duputel, a deputy director of the local volcano agency, said: ‘The somewhat unusual nature of this eruption is that it’s lasting quite a long time.
‘We’ve had eruptions that have lasted longer, but compared to recent eruptions, this one is quite notable – and that explains why it has finally reached the ocean.’