Steam and ash plume from last night’s beginning of the new eruption at Kilauea volcano ( image taken at approximately 10:30 p.m., 12/20/20, NPS Photo/J. Wei)
Shortly after the eruption began, lava erupted form the new fissures inside the summit crater came in direct contact with the existing water lake. The result was a very explosive interaction that evaporated the lake completely, now being replaced by a pond of lava.
The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park posted a spectacular image showing this activity. The explosions between lava and water not only generated massive amounts of steam, but also fragmented lots of rock and lava material, generating a tall steam and ash plume that rose to approx. 9000 m initially. By now, this activity has died out as most available water disappeared.