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More Island to Visit: Hawaii is Growing Thanks to Lava Flow Into Ocean

© AP Photo / USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory via APIn this May 3, 2015 photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, smoke and lava explode from Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island
In this May 3, 2015 photo provided by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, smoke and lava explode from Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island - Sputnik International
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Finding your own, special patch of paradise may soon be easier than you think.

The old adage is that real estate is a good investment because land is a limited resource. While Beanie Baby fads may come and go, humans will always need land to live on, and since land can’t be manufactured, buying a plot is generally a safe bet.

Hawaii, however, does in fact appear to be making more land, and at a surprisingly fast rate.

Kilauea, a shield volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island, is one of the most active in the world. Most of this activity takes place in the volcano’s main spatter cone, which has emitted lava continuously since 1983.

A photo posted by Jim Wiltschko (@jimwiltschko) on Jul 26, 2016 at 10:58pm PDT

​Photographers recently caught footage of the volcano’s lava flow entering the Pacific Ocean, mixing with the salt water.

That lava is slowly expanding the Big Island’s landmass.

"When pahoehoa lava enters the ocean for extended periods of time [and] new land is created in the form of a fan-shaped platform," says the United States Geological Survey, according to Motherboard, explaining how the cool water forces the lava to break into fragments.

Lava!

A photo posted by Joe Barcia (@bigisland_joe) on Jul 28, 2016 at 11:02am PDT

"These fragments accumulate along the submarine slope to form a loose foundation that will eventually support overlying lava flows that build the delta above sea level."

With real estate prices in Hawaii averaging $942,000 in some parts, new acreage could really help ease costs.

Of course, as experts point out, please don’t attempt to build, or walk, on lava flows.

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