The tiny island off of Hawaii Island's eastern coastline has lost its island-hood. According to a tweet released by the US Geological Survey, a small strip of land now connects the landmass to the Big Island, making it a peninsula.

The small island was first spotted on a morning flight last Friday by a Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) field crew. Created off the coast of the Kapoho lava entry, likely thanks to the constant activity by the Fissure 8 flow, the HVO estimates that the island, now peninsula, is 20 to 30 feet in diameter. The US Geological Survey theorize that the recently created feature is a submarine tumulus, or an entity first built up underwater that then rose above the surface of the sea.

For a brief period, Hawaii had gained another island.

Photo courtesy of USGS

Although Hawaii Island's additional island only retained its status as an island for a short time, this geological occurrence gives us yet another look at Kilauea's creative powers.