Kīlauea (IPA: [kiːlauea]) is an active volcano in the Hawaiian Islans, one of five shield volcanoes that together form the Island of Hawaiʻi. In Hawaiian, the word kīlauea means "spewing" or "much spreading", in reference to the mountain's frequent outpouring of lava. Issuing lava continuously since January 1983, Kīlauea is currently the most active volcano on the planet, an invaluable resource for volcanologists, and also the planet's most visited active volcano. Kīlauea is the most recent of a series of volcanoes that have created the Hawaiʻian Archipelago, as the Pacific Plate has moved and is moving over the Hawaiʻi hotspot (see Lōʻihi Seamount). The plate under Kilauea, crosses over a hotspot of land which causes them to crash together and therefore errupt.