Volcano Watch: Pele’s hairs: a beautiful hazard on Hawaii Island

"USGS photo A tumbleweed of Pele’s hairs — collected near Saddle Road on Nov. 29 — viewed under a microscope. The scale bar in the lower right is 750 micrometers (0.03 inches) wide. The golden-brown glass strands are intertwined, whereas the thicker dark glass is rigid. The shape of the darker glass reflects the shape of the lava droplets as they quenched."

"Shiny and elusive, featherlight and golden-brown. If poets were to write about rocks, I’m sure they would sing their praises of Pele’s hairs. Don’t be fooled, though, because Pele’s hairs are strands of volcanic glass, and they can pose a serious hazard."

Source: JO SCHMITH HVO/Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes | Sunday, M. 26. (2023, March 26). Volcano Watch: Pele's hairs: A beautiful hazard on Hawaii Island - Hawaii Tribune. Herald. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2023/03/26/features/volcano-watch-peles-hairs-a-beautiful-hazard-on-hawaii-island/