Pele's hair (closest modern Hawaiian translation: "") is a volcanic glass formation produced from cooled lava stretched into thin strands, usually from lava fountains, lava cascades, or vigorous lava flows. It is named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of

volcanoes A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often fo ...

Occurrence

Mentions of this type of lava can be found in 18th Century Hawaiian newspapers where it is called "Lauoho o Pele," "Lauoho Pele," and "Lauoho ehuehu a Pele." Wind often carries the light fibers high into the air and to places several kilometers away from the vent. Strands of Pele's hair commonly gather on high places like treetops, radio antennas, and electric poles. Pele's hair has been produced by volcanoes around the world, for example in Nicaragua (

Masaya Masaya () is the capital city of Masaya Department in Nicaragua. It is situated approximately 14 km west of Granada, Nicaragua, Granada and 31 km southeast of Managua. It is located just east of the Masaya Volcano, an active volcano ...

), Italy ( Etna), Ethiopia ( Erta’ Ale), and Iceland, where it is known as ('witches' hair'). It is usually found in gaps in the ground, mostly near vents, skylights, ocean entry, or in corners where Pele's hair can accumulate. Touching Pele's hair is not recommended, because it is very brittle and very sharp, and small broken pieces can enter the skin. Gloves should be worn while examining it. Pele's hair may occur along with Pele's tears, small pieces of solidified lava drops. Both provide information to volcanologists about the eruption, such as the temperatures and the magma's path to the surface.

Plagioclase Plagioclase ( ) is a series of Silicate minerals#Tectosilicates, tectosilicate (framework silicate) minerals within the feldspar group. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continu ...

starts to crystallize from the magma of Pele's hair at around 1,160 °C (about 2120 °F). Also, the shape of the tears can provide an indication of the velocity of the eruption, and the bubbles of gas and particles trapped within the tears can provide information about the composition of the magma chamber.

Formation

The strands are created when molten lava is ejected into the air and form tiny droplets, which elongate perfectly straight. It usually forms in lava fountains, lava cascades, and vigorous lava flows.

Features

Pele's hair has a golden yellow color and looks like human hair or dry straw. In sunlight, it has a shimmering gold color. Length varies considerably, but is typically 5 to 15 cm, and can be up to 2 m. Hair diameter ranges from about 1 to 300 μm (0.001 to 0.3 mm).

References

* Moune, Séverine; Faure, François; Gauthier, Pierre-j. (2007) ''Pele's hairs and tears'': ''Natural probe of volcanic plume''. Elsevier, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. France, p. 244-253 * M. Potuzak, M., Dingwell, D.B., Nichols, A.R.L. (2006) ''Hyperquenched Subaerial Pele’s Hair Glasses from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii'' European Geosciences Union, v. 8 * Piccardi, L. and Masse, W. B. (2007) ''Myth and Geology'' Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 273, 1–7. The Geological Society of London, 2007 * Zimanowki, B., Buttner, R. Lorenz, V., Hafele, H-G. (1997) ''Fragmentation of Basaltic Melt in the Course of Explosive Volcanism''. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, No. B1, Pages 803-814 * Villmant, B.; Salaün, A. and Staudacher, T. (2009) ''Evidence for a Homogeneous Primary Magma at Piton De La Fournaise (La Réunion): A Geochemical Study of Matrix Glass, Melt Inclusions and Pélé's Hairs of the 1998–2008 Eruptive Activity''. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 184, p. 79-92

Bibliography

* Gill, Robin. ''Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide.'' Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. * Lopes, Rosaly. ''The Volcano Adventure Guide.'' Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005. * MacDonald, Gordon Andrew; Abbott, Agatin Townsend; and Peterson, Frank L. ''Volcanoes in the Sea: The Geology of Hawaii.'' Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1983. * Morey, Kathy. ''Hawaii Trails: Walks, Strolls, and Treks on the Big Island.'' Berkeley, Calif.: Wilderness Press, 2006. * Nimmo, Harry. ''Pele, Volcano Goddess of Hawai'i: A History.'' Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2011.

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