Pāhoehoe Wrinkles

The lava on Hawai‘i comes in two basic forms: smooth and ropy pāhoehoe, and crumbly and rough ‘a‘ā. Both are the same kind of rock but become different textures by the way the lava cools. Here, Mauna Ulu lava from 1969, found alongside the Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, has cooled into wrinkly pāhoehoe, swirling like gathered fabric.

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