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Images of tephra from Kīlauea’s newest eruption, collected 12/21/2020

2020 (approx.)

Detailed Description

Left: magnified view of erupted material, including Pele’s hair and tears, as seen under a microscope (USGS Photo by K. Lynn on 12/26/2020). Middle: Zoomed in electron image of the tephra, where greyscale indicates the relative abundance of iron (Fe). Very small (less than 0.1 mm [less than 0.004 inches]) clinopyroxene and plagioclase crystals are labeled next to vesicles (bubbles). Right: Another electron image of tephra that contains small (~0.5 mm [0.2 inches]) olivine crystals with spinels. Greyscale images from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa electron microprobe laboratory, used with permission. 

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

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