March 4, 2025 — Lava textures at Kīlauea

A telephoto image of episode 12's lava fountains show the varied textures of motel material as it leaves the vent. In the fountain you can see the formation of both cinder and spatter. Cinders are glassy, vesicular, pyroclastic fragments that fall to the ground in an essentially solid condition. These are the smaller, darker particles in the figure. Spatter is similar to cinder, except that it is partially molten when it falls to the ground. The left of the image shows a lava flow that is emanating out of the vent complex. The wavy configuration of the plates is caused by lava from the north and south vents flowing alongside one another, similar to how arms of a glacier meet when flowing down a mountain. USGS photo by L. Gallant.