Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Pele's hairs under a microscope

2022 (approx.)

Detailed Description

A tumbleweed of Pele’s hairs—collected near Saddle Road on November 29, 2022—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.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

Was this page helpful?