You have probably heard that there are different kinds of lava - 'a'ā and pāhoehoe. 'A'ā has a very rough surface whereas pāhoehoe is smooth. But even though we know of these differences it is still amazing how different lava can look.
This is from the lava flow of 1974 at Kīlauea, right next to the Chain of Craters Road in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park - parts of the road were run over by the lava and had to be rebuilt.
Further on there are big boulders of lava, just by the side of the road. Some of them remind of an oversized skull.
When you look closer you can see how beautiful, sparkling and even colorful some of the lava can be.
Right next to it you find a piece of lava that looks like dried mud.
Walking on lava, especially 'a'ā, is not easy and you always have to watch out because there are holes everywhere - and you don't really want to step into them and get stuck or sprain your ankle.
We took Hilina Pali Road leading away from Chain of Craters Road and were rather surprised to see lava with a completely different look.
No, this isn't photoshopped! Isn't it amazing?
The lava in this area is very old - the last lava flow occurred about 650 years ago. That might be the reason why the color is so different (I'm just guessing here, I actually have no idea).
And through all the rock and destruction new life claims back the land.
The view to the ocean and along the coast of the Big Island is beautiful. You can see the different shades of lava flows - quite fascinating, isn't it?
Can you see the steam in the distance? This is where the hot lava of the current flow enters the ocean. But that, my friends, is a different story.
13 comments:
Fascinating.
Beautiful, intriguing, and a tad frightening as well.
Nature is an amazing force. For both destruction and creation.
Das sind echt faszinierende Fotos!
Wir fliegen bald wieder nach Lanzarote. Ich finde diese Lavalandschaften unheimlich und faszinierend zugleich.
LG
Renate
Beautiful and fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing, and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)
Your photos of the lava are so interesting and beautiful Carola. It truly is amazing to see. Have a nice weekend!
Pictures are so awesome... creation of mother nature...
Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com
Such a stunning series! So glad you included those close ups.
WOW!! Truly amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all of this! I am really enjoying these posts! Big Hugs!
Amazing!
Never having been to Hawaii or other volcanic areas, I find these posts just fascinating. I can see why walking would be a bit of a challenge -- sometimes I have trouble on flat surface!
What fabulous textures and colors you captured in your photos. I like the green shoots sprouting among the lava.
I think lava looks so interesting. I remember driving through an area that was almost flat and smooth, like black glass. To me it looks almost fluid and solid at the same time.
If I ever get to Hawaii again, I can see that I MUST visit the volcanoes. Your picture essays have been so fascinating!
A gorgeous place! Great to visit! I love seeing the vent glowing at night!
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