Pele's hair

Pele's hair caught on a radio antenna mounted on the south rim of Puʻu ʻŌʻō, Hawaiʻi, July 22, 2005

Pele's hair on a pahoehoe flow at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, March 27, 1984

Well preserved after 1959 eruption of Kīlauea Iki Pele's hair

Pele's hair /ˈpeɪleɪz ˈhɛər/ is volcanic glass threads or fibers formed when small particles of molten material are thrown into the air and spun out by the wind into long hair-like strands.^[1] The diameter of the strands is less than 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in), and they can be as long as 2 metres (6.6 ft).^[2] The material is gold or golden-brown,^[3] and is commonly found downwind from active vents.^[4]

Pele's hair is primarily a scientific term used by volcanologists, and is derived from Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes.^[5]

See also

• Pele's tears
• Limu o Pele (Pele's seaweed)

References

Bibliography

• Gill, Robin. Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
• Lopes, Rosaly. The Volcano Adventure Guide. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
• MacDonald, Gordon Andrew; Abbott, Agatin Townsend; and Peterson, Frank L. Volcanoes in the Sea: The Geology of Hawaii. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1983.
• Morey, Kathy. Hawaii Trails: Walks, Strolls, and Treks on the Big Island. Berkeley, Calif.: Wilderness Press, 2006.
• Nimmo, Harry. Pele, Volcano Goddess of Hawai'i: A History. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pele's hairs.

• USGS Photo Glossary: Pele's hair

Hawaiian volcanism topics (list) Windward Isles Lōʻihi Māhukona Hawaiʻi Kīlauea (Kīlauea Iki, Puʻu ʻŌʻō) Mauna Loa Hualālai Mauna Kea Kohala Kahoʻolawe Kauaʻi Kaʻula Lānaʻi Maui Haleakalā West Maui Molokaʻi West Molokai Volcano East Molokai Volcano Niʻihau Oʻahu Kaʻena Koʻolau Waiʻanae Leeward Isles French Frigate Shoals Gardner Pinnacles Kure Atoll Laysan Lisianski Island Maro Reef Midway Atoll Necker Island Nihoa Pearl and Hermes Atoll Emperor Seamounts Abbott Colahan Daikakuji Detroit Hancock Jingu Kammu Kimmei Koko Meiji Nintoku Ojin Suiko Yomei Yuryaku Topics 1955 Hawaiian submarine eruption ʻAʻā (lava) Evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes Haleakalā National Park Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain Hawaiian eruption Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Lava fountain Limu o Pele Pāhoehoe (lava) Pele's hair Pele's tears