Pahoehoe.jpg (149046 bytes) The Puu Oo eruption on the East Rift of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii began in 1983 and is still going strong.  R. Hoblitt, U.S. Geological Survey, took this photo of an active pahoehoe lava flow on May 9, 2002, near the Royal Gardens Subdivision. The flow lobe is about 2 feet across, has a temperature near 2000 degrees F, and a viscosity near that of liquid honey. The red areas near the center and bottom of the photo show where the crust is stretching -- exposing the hotter interior of the flow. The flow moves slowly, only a few inches per minute.

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