earth science

Pele's hair

Pele's hair is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Pele's hair rather than just read about it. In short: Pele's hair is the name given to clumps of basalt fibers formed from volcanic glass when lava is stretched into thin strands during cooling, usually from lava fountains, lava cascades, or fierce lava flows. They are named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes.

Key takeaways

Pele's hair belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pele's hair to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pele's hair from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pele's hair is the name given to clumps of basalt fibers formed from volcanic glass when lava is stretched into thin strands during cooling, usually from lava fountains, lava cascades, or fierce lava flows. They are named after Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes.

Formation The strands are created when molten lava is ejected into the air and form tiny droplets, which elongate perfectly straight. It usually forms in lava fountains, lava cascades, and vigorous lava flows.

Features Pele's hair has a golden yellow color and looks like human hair or dry straw. In sunlight, it has a shimmering gold color. Length varies considerably, but is typically 5 to 15 cm, and can be up to 2 m. Hair diameter ranges from about 1 to 300 μm (0.001 to 0.3 mm). Pele's hair is very brittle and very sharp, and small broken pieces can enter the skin.

Occurrence Mentions of this type of lava can be found in 18th century Hawaiian newspapers, where it is called "Lauoho o Pele," "Lauoho Pele," and "Lauoho ehuehu a Pele." Wind often carries the light fibers high into the air and to places several kilometers away from the vent. Strands of Pele's hair commonly gather on high places like treetops, radio antennas, and electric poles. Pele's hair has been produced by volcanoes around the world, for example in Nicaragua (Masaya), Italy (Etna), Ethiopia (Erta’ Ale), and Iceland, where it is known as nornahár [ˈnɔ(r)tnaˌhauːr̥] ('witches' hair'). It is usually found in gaps in the ground, mostly near vents, skylights, ocean entry, or in corners where Pele's hair can accumulate.

Pele's hair may occur along with Pele's tears, small pieces of solidified lava drops. Both provide information to volcanologists about the eruption, such as the temperatures and the magma's path to the surface. Plagioclase starts to crystallize from the magma of Pele's hair at around 1,160 °C (about 2120 °F). Also, the shape of the tears can provide an indication of the velocity of the eruption, and the bubbles of gas and particles trapped within the tears can provide information about the composition of the magma chamber.

See also Basalt fiber Glass wool Mineral wool Limu o Pele (Pele's seaweed) Pele's Curse Pele's tears

References

Further reading Gill, Robin (2010). Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley-Blackwell. Lopes, Rosaly (2005). The Volcano Adventure Guide. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press. MacDonald, Gordon Andrew; Abbott, Agatin Townsend; Peterson, Frank L. (1983). Volcanoes in the Sea: The Geology of Hawaii. Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press. Morey, Kathy (2006). Hawaii Trails: Walks, Strolls, and Treks on the Big Island. Berkeley, California, Wilderness Press. Nimmo, Harry (2011). Pele, Volcano Goddess of Hawai'i: A History. Jefferson, N.C., McFarland & Co. Moune, Séverine; Faure, François; Gauthier, Pierre-J. (2007). Pele's hairs and tears: Natural probe of volcanic plume. Elsevier, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. France, 244–253. Potuzak, M.; Dingwell, D.B.; Nichols, A.R.L. (2006). Hyperquenched Subaerial Pele’s Hair Glasses from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii European Geosciences Union, Vol. 8. pp.? Piccardi, L.; Masse, W.B. (2007). Myth and Geology. Vol. 273, 1–7. The Geological Society of London. Special Publications. Zimanowki, B.; Buttner, R.; Lorenz, V.; Hafele, H.-G. (1997). Fragmentation of Basaltic Melt in the Course of Explosive Volcanism. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, No. B1, 803–814. Villmant, B.; Salaün, A. and Staudacher, T. (2009). Evidence for a Homogeneous Primary Magma at Piton De La Fournaise (La Réunion): A Geochemical Study of Matrix Glass, Melt Inclusions and Pélé's Hairs of the 1998–2008 Eruptive Activity. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, Vol. 184, 79–92.

External links

Hawaii: Pele's Hair (Volcanic Glass) (video) USGS Photo Glossary: Pele's hair Lauoho Pele Lauoho Ehuehu a Pele Lauoho o Pele

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pele's hair

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pele's hair claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pele's hair before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pele's hair ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pele's hair

In research: Pele's hair appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pele's hair in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pele's hair is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eruption products, Glass in nature, Pyroclastic rocks, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pele's hair outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Pele's hair in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pele's hair means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pele's hair out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pele's hair in simple terms?

Why does Pele's hair matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pele's hair?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pele's hair.