Kilauea Volcano: all of Hawaii's troubles added Pele's dangerous hair

Kilauea Volcano has already done a lot of trouble in the Hawaiian Islands. Fiberglass-covered beaches have now added life-threatening beaches to burnt houses, cracks in the ground, and ruined roads. These unusual products of volcanic activity are called Pele's hair.

Pele is not only a famous football player, but also the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, with the difference that the emphasis is on the first syllable. Pele's hair is the thinnest filament of volcanic fiberglass, which is formed when the basalt lava hardens. But their education requires special conditions. The lava from which Pele's hair is formed should be close to a liquid state and have good fluidity. Such lava has a high temperature (more than 1000ºС) and in the presence of wind or strong bursts freezes, forming the thinnest threads. The color of volcanic fiberglass varies from light brown to golden yellow, and the length of the filaments is from 15 to 60 centimeters.

Pele's hair is very fragile and light, they shine in the sun, and they are quickly carried by the wind over long distances. Under mechanical action, they are easily destroyed, turning into dust. But such fragility is deceptive. The fact is that Pele's hair is a serious danger to humans and animals if they enter the body. During Kilauea’s past eruptions, Pele’s hair had already killed livestock in Hawaii when fiberglass was ingested with drinking water. Walking on beaches covered with Pele's hair can also be unsafe for health.

This unusual natural phenomenon was first described in the 19th century by the American scientist James Dan, who explored the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Well, its name - Pele's hair - volcanic fiberglass received in 1967, when another American scientist Gordon MacDonald proposed to introduce this term.

Of course, Pele's hair is formed not only as a result of the Kilauea eruption. These solidified lava products can also be found around other active volcanoes with liquid high-temperature lava. Pele's hair was repeatedly seen around Etna on the Italian island of Sicily, Tolbachinsky hills in Kamchatka, Ertale volcano in Ethiopia, as well as near the volcanoes of Iceland.