pahoehoe

Toes of a pahoehoe flow advance across a road in Kalapana on the east rift zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i. Credit: J. D. Griggs / U.S. Geological Survey

A Hawaiian term for basaltic lava that has a smooth, hummocky, or ropy surface. A pahoehoe flow typically advances as a series of small lobes and toes that continually break out from a cooled crust. The surface texture of pahoehoe flows varies widely, displaying all kinds of bizarre shapes often referred to as lava sculpture.

Related category

• GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

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