Residents and visitors alike have been watching episodic lava fountains in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kilauea since late December 2024. While beautiful and safe to view, this activity has left residents of communities nearby wondering about the dusting of glittery threads on their property. Pele’s Hair is the name for the strands of volcanic glass that are created when globs of liquid lava are stretched apart during an eruption.
These golden strands can be more than a meter (3 feet) long and less than 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) thick. They are very light weight and can be wafted up in the hot or warm eruption plume, allowing them to be carried by wind and fall in areas far from eruption sites.
Tradewind conditions would typically take these particles downwind in a southwest direction from Kilauea summit, into the Ka‘u Desert area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. However, during episode 4, from January 15–18, there were no tradewinds. The lack of wind allowed the eruption plume, and all the particles in it, to spread out to the north dropping Pele’s Hair fell in Hawaii Volcanoes National, Volcano Golf Course, Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, and Ohia Estates.
In some areas, the hair tangled into tumble-weed like structures up to 60 cm (about two feet) long. You may be wondering if there are steps you need to take regarding vehicles, pets and children being outside, grazing livestock, or water catchment systems if you live in an area that has been affected b.
