English: Achnelith (Pele’s tear) with two attached threads of Pele’s hair from the Holocene of Hawaii, USA. (longest dimension of specimen is 9 millimeters)

Mt. Kilauea is the world’s most active volcano. It sits atop the Hawaii Hotspot in the central Pacific Ocean. It had a decades-long eruption from 1983 to 2018. Kilauea lavas are basaltic in composition, but the physical appearance of Kilauea’s output varies tremendously. Many of Kilauea’s ongoing basaltic eruptions have occurred along its East Rift Zone, a fracture system extending ~eastward from the summit vent area.

"Pele’s hair" refers to extremely long threads of brownish- to blackish-colored basalt glass (sideromelane & tachylite). It forms as very fluid basalt lava spray is stretched while airborne. Achneliths (Pele’s tears - the small, black, glassy structures) are often found attached to one end of individual threads. Multiple threads can be found attached to some achnelith masses (see above).

Provenance: vintage 1930s tourist specimen; unrecorded Kilauea eruption date; unrecorded collection locality on Hawaii