engrossingvolcanoeruptions: Like an insect crossing the pavement of an old driveway, I climbed atop

engrossingvolcanoeruptions:Like an insect crossing the pavement of an old driveway, I climbed atop massive slabs of stone, buckled and cracked as the once molten lava field cooled into its new form. #kilauea #crater #cliffs #volcano #volcanonationalpark #mountains #nature #earth #explore #travel #adventure #america #hike #hawaii #hiking #HawaiianIslands #landscape #lava #scenery #sightseeing #beautiful #bigisland #ipa #rock #geology by emanphotog https://instagram.com/p/8279ZVSLPe/Those big, uplifted slabs are called tumuli (singular: tumulus). They form when something creates a compressive stress in the upper layer of a lava flow - that stress can either be more lava entering an area (pushing the chilled surface upwards) or it can be contraction - as a lava lake cools it sinks downward and an upper crust can be compressed while it sinks into a smaller hole. -- source link

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