As Mauna Loa erupts, Hawaii officials warn of ‘Pele’s Hair.’ What is it?

Sac Bee ^

[BenLurkin]

Pele’s Hair, a byproduct of volcano eruptions, are thin glass fibers “named after the volcanic deity Pele,” according to the National Park Service. Piles of the long, hair-like fibers can be found near volcanic summits in Hawaii. The fibers resemble “golden mats of hair,” the park service says on a page about the phenomena.

Strands of Pele’s Hair can stretch up to 2 feet in length but are less than a micron, or .001 millimeters, wide. They are light enough to be picked up and carried by the wind. Pele’s Hair can form mats up to several inches deep. The fragile mats are easily broken, but because they are glass, they can form slivers in the skin or eyes, the agency warned.

[caver]

It looks like Don King’s hair.

[al baby]

Don king is trying to pass as a white boy ?

[larrytown]

Having worked fiberglass insulation many times as a younger man - nope!

[Ann Archy]

Looks like my hair after a very bad dye job

[LegendHasIt]

Kinda cool.

I wonder if it would make good ‘free’ insulation. Is basically ‘fiberglass.

[Carriage Hill]

Looks like Kat Timpf’s “hair” falls.

[Red Badger]

White woman........................

[Red Badger]

I remember having hair.......................

[Jamestown1630]

My first thought was what this might do to the lungs.

[Rummyfan]

I thought it had something to do with the World Cup!

[fretzer]

>I remember having hair.......................

It migrates.

[Red Badger]

Mine emigrated....................

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sounds worse than fiberglass insulation because it isn’t matted like fiberglass insulation making it much more easily blown about by the wind.

[PGR88]

Looks nothing like Pele's hair.

[Recompennation]

Rock wool . Insulation. Would itch you something terrible.

[Travis McGee]

Volcanic dust is nasty on its own. I'd stay far away from the "hair."

Volcanic ash will "white out" and quickly ruin a glass windshield quickly if wipers are used.

They are like microscopic glass ships, very sharp, small enough to embed deep in the lungs.

Nasty.

Volcanic ash under a microscope. It's not "soft and fluffy" at the micro level.

[Travis McGee]

See 17.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Wow!

[12chachacha]

Looks like butt hair and if it’s butt hair it’s indescribable. Plant that stuff on my head.