A Hawaiian eruption is a type of volcanic eruption where lava flows from the vent much like water from a spring, with few or no explosions. This type of eruption occurs most often on hotspot volcanoes such as Kilauea, though it can occur near subduction zones (e.g. Medicine Lake, California.) Hawaiian eruptions are usually the most attractive to tourists and are the safest because there is little danger.

Petrology of Hawaiian Basalts

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The lava that comes from Hawaiian volcanoes is typically a Basalt. Hawaiian Basalts however range in composition from an Alkali Tholeiite to Olivine Basalt. Early in the "evolution" of the Hawaiian islands a more mafic, iron rich magma (a basalt that was olvine normative) was erupting. Later on in the hawaiian evolution, more tholeiitic compositions became common. This trend in change of composition is believed to have occurred due to the processes involved in fractional melting.

Texturally in thin section hawaiian basalts tend to have a vitreous texture, the groundmass containing much glass, and some vesicles. Most phenocrysts that have not had much time to cool in hawaiian basalt are small.

External links

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• Hawaii Volcano Observatory