Photograph by D.W. Peterson on March 27, 1984/USGS
Pele's hair
Then you see an exhibit titled volcanic products, so you decide to go and look at it. The first thing they talk about have to do with Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire. They talk about something called Pele's hair. They are thin strands of volcanic glass that come out of molten lava. They usually have a diameter of less than 0.5 millimeters, and can be as long as 2 meters.
Pele's hair
Then they talk about Pele's tears. They are formed when small bits of molten lava in fountains cool quickly and harden into glass pieces that are shaped like tear drops. They are jet black and often found at the end of Pele's hair.
Pele's tears compared to the size of a dime.
Reticulite is a type of rock that can be found with Pele's hair and tears. It is like pumice except for not as dense and much lighter. In reticulite almost all of the cell walls have popped, leaving it looking like a sponge or honeycomb. Although it is extremely light, it doesn't float because nearly all the cells are open. Reticulite can be sharp but is also very fragile, so you could easily break it by squeezing it. It is said to be the lightest rock in the world.
