February 03, 2005

Ground Hog Day

While you were waiting for the groundhog, we were waiting for the hornito and we got one which means that the erruption will continue for a while longer...

This is a Hornito. It rises up out of the lava fields when a hole is formed in a cooling lava formation and hot gasses spew out with great force. The gas carries fragments of lava and glass particles, which cool into weird statue like shapes. Hornitos can grow quite large, as the lava fragments pile up sort of like a dripping candle forms a pile this is in reverse! Many hornitos are recognizable geological strutures and are named. This one formed over the past week and has been named Carlito the Hornito.

Read more about the incredible volcanic wonder that is in my backyard here, and the current spectacular increase in the erruption