Don’t Touch This ‘Hair’ in Hawaii, Which Is Actually Volcanic Glass

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Kīlauea is erupting again at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, but before you visit, don’t forget about all that dangerous “hair” blowing around and accumulating on the ground. These strands, called Pele’s hair, aren’t actually hair; they’re thin strands of volcanic glass formed during a volcanic eruption. And they can hurt you, if you’re not careful.

“At various points around the summit of Kīlauea and the Kaʻū Desert, what appear to be golden mats of hair lay gathered on the ground,” the National Park Service (NPS) says on its website. “These fibers are not human or animal hair, but rather a delicate byproduct of some of the Earth’s most powerful forces. They are thin glass fibers known as Pele’s hair, named after the volcanic deity Pele.”

When bubbles of gas near the surface of a lava flow burst, it can stretch the skin of the molten lava into long threads, NPS explains. Pele’s hair can be up to 2 feet long, even though it’s only 1 micron (.001 mm) thick. NPS says these long, thin, and sharp pieces of glass can become lodged in humans’ skin or, worse, their eyes.

National Park News recently shared a public service announcement about this hazard on Instagram. The latest eruption has attracted visitors and led to an increase in Pele’s hair in the area.

“If you’re visiting, stay safe and protect yourself from Pele’s hair by not touching it, keeping it out of your eyes, and by wearing a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed-toe shoes,” National Park News advises in its post.

See the full warning about Pele’s hair here:

See footage of Kīlauea erupting here: