Lava "Burps" and Archaeology

Our first view --- long overgrown driveway

For the last couple of weeks I have been working (in between other projects) on a lava feature that materialized only last fall, when we had a bobcat operator clear back wide spaces on each side of our long driveway that were thick with invasive species, brittle junk trees, and mats of various vines and small shrubs. 

Me - poser/dozer for my Birthday!

(Here's a photo we took in 2012 when the front ½ acre was totally overgrown.)

As the bobcat work cleared the debris, we discovered we had a large, tall, intact flow of pahoehoe that at one time had flowed diagonally across the property.

Carefully cleaning dirt out of the cracks

Since the initial clearing took place a few months ago, this “high ground” has tempted me to uncover its secret face. For a solid week my first task was removing small bushes, debris and vines… down to dirt.  As I removed buckets and buckets of dirt, I began to see the ‘face’ of the pahoehoe that had flowed across the driveway – long before there was one. 

It was clear to me that using the pick ax would damage the beautiful unbroken lava flow, so I had to switch tools!  I got out a small triangle hand trowel and stiff brush and began the “lava archaeology” that eventually revealed beautiful swirls, folds and features all across the width of this 5 x 20’ outcropping.  As I patiently cleaned and brushed away the dirt it seemed very personal -- like a wrinkled face; the more I looked the more I saw.  (to SEE more - click on each photo)

Our house is way in the back

Heavy black shows 1955 "burps" and flows

Because this feature is 10-12 feet higher than the rest of the property, I began to wonder when this outcropping happened.  I found a USGS map that features more recent lava flows along Kilauea’s East Rift Zone in the Puna District on the Big Island of Hawaii.  There were some very late outbreaks (burps) that happened  as recently 1955.  We doubt our outcropping is that old, but it is still a reminder of how very young this island really is.