Chain of Craters Road

The Chain of Craters road is an 18 mile long drive from Crater Rim Drive to the Holei Sea Arch. Due to SO2 levels, the road was closed at about the half-way point on the day before we went down. Luckily, it was open all the way to the ocean on the day we drove it. Interestingly, the evening of the day we drove the Chain of Craters Road, it was closed again. Can you spell CANARY?

On the drive we passed pit craters. They're formed with the ground over an empty chamber collapses.We also got some excellent views of where the lava had flowed down the mountain.The lava has also created a significant amount of new land. The island has really expanded.We stopped to see the petroglyphs - which are basically prehistoric writings in picture form. Here are some examples.The next two photos are a learning opportunity. There are two basic kinds of lava flow: pahoehoe and a'a. The pahoehoe is hotter, and the rock is more molten. When it cools, it has a shiny surface. The a'a lava flow is cooler with the rock not completely melting and ends up with a grainy appearance when it cools. TEST: Which of the two below is pahoehoe and which is a'a.As I mentioned we got to drive all the way to the end of the Chain of Craters road or at least to the point where it was blocked by a 1984 lava flow. At the end of the road we got to see the Holei Sea Arch.From the parking area we walked to where the 1984 lava flow went over the road. Here we are standing on the lava flow. TEST 2: What type of lava are we standing on?If you said pahoehoe, you're correct!