Hawaiian eruptions often occur as gusherlike lava fountains that generate red-hot lava rivers. Some eruptions come out of the ground from elongate fissures or tubualr vents as jets of gas, carrying liquid granules and blobs to form fountains that go high into the sky. The gases stream through the magma which causes it to tear apart into liquid blobs that partially or completely congeal while flying through the air. The eruptions often destroy property but gives plenty of warning to be outrun and avoided. Because explosive eruptions are infrequent on Hawaii and consist mostly of lava flows, the risk to human life from eruptions is low. The islands of Hawaii has been affected by erosion which has carved them into hills, valleys, and moutain peaks making them no longer look like volcanoes. (Fisher) > The Hawaiians recognized the islands they live on as volcanic and incorporated their understanding of volcanic processes into legends chronicling the travels and behavior of the volcano goddess Pele. When "fire fountains" spray lava upwards, some of the liquid sets solid into teardrop shapes, with bulbous ends and long-drawn-out tails. The Hawaiian islanders call these glassy droplets Pele's tears after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. When Pele's tears are are heated, it draws out behind it a thin, flexible thread of glass like a long hair-like tail of glass. These are known as Pele's hair.
