Pāhoehoe is a Hawaiian word for smooth lava flows with relatively low viscosity while hot. A thin skin of cooled lava often forms on top of these flows and allows the still molten rock underneath to continue to flow. This slow cooling process permits the formation of a variety of different sculptural qualities. Wrinkles, ropes, pours, and braids emerge from hot flows that interact with cooler but still plastic rock, and are occasionally tinged with an ochre coloration from mineral deposits.

I’m drawn to these relief sculptures and their endlessly fascinating textures. This newly minted portion of the Earth’s surface was only recently part of its deep interior. In this way, and others, our planet continually remakes itself.