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THEMATIC VOLCANO PHOTO GALLERY:

- Hornitos (rootless spatter cones) -


Erupting hornito on Kilauea, Hawaii (Dec. '03)


Brief explanation:

Hornito (Spanish) = "Little oven".
Volcanic hornitos are small (usually a few meters high) rootless spatter cones that form on the surface of a (usually basaltic pahoehoe) lava flow. A hornito develops when lava is forced up through an opening in the cooled surface of a flow (a skylight) and then accumulates around the opening. Typically, hornitos are steep sided and form conspicuous pinnacles or stacks. They are "rootless" because they are fed by lava from the underlying flow instead of from a deeper magma conduit. (from USGS Photoglossary).

Hornito that has just ceased to be active.

Large (10 m high) hornito near Pu'u O'o (inactive and active, 7 days between photos).
etna_5133.jpg etna_5229.jpg etna_5226.jpg
Active hornitos during Etna volcano's eruption in July 2001.