Kīpuka

Lava flows and kīpukas at Holei Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

A kīpuka is an area of land surrounded by one or more younger lava flows. A kīpuka forms when lava flows on either side of a hill, ridge, or older lava dome as it moves downslope or spreads from its source. Older and more weathered than their surroundings, kīpukas often appear to be like islands within a sea of lava flows. They are often covered with soil and late ecological successional vegetation that provide visual contrast as well as habitat for animals in an otherwise inhospitable environment.

Kīpuka, along with ʻaʻā and pāhoehoe, are Hawaiian words related to volcanology that have entered the lexicon of geology. Some have used the word informally as applying to any place where biological life endures the encroachment of civilization, an "island of life."

References

• USGS Photo Glossary: Kipuka