Kipuka

This kipuka formed during the Pu`u `O`o-Kupaianaha eruption on the east rift zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai`i.

Kipuka is a Hawaiian term for an "island" of land completely surrounded by one or more younger lava flows. A kipuka forms when lava encircles a hill or a slight rise in the ground as it moves downslope or across relatively flat ground. Because they are surrounded by more recent flows, kipukas are often covered with mature vegetation.