The major eruptive product of Hawaiian volcanoes is lava.
Lava flows can form during fountaining eruptions or they can well
out of the ground with little or no pyroclastic activity. There
are two major types of basaltic lava flow, 'a'a and pahoehoe.
These are Hawaiian words that have no meaning other than the type
of lava, and they have been adopted by geologists working in other
basaltic areas besides Hawai'i. They are different in almost every
respect possible except for their chemistry. All their myriad
differences can be attributed to different eruption and consequent
emplacement mechanisms.
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