A'a

'A'a flows are typically several meters thick and covered in spiny rubble splintered off from the flow itself. As the flow advances, this covering of rubble falls off of the leading edge and forms a dangerous cascade of hot, incandescent debris. Hiking over the rubbly surface of an 'a'a flow is a very unpleasant experience. The ancient Hawaiians who traversed these flows may have been very literal when naming them 'a'a.

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