Many of the rocks we see exposed on the western slope of Kawio Barat are highly vesicular, meaning they are full of holes left by gas bubbles present in the lava as it froze during eruption. The lavas here must have been exceptionally rich in gas to produce so many gas bubbles at a depth of nearly 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
Exposed Rock
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 2.0 MB).
Many of the rocks we see exposed on the western slope of Kawio Barat are highly vesicular, meaning they are full of holes left by gas bubbles present in the lava as it froze during eruption. The lavas here must have been exceptionally rich in gas to produce so many gas bubbles at a depth of nearly 2,000 meters (6,562 feet).
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