mgguilin
DSC_8557_mod1wm
As the outer surface of a lava flow cools and hardens, it provides a rigid insulating structure that allows hotter lava to flow within it. These igneous conduits are called lava tubes and when the flow of lava is depleted, hollow cavernous spaces are left behind. Many of these empty spaces collapse, which produces a landscape that looks like a deflated souffle from the surface, though some remain intact as caves that can be traversed.
DSC_8557_mod1wm
As the outer surface of a lava flow cools and hardens, it provides a rigid insulating structure that allows hotter lava to flow within it. These igneous conduits are called lava tubes and when the flow of lava is depleted, hollow cavernous spaces are left behind. Many of these empty spaces collapse, which produces a landscape that looks like a deflated souffle from the surface, though some remain intact as caves that can be traversed.