August 26, 2022 — Tuff cone on Ta‘ū Island in American Samoa

A cliff on Ta‘ū island in American Samoa, exposing part of a tuff cone that was created from phreatomagmatic processes through the interaction of lava with shallow seawater. This part of the tuff cone contains mostly sand-sized material that hosts larger blocks and bombs that are up to several feet (one meter) in diameter. There are several tuff cones that are present near the coastline of the island of Ta‘ū. USGS photo by D. Downs.