Kulanaokuaiki Tephra examined on Kīlauea's south flank

A paint brush is very useful to discern individual Kulanaokuaiki Tephra units by clearing away overlying younger ash and Pele's hair. At this field site on the south flank of Kīlauea, the Kulanaokuaiki Tephra is overlain by Observatory Shield lava flows and underlain by the Kīpuka Nēnē lava flows. This helps give great time constraints to the deposition of this tephra. USGS photo by Kendra J. Lynn.