A naturally occurring model of global plate tectonics

During the Mauna Ulu eruption at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, a crust-veneered lava column in the central eruptive vent provided an active model of global plate tectonics. As the crust migrated from one end of the vent to the other, it became segmented into plates, which were invariably bounded by some combination of rises, sinks and transform faults. If it is assumed that inertial forces associated with plate tectonics are diminishingly small, a quantitative comparison suggests that the two situations were scaled equivalents for some features. The exact degree of similarity between the two situations, however, is limited, chiefly by the present incomplete state of understanding of both environments. There are differences in detail between the plate tectonics on the surface of the lava column and those on the surface of the earth, but examination of the lava column provides an excellent teaching aid that may prove to be a valuable tool in the continuing studies of crustal plates and their motions for the earth.