Geo 365: May 21, Day 141: Lava's Got a Squeeze-Up...

...Daddy doesn't sleep at night. I'm not entirely clear on how squeeze-ups form, but I can generally recognize them. My understanding is that once the lava becomes confined within the exterior shell or crust- essentially, a lava tube that hasn't drained- more lava erupted at the top of the flow increases the pressure lower in the tube. If there is a fracture or joint in the area experiencing the increased pressure, the lava squeezes up and out, like toothpaste from a tube.

Photo run through Paint.Net's autolevel routine. August 21, 2011. FlashEarth location.

And for those who didn't catch today's tongue-in-cheek musical reference: