Fractures cut the surface of a roughly 5000-year-old ropy pahoehoe lava flow in south-central New Mexico. Lava flow textures such as these are formed when molten lava continues to flow underneath the cooled plastic skin, causing the surface to bunch up or wrinkle into a form that resembles coiled rope. Highway 380 cuts across the northern part of the Carrizozo lava flow, providing access to the flow.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Carrizozo