The volcanoes in Hawaii typically erupt a very different kind of lava than do the Cascade volcanoes. The basaltic lava in Hawaii, which is derived from a hot spot beneath the Pacific tectonic plate, has the consistency of raw honey when it erupts. Fed from summit vents or rifts that split the flanks of volcanoes, the lava flows downslope in pulsating streams. Explosive eruptions are infrequent, and the risk to human life from such eruptions is low.
