The nickel is not found in every channel, nor is it found at every place along a channel. Although difficult to reconstruct, the nickel seemed to be found in bends in the channel or plunge pools beneath komatiite falls. In modern lava channels, these would be the places where the liquid lava would slow down. The nickel seems to be deposited by the komatiite liquid just as a river deposits its bedload sediment. Much of the komatiite story has been deciphered by comparing modern lavas and komatiites.
Hawaiian lavas seem to be the closest modern analogue.
The rapid inflation of the volcano lasted 50 minutes and more than seven microradians of tilt was recorded before deflation began. The increased volume of lava caused breakouts from the old tube system near the 2,300-ft elevation and fed three flows that advanced down Pulama pali. Activity returned to normal by Monday afternoon, and the three new flows stagnated. The old flow reported last week in the coastal flats slowly wended its way toward the coast near Kamokuna and entered the sea on Saturday, September 23. The public is reminded that the ocean-entry areas are extremely hazardous, with explosions accompanying sudden collapses of the new land.