About Zuqar Island:
- It is a Yemeni island in the southern Red Sea, forming part of the Hanish Islands archipelago.
- It lies between the coasts of mainland Yemen and Eritrea, near the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
- Despite its proximity to the African continent, the island is considered a part of Asia because it sits on the Asian continental shelf.
- It has strategic importance because of its location along one of the world’s key maritime routes.
- The island consists of a shield volcano overlain by basaltic pyroclastic cones and spatter cones, which produce youthful-looking pahoehoe lava flows.
What are Pahoehoe Lava Flows?
- Pahoehoe is a type of basaltic lava characterized by a smooth, often shiny, and billowy surface.
- This highly fluid lava spreads in thin sheets and forms ropy folds as it continues to flow beneath a hardening crust.
- The surface of pahoehoe lava flows can appear gently undulating or broadly hummocky, with liquid lava beneath the surface wrinkling it into tapestry-like folds that resemble twisted rope.
- These flows are typically fed internally by streams of liquid lava.
