Here's a Hawaiian Mystery for You: Where Did These Circles Come From?

We were on a desolate plain on the south side of Kilauea Caldera on the Big Island exploring the ongoing volcanic activity. The smoking pit of Halemaumau Crater with her bubbling lake of molten lava was only a half mile or so north of us, so yes, we were in a closed area (but legally in this instance!).

Given that no part of the exposed Kilauea shield is older than about 1,000 years, it's almost needless to point out that this is a young geological landscape. You can see that a thick forest can be seen off in the distance, but only a few shrubs and spindly trees are present at our feet. I saw just a few bugs when I got on my hands and knees for a closer look at the gravel.

Circles occur in nature for plenty of reasons. I don't want to provide a list because this isn't a multiple-choice test: it's a thought question! Where did the circles come from?

The middle of the circles are composed of relatively uniform particles about 1-2 millimeters across. The intervening edges are made of larger unsorted fragments. As you can see in the pictures, there is sometimes a single rock in the middle of the rings, and sometimes there is a shrub.

A couple of other background information items: Kilauea is a broad shield volcano composed of thousands of basalt lava flows. It is highly active, and indeed there has been a non-stop eruption going on one place or another on Kilauea since the early 1980s, the longest sustained eruption in recorded history. The lava lake in Halemaumau has been active since 2008. One further point to consider...should we be seeing gravel here, so close to the summit of Kilauea?

So there you go: don't be afraid to speculate! Give us some ideas in the comments section...