its name from the Paiute word pa-o-ha, for spirits they believed to exist in Paoha Island's hot springs. These spirits, or elves, were described as "diminutive sprites having long, waving hair, that were sometimes seen in the vapor-wreaths escaping from the hot springs."

The surface sediments of Paoha Island consist primarily of clay and marl, which are responsible for the pale surface. Volcanic ash