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Hawaii (island)

March 03, 2023

Hawaii (/həˈwaɪʔi/ (listen) hə-WY-ee; Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi Hawaiian pronunciation: [həˈvɐjʔi]) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2), it has 63% of the Hawaiian archipelago's combined landmass. However, it has only 13% of Hawaiʻi's population. The island of Hawaiʻi is the third largest island in Polynesia, behind the two main islands of New Zealand.[2]

Hawaiʻi
Nickname: The Big Island
Landsat mosaic, 1999–2001
Location in the state of Hawaii
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific Ocean
Coordinates19°34′N 155°30′W / 19.567°N 155.500°W / 19.567; -155.500
Area4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2)
Area rankLargest Hawaiian Island
Highest elevation13,803 ft (4207.2 m)[1]
Highest pointMauna Kea
Administration
United States
Symbols
FlowerRed Pua Lehua (ʻOhiʻa blossom)
ColorʻUlaʻula (red)
Largest settlementHilo
Demographics
Population200,629 (2020)
Pop. density46/sq mi (17.8/km2)
Ethnic groupsHawaiian
Additional information
Time zone

The island is often referred to as the Island of Hawaiʻi or Hawaiʻi Island to distinguish it from the state. It is also referred to as the Big Island. Administratively, the island is coextensive with Hawaii County.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 200,629.[3] The county seat and largest town is Hilo. There are no incorporated cities in Hawaiʻi County.[4]

History

Main article: History of Hawaii
See also: Hawaii § History
 
James Kealoha Beach, "Carlsmith Beach Park", in Hilo

Hawaii is said to have been named after Hawaiʻiloa, the legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered it. Other accounts attribute the name to the legendary realm of Hawaiki, a place from which some Polynesian people are said to have originated, the place where they transition to in the afterlife, or the realm of the gods and goddesses. Captain James Cook, the English explorer and navigator who was captain of the first European expedition that came upon the Hawaiian Islands, called it O-Why-hee (from Hawaiian) and the "Sandwich Islands" after his patron, the Earl of Sandwich.[5] Cook was killed on the Big Island at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February 1779, in a melee which followed the theft of a ship's boat.[6]

Hawaii was the home island of Paiʻea Kamehameha, later known as Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha united most of the Hawaiian islands under his rule in 1795, after several years of war, and gave the kingdom and the island chain the name of his native island.[7] In 1822, the missionary William Ellis arrived and was one of a party that completed a tour of the island, descriptions of which were later published in his journal.[8]

Geology and geography

 
Aerial view, 3D computer-generated image

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,086 square miles (13,170 km2), of which 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2) is land and 1,058 square miles (2,740 km2) (20.8%) is water.[9] The county's land area comprises 62.7 percent of the state's land area. It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States.[10]

At its greatest dimension, the island is 93 miles (150 km) across. It has a land area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2)[11] comprising 62% of the Hawaiian Islands' land area. Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, taller than even Mount Everest, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level.[12]

Ka Lae, the southernmost point in the 50 states of the United States, is on Hawaii. The nearest landfall to the south is in the Line Islands. To the northwest of the island of Hawaii is the island of Maui, whose Haleakalā volcano is visible from Hawaii across the Alenuihaha Channel.

 
A view of the Kohala Coast and adjacent volcanoes, taken from the slopes of Kohala Mountains about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Kawaihae. From left to right: Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai.

Volcanism

 
The five shield volcanoes
 
Steam plume as Kīlauea red lava enters the ocean at three Waikupanaha and one Ki lava ocean entries. Some surface lava is seen too. The image was taken on 16 April 2008.

The island of Hawaiʻi is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. These are (from oldest to youngest):[13]

Geological evidence from exposures of old surfaces on the south and west flanks of Mauna Loa led to the proposal that two ancient volcanic shields (named Ninole and Kulani) were all but buried by the younger Mauna Loa.[14] Geologists now consider these "outcrops" to be part of the earlier building of Mauna Loa.

Because Mauna Loa and Kīlauea are active volcanoes, the island of Hawaii is still growing. Between January 1983 and September 2002, lava flows added 543 acres (220 ha) to the island. Lava flowing from Kīlauea has destroyed several towns, including Kapoho in 1960 and again in 2018, and Kalapana and Kaimū in 1990. In 1987 lava filled in "Queen's Bath", a large, L-shaped, freshwater pool in the Kalapana area.[15] Another 875 acres were added between May to July, 2018 by the 2018 lower Puna eruption.[16][17] Mauna Loa erupted in 2022 after 38 years.[18]

Some geologists count seven volcanoes as building the island, which include the submarine volcanoes Māhukona and Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Lōʻihi) as parts of the base of the island.[19] Māhukona off the northwest corner of the island has already disappeared below the surface of the ocean.[20] Approximately 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Hawaii lies the undersea volcano known as Kamaʻehuakanaloa. It is an erupting seamount that now reaches approximately 3,200 feet (980 m) below the surface of the ocean. Continued activity at current rates from Kamaʻehuakanaloa will likely cause it to break the surface of the ocean sometime between 10,000 and 100,000 years from now.[21]

Great Crack

See also: Koa'e Fault Zone
 
Lava entering the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in April 2005, increasing the size of the island

The Great Crack is an eight-mile-long (13,000 m), 60-foot-wide (18 m) and 60-foot-deep (18 m) fissure in the island, in the district of Kau. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Great Crack is the result of crustal dilation from magmatic intrusions into the southwest rift zone of Kilauea.[22] While neither the earthquake of 1868 nor that of 1975 caused a measurable change in the Great Crack, lava welled out of the lower 6 miles (10 km) of the Great Crack in 1823.[22]

Visitors can find trails, rock walls, and archaeological sites from as old as the 12th century around the Great Crack. In August 2018, the National Park Service purchased nearly 2,000 acres (810 ha) of private land adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, claiming that the area has important geological features that need to be studied and preserved.[23]

Hilina Slump

Main article: Hilina Slump
 
Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park
 
Laʻaloa Bay, also known as "Magic Sands," located in Kailua-Kona

The Hilina Slump is a 4,760-cubic-mile (19,800 km3) section of the south slope of the Kīlauea volcano which is slipping away from the island. Between 1990 and 1993, Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements showed a southward displacement of about 4 inches (10 cm) per year.[24] Undersea measurements show that a "bench" has formed a buttress and that this buttress may tend to reduce the likelihood of future catastrophic detachment.[25][26]

Earthquakes and tsunamis

See also: List of earthquakes in Hawaii
 
Anaehoʻomalu Beach panorama

On 2 April 1868, an earthquake with a magnitude estimated between 7.25 and 7.9 rocked the southeast coast of Hawaii. This was the most destructive earthquake in the recorded history of Hawaii.[27] It triggered a landslide on Mauna Loa, 5 miles (8 km) north of Pahala, killing 31 people. A tsunami claimed 46 more lives. The villages of Punaluʻu, Nīnole, Kawaʻa, Honuʻapo, and Keauhou Landing were severely damaged. The tsunami reportedly rolled over the tops of the coconut trees up to 60 feet (18 m) high, and it reached inland a distance of a quarter of a mile (400 meters) in some places.[28]

On 29 November 1975, a 37-mile-wide (60 km) section of the Hilina Slump dropped 11.5 feet (3.5 m) and slid 26 feet (7.9 m) toward the ocean. This movement caused a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and a 48-foot-high (15 m) tsunami. Oceanfront property was washed off its foundations in Punaluu. Two deaths were reported at Halape, and 19 other people were injured.[29]

The island suffered tsunami damage from earthquakes in Alaska on 1 April 1946, and in Chile on 23 May 1960. Downtown Hilo was severely damaged by both tsunamis, with many lives lost. Just north of Hilo, Laupāhoehoe lost 16 schoolchildren and five teachers in the tsunami of 1946.[30]

In March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan again created a tsunami that caused minor damage in Hawaii. The estimated damage to public buildings alone was about US$3 million.[31] In the Kona area this tsunami washed a house into Kealakekua Bay, destroyed a yacht club and tour boat offices in Keauhou Bay, caused extensive damage in Kailua Kona, flooded the ground floor of the King Kamehameha Hotel,[32] and permanently closed the Kona Village Resort.[33]

In early May 2018, hundreds of small earthquakes were detected on Kīlauea's East rift zone, leading officials to issue evacuation warnings. On 3 May 2018, the volcano erupted in Puna after a 5.0 earthquake earlier in the day, causing evacuations of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions.[34][35] A seemingly related 5.3 magnitude quake and a subsequent 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred on 4 May.[36][37]

Volcanic fog

 
Mobile atmospheric volcanic fog measuring station in Hawaii

Vog (volcanic fog) can envelop the island of Hawaii when Kilauea Volcano is active. Since the termination of volcanic activity in September 2018, the vog has largely disappeared on the west side of the island.[38] The gas plumes of the Kīlauea Volcano create a blanket of vog which the dominant trade winds mostly deflect toward the Kona coast on the west side of the island of Hawaiʻi. Vog contains chemicals that can damage the environment and the health of plants, humans, and other animals. Most of the aerosols are acidic and of a size where they can remain in the lungs to damage them and impair function. Flu-like symptoms and general lethargy are reported, and are especially pronounced in people with respiratory conditions.[39][40][41][42]

National protected areas

 
Lehua blossoms, Hawaiʻi


Economy

 
Aerial view of Cyanotech Corp. microalgae ponds at NELHA

Sugarcane was the backbone of the island of Hawaii's economy for more than a century. In the mid-20th century, sugarcane plantations began to downsize, and in 1995 the last plantation closed.[43]

Most of the island's economy is based on tourism, centered primarily in resort areas on the western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts. More recently, Hawaii Island has become a focus for sustainable tourism.[44]

Diversified agriculture is a growing sector of the economy. Major crops include macadamia nuts, papaya, flowers, tropical and temperate vegetables, and coffee beans. Only coffee grown in the Kona District of this island may be branded Kona coffee. The island's orchid agriculture is the largest in the state, and resulted in the unofficial nickname "The Orchid Isle".[45] The island is home to one of the United States' largest cattle ranches: Parker Ranch, on 175,000 acres (708 km2) in Waimea. The island is also known for astronomy, with numerous telescopes operated on the summit of Mauna Kea at the Mauna Kea Observatories, where atmospheric clarity is excellent and there is little light pollution.[46]

NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority), a 675-acre (273 ha) state developed site, is a green economic development ocean science and technology park on the west side of the island. It provides resources and facilities for energy and ocean-related research, education, and commercial activities in an environmentally sound and culturally sensitive manner. Business tenants on this coastal site include microalgae farms, aquaculture, solar technology and marine biotech. Tenants have access to three sets of pipelines delivering deep-sea water from a depth of up to 3,000 feet (910 m), as well as pristine sea surface water and almost constant sunshine. A 2012 study by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) found the total economic impact of activities at NELHA was $87.7 million and created 583 jobs.[47]

Transportation

 
Bus in Hilo

Roads

Three routes connect the two major towns, Hilo on the east coast and Kailua-Kona on the west coast of the island:[48]

There are also State highways 270 (Kawaihae – Hawi) and 180 (the "Kona coffee road", from Honalo to State highway 190), South Point Road (Highway 11 to South Point), etc.

There are presently three Hawaii Scenic Byways on the island of Hawaii:

  • Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Center
  • Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast
  • Kaʻu Scenic Byway – The Slopes of Mauna Loa

Rental car offices are at the international airports. Taxi service is also available. Island-wide bus service is provided by the "Hele-On Bus".[49]

Airports

Two commercial airports serve Hawaiʻi Island:

There is also:

Seaports

Major commercial ports are Hilo on the east side and Kawaihae on the west side of the island. Cruise ships often stop at Kailua-Kona (90 times in 2017)[50] and Hilo (108 times in 2017).[51]

 
ʻAkaka Falls on Kolekole Stream

Tourism

Places of interest

 
Green sea turtle lying on an old lava flow; the background shows a Hawaiian temple, known as a "heiau" in the Hawaiian language.
 
Hawaii from space, 26 January 2014[52]

Hotels on the east coast

The larger hotels on the east coast are:

Hotels on the west coast

The larger hotels on the west coast, from north (Puako) to south (Captain Cook):

Maps

  •  

    National parks, mountains and cities on the island

  •  

    Topographic map of the island of Hawaii

  •  

    Detailed map of the island of Hawaii

See also

References

  1. ^ "Summit USGS 1977". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. ^ "List of the Islands of Polynesia". from the original on 1 January 2017.
  3. ^ "HAWAII: 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  4. ^ "2010 Geographic Terms and Concepts – Place". www.census.gov. from the original on 19 February 2014.
  5. ^ Jarves, James Jackson (1843). History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands. Tappa et Dennet. p. 1.
  6. ^ "History – Captain James Cook". BBC. 1 January 1970. from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  7. ^ Homans, Margaret; Munich, Adrienne (2 October 1997). Remaking Queen Victoria. Cambridge University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-521-57485-3.
  8. ^ William Ellis (1823). A Journal of a Tour around Hawaii, the Largest of the Sandwich Islands. Crocker and Brewster, New York, republished 2004, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu. ISBN 1-56647-605-4.
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 12 February 2011. from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  10. ^ Delaware's Sussex County comes in second at 48.0 percent, while Rhode Island's Providence County is third at 39.6 percent.
  11. ^ "Table 5.08 – Land Area of Islands: 2000" (PDF). State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii. 2004. (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  13. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions – Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park". www.nps.gov. U.S. National Park Service. from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  14. ^ MacDonald, G. A.; Abbott, A. T. (1970). Volcanoes in the Sea. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 0-87022-495-6.
  15. ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Report on Kilauea (United States) — March 1987". volcano.si.edu. doi:10.5479/si.gvp.sean198703-332010. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Photo & Video Chronology". USGS. 13 June 2018.
  17. ^ "East Rift Zone map". USGS. 7 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Thousands flock to Mauna Loa for selfies during dramatic eruption". the Guardian. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  19. ^ Moore, James G.; Clague, David A. (November 1992), "Volcano growth and evolution of the island of Hawaii", Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 104 (11): 1471–84, Bibcode:1992GSAB..104.1471M, doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1992)104<1471:VGAEOT>2.3.CO;2, p. 1471.
  20. ^ Garcia, Michael; Hanano, Diane (March 2008). "Age, geology, geophysics, and geochemistry of Mahukona Volcano, Hawai'i" (PDF). Bulletin of Volcanology. 74 (6): 1445–63. Bibcode:2012BVol...74.1445G. doi:10.1007/s00445-012-0602-4. S2CID 53118897. (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  21. ^ "Loihi". www.volcanodiscovery.com. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Are We Breaking Away – The Great Crack" 10 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, USGS, 16 July 1998.
  23. ^ Burnett, John (14 September 2018). "National Park Service acquires 'Great Crack Property' in foreclosure sale". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  24. ^ Owen, Susan; Segal, Paul; Freymueller, Jeff; et al. (1995). "Rapid Deformation of the South Flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii". Science. 267 (5202): 1328–32. Bibcode:1995Sci...267.1328O. doi:10.1126/science.267.5202.1328. PMID 17812606. S2CID 30320632.
  25. ^ Morgan, J. K.; Moore, G. F.; Clague, D. A. (2003). "Slope failure and volcanic spreading along the submarine south flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii". Journal of Geophysical Research. 108 (B9): 2415. Bibcode:2003JGRB..108.2415M. doi:10.1029/2003JB002411.
  26. ^ . Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  27. ^ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (26 October 2006) "Destructive Earthquakes in Hawai`i County Since 1868" 25 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 March 2012
  28. ^ Walter C. Dudley (1998). Tsunami! (second ed.). University of Hawaii Press. pp. 222–24. ISBN 978-0-8248-1969-9.
  29. ^ Pararas-Carayannis, George. "Hawaii – Earthquake and Tsunami of 29 November 1975 in the Hawaiian Islands". www.drgeorgepc.com. from the original on 1 January 2017.
  30. ^ "April 1, 1946: Have we learned enough since tsunami that killed 159 in Hawai'i?". the.honoluluadvertiser.com. The Honolulu Advertiser. from the original on 8 March 2016.
  31. ^ Nakaso, Dan (14 March 2011) "Tsunami damage estimate for Hawaii now tens of millions" 15 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Star Advertiser, Retrieved 15 March 2011
  32. ^ . KHON2. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  33. ^ "Tsunami damage forces closing of Kona Village Resort". from the original on 1 January 2017.
  34. ^ "Kilauea volcano in Hawaii could erupt after hundreds of small earthquakes". CBS News. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Ige signs emergency proclamation following Leilani lava eruption". www.hawaiitribune-herald.com. Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 4 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  36. ^ "Overnight, earthquakes and lava become the new norm on Hawaii island". 3 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  37. ^ "M 6.9 – 16km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  38. ^ Armstrong, Jason (2 January 2019). "The VOG is Gone for the First Time in Decades". The Civil Beat. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  39. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About Volcanic Smog (Vog)". from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2009. on USGS web site. U.S. Geological Service. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  40. ^ "Hawaiian Volcano Observatory". from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on USGS web site.
  41. ^ . Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on "Airnow" US Government web site.
  42. ^ "David y. Ige". from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on State of Hawaii Office of the Governor web site.
  43. ^ Goldberg, Carey (9 August 1996). "As Sugar Fades Hawaii Seeks a New Cash Crop". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  44. ^ Cultra, Shane. "The Importance of Island Ecotourism in Hawaii | bigisland.org". Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  45. ^ Chadwick, Arthur (24 April 2015). "How Hawaii became known as 'Orchid Isle'". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  46. ^ "Maunakea Observatories – a collaboration of independent institutions with telescopes located on Maunakea". Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  47. ^ University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) (18 May 2012). "Economic Impact of the Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaii Authority Tenants on the State of Hawaii" (PDF). nelha.hawaii.gov. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii. (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  48. ^ The maps in the This Week 7 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Big Island Magazine
  49. ^ Hele-On Bus website 3 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2009-045-08
  50. ^ "List of cruise ships that visit Kailua Kona". lovebigisland. from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  51. ^ "List of cruise ships that visit Hilo". lovebigisland. from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  52. ^ "Hawaii: Image of the Day". 29 January 2014. from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2016.

External links

 
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Coordinates: 19°34′N 155°30′W / 19.567°N 155.500°W / 19.567; -155.500

March 03, 2023
hawaii, island, hawaii, listen, hawaiian, hawaiʻi, hawaiian, pronunciation, həˈvɐjʔi, largest, island, united, states, located, state, hawaii, southeasternmost, hawaiian, islands, chain, volcanic, islands, north, pacific, ocean, with, area, square, miles, hawa. Hawaii h e ˈ w aɪ ʔ i listen he WY ee Hawaiian Hawaiʻi Hawaiian pronunciation heˈvɐjʔi is the largest island in the United States located in the state of Hawaii It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean With an area of 4 028 square miles 10 430 km2 it has 63 of the Hawaiian archipelago s combined landmass However it has only 13 of Hawaiʻi s population The island of Hawaiʻi is the third largest island in Polynesia behind the two main islands of New Zealand 2 HawaiʻiNickname The Big IslandLandsat mosaic 1999 2001Location in the state of HawaiiGeographyLocationNorth Pacific OceanCoordinates19 34 N 155 30 W 19 567 N 155 500 W 19 567 155 500Area4 028 sq mi 10 430 km2 Area rankLargest Hawaiian IslandHighest elevation13 803 ft 4207 2 m 1 Highest pointMauna KeaAdministrationUnited StatesSymbolsFlowerRed Pua Lehua ʻOhiʻa blossom ColorʻUlaʻula red Largest settlementHiloDemographicsPopulation200 629 2020 Pop density46 sq mi 17 8 km2 Ethnic groupsHawaiianAdditional informationTime zoneHawaiian TimeThe island is often referred to as the Island of Hawaiʻi or Hawaiʻi Island to distinguish it from the state It is also referred to as the Big Island Administratively the island is coextensive with Hawaii County As of the 2020 census the population was 200 629 3 The county seat and largest town is Hilo There are no incorporated cities in Hawaiʻi County 4 Contents 1 History 2 Geology and geography 2 1 Volcanism 2 2 Great Crack 2 3 Hilina Slump 2 4 Earthquakes and tsunamis 2 5 Volcanic fog 2 6 National protected areas 2 7 Economy 3 Transportation 3 1 Roads 3 2 Airports 3 3 Seaports 4 Tourism 4 1 Places of interest 4 2 Hotels on the east coast 4 3 Hotels on the west coast 5 Maps 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Hawaii See also Hawaii History James Kealoha Beach Carlsmith Beach Park in Hilo Hawaii is said to have been named after Hawaiʻiloa the legendary Polynesian navigator who first discovered it Other accounts attribute the name to the legendary realm of Hawaiki a place from which some Polynesian people are said to have originated the place where they transition to in the afterlife or the realm of the gods and goddesses Captain James Cook the English explorer and navigator who was captain of the first European expedition that came upon the Hawaiian Islands called it O Why hee from Hawaiian and the Sandwich Islands after his patron the Earl of Sandwich 5 Cook was killed on the Big Island at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February 1779 in a melee which followed the theft of a ship s boat 6 Hawaii was the home island of Paiʻea Kamehameha later known as Kamehameha the Great Kamehameha united most of the Hawaiian islands under his rule in 1795 after several years of war and gave the kingdom and the island chain the name of his native island 7 In 1822 the missionary William Ellis arrived and was one of a party that completed a tour of the island descriptions of which were later published in his journal 8 Geology and geography Edit Aerial view 3D computer generated image According to the U S Census Bureau the county has a total area of 5 086 square miles 13 170 km2 of which 4 028 square miles 10 430 km2 is land and 1 058 square miles 2 740 km2 20 8 is water 9 The county s land area comprises 62 7 percent of the state s land area It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States 10 At its greatest dimension the island is 93 miles 150 km across It has a land area of 4 028 square miles 10 430 km2 11 comprising 62 of the Hawaiian Islands land area Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak Mauna Kea is the world s tallest mountain taller than even Mount Everest since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level 12 Ka Lae the southernmost point in the 50 states of the United States is on Hawaii The nearest landfall to the south is in the Line Islands To the northwest of the island of Hawaii is the island of Maui whose Haleakala volcano is visible from Hawaii across the Alenuihaha Channel A view of the Kohala Coast and adjacent volcanoes taken from the slopes of Kohala Mountains about 6 miles 10 km northwest of Kawaihae From left to right Mauna Kea Mauna Loa and Hualalai Volcanism Edit The five shield volcanoes Steam plume as Kilauea red lava enters the ocean at three Waikupanaha and one Ki lava ocean entries Some surface lava is seen too The image was taken on 16 April 2008 The island of Hawaiʻi is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially one overlapping the other These are from oldest to youngest 13 Kohala extinct Mauna Kea dormant Hualalai active Mauna Loa active partly within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kilauea active part of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National ParkGeological evidence from exposures of old surfaces on the south and west flanks of Mauna Loa led to the proposal that two ancient volcanic shields named Ninole and Kulani were all but buried by the younger Mauna Loa 14 Geologists now consider these outcrops to be part of the earlier building of Mauna Loa Because Mauna Loa and Kilauea are active volcanoes the island of Hawaii is still growing Between January 1983 and September 2002 lava flows added 543 acres 220 ha to the island Lava flowing from Kilauea has destroyed several towns including Kapoho in 1960 and again in 2018 and Kalapana and Kaimu in 1990 In 1987 lava filled in Queen s Bath a large L shaped freshwater pool in the Kalapana area 15 Another 875 acres were added between May to July 2018 by the 2018 lower Puna eruption 16 17 Mauna Loa erupted in 2022 after 38 years 18 Some geologists count seven volcanoes as building the island which include the submarine volcanoes Mahukona and Kamaʻehuakanaloa formerly Lōʻihi as parts of the base of the island 19 Mahukona off the northwest corner of the island has already disappeared below the surface of the ocean 20 Approximately 22 miles 35 km southeast of Hawaii lies the undersea volcano known as Kamaʻehuakanaloa It is an erupting seamount that now reaches approximately 3 200 feet 980 m below the surface of the ocean Continued activity at current rates from Kamaʻehuakanaloa will likely cause it to break the surface of the ocean sometime between 10 000 and 100 000 years from now 21 Great Crack Edit See also Koa e Fault Zone Lava entering the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in April 2005 increasing the size of the island The Great Crack is an eight mile long 13 000 m 60 foot wide 18 m and 60 foot deep 18 m fissure in the island in the district of Kau According to the United States Geological Survey USGS the Great Crack is the result of crustal dilation from magmatic intrusions into the southwest rift zone of Kilauea 22 While neither the earthquake of 1868 nor that of 1975 caused a measurable change in the Great Crack lava welled out of the lower 6 miles 10 km of the Great Crack in 1823 22 Visitors can find trails rock walls and archaeological sites from as old as the 12th century around the Great Crack In August 2018 the National Park Service purchased nearly 2 000 acres 810 ha of private land adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park claiming that the area has important geological features that need to be studied and preserved 23 Hilina Slump Edit Main article Hilina Slump Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park Laʻaloa Bay also known as Magic Sands located in Kailua Kona The Hilina Slump is a 4 760 cubic mile 19 800 km3 section of the south slope of the Kilauea volcano which is slipping away from the island Between 1990 and 1993 Global Positioning System GPS measurements showed a southward displacement of about 4 inches 10 cm per year 24 Undersea measurements show that a bench has formed a buttress and that this buttress may tend to reduce the likelihood of future catastrophic detachment 25 26 Earthquakes and tsunamis Edit See also List of earthquakes in Hawaii Anaehoʻomalu Beach panorama On 2 April 1868 an earthquake with a magnitude estimated between 7 25 and 7 9 rocked the southeast coast of Hawaii This was the most destructive earthquake in the recorded history of Hawaii 27 It triggered a landslide on Mauna Loa 5 miles 8 km north of Pahala killing 31 people A tsunami claimed 46 more lives The villages of Punaluʻu Ninole Kawaʻa Honuʻapo and Keauhou Landing were severely damaged The tsunami reportedly rolled over the tops of the coconut trees up to 60 feet 18 m high and it reached inland a distance of a quarter of a mile 400 meters in some places 28 On 29 November 1975 a 37 mile wide 60 km section of the Hilina Slump dropped 11 5 feet 3 5 m and slid 26 feet 7 9 m toward the ocean This movement caused a 7 2 magnitude earthquake and a 48 foot high 15 m tsunami Oceanfront property was washed off its foundations in Punaluu Two deaths were reported at Halape and 19 other people were injured 29 The island suffered tsunami damage from earthquakes in Alaska on 1 April 1946 and in Chile on 23 May 1960 Downtown Hilo was severely damaged by both tsunamis with many lives lost Just north of Hilo Laupahoehoe lost 16 schoolchildren and five teachers in the tsunami of 1946 30 In March 2011 a 9 0 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan again created a tsunami that caused minor damage in Hawaii The estimated damage to public buildings alone was about US 3 million 31 In the Kona area this tsunami washed a house into Kealakekua Bay destroyed a yacht club and tour boat offices in Keauhou Bay caused extensive damage in Kailua Kona flooded the ground floor of the King Kamehameha Hotel 32 and permanently closed the Kona Village Resort 33 In early May 2018 hundreds of small earthquakes were detected on Kilauea s East rift zone leading officials to issue evacuation warnings On 3 May 2018 the volcano erupted in Puna after a 5 0 earthquake earlier in the day causing evacuations of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions 34 35 A seemingly related 5 3 magnitude quake and a subsequent 6 9 magnitude earthquake occurred on 4 May 36 37 Volcanic fog Edit Mobile atmospheric volcanic fog measuring station in Hawaii Vog volcanic fog can envelop the island of Hawaii when Kilauea Volcano is active Since the termination of volcanic activity in September 2018 the vog has largely disappeared on the west side of the island 38 The gas plumes of the Kilauea Volcano create a blanket of vog which the dominant trade winds mostly deflect toward the Kona coast on the west side of the island of Hawaiʻi Vog contains chemicals that can damage the environment and the health of plants humans and other animals Most of the aerosols are acidic and of a size where they can remain in the lungs to damage them and impair function Flu like symptoms and general lethargy are reported and are especially pronounced in people with respiratory conditions 39 40 41 42 National protected areas Edit Lehua blossoms Hawaiʻi Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kaloko Honokōhau National Historical Park Kohala Historical Sites State Monument Mookini Heiau Kona Forest National Wildlife Refuge Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Puʻukohola Heiau National Historic Site Downtown Kona Downtown HiloEconomy Edit Aerial view of Cyanotech Corp microalgae ponds at NELHA Sugarcane was the backbone of the island of Hawaii s economy for more than a century In the mid 20th century sugarcane plantations began to downsize and in 1995 the last plantation closed 43 Most of the island s economy is based on tourism centered primarily in resort areas on the western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts More recently Hawaii Island has become a focus for sustainable tourism 44 Diversified agriculture is a growing sector of the economy Major crops include macadamia nuts papaya flowers tropical and temperate vegetables and coffee beans Only coffee grown in the Kona District of this island may be branded Kona coffee The island s orchid agriculture is the largest in the state and resulted in the unofficial nickname The Orchid Isle 45 The island is home to one of the United States largest cattle ranches Parker Ranch on 175 000 acres 708 km2 in Waimea The island is also known for astronomy with numerous telescopes operated on the summit of Mauna Kea at the Mauna Kea Observatories where atmospheric clarity is excellent and there is little light pollution 46 NELHA Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority a 675 acre 273 ha state developed site is a green economic development ocean science and technology park on the west side of the island It provides resources and facilities for energy and ocean related research education and commercial activities in an environmentally sound and culturally sensitive manner Business tenants on this coastal site include microalgae farms aquaculture solar technology and marine biotech Tenants have access to three sets of pipelines delivering deep sea water from a depth of up to 3 000 feet 910 m as well as pristine sea surface water and almost constant sunshine A 2012 study by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization UHERO found the total economic impact of activities at NELHA was 87 7 million and created 583 jobs 47 Transportation Edit Bus in Hilo Roads Edit Three routes connect the two major towns Hilo on the east coast and Kailua Kona on the west coast of the island 48 State highways 19 amp 190 the northern route via Waimea State highway 11 the southern route via Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Saddle Road aka the Daniel K Inouye Memorial highway passing between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea There are also State highways 270 Kawaihae Hawi and 180 the Kona coffee road from Honalo to State highway 190 South Point Road Highway 11 to South Point etc There are presently three Hawaii Scenic Byways on the island of Hawaii Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Center Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast Kaʻu Scenic Byway The Slopes of Mauna LoaRental car offices are at the international airports Taxi service is also available Island wide bus service is provided by the Hele On Bus 49 Airports Edit Two commercial airports serve Hawaiʻi Island Hilo International Airport ITO Kona International Airport KOA There is also Waimea Kohala Airport MUE Upolu Airport UPP Seaports Edit Major commercial ports are Hilo on the east side and Kawaihae on the west side of the island Cruise ships often stop at Kailua Kona 90 times in 2017 50 and Hilo 108 times in 2017 51 ʻAkaka Falls on Kolekole StreamTourism EditPlaces of interest Edit Green sea turtle lying on an old lava flow the background shows a Hawaiian temple known as a heiau in the Hawaiian language Hawaii from space 26 January 2014 52 Akaka Falls one of the tallest waterfalls on the island Amy B H Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden houses many endangered endemic plants East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center Hawaiʻi Tropical Botanical Garden Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park comprising the active volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa Huliheʻe Palace a royal palace in Kailua Kona ʻImiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo Ka Lae the southernmost point in the United States Laupahoehoe Train Museum Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hilo Manuka State Wayside Park Mauna Kea Observatories Nani Mau Gardens Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Pacific Tsunami Museum overlooking Hilo Bay Pana ewa Rainforest Zoo in Hilo Pua Mau Place Arboretum and Botanical Garden Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park Puʻukoho a Heiau National Historic Site the site of one of the most significant heiau in Hawaii Rainbow Falls State Park Sadie Seymour Botanical Gardens Umauma Falls University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Botanical Gardens Waipiʻo Valley Wao Kele o Puna World Botanical GardensHotels on the east coast Edit The larger hotels on the east coast are Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo Hilo Hawaiian Hotel Volcano House KilaueaHotels on the west coast Edit The larger hotels on the west coast from north Puako to south Captain Cook Mauna Kea Beach Hotel The Fairmont Orchid Hilton Waikoloa Village Waikoloa Beach Marriott Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Royal Kona Resort Sheraton Kona Resort amp Spa at Keauhou Bay Manago Hotel Mauna Lani Resort by AubergeMaps Edit National parks mountains and cities on the island Topographic map of the island of Hawaii Detailed map of the island of HawaiiInteractive 3D model for Chrome or FirefoxSee also EditNational Register of Historic Places listings on the island of HawaiiPortals Hawaii Islands GeographyReferences Edit Summit USGS 1977 NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved 18 August 2010 List of the Islands of Polynesia Archived from the original on 1 January 2017 HAWAII 2020 Census United States Census Bureau Retrieved 4 April 2022 2010 Geographic Terms and Concepts Place www census gov Archived from the original on 19 February 2014 Jarves James Jackson 1843 History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands Tappa et Dennet p 1 History Captain James Cook BBC 1 January 1970 Archived from the original on 16 October 2014 Retrieved 8 August 2014 Homans Margaret Munich Adrienne 2 October 1997 Remaking Queen Victoria Cambridge University Press p 147 ISBN 978 0 521 57485 3 William Ellis 1823 A Journal of a Tour around Hawaii the Largest of the Sandwich Islands Crocker and Brewster New York republished 2004 Mutual Publishing Honolulu ISBN 1 56647 605 4 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau 12 February 2011 Archived from the original on 5 March 2012 Retrieved 23 April 2011 Delaware s Sussex County comes in second at 48 0 percent while Rhode Island s Providence County is third at 39 6 percent Table 5 08 Land Area of Islands 2000 PDF State of Hawaii Data Book State of Hawaii 2004 Archived PDF from the original on 1 February 2012 Retrieved 12 February 2010 Highest Mountain in the World Archived from the original on 2 April 2016 Retrieved 4 April 2016 Frequently Asked Questions Hawai i Volcanoes National Park www nps gov U S National Park Service Archived from the original on 6 August 2017 Retrieved 6 November 2017 MacDonald G A Abbott A T 1970 Volcanoes in the Sea Honolulu University of Hawaiʻi Press ISBN 0 87022 495 6 Global Volcanism Program Report on Kilauea United States March 1987 volcano si edu doi 10 5479 si gvp sean198703 332010 Retrieved 10 March 2022 Photo amp Video Chronology USGS 13 June 2018 East Rift Zone map USGS 7 August 2018 Thousands flock to Mauna Loa for selfies during dramatic eruption the Guardian 30 November 2022 Retrieved 2 December 2022 Moore James G Clague David A November 1992 Volcano growth and evolution of the island of Hawaii Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 104 11 1471 84 Bibcode 1992GSAB 104 1471M doi 10 1130 0016 7606 1992 104 lt 1471 VGAEOT gt 2 3 CO 2 p 1471 Garcia Michael Hanano Diane March 2008 Age geology geophysics and geochemistry of Mahukona Volcano Hawai i PDF Bulletin of Volcanology 74 6 1445 63 Bibcode 2012BVol 74 1445G doi 10 1007 s00445 012 0602 4 S2CID 53118897 Archived PDF from the original on 26 August 2015 Retrieved 14 December 2016 Loihi www volcanodiscovery com Retrieved 1 April 2019 a b Are We Breaking Away The Great Crack Archived 10 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine USGS 16 July 1998 Burnett John 14 September 2018 National Park Service acquires Great Crack Property in foreclosure sale Hawaii Tribune Herald Retrieved 15 October 2020 Owen Susan Segal Paul Freymueller Jeff et al 1995 Rapid Deformation of the South Flank of Kilauea Volcano Hawaii Science 267 5202 1328 32 Bibcode 1995Sci 267 1328O doi 10 1126 science 267 5202 1328 PMID 17812606 S2CID 30320632 Morgan J K Moore G F Clague D A 2003 Slope failure and volcanic spreading along the submarine south flank of Kilauea volcano Hawaii Journal of Geophysical Research 108 B9 2415 Bibcode 2003JGRB 108 2415M doi 10 1029 2003JB002411 Hawaiian Landslides Slope failure on Kilauea s submarine south flank Subsection Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Archived from the original on 27 May 2009 Retrieved 15 September 2009 Hawaiian Volcano Observatory 26 October 2006 Destructive Earthquakes in Hawai i County Since 1868 Archived 25 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 21 March 2012 Walter C Dudley 1998 Tsunami second ed University of Hawaii Press pp 222 24 ISBN 978 0 8248 1969 9 Pararas Carayannis George Hawaii Earthquake and Tsunami of 29 November 1975 in the Hawaiian Islands www drgeorgepc com Archived from the original on 1 January 2017 April 1 1946 Have we learned enough since tsunami that killed 159 in Hawai i the honoluluadvertiser com The Honolulu Advertiser Archived from the original on 8 March 2016 Nakaso Dan 14 March 2011 Tsunami damage estimate for Hawaii now tens of millions Archived 15 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine Star Advertiser Retrieved 15 March 2011 King Kamehameha Hotel is new and improved after last year s tsunami KHON2 Archived from the original on 8 January 2014 Retrieved 1 April 2012 Tsunami damage forces closing of Kona Village Resort Archived from the original on 1 January 2017 Kilauea volcano in Hawaii could erupt after hundreds of small earthquakes CBS News Retrieved 5 May 2018 Ige signs emergency proclamation following Leilani lava eruption www hawaiitribune herald com Hawaii Tribune Herald 4 May 2018 Retrieved 5 May 2018 Overnight earthquakes and lava become the new norm on Hawaii island 3 May 2018 Retrieved 5 May 2018 M 6 9 16km SW of Leilani Estates Hawaii earthquake usgs gov Retrieved 4 May 2018 Armstrong Jason 2 January 2019 The VOG is Gone for the First Time in Decades The Civil Beat Retrieved 19 April 2019 Frequently Asked Questions About Volcanic Smog Vog Archived from the original on 27 May 2010 Retrieved 29 December 2009 on USGS web site U S Geological Service Retrieved 29 December 2009 Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Archived from the original on 5 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2015 on USGS web site AirNow Archived from the original on 5 July 2015 Retrieved 4 July 2015 on Airnow US Government web site David y Ige Archived from the original on 22 February 2012 Retrieved 4 July 2015 on State of Hawaii Office of the Governor web site Goldberg Carey 9 August 1996 As Sugar Fades Hawaii Seeks a New Cash Crop The New York Times Retrieved 19 April 2019 Cultra Shane The Importance of Island Ecotourism in Hawaii bigisland org Retrieved 10 March 2022 Chadwick Arthur 24 April 2015 How Hawaii became known as Orchid Isle Winston Salem Journal Retrieved 10 March 2022 Maunakea Observatories a collaboration of independent institutions with telescopes located on Maunakea Retrieved 10 March 2022 University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization UHERO 18 May 2012 Economic Impact of the Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaii Authority Tenants on the State of Hawaii PDF nelha hawaii gov Honolulu HI University of Hawaii Archived PDF from the original on 9 August 2014 Retrieved 7 August 2014 The maps in the This Week Archived 7 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Big Island Magazine Hele On Bus website Archived 3 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2009 045 08 List of cruise ships that visit Kailua Kona lovebigisland Archived from the original on 2 January 2017 Retrieved 1 January 2017 List of cruise ships that visit Hilo lovebigisland Archived from the original on 2 January 2017 Retrieved 1 January 2017 Hawaii Image of the Day 29 January 2014 Archived from the original on 10 January 2015 Retrieved 4 April 2016 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hawaii island Hawaii at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Resources from Wikiversity Travel information from Wikivoyage Official Hawaii County website Hawai i Volcanoes National Park official website Hawaii island at Encyclopaedia Britannica Hawaii Tribune Herald official website of the Hawaii Tribune Herald a daily newspaper in Hilo West Hawaii Today official website of West Hawaii Today Island of Hawaii from the International Space Station NASA satellite image taken from the International Space Station on 28 February 2015 Hawaii island at Curlie Media related to Hawaii island at Wikimedia Commons Coordinates 19 34 N 155 30 W 19 567 N 155 500 W 19 567 155 500 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hawaii island amp oldid 1137365086, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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