Geology in Hawaii - Assignment Example

How does geology influence humans in the project area? Geology is the study of the earth, the materials of which it consists of, the configuration of those materials, and the processes acting on them. It includes the living and non living organisms which have inhabited the planet. An essential part of geology is the study of how materials of the earth, organisms, processes and structures have modified over time. Geology in Hawaii imposes on the human beings vastly more than most individuals realize or acknowledge. Some areas are good for farming, while others are not, and some places have important resources, and others are. Individuals also acknowledge that mountains in Hawaii make travel difficult unless the traveler is in a car at an interstate highway. The geology of a region governs the availability of essential raw materials such as important ore minerals for metallurgy, clay for pottery, building stone (ornamentation and construction), gemstones and gold for decorative arts, as well as sand for glass making. The use of such materials is innately joined to emergent technologies and limited by their quantity, accessibility and quality. The knowledge of geology in Hawaii is defined by the practical extent of a rock or mineral resource, and aid construction of models that can predict its viability. Earthquakes occur all over Hawaii, frequently without noteworthy warning or caution. These geohazards can have extensive effects on human and on the earth’s surface. Localized, small earthquakes may cause no damage that is noticeable and may not even be felt by individuals living in the area affected. In contrast, large earthquakes may cause devastation over a wide area and be felt by individuals a hundred miles. Examples of geology on human civilizations include the ways the fertile soils develop from rocks; how these soils can become polluted by human activities; how soils and rocks move down the slope to destroy roads, human constructions and houses; sources of substance and surface water supplies, as well as reasons of their pollution; why floods occur and how human activities affect floods. Natural disasters Hawaii is a natural paradise; however, the islands are vulnerable to certain forms of natural disasters, for instance, hurricanes, lava flows, earthquakes, tsunamis and, flooding. When there are heavy rains, some areas of each of the Hawaii Islands are vulnerable to flash floods. Intense rain can turn a quiet, small river into a cascading one that sweeps everything that flows on its way. Lives are also lost in the flash floods every few years; mostly people are swept away in their cars or hikers. Heavy rain may come suddenly and can be difficult to forecast. Flash floods in Hawaii are much common than any other natural disaster, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. It is not long ago that heavy and serious flash floods hit the island. In October 2004, Manoa Valley on Oahu was hit by flash flood and completely soaked the University of Hawaii ground floor at Manoa Hamilton library. In addition to destroying parts of the library, the flood carried away at least 60 homes and caused a damage of almost one million dollars. A six weeks rain period in March 2006 caused flooding in many places in Hawaii. Seven people were killed when a dam on Kauai broke. The rain caused the Waikiki septic tank system to spill over, resulting in a manure spill that polluted parts of the southern shore of the island for a number of days. On November 23, 1982, two hurricanes (Inki and Iwa) left death and devastation in their wake after passing through Hawaii. Iwa hurricane hit the Islands of Kauai, Niihau, and Oahu. The Iwa hurricane was the first to hit the Hawaii statehood since 1959. The Inki hurricane was the most powerful hurricane to hit Hawaii State in recorded history. Not only are the high winds of a cyclone or hurricane very destructive, but a phenomenon known as storm surge that comes with it causes severe flooding in coastal areas. There are a number of happening caused by volcanic action that can be destructive to property and life. These include ash falls, lava flows and debris avalanches. Magma which is rock molten that flows from the interior of the earth to the surface is known as lava. The higher the content of silica of lava, the sticker and thicker it becomes. Low silica basalt lava frequently flows faster since it is more fluid. It can flow as fast as ten to thirty miles per hour or stretch out and cover up enormous sections of land up to a few miles wide. At Kilauea Volcano, such basalt lava flows erupted on Hawaii’s vast island between 1983 and 1993 destroying almost two hundred homes and covering the coast highway on the southeastern shore of the Island. As the lava goes down the volcano, it buries and burns everything in its path. Earthquakes in Hawaii are closely linked to the Island’s volcanoes. Even though, the earthquakes are hardly noticeable, thousands of them occur every year under the Big Island of Hawaii. The Big Hawaii Island is Hawaiian Islands youngest of them all and is still continuing to growing today. Here, flowing lava and flowing erupting volcanoes can be witnessed. The islands active volcanoes are Mauna Loa, Kilauea and Loihi. Magma and eruption movements within these volcanoes are frequently accompanied by often small earthquakes. These earthquakes are also known as volcanic earthquakes, originate in regions of magma storage that magma flows as it moves and rises before eruption. Terrain Hawaii is an open-air fanatic’s dream world. All of the eight main islands has virtually every geographic terrain and formation to be found on earth. There lacks an end to the possibilities one can get to discover the Hawaiian terrain. From the highland rainforests on Kauai to lava deserts on the Big Island awaits exploration. Molokai holds miles of perfect beaches and the world’s largest and tallest sea cliffs. There is a wide variety of marine, plant, and animal life found in the Island of Hawaii. The vegetation zones upon Hawaii include, mixed open forest, rain forest, dry land forest, alpine and subalpine. Mountains in Hawaii significantly influence every aspect of its climate and weather. The endless variety of ridges, valleys, brad slopes, and peaks places Hawaii in a climate that is different from the neighboring ocean, as well as climate variety within the islands. The differences in climate would not exist if the islands were the same size and flat. The mountains deflect, accelerate and obstruct the free flow of air. When moist warm air rises over windward slopes and coasts, rainfall and clouds are much greater than over the open sea. Economy The total population is of the state in 2005 was estimated to be 1,275,194 in comparison to 1,262,840 in 2004 July. In 2002-2003 the net change was 1.4%. According to census in 2000 the total population of Hawaii was 1,211,537. In the same year, the density of population of the state was 195.8 per square meter. The United States has developed an economy of service, and a number of states, including Hawaii, generate most of their income through service industries. Tourists' expenses are of great importance. In terms of returns generation, Hawaii’s top five agricultural products are nursery products, cane for sugar, greenhouse, coffee, and macadamia nuts. Hawaii islands also have livestock products which include beef cattle, hogs, and eggs. Hawaii’s most valuable crops are pineapples and sugarcane. The island produces large quantities of flowers, which are mostly for export. Beans, taro, lettuce, potatoes and corn are vegetables grown for local use. Manufacturers add value to the raw products by creating item that are manufactured. For instance, cotton cloth becomes more expensive than a cotton ball through processes of manufacturing. The leading manufacturing activities in Hawaii are the food processing (canned pineapple and refined sugar). In addition, refined petroleum, clay, clothing, glass products, printed materials contribute to the manufacturing sector. The service industry in Hawaii contributes to 90% of Hawaii’s gross product. Personal, community, business services such as hotels, restaurants, accounting, law, private health care, rental car agencies, and engineering firms make up the leading service industry in Hawaii. Government services are ranking second in the service sector in support of Air force, Army, Marine bases on Oahu. The third most essential service area in Hawaii is real estates, insurance and finance. Water supplies The Hawaiian groundwater is unconfined because the upper boundary is the phreatic surface or water table. The groundwater is characterized by the complex relation of porosity to resistive in basaltic aquifers and basalts, which makes the Hawaiian aquifers pose problems. Groundwater in Hawaii passes volcanic rocks which are permeable and porous to great depths. The fresh water is less dense than seawater and, hence, the fresh water floats on the seawater. In Hawaii, most of the drinking water comes from rivers and lakes. Water in Hawaii is pumped up from subversive aquifers or harvested from mountain streams. Fresh water is abundant in Hawaii; this is because the convergence winds upon the Islands forested mountains. In Hawaii, water refuse has been fundamentally relegated to agricultural irrigation and large industries. The continuing effort to preserve and conserve potable water resources emphasizes using alternative sources of water for irrigation. Reclaimed water is considered a great possible resource for various non-potable applications such as industrial processes, construction, and irrigation. The topography of Hawaii islands does a vast job affecting the weather where synoptic level models are sometimes insignificant. This island is the most inhabited of the eight most important islands that consist of Hawaii, and since it houses Honolulu, there is extensive date available on it. The Mauka and windward showers hit sections of the islands. This is caused by the pacific High which is the main influence on the climate for 50-80 percent of the year. It fuels the trade winds which fade away moisture off of the ocean as they head towards Hawaii. When there are heavy rains, some areas of each of the Islands in Hawaii are vulnerable to flash floods. Intense rain can turn a quiet, small river into a cascading one that sweeps everything on its way. Lives are also lost in the flash floods every few years; mostly people are swept away in their cars or hikers. Heavy rain may come suddenly and can be difficult to forecast. Flash floods in Hawaii are much common than any other natural disaster, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. It is not long ago that heavy and serious flash floods hit the island, for instance, the above-mentioned disaster at Manoa Valley on Oahu, in October 2004. Work cited Case, S. (2011). Water for life; water is so basic, and so is ensuring its availability. Retrieved on 28th November 2011, from Read More