Geography of Hawaii - Research Paper Example

Topic: Hawaii Introduction Hawaii is an Archipelago of eight islands and many rocky islets, reefs and shoals in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin and were formed during millions of years of continuous eruptions of molten lava from underneath the Pacific Ocean. The islands pass through the Tropic of Cancer and stretch northwest-southeast for more than 1600 miles and are ranked among the highest mountain ranges on earth. The Hawaiian island is the largest of the eight and is still growing while the other seven are getting eroded slowly. The islands present a variety of features from volcanic eruptions to glacial features on Mauna Kea volcano as well as abundant rain forests of tropical trees, ferns and flowering plants to desert grass and cactus. Hawaiian physical geography has a number of components that include: Energy components In physical geography, according to Gabler, Peterson & Trapasso (2006), earth is taken as a system with inputs of energy. Earth is otherwise a closed system to the input and output of matter. Other than meteorites and gas molecules, nothing can enter the earth’s surface. Another example of earth’s system being a closed one is hydrosphere. Water in the atmosphere is present in all its three forms – liquid, gas and hard ice. It can change shape from one state to another but the output remains the same in the system. The same is not true of the earth’s sub systems. That’s why they are called open systems. Flow of energy is unhindered over a sub system’s physical boundaries as inputs and outputs. Taking the example of a stream as an open sub system where energy remains in the form of soil, rock fragments, solar energy and precipitation; all these forms of energy enter the stream excluding heat energy that scatters into the atmosphere and the stream bed. Water and the matter of the stream ends into the ocean and the stream system get input from the precipitation. Same is true of the physical geography of Hawaii. Due to continuous eruption of lava from with in the ocean body, Hawaii islands have come into form. Hawaii’s coastlines present one of the most vivid and changing environment. All spheres of earth meet at its coastline—hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. In the Hawaii islands, the movement of energy and processes happen the same, as energy release from lava eruption and sun energy warms water bodies and oceans; water evaporates into the atmosphere and releases back in the form of rain on land and pass through streams and rivers, and finally enter the sea again, which is its process. In physical geography, the movement of energy into the input and back to the output can be applied at any scale whether it is the Hawaii islands or any other land mass. Atmospheric components The location of the Hawaiian Islands has a considerable effect on the weather pattern as they cut across the Tropic of Cancer at latitude of 20°N and face a subtropical climate. There is a great deal of influence of the trade winds which flow over the region throughout the year from the northeast side and the affecting the temperature and the level of precipitation. As the island is enclosed by huge ocean currents, the trade winds have to pass the ocean before reaching Hawaii and thus, the hotter air cools and the cooler air gets warm. There isn’t much variation in temperature between the summer and the winter season and the average temperature varies between 20°C to 25° within the winter months of January to March and summer time of August .The highest recorded temperature has been 34°C and the lowest 13°C . There is a variation in the pattern of rain over The Hawaiian region as some parts are extremely wet while other slopes remain dry. Rainfall is generally greater on the eastern windward sides of the island and in areas between 2,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level . Hydrosphere components Hawaii islands are rich in hydrosphere component. The biggest rivers flow down from the northern and eastern slopes of the islands. In rainy season, small rivers appear and go dry till they reach the sea. There are no lakes but waterfalls are quite common to see. Streams are o the northeast side of the Big Island. They make their way to the sea falling direct from the cliffs that have appeared due to water erosion on the volcanic land. Sea cliffs are as high as on the northeast side of Molokai, standing 1,150 meters over the water; these cliffs are one of the highest cliffs worldwide . In Hawaii, land mass is uneven due to stream erosion, which has greatly divided a number of lava formations. Rainwater creates Canyons that surround a number of domes. For example, the surface of Waimea Canyon, on Kauai, exceeds 800 meters down the surface of the adjacent land. So, the height of waterfalls goes in many hundred meters on the islands. Flood-like pressure of stream waters has created a line of cliffs by eroding both the sides of the island at Pali, on Oahu. Streams have created ridges towards the east, dividing to create wide lowland, making valleys facing westward higher and divided by ridges . Biosphere components Hawaii is the only U.S. state in tropics. It is renowned as “the paradise of the Pacific” for its beautiful landscape where sunshine is in plenty; greenery of plants and colored flowers, coral beaches with rising white surf, and volcanic peaks touching the skies make it a wonderful place. Hawaii had Asian and Polynesian heritage but the looks of the people are the same as of people in other states and the state has been home to immigrants since the 19th century. Hawaii has the most diversified ethnic and cultural backgrounds like the Chinese laborers which were the first group of immigrants and others include Germans, Koreans, Filipinos and Puerto Ricans. Marriage between different races has resulted in decrease in the number of pure blooded Hawaiians which are a small part of the population now. Due to the varied characteristics of Hawaii there is a vast diversity of plants and birds. Birds dominated this region and 66 distinct Hawaiian birds have also been identified but the wild animals like boars and goats followed only after the human inhabited the islands. The plant life is diverse as well with some native plants found exclusively in Hawaii and vegetation ranging from numerous rain forests with tropical trees, ferns and flowering plants to cactus and desert grass. It also has giant fern forests in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. . Palms, orchids and hibiscus are among the prominent plants of Hawaii . Lithosphere components The islands were formed because of continuous volcanic eruptions of molten lava over millions of years from underneath the Pacific Ocean. The hardened flows of lava are widespread and visible. The volcanic eruptions have not been the explosive types in which large materials fly distances other than the Diamond Head in Honolulu. But lava over here gradually builds up by flowing like one pile over the other. The shape hence formed is dome like mainly being in a wavy slopes and not steep cliffs. The state also has rugged slopes and sudden changes in elevation because of erosion in surface due to moving water. Stream erosion has majorly cut across the lava surface at many points. Hawaii among other states is cut on the northern and eastern sides by canyons, gorges and deep river valleys while the leeward side is mostly dry, barren and less eroded. The result of such massive erosion over the surface leads to limited leveled land in the islands. The island also contains rocky coasts, coral reefs, cliffs cut by high waves, palm lined beaches of white, black and colored surf lines across the shores and cloud covering volcanic peaks rising to unimaginable heights. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Parks consist of Mauna Loa and Kilauea active volcanoes that often erupts . Glacial landforms The most varied and extra-ordinary characteristic of the Hawaiian Islands are the glacial deposits on one of the highest mountains Mauna Kea. Snow fall is still a recurrent feature on the mountain every winter as it is very high and had a glacier on it in the last ice age. The glacier gave birth to a number of moraines made of withered volcanic rock that moved down the mountain. We can see the glacial features as the Mauna Kea has not erupted for the last 3,000 years and so the featured are preserved. In the close vicinity, the Mauna Loa Volcano has suppressed glacial features by lava eruptions, so moraines ae not visible there . Conclusion The Hawaiian Islands provide the picturesque beauty of nature in bounty. There is varied range of landforms caused due to lava eruptions which has created variety of atmosphere with distinct flora and fauna, water bodies, uneven land mass. The Hawaiian Islands are rich in greenery and all components of physical geography stated above. Works Cited “Encyclopedia—Hawaii, State, United States.” infoplease.com. 27 April 2010 . Gabler, Peterson, and Trepasso. Essentials of Physical Geography. Cengage Learning. 2006. 27 April 2010. < http://books.google.co.in/books?id=cQBh93ibpscC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Gabler,+Peterson,+and+Trapasso.+Essentials+of+Physical+Geography.+2006.&source=bl&ots=K206FyqKh3&sig=NXYsHm4Bd847kjgvWSoLwsTaev8&hl=en&ei=V8vWS_DVIJCwrAfV15iWBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false>. “Geography of Hawaii.” howstuffworks.com. 27 April 2010 < http://geography.howstuffworks.com/united-states/geography-of-hawaii1.htm>. “Hawaii: United States Geography.” Countrystudies.us. 27 April 2010 < http://countrystudies.us/united-states/geography-23.htm>. “Virtual Hawaii -- Big Island Ground Tour.” Satftp.soest. 27 April 2010 < http://satftp.soest.hawaii.edu/space/hawaii/vfts/bigisle/bigisle.ground.photos8.html>. Read More