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THE SCIENCE OF ECOSYSTEMS ON THE GARDEN ISLAND OF KAUAI |
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MAINPAGE |
OF KAUAI |
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Late Pleistocene/Holocene History of Sea Level Change in the Pacific |
Following a presentation on the formation of sand dunes and an overview of the history of changing sea level in the world's oceans, we hike and examine one of Kauai's most beautiful coastal areas. Along the island's southeastern coast, east from Poipu, are exposed modern sand dunes and limestone cliffs composed of ancient, lithified sand dunes that record deposition during at least three or four major cycles of sea level change that have occurred over the past 500,000 years or so. The many interesting aspects of those deposits are investigated and discussed in some detail. Lesson plan exercises include; 1) the modeling of cycles of extraterrestrial influences on the Earth’s warming and cooling, 2) historic trends of atmospheric warming as related to possible human use of fossil fuels, and 3) approaches to the documentation of sea level change as related to global climatic change. |
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GEOLOGY |
BIOGEOGRAPHY |
BEACHES |
REEFS |
SEA LEVEL |