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MAINPAGE |
OF BIG ISLAND |
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SOUTH POINT Pakala Volcanic Ash and Green Sand Beach Excursion |
| The Big Island of Hawaii commonly displays a wide variety of geological features and environmental systems within short distances. The area at the extreme southern end of the island is one example of such variation. The dramatic scarp at South Point is the southernmost subaerial expression of the large arcuate fault that represents the landward portion of the gigantic Alika Submarine Landslide which occupies much of the submarine area downdip of the southwestern flank of Mauna Loa. A few miles to the east the small crescent-shaped Mahana Bay displays a littoral (i.e., coastal) cinder cone and green sand beach composed of 95+% olivine that has weathered out of the ash deposits and associated lava flows and been concentrated in the bay by wave-generated coastal currents. The area between South Point and Mahana Bay is a barren, sparsely-vegetated semiarid environment setting that displays thick deposits of the Pahala Ash. The yellowish extensively-weathered deposit is thought to represent the explosive volcanic activity of several of the volcanoes of the Big Island. The day’s field excursion along this high-energy, windswept and wave eroded coastline will allow for close examination and interpretation of these many interesting geological features and more. |
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VOLCANOES |
ROAD TRIP |
MAUNA KEA |
SOUTH POINT |
BEACHES & REEFS |
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