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Waimea canyon The island of Kauai is the oldest of the major Hawaiian Islands. On its southeast shoreline, a gigantic nickpoint opens that travels 15 kilometers into the island. Waimea canyon is the largest canyon in the Pacific Ocean and it exposes over 1000 meters of the lavas that compose Kauai Volcano.
A record tsunami deposit
The world has had more than its share of tsunami waves over the last decade, with hundreds of thousands of associated casualties. Consequently, geologists have put extra work into understanding tsunami risks around the world.
Hawaii, stuck right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is at as great of a tsunami risk as anywhere. It has been struck by several tsunami waves over the past century, including one in 1946 that produced waves of 10+ meters in Hilo Bay the islands.
These photos are of an outcrop far above that level. This is an eroded sinkhole on the island of Kauai, near the beach but well over 10 meters above sea level. This area only saw small waves in the 20th century tsunami as it is somewhat shielded from the open ocean. And yet, the scientists who found this location believe it is the remnant of an enormous tsunami 500 years ago.
The location of the layer appears at the star on the upper right photo and is highlighted by the arm on the upper left. That layer contains large, rounded blocks of basalt that could have been swept onto land by the waves, and pieces of coral that waves would have carried up from the ocean.
For a tsunami to reach this location, the wave that hit Hawaii had to be about 3 times the height of the waves that struck this century. The scientists attempted to model where it came from and they were able to suggest that earthquakes in the Aleutian Islands were likely the culprits.
500 years ago, a huge earthquake struck the Aleutians and it sent a wave towards Hawaii far beyond anything that has been prepared for. This is a rare event, but if it happened before it can happen again, and that means people on the islands need to know what to do if a wave like this is coming. Finding evidence of a wave like this is hugely important for preparing for future disasters and keeping people alive.
-JBB
Image credit and original paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014GL061232/abstract
Original caption:
An aerial adventure through the active landscape of Kauai.
All drone footage shot on Autel Robotics EVO 4k60p H.265 LOG color profile PolarPro ND Filters
Edited using Adobe Premiere CC
Learn more at: AutelDrones.com
Videographer takes you on a tour of the island of Kauai
Dawn Splash-Up
Kapaa Beach, Kauai
Overhead view of beach between lava rocks and coral reefs, Kauai
OK, good night from Kauai
shainblumphotography Slow motion waves off the coast of Kauai during sunset
Leave the ravages of northern hemisphere almost winter and head with this videographer to the green foliage of Kauai
Standing here, facing the Pacific, I’m reminded of how small we are. Incredibly small, and maybe insignificant in many ways, and maybe only significant to ourselves.
Light rays dance across the Kauai Landscape
Cute little pond by the beach i found in kauai, HI.
