Hawaiʻi
Nickname: The Big Island, Moku o Keawe
Landsat mosaic, 1999–2001
Location in the state of Hawaii
Geography
LocationNorth Pacific Ocean
Coordinates19°36′N 155°30′W / 19.6°N 155.5°W / 19.6; -155.5
Area4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2)
Area rankLargest Hawaiian Island
Highest elevation13,803 ft (4207.2 m)[1]
Highest pointMauna Kea
Administration
United States
Symbols
FlowerRed Pua Lehua (ʻOhiʻa blossom)
ColorʻUlaʻula (red)
Largest settlementHilo
Demographics
Population200,629 (2020)
Pop. density49.8/sq mi (19.23/km2)
Additional information
Time zone

Hawaii (/həˈwaɪʔi/ ⓘ hə-WY-ee; Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi Hawaiian pronunciation: [həˈvɐjʔi]) is the largest island in the United States, located in the eponymous state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2), it has 63% of the Hawaiian archipelago's combined landmass. However, it has only 13% of the archipelago's population. The island of Hawaiʻi is the third largest island in Polynesia, behind the north and south islands of New Zealand.[2]

The island is often referred to as the Island of Hawaiʻi or Hawaiʻi Island to distinguish it from the state. It is also referred to as the Big Island. To distinguish it without relying on English, it is sometimes called Moku o Keawe. In Hawaiian, the word keawe has several meanings, one definition; southern cross and is said to be the name of an ancient chief[3] as well as a second definition; "the bearer" (ke-a-we).[4] Administratively, the island is coextensive with Hawaii County.

As of the 2020 census, the population was 200,629.[5] The county seat and largest town is Hilo. There are no incorporated cities in Hawaiʻi County.[6]

History

James Kealoha Beach, "Carlsmith Beach Park", in Hilo

Hawaii is said to have been named after Hawaiʻiloa, a legendary Polynesian navigator who is said to have discovered the island. Other accounts attribute the name to the legendary realm of Hawaiki, a place from which some Polynesian people are said to have originated, the place where they transition to in the afterlife, or the realm of the gods and goddesses. Captain James Cook, the English explorer and navigator who was captain of the first European expedition that came upon the Hawaiian Islands, called it O-Why-hee (from Hawaiian) and the "Sandwich Islands" after his patron, the Earl of Sandwich.[7] Cook was killed on the Big Island at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February 1779, in a melee which followed the theft of a ship's boat.[8]

Hawaii was the home island of Paiʻea Kamehameha, later known as Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha united most of the Hawaiian islands under his rule in 1795, after several years of war, and gave the kingdom and the island chain the name of his native island.[9] In 1822, the missionary William Ellis arrived and was one of a party that completed a tour of the island, descriptions of which were later published in his journal.[10]

Geology and geography

Aerial view, 3D computer-generated image

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,086 square miles (13,170 km2), of which 4,028 sq mi (10,430 km2) is land and 1,058 sq mi (2,740 km2) (20.8%) is water.[11] The county's land area comprises 62.7 percent of the state's land area. It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States.[12]

At its greatest dimension, the island is 93 miles (150 km) across. It has a land area of 4,028 square miles (10,430 km2)[13] comprising 62% of the Hawaiian Islands' land area. Measured from its sea floor base to its highest peak, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, taller than even Mount Everest, since the base of Mount Everest is above sea level.[14]

Ka Lae, the southernmost point in the 50 states of the United States, is on Hawaii. The nearest landfall to the south is in the Line Islands. To the northwest of the island of Hawaii is the island of Maui, whose Haleakalā volcano is visible from Hawaii across the Alenuihaha Channel.

A view of the Kohala Coast and adjacent volcanoes, taken from the slopes of Kohala Mountains about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Kawaihae. From left to right: Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Hualalai.

Volcanism

The five shield volcanoes
Steam plume as Kīlauea red lava enters the ocean at three Waikupanaha and one Ki lava ocean entries. Some surface lava is seen too. The image was taken on 16 April 2008.

The island of Hawaiʻi is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. These are (from oldest to youngest):[15]

Geological evidence from exposures of old surfaces on the south and west flanks of Mauna Loa led to the proposal that two ancient volcanic shields (named Ninole and Kulani) were all but buried by the younger Mauna Loa.[16] Geologists now consider these "outcrops" to be part of the earlier building of Mauna Loa.

Based on geochemical (including trace elements) and isotope differences in their eruptive products, Hawaiian volcanoes fall into two different families along the island chain. The differences are believed to be due to two separate magma systems originating at the Hawaii hotspot. On the Island of Hawaiʻi, Hualālai and Mauna Loa are members of one family, while Kohala, Mauna Kea, and Kilauea are members of the other.[17]

Because Mauna Loa and Kīlauea are fairly active volcanoes, the island of Hawaii is still growing. Between January 1983 and September 2002, lava flows added 543 acres (220 ha) to the island. Lava flowing from Kīlauea has destroyed several towns, including Kapoho in 1960 and again in 2018, and Kalapana and Kaimū in 1990. In 1987 lava filled in "Queen's Bath", a large, L-shaped, freshwater pool in the Kalapana area.[18] Another 875 acres were added between May and July, 2018 by the 2018 lower Puna eruption.[19][20] Mauna Loa erupted in 2022 after 38 years.[21]

Some geologists count seven volcanoes as building the island, which include the submarine volcanoes Māhukona and Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Lōʻihi) as parts of the base of the island.[22] Māhukona off the northwest corner of the island has already disappeared below the surface of the ocean.[23] Approximately 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Hawaii lies the undersea volcano known as Kamaʻehuakanaloa. It is an erupting seamount that now reaches approximately 3,200 feet (980 m) below the surface of the ocean. Continued activity at current rates from Kamaʻehuakanaloa will likely cause it to break the surface of the ocean sometime between 10,000 and 100,000 years from now.[24]

Great Crack

Photo showing clouds of steam surrounding lava that is partly black and partly glowing orange
Lava entering the Pacific at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in April 2005, increasing the size of the island

The Great Crack is an eight-mile-long (13,000 m), 60-foot-wide (18 m) and 60-foot-deep (18 m) fissure in the island, in the district of Kau. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Great Crack is the result of crustal dilation from magmatic intrusions into the southwest rift zone of Kilauea.[25] While neither the earthquake of 1868 nor that of 1975 caused a measurable change in the Great Crack, lava welled out of the lower 6 miles (10 km) of the Great Crack in 1823.[25]

Visitors can find trails, rock walls, and archaeological sites from as old as the 12th century around the Great Crack. In August 2018, the National Park Service purchased nearly 2,000 acres (810 ha) of private land adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, claiming that the area has important geological features that need to be studied and preserved.[26]

Hilina Slump

Photo of coastline with 10 people standing or walking on the beach and palm trees in background
Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach Park
Laʻaloa Bay, also known as "Magic Sands", located in Kailua-Kona

The Hilina Slump is a 4,760-cubic-mile (19,800 km3) section of the south slope of the Kīlauea volcano which is slipping away from the island. Between 1990 and 1993, Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements showed a southward displacement of about 4 inches (10 cm) per year.[27] Undersea measurements show that a "bench" has formed a buttress and that this buttress may tend to reduce the likelihood of future catastrophic detachment.[28][29]

Earthquakes and tsunamis

Anaehoʻomalu Beach panorama

On 2 April 1868, an earthquake with a magnitude estimated between 7.25 and 7.9 rocked the southeast coast of Hawaii. This was the most destructive earthquake in the recorded history of Hawaii.[30] It triggered a landslide on Mauna Loa, 5 miles (8 km) north of Pahala, killing 31 people. A tsunami claimed 46 more lives. The villages of Punaluʻu, Nīnole, Kawaʻa, Honuʻapo, and Keauhou Landing were severely damaged. The tsunami reportedly rolled over the tops of the coconut trees up to 60 feet (18 m) high, and it reached inland a distance of a quarter of a mile (400 meters) in some places.[31]

On 29 November 1975, a 37-mile-wide (60 km) section of the Hilina Slump dropped 11.5 feet (3.5 m) and slid 26 feet (7.9 m) toward the ocean. This movement caused a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and a 48-foot-high (15 m) tsunami. Oceanfront property was washed off its foundations in Punaluu. Two deaths were reported at Halape, and 19 other people were injured.[32]

The island suffered tsunami damage from earthquakes in Alaska on 1 April 1946, and in Chile on 23 May 1960. Downtown Hilo was severely damaged by both tsunamis, with many lives lost. Just north of Hilo, Laupāhoehoe lost 16 schoolchildren and five teachers in the tsunami of 1946.[33]

In March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan again created a tsunami that caused minor damage in Hawaii. The estimated damage to public buildings alone was about US$3 million.[34] In the Kona area this tsunami washed a house into Kealakekua Bay, destroyed a yacht club and tour boat offices in Keauhou Bay, caused extensive damage in Kailua Kona, flooded the ground floor of the King Kamehameha Hotel,[35] and permanently closed the Kona Village Resort.[36]

In early May 2018, hundreds of small earthquakes were detected on Kīlauea's East rift zone, leading officials to issue evacuation warnings. On 3 May 2018, the volcano erupted in Puna after a 5.0 earthquake earlier in the day, causing evacuations of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions.[37][38] A seemingly related 5.3 magnitude quake and a subsequent 6.9 magnitude earthquake occurred on 4 May.[39][40]

Volcanic fog

Mobile atmospheric volcanic fog measuring station in Hawaii

Vog (volcanic fog) can envelop the island of Hawaii when Kilauea Volcano is active. Since the termination of volcanic activity in September 2018, the vog has largely disappeared on the west side of the island.[41] The gas plumes of the Kīlauea Volcano create a blanket of vog which the dominant trade winds mostly deflect toward the Kona coast on the west side of the island of Hawaiʻi. Vog contains chemicals that can damage the environment and the health of plants, humans, and other animals. Most of the aerosols are acidic and of a size where they can remain in the lungs to damage them and impair function. Flu-like symptoms and general lethargy are reported, and are especially pronounced in people with respiratory conditions.[42][43][44][45]

National protected areas

Lehua blossoms, Hawaiʻi


Economy

Sugarcane was the backbone of the island of Hawaii's economy for more than a century. In the mid-20th century, sugarcane plantations began to downsize, and in 1995 the last plantation closed.[46]

Most of the island's economy is based on tourism, centered primarily in resort areas on the western coast of the island in the North Kona and South Kohala districts. More recently, Hawaii Island has become a focus for sustainable tourism.[47]

Diversified agriculture is a growing sector of the economy. Major crops include macadamia nuts, papaya, flowers, tropical and temperate vegetables, and coffee beans. Only coffee grown in the Kona District of this island may be branded Kona coffee. The island's orchid agriculture is the largest in the state, and resulted in the unofficial nickname "The Orchid Isle".[48] The island is home to one of the United States' largest cattle ranches: Parker Ranch, on 175,000 acres (708 km2) in Waimea. The island is also known for astronomy, with numerous telescopes operated on the summit of Mauna Kea at the Mauna Kea Observatories, where atmospheric clarity is excellent and there is little light pollution.[49]

NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority), a 675-acre (273 ha) state developed site, is a green economic development ocean science and technology park on the west side of the island. It provides resources and facilities for energy and ocean-related research, education, and commercial activities in an environmentally sound and culturally sensitive manner. Business tenants on this coastal site include microalgae farms, aquaculture, solar technology and marine biotech. Tenants have access to three sets of pipelines delivering deep-sea water from a depth of up to 3,000 feet (910 m), as well as pristine sea surface water and almost constant sunshine. A 2012 study by the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization (UHERO) found the total economic impact of activities at NELHA was $87.7 million and created 583 jobs.[50]

Transportation

Bus in Hilo

Roads

Three routes connect the two major towns, Hilo on the east coast and Kailua-Kona on the west coast of the island:[51]

There are also State highways 270 (Kawaihae – Hawi) and 180 (the "Kona coffee road", from Honalo to State highway 190), South Point Road (Highway 11 to South Point), etc.

There are presently three Hawaii Scenic Byways on the island of Hawaii:

  • Mamalahoa Kona Heritage Center
  • Royal Footsteps Along the Kona Coast
  • Kaʻu Scenic Byway – The Slopes of Mauna Loa

Rental car offices are at the international airports. Taxi service is also available. Island-wide bus service is provided by the "Hele-On Bus".[52]

Airports

Two commercial airports serve Hawaiʻi Island:

There is also:

Seaports

Major commercial ports are Hilo on the east side and Kawaihae on the west side of the island. Cruise ships often stop at Kailua-Kona (90 times in 2017)[53] and Hilo (108 times in 2017).[54]

ʻAkaka Falls on Kolekole Stream

Tourism

Places of interest

Green sea turtle lying on an old lava flow; the background shows a Hawaiian temple, known as a "heiau" in the Hawaiian language.
Hawaii from space, 26 January 2014[55]

Hotels on the east coast

The larger hotels on the east coast are:

Hotels on the west coast

The larger hotels on the west coast, from north (Puako) to south (Captain Cook):

Maps

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Summit USGS 1977". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "List of the Islands of Polynesia". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017.
  3. ↑ Mary Māmaka Kaiao Kuleana kope. "Hawaiian Dictionary". University of Hawaii Press. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Andrews-Parker. "Nā Puke Wehewehe a Pau (Andrews Dictionary)". University of Hawaii Press. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "HAWAII: 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "2010 Geographic Terms and Concepts – Place". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014.
  7. ↑ Jarves, James Jackson (1843). History of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands. Tappa et Dennet. p. 1. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "History – Captain James Cook". BBC. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Homans, Margaret; Munich, Adrienne (2 October 1997). Remaking Queen Victoria. Cambridge University Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-0-521-57485-3. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  10. ↑ William Ellis (1823). A Journal of a Tour around Hawaii, the Largest of the Sandwich Islands. Crocker and Brewster, New York, republished 2004, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu. ISBN 1-56647-605-4.
  11. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  12. ↑ Delaware's Sussex County comes in second at 48.0 percent, while Rhode Island's Providence County is third at 39.6 percent.
  13. ↑ "Table 5.08 – Land Area of Islands: 2000" (PDF). State of Hawaii Data Book. State of Hawaii. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "Highest Mountain in the World". Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions – Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park". www.nps.gov. U.S. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  16. ↑ MacDonald, G. A.; Abbott, A. T. (1970). Volcanoes in the Sea. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 0-87022-495-6. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  17. ↑ Chang, Julie (14 April 2022). "Volcano Watch — From Mauna Loa or Kilauea? A Geologic Whodunnit". USGS. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  18. ↑ "Global Volcanism Program | Report on Kilauea (United States) — March 1987". volcano.si.edu. doi:10.5479/si.gvp.sean198703-332010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "Photo & Video Chronology". USGS. 13 June 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "East Rift Zone map". USGS. 7 August 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  21. ↑ "Thousands flock to Mauna Loa for selfies during dramatic eruption". the Guardian. 30 November 2022. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  22. ↑ Moore, James G.; Clague, David A. (November 1992), "Volcano growth and evolution of the island of Hawaii", Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 104 (11): 1471–84, Bibcode:1992GSAB..104.1471M, doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1992)104<1471:VGAEOT>2.3.CO;2, p. 1471.
  23. ↑ Garcia, Michael; Hanano, Diane (March 2008). "Age, geology, geophysics, and geochemistry of Mahukona Volcano, Hawai'i" (PDF). Bulletin of Volcanology. 74 (6): 1445–63. Bibcode:2012BVol...74.1445G. doi:10.1007/s00445-012-0602-4. S2CID 53118897. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  24. ↑ "Loihi". www.volcanodiscovery.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  25. 1 2 "Are We Breaking Away – The Great Crack" Archived 10 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, USGS, 16 July 1998.
  26. ↑ Burnett, John (14 September 2018). "National Park Service acquires 'Great Crack Property' in foreclosure sale". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  27. ↑ Owen, Susan; Segal, Paul; Freymueller, Jeff; et al. (1995). "Rapid Deformation of the South Flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii". Science. 267 (5202): 1328–32. Bibcode:1995Sci...267.1328O. doi:10.1126/science.267.5202.1328. PMID 17812606. S2CID 30320632. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  28. ↑ Morgan, J. K.; Moore, G. F.; Clague, D. A. (2003). "Slope failure and volcanic spreading along the submarine south flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawaii". Journal of Geophysical Research. 108 (B9): 2415. Bibcode:2003JGRB..108.2415M. doi:10.1029/2003JB002411.
  29. ↑ "Hawaiian Landslides – Slope failure on Kilauea's submarine south flank (Subsection)". Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Archived from the original on 27 May 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
  30. ↑ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (26 October 2006) "Destructive Earthquakes in Hawai`i County Since 1868" Archived 25 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 March 2012
  31. ↑ Walter C. Dudley (1998). Tsunami! (second ed.). University of Hawaii Press. pp. 222–24. ISBN 978-0-8248-1969-9.
  32. ↑ Pararas-Carayannis, George. "Hawaii – Earthquake and Tsunami of 29 November 1975 in the Hawaiian Islands". www.drgeorgepc.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017.
  33. ↑ "April 1, 1946: Have we learned enough since tsunami that killed 159 in Hawai'i?". the.honoluluadvertiser.com. The Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
  34. ↑ Nakaso, Dan (14 March 2011) "Tsunami damage estimate for Hawaii now tens of millions" Archived 15 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Star Advertiser, Retrieved 15 March 2011
  35. ↑ "King Kamehameha Hotel is new and improved after last year's tsunami". KHON2. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  36. ↑ "Tsunami damage forces closing of Kona Village Resort". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017.
  37. ↑ "Kilauea volcano in Hawaii could erupt after hundreds of small earthquakes". CBS News. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  38. ↑ "Ige signs emergency proclamation following Leilani lava eruption". www.hawaiitribune-herald.com. Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 4 May 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  39. ↑ "Overnight, earthquakes and lava become the new norm on Hawaii island". 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  40. ↑ "M 6.9 – 16km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii". earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  41. ↑ Armstrong, Jason (2 January 2019). "The VOG is Gone for the First Time in Decades". The Civil Beat. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  42. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions About Volcanic Smog (Vog)". Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2009. on USGS web site. U.S. Geological Service. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  43. ↑ "Hawaiian Volcano Observatory". Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on USGS web site.
  44. ↑ "AirNow". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on "Airnow" US Government web site.
  45. ↑ "David y. Ige". Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015. on State of Hawaii Office of the Governor web site.
  46. ↑ Goldberg, Carey (9 August 1996). "As Sugar Fades Hawaii Seeks a New Cash Crop". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  47. ↑ Cultra, Shane. "The Importance of Island Ecotourism in Hawaii | bigisland.org". Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  48. ↑ Chadwick, Arthur (24 April 2015). "How Hawaii became known as 'Orchid Isle'". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  49. ↑ "Maunakea Observatories – a collaboration of independent institutions with telescopes located on Maunakea". Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  50. ↑ University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) (18 May 2012). "Economic Impact of the Natural Energy Laboratory Hawaii Authority Tenants on the State of Hawaii" (PDF). nelha.hawaii.gov. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  51. ↑ The maps in the This Week Archived 7 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Big Island Magazine
  52. ↑ Hele-On Bus website Archived 3 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 2009-045-08
  53. ↑ "List of cruise ships that visit Kailua Kona". lovebigisland. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  54. ↑ "List of cruise ships that visit Hilo". lovebigisland. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  55. ↑ "Hawaii: Image of the Day". 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
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