Wettest Spot on Earth

In this blog entry I will touch on Kauai, Hawaii and it being the wettest spot on earth. Kauai, Hawaii is also called the Garden of Isle due to its luscious green valleys and gardens. A fun fact I learned is that It is one of the places picked to film movies such as Jurassic Park and Mighty Joe Young due to its beautiful gardens and valleys. Even though the rest of the Island is still sunny, the Island is in the northernmost of the main islands, allowing for much more exposure to front winds and rain in the winter per the blog talking story.

                Source: http://www.to-hawaii.com/kauai/attractions/mountwaialeale.php (Mt Wai'ale'ale)

Rare image of a sunny day on Mt Wai'ale'ale

In my previous blog entry I introduced Mt. Waialeale as Kauai, Hawaii’s highest point and receiving the most rainfall. Some of the reasons I found that there is so much rainfall is due to the mountains round and conical shape which exposes all its sides to moisture laden winds (www.to-hawaii.com) The site goes on to talk about how “the mountain summit lies just below the trade wind inversion layer of 6,000 feet above which trade-wind-generated clouds cannot rise.”  Finally, the mountain's steep cliffs cause the humid air to rise quickly over 3,000 feet (910 m) in less than a half mile (800 m) and drop a large portion of its rain on one spot.

Source: http://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai/hiking_trails/waialeale_blue_hole_hike

Source: http://www.to-hawaii.com/kauai/attractions/mountwaialeale.php (Mt Wai'ale'ale)





Lecture 8 Water, Atmospheric Moisture, and Clouds and Lecture 7, Earths circulation is important in helping demonstrate Kauai, Hawaii being the wettest spot on earth. The trade winds remain an important factor in making Mt. Wai’ale’ale the wettest spot on Earth. Kauai vacation site tells us that, normal trade winds blow across Kauai from the northeast. These trade winds combined with Kauai’s tropical location result in the island’s moderate temperature and humidity. (http://www.kauaivacationsecrets.com/kauai-weather/) Furthermore, the side of the island that faces the trade winds is called the windward side. It’s because of these winds that Kauai’s north side gets the most rain. As clouds hit the mountains, they cool causing condensation and rain.

Source: https://youtu.be/1_2O8e9T6a8
Awesome video showing Mt. Wai'ale'ale on the island
of Kauai, Hawaii during one of its wet days.

References:

Dr. Casey D. Allen, Associate Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Sciences University of Colorado Denver: Geographic concepts and understanding were taken from lectures on Water, Atmospheric Moisture, and Clouds as well as  Earths Circulation and any other lectures needed.

http://www.govisithawaii.com/2015/09/02/kauai-weather/

https://kukuiula.com/blog/mount-waialeale/

http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/mount-waialeale-hi/

http://www.to-hawaii.com/kauai/attractions/mountwaialeale.php

http://www.kauaivacationsecrets.com/kauai-weather/