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/

Mini Blog 1: Fronts, Cyclones and Hurricanes in Kauai, Hawaii

Formation and Landscape of Kauai, Hawaii:

The landscape of Hawaii was formed according to the US Geological survey (USGS) when the plate of the earths crust moved over a hot spot. Kauai is said to be one of the oldest of 8 major Hawaiian Islands, 5 million years old to be exact.  Each major Hawaiian Island was created by one or a few volcanoes.

                         

Landsat satellite image from NASA

The USGS tells us that, "The dominant slow-acting forces changing Kaua`i are erosion and island subsidence. Subsidence occurs when the crust, on which the island sits, cools and compacts. Erosion the weathering and transport of material from upland to lowland areas and into the sea - occurs mainly through the action of rain and wind." Due to extensive weathering coastal plains, valleys, and large streams are plentiful on the island.

According to waimea.com, Mt. Waialeale, is the islands highest point and receives the heaviest rainfall, with rainfall averaging 452 inches (17,300 mm).  The site goes on to say, "Kauai's climate couldn't be more ideal, with coastal temperatures in February and March averaging 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 degrees celsius), and 79 degrees fahrenheit (26 degrees celsius) in August and September." 

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

govsisithawaii.trackur.net

Hurricanes in Kauai, Hawaii:

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/met/Faculty/businger/poster/hurricane/

Lecture 10 introduces us to fronts, cyclones, and hurricanes. Kauai's weather and climate patterns open the door to what a hurricane must have in order to form and grow. Some of those factors in Kauai are its sea surface temperature, warm air, excessive rain, few changes in wind speed and lots of water vapor at low levels.

Hurricane Iniki was one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike Hawaii in recorded history forming on September 5, 1992. We learned in class how during El Nino trace winds push warm water and storms to western pacific and Hurricane Iniki was borne from El Nino, where Iniki traveled on a west-northwest course and continued to strengthen according to Hawaii news now.

Hurricane Iniki at peak intensity on September 11 at 2358 UTC. This image was produced from data from NOAA-11, provided by NOAA.

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 Fronts, Cyclones and Hurricanes as well as any other lectures needed.

http://www.class.noaa.gov/

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Hurricane_Iniki_11_sept_1992_2358Z.jpg

http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/02ocean/hwgeo.htm

https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/archive/2005/05_04_14.html

http://www.kauai.com/kauai-geography

http://www.waimea.com/formations.html

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/6921152/hawaiis-hurricane-history

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/met/Faculty/businger/poster/hurricane/

   

Kauai, Hawaii

Hello,

My name is Tahijsha Johnson and I am considered a senior here at the University of Colorado Denver. I graduated from high school in 2007 and attended Colorado State University for about 2 years. After two years I transferred down to CU Denver where I completed another year and a half. I stopped going to school  in 2013 once I got married and had my daughter who is now 3 years old. I need 16 more credits to receive my Bachelors degree in Sociology and Ethnic Studies and that is what I am working toward. I was born in Denver, Colorado and I have many hobbies some of which include, spending time with my family and going to church.

The place that I have selected is Kauai, Hawaii and the reason that I chose this place is because a few years ago my mother promised me that once I graduated college she would take me to Kauai, Hawaii. Even though I stopped going to school back in 2013, I still hoped that one day I would be able to go to this beautiful place. Furthermore, exploring Kauai, Hawaii will be my motivation to finish this semester strong!