Kohala

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Kohala
Kohala from Mauna Kea

Kohala from Mauna Kea from

height 1670  m
location Hawaii , USA
Mountains Hawaii Emperor necklace
Coordinates 20 ° 5 '10 "  N , 155 ° 43' 2"  W Coordinates: 20 ° 5 '10 "  N , 155 ° 43' 2"  W.
Kohala (Hawaii)
Kohala
Type extinct shield volcano
rock basalt
Age of the rock 60,000 years
Schematic map of the island of Hawaii

The Kohala is an extinct volcano that forms the north of Hawaii . The Kohala administrative district of the same name is named after him. Deep valleys have been cut into its eastern flank, including that of Waipiʻo in the south and Polulu in the north. From the west side, humpback whales can often be seen in autumn and winter .

location

The Kohala Mountains form the north-western part of the island, which reaches its northernmost point at Upolu Point . While in the west and especially in the north steep slopes shape the picture of the Kohala Mountains, in the southeast near Waimea they merge in a wide saddle into the massif of Mauna Kea .

The oval mountain range is around 24 kilometers long, the most striking elevations are - from northwest to southeast - Pu'u Ula (290 m / 951  ft ), Pu'u O Nale (542 m / 1777 ft), Pu'u Hue (724 m / 2375 ft), Lahikiola (1031 m / 3383 ft), Pu'u Pili (1435 m / 4708 ft), Kaunu o Kaleiho'ohie (1670 m / 5480 ft), Pu'u Pohoulaula (1401 m / 4596 ft) and Ka'ala (1215 m / 3985 ft).

Earth history and geology

The Kohala Mountains are the remains of the oldest volcano on the island. It can be assumed that its formation began around 1 million years ago, and around 500,000 years later it reached the surface of the water. A noticeable decline in activity began around 300,000 years ago; the last eruption is likely to be around 120,000 years ago. The peculiar, elongated shape of the mountain results from a landslide that led to the entire north flank sliding down 250,000 to 300,000 years ago. In addition, later eruptions of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa have reshaped parts of the Kohala, so that the original shape of this shield volcano can no longer be determined.

The already relatively long-lasting erosion on the rainy north-west coast has led to the formation of the typical and particularly pronounced valleys of the Kohala coast , which slope almost vertically. While the Waipiʻo Valley is relatively easy to reach from Kukuihaele , the more westerly Waimanu Vally , Honopue Valley and Pololu Valley can only be reached by a lengthy walk.

Weather sheath

Despite its low altitude, the Kohala represents an important weather divide. While more than 3800 mm of precipitation is recorded on the summit, in Kawaihae , which is less than 20 km southwest, only about 130 mm of rain fall annually. The summit region is covered with cloud forest , the southern flank with dry forest and grassland .

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