Geology 150
The Geologic
Evolution of the
Hawaiian Islands
January, 2012
Instructors: D. Germanoski and L. Malinconico
Location:
Lafayette Campus, Islands of Hawaii, Maui and Oahu
Lecture/Lab:
Field and lecture components in Hawaii with a couple of
days pre-trip at Lafayette
Contact: germanod@lafayette.edu & malincol@lafayette.edu
Course Description
This course will examine how volcanic, geomorphic, and coastal
processes have shaped, and continue to shape, the Hawaiian Islands. The
course focuses on volcanism, landform development, and coastal
processes. The Hawaiian Islands provide a unique opportunity to study
active volcanic processes building the islands in conjunction with
geomorphic processes that alter the volcanic landscape. The Hawaiian
landscape ranges in age from 25 million years to minutes old. Students
have the unique opportunity to study the volcanic processes creating the
islands and then see how the soils, landscapes, and coasts have evolved
through time.
Course Learning Objectives
 Understand how tectonic activity has shaped the development of the
Hawaiian Island – Emperor Seamount chain
 Compare the geological environments on the progressively older
Hawaiian islands of Hawaii, Maui and Oahu
 Understand how volcanic, geomorphic, and coastal processes have
shaped, and continue to shape, the Hawaiian Islands.
 Use ergodic reasoning to develop an understanding of how the
Hawaiian Islands age.
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 Evaluate the geological hazard potential in Hawaii with regard tto
different volcanic, seismic, and mass-wasting prone terrains.
 Develop the observation and data acquisition skills used in geology.
Course Materials
Macdonald, G.A., Abbott, A.T. and Peterson, F.L., 1983, Volcanoes in
the Sea The Geology of the Hawaiian Islands; Universty of Hawaii
Press, Honolulu.
Readings Packet and Field Trip Guide
Evaluation
Exams
Pre-trip Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Second Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Third Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fourth Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Field Book Notes and Reflections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
100 pts
600 pts
A $25 materials fee covers the costs of your field notebook as well as the
readings packet and fieldtrip guide. You will need to have your field book
with you at all times and insure that it is not lost. It will be assessed
periodically for completeness, depth of observations and readability. This is
your primary source for preparation for exams.
Academic Honesty
Students are expected to conduct themselves according to the
guidelines and rules of Lafayette College (see your student handbook) with
respect to academic honesty and the preparation of their work for this class.
It is especially important that you understand what constitutes plagiarism and
always acknowledge the work of others. Additionally you will be required to
adhere to the guidelines for behavior as documented by the Office for OffCampus Study.
Academic Accommodation: In compliance with Lafayette College policy and
equal access laws, the instructors are available to discuss appropriate
academic accommodations that you may require as a student with a
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disability. Requests for academic accommodations need to be made prior to
the course start date of Jan. 1, 2012, except for unusual circumstances, so
arrangements can be made. Students must register with the Office of the
Dean of the College for disability verification and for determination of
reasonable academic accommodations.
Tentative Schedule
(with Assignments)
DAY
TOPIC
FIELD GUIDE
I & II At Lafayette - multiple topics in preparation for the course
Exam 1a – due upon arrival in Easton
Exam 1b – afternoon of Day II
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1
Fly to Oahu and then to Hilo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2
Morning Lecture – Dr. G – Geography of Hawaii
Dr. M. Craters, Calderas, Cones, Rifts, and Fracture Systems
Field Trip - Kilauea Summit Area
Kilauea Visitor Center
Page 6, Stop 1
Killauea Crater overlook
Page 6, Stop 2
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Page 7, Stop 3
Southwest Rift Zone
Page 7, Stop 4
Halemaumau Crater overlook
Page 8, Stop 5
Fumarole Field
Page 9, Stop 6
Keanakakoi Crater overlook
Page 10, Stop 7
Pu’u Pua’I Overlook and Devastation Trail
Page 10, Stop 8
Thurston Lava Tube
Page 11, Stop 9
Readings*: Volcanoes in the Sea - chapter 2; pages 373–379
Attack of the Vog, Richard Monastersky
Hawaii’s Volcanoes: Windows into the Earth, J. Dvorak
Volcanic Hotspots, Sid Perkins
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Exam; Morning Lecture – Dr. G. – Mauna Loa & Mauna Kea geomorph & glaciation
Field Trip - Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea
Kaumana Cave
Page 17, Stop 15
Puu Huluhulu
Page 17, Stop 16
Page 22, Stop 18
Mauna Loa weather station - view of Mauna Kea
Page 18, Stop 17
Mauna Kea summit cinder cones and glacial moraines
Page 22, Stop 18
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 60-74; 252-259; 145-149; 360-364; 366-373.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4
Morning Lecture Dr. M. – Hazards associated with lava flows
Field Trip - Active Volcanism - Pu’u’O’o-Kupianaha eruption of Kilauea
Evening Lecture Dr. G. – Soils and Soil Development
Readings: * The Pu’u’O’o-Kupianaha eruption of Kilauea, C. Heliker and S.R. Brantley,
Hazards associated with volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, D. Germanoski and L.L.
Malinconico, Jr.
* Viewing Hawai’i’s Lava Safely–Common Sense is Not Enough
Page 3
* Lava flow hazards and risk assessment on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawaii, Trusdell
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5
Morning Lectures Dr. G. - Hamakua Coast geomorph & drainage development;
tsunamis
Field Trip - Hamakua coast geomorphology; tsunamis
Leached oxisol
Page 26, Stop 19
Akaka Falls
Page 26, Stop 20
Laupahoehoe lava flows; tsunami
Page 26, Stop 21
Waipio Valley overlook
Page 27, Stop 22
Boiling Pots
Page 32, Stop 23
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 180-184; 199-228; 313-321; 353-360.
Field trip guidebook - pages 42 - 44.
* Morphology of the Island of Hawaii, J.G. Moore and R.K. Mark,
* Tsunamis
* Swept Away; The Deadly power of Tsunamis, J. Dvorak and T. Peek
The Fragile Volcano, N. Parks
Sea floor Holds the Story of Hawaii Isle’s Doom
Giant Hawaiian Underwater Landslides, J.G. Moore, W.R. Normark, and R.T Holcomb
When Kilauea Crumbles, R. Monastersky
Volcanoes pages 52-54
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
Field Trip – Chain of Craters, Black sand beach, olivine basalts, travel to Kona
Lau Manu Crater; Lava trees
Page 12, Stop 10
Muliwai a Pele
Page 13, Stop 11
Ke ala Komo picnic shelter (lunch stop)
Page 13, Stop 12
Entrail pahoehoe
Page 14, Stop 13
Mauna Ulu
Page 15, Stop 14
Punaluu black sand beach
Page 32, Stop 24
Olivine basalts (Picrite)
Page 33 Stop 25
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 75-129; 271-273
* When Kilauea crumbles Hawaii trembles as a mountain slowly collapses R. Monastersky
* Giant Hawaiian underwater landslides, Moore et al.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7
Morning Lecture Dr. G. - Beach development and coral reef development;
Field Trip - Snorkeling the KahaLu’u Beach corals
Page 33, Stop 27
Evening Lecture – Dr. M. - Magmatic segregation, eruptive style, and xenoliths
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 285-288.
* Beach development and coral reefs, Germanoski.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8
Morning Lecture – Dr. G. - Geomorphic comparison of Hilo and Kona Coasts
Puu WaaWaa trachyte cone on Hualalai
Page 34, Stop 29a
Aridisol and three phenocryst basalt
Page 34, Stop 29b
Puu Kawaiwai cinder cone complex
Page 35, Stop 30
Hapuna beach - white sand beach
Page 35, Stop 31
Hualalai Lava tube complex; xenoliths (1801 flows)
Page 35, Stop 32
Readings:
Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 58-60; 119-133; 364-366
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9
Field Trip – City of Refuge Park Snorkelling Coral Reefs Page 34, Stop 28
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10
Kona Coast – Study Day; Evening Exam
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11
Fly to Kahalui, Maui and drive to Kihei, Maui
Afternoon Lectures Dr. G. - Maui overview
Dr. G.- Landscape evolution and alluvial fans
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12
Morning Lecture Dr. G. - Weathering, landscape evolution, coastal processes
Field Trip - Iao needle, east coast of West Maui
Iao needle
Page 44, Stop 39
Dissected alluvial fans at entrance to Iao gorge
Intense weathering; stable secondary minerals
Page 44, Stop 35
Page 44, Stop 36
Intense weathering of debris in colluvial hollow
Page 44, Stop 37
Makamaka’ole River Valley, Sea cliffs, erosional spire
Page 44, Stop 38
Calcareous dune field
Page 43, Stop 34
Evening Lecture Dr. M. – Haleakala overview
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 173-184; 185-198; 213-218; 246-251.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13
Field Trip - Haleakala crater hike - late-stage volcanism
Haleakala Summit observatory
Page 40, Stop 33
Hike crater trail
Page 40, Stop 33
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 57-58; 119-129; 145-154; 388-401.
Field trip guidebook - pages Maui 1-5.
*Haleakala Crater, Maui, Hawaii, W.R. Hackett
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14
Maui Study Day
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15
Field Trip - Geomorphology & volcanology Lahaina Coast West Maui
Morning Snorleling at Molokini
Page 46, Stop 43
Ukumehame dissected alluvial fan
Page 45, Stop 42
Ash beds
Page 45, Stop 41
McGregor Point alkalic trachytic lava
Page 45, Stop 40
Evening Lectures: Dr. M. Isostasy
Dr. G. Oahu Overview
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 380-389; 145-154.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16
Fly to Oahu Waikiki Beach
Field Trip - Soils and Late-stage geomorphology
Soil - mature oxisol / ultisol
Waiane Range and Koolau Range landscapes
Sunset Beach raised coral platform; Bonzai pipeline
Oahu wind turbines
Kualoa Park and Mokoli’I (Chinaman’s Hat)
Makapuu Beach Park; Rabbit Island Tuff cone
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea - pages 420-434; 213-228,
* Sea floor holds story of Hawaiian Islands doom, W. Sullivan
Page 54, Stop 55
Page 47, Stop 44
Page 48, Stop 45
Page 48, Stop 46
Page 48, Stop 47
Page 5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17
Morning Lectures Dr. M. – Dikes and Cinder cone eruptions,
Field Trip - Pali lookout, dike complex; Koko Head tephra
Pali lookout
Page 49, Stop 48
Koolau volcanic dike complex
Page 51, Stop 49a
Page 51, Stop 49b
Makapuu Point
Page 51, Stop 50
Lanai lookout - Koko Crater tuff and coral platform
Page 52, Stop 51
Hanauma bay coral platform, white sand beach
Page 52, Stop 52
Diamond Head tuff cone
Page 53, Stop 53
Exam – late afternoon
Readings: Volcanoes in the Sea, pages 135-144; 434-452; 213-228.
*Coastal and volcanic geology of the Hanauma Bay area, Oahu, Hawaii,
R. Moberly and G.P.L. Walker.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18
Pearl Harbor (Optional, but highly recommended Trip)
Page 55, Stop 56
Evening (overnight) flight to Newark
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19
Return to Newark and Lafayette – early afternoon
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