Wailua Falls (Erosional/Depositional Geology) EarthCache
Wailua Falls (Erosional/Depositional Geology)
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Welcome to my home island. I grew up here and went to Waimea High School, but I now live in Nashville, TN and wanted to provide many natural Earthcaches for you. This is a quick drive from Lihue or Kapaa. Do you want to feel like you are apart of "Fantasy Island"? A film shot of these falls were used for the Fantasy Island TV show intro in the 1970's. Also if you are interested in Hawaiian Legends, look some of them up for this area (Kaua'i by Frederick Wichman) Enjoy the view!!
”Wailua Falls, Kauai”
The geocacher will quickly see the evidence that opposing forces assisted in the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. The massive and lofty volcanoes have been scoured, abraded, and lacerated by streams and the sea. These volcanic mountains have been eroded and deeply cut by canyons, water erosion, lava, etc...
A thick flow of basalt lava confined by existing valley walls poured into a pool or swamp on the floor of the ancient Wailua River Valley. Pillow lava (see below) formed as the lower portion of the lava flow, 3 to 9 meters (10 to 30 feet) thick, entered the water. The ordinary pahoehoe (see below) lava in the upper part of the flow is much more resistant to erosion. The rocks near the bottom one-third of the falls erode quickly, undermining the more resistant lava layers on top. Occasionally, slabs break off the undercut lava, keeping the lip of the falls sharp. Flooding which follows winter storms washes away the debris.
Pahoehoe (also spelled pahoehoe, Hawaiian English, from Hawaiian, meaning "smooth, unbroken lava") is basalt lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface. These surface features are due to the movement of very fluid lava under a congealing surface crust. A pahoehoe flow typically advances as a series of small lobes and toes that continually break out from a cooled crust. It also forms lava tubes where the minimal heat loss maintains low viscosity. The surface texture of pahoehoe flows varies widely, displaying all kinds of bizarre shapes. Pahoehoe lavas typically have a temperature of 1100 to 1200°C.
Pillow lava is the lava structure typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or a sub-glacial volcano (a lava flow enters the ocean). However, pillow lava can also form when lava is erupted beneath thick glacial ice. The viscous lava gains a solid crust on contact with the water, and this crust cracks and oozes additional large blobs or "pillows" as more lava emerges from the advancing flow. Pillow lava is very common in the ocean world.
To get credit for this cache you must do the following (email these to me):
1. Estimate how tall this waterfall is.
2. Research on a map an tell me where the water source is coming from (known as the wettest spot on earth).
3. The color of Basalt Vocanic Rock ranges from light grey, to dark brown, to black. What color of the rocks around the ridge of the falls does it appear to be? Is it any different than the basalt rocks at the bottom of the falls surrounding the pool?
4. Take a picture of you with your GPS and upload it within 30 days.
5. Extra Credit: Time for Physics – If you were on top of the Falls and dropped your GPS, how long will it take in (s) seconds to hit the pool of water below, based upon your Answer #1(hints – do you remember these?: acceleration or Earth’s Gravity is g = 9.8 m/s2, X = ½ at² + vt + x , V = at )
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Rnfl Qevir naq Cnexvat. Qba'g jbeel vs V qba'g rznvy onpx nf V trg gbaf bs rznvyf. Rawbl naljnlf.