Koko Crater (Kohelepelepe)
The Hawaiian Islands archipelago is the most isolated island chain in the world. It extends from the Island of Hawai'i (the youngest island) to Kure Atoll in the northwest, a distance of over 1,500 miles.
The Islands are a group of volcanos that have risen up over a "hot spot" of molten rock that wells up from deep in the earth's interior. As the ocean floor slowly moves over this spot, islands are born. They are then carried towards the northwest where they erode and slowly sink below the waves.
The island of O'ahu first rose above the sea nearly 4 million years ago as the Wai'anae volcano. The younger Ko'olau volcano, on the east side of O'ahu, is about 2.7 million years old. It is larger than the Wai'anae, and makes up most of the island. Nearly 2 million years ago, the eastern flank of the Ko'olau volcano collapsed and slid into the sea, leaving the steep mountain range that we see today on the windward side.
A quiet period followed the eruptions that formed the Ko'olaus until energetic rejuvenation-stage volcanism started to occur about a million years ago. This "Honolulu Volcanic Series" created many well-known landmarks including Diamond Head, Punchbowl, Hanauma Bay, and Koko Crater.
The youngest craters and cones of the Honolulu Series are part of Koko Head Regional Park, which lies along the Koko rift zone (red dashed lines in picture at right). This region has had the most recent volcanic activity on O'ahu, and some believe it may not be over yet. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Koko Crater, the tallest (1208 feet) and best preserved cinder and ash cone, is possibly one of the latest volcanic vents. Radiocarbon dates of volcanic rock and reef indicate that the last volcanic event in this area occurred just 7,000 years ago. It is one of a chain of volcanic tuff cones along the Ka Iwi coast which were created when magma came into contact with sea water. The crater is made from layer upon layer of consolidated volcanic ash with different erosional properties. Some of the softer light colored layers have eroded away leaving the harder darker colored layers on top completely intact. Overhanging rock formations on the lip of the crater rim and arches on the ridges of the mountain are the result of these erosional differences between layers.
Originally named “Kohelepelepe” meaning “traveling female sexual organ” in Hawaiian. The site received its name from the cleaver act of the goddess Kapo who exposed her genitalia in order to save her sister Pele from the clutches of the pursuing pig god, Kamapua'a. The ruse worked and Kapo left a pali pöhaku resembling her private parts as a monument to her deed.
Small side note, on a clear day you may be able to see all the way to the Big Island of Hawai'i 
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To get credit for this earthcache you have to perform the following tasks.
- In your log make sure to mention which approach you took to the summit.
- At the summit locate one of the "valleys" stretching down the side of the crater. Use your best guess and estimate how deep and wide these "valleys" are and how were they formed? Email, DO NOT POST your description/answer.
- Also at the summit, locate an example of the different colored layers and describe what you see (appearance, color, texture, etc...). Email, DO NOT POST your description.
Post a photo of either you or your GPSr at the top of Koko Crater with another Honolulu Series Crater in the background. No Picture = No Find- (1/1/2011 New logging requirement in compliance with the EarthCache Guidelines. "Requests for photographs must be optional. Exceptions to this guideline will only be considered if the requested photograph is related to an Earth Science logging activity such as recording a phenomenon.") If you so desire take a photo of either you or your GPSr at the top of Koko Crater with another Honolulu Series Crater in the background and post it with your log.
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Cache with Al
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FTF Prize: 
GeoGerms Geocoin ----> Congrats Off-Roader!
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