Tag: Big Island
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Hawaii, Part 8 (Big Island: South Point)
We had one more corner of the “Big Island” of Hawaii left to explore before moving on to Oahu. It was a late addition to the schedule. The younger kid who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in geology wanted to see an unusual formation. However, this request didn’t materialize until we were actually in Hawaii.…
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Hawaii, Part 7 (Big Island: Windward)
I’ve mentioned previously the difference between windward and leeward, and how it’s particularly pronounced on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. We used the windward side as our home base so we had our share of tropical moisture and verdant vegetation. It rained every day where we stayed south of Hilo. However, we never had what…
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Hawaii, Part 6 (Big Island: Mauna Kea)
Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island is a massive shield volcano that rises majestically 13,803 feet (4,200 metres) above sea level. By some calculations it’s also the tallest mountain in the world if measured from its base deep below the ocean. Mauna Kea formed over the Hawaiian Hotspot over the last million years, still an…
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Hawaii, Part 5 (Big Island: Lava)
The “Big Island” remains the most volcanically active of the chain, perched directly above the Hawaiian hotspot. Magma continues to bulge from the depths of the earth, ever increasing the size of this young island. Unfortunately we didn’t observe a lava flow in person because the volcanoes took a little break during our visit. However,…
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Hawaii, Part 1 (No Cigar)
This was supposed to be the year I finally finished Hawaii, with my fourth trip to the islands. There are only five counties in the state and I needed three more: Maui County, Hawaii County, and Kalawao County. I should be able to capture that small remaining set for my County Counting list. This should…
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Smallest Largest Provincial Island in Canada
You read that right. Perhaps I can rephrase it better: Each Canadian Province or Territory has a largest island. When considering that list, which one is the smallest? Today’s totally trivial topic comes courtesy of the confluence of many competing thoughts that pinged around my mind lately: I’m “-est” fixated (you know, things ending in…
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Fewest County Borders – Part I: Hawaii County, HI
Technically the fewest number of county borders is zero, a situation that occurs frequently on islands. As an example, county borders do not split individual Hawaiian islands except for Molokai. Most of it sits within Maui County. Even so, it also cradles minuscule Kalowao County – the smallest county in the United States – on…