Exploring Geology on the Island of Oahu, A Field Guide to Important Geological Locations

Book excerpt: This field guide to important geological locations describes the geology and volcanic significant at 39 stops on Oahu. It included a short introduction on how Hawaiian hotspot shield volcanoes formed and emerged from the sea floor. This is followed by the most current understanding of how the island of Oahu formed during the past 5 million years. This guidebook is a travel companion for residents and visitors alike that can easily be carried while you drive and hike to the many locations to see first-hand some of the mysteries geologists have uncovered as you explore our magical island. You will explore the geology of Oahu visiting numerous world-class locations and see many volcanic landforms present at our most informative geological locations. Following the overview of the geology and descriptions of the volcanic rock types found on Oahu we provide a brief overview of the typical life and demise of a Hawaiian hotspot volcano (Chapter 3) and an overview of Oahu's three main shield volcanoes (Chapter 4). Chapters 5 through 8 include the 39 stops depicted by detailed satellite images, topographic maps, high-quality photographs, plots, and illustrative figures that describe what you are looking at as you drive, hike, boat, canoe, walk to these readily accessible locations at your leisure.