Paper No. 28-1
Presentation Time: 1:00 PM-1:20 PM
RECENT FIELDWORK IN HAWAIIAN KARSTS
HALLIDAY, William R., Hawaii Speleological Survey, 6530 Cornwall Court, Nashville, TN 37205, bnawrh@webtv.net.

The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin but recent fieldwork has shown that sizeable karsts have developed on "beachrock" and "caprock"- local terms for emerged carbonate reefs, aeolianite dunes and calcific beach debris. The largest is the Ewa Plain in southwest Oahu. Best studied is the Moiliili Karst in the university district of Honolulu. Here, catastrophic dewatering has caused extensive damage, and a remnant of a sizeable conduit cave is easily visited. A cenote system is present on the island of Kauai. Most of the karsts have been moderately or severely impacted by urbanization and/or agricultural development but a surprising variety of surface and subsurface forms remains. Small flank margin caves in the Waianae Karst of Oahu contain intermittent anchialine pools, and a sizeable phreatic cave in Oahu's Keawaula Karst extends below the water table. Some carbonate areas unfortunately are not open to fieldwork at present, especially in military reservations and some private lands. This is a particular problem in parts of the Ewa Plain, the Kaneohe area and part of the Kahuku Karst of Oahu, and the "closed" island of Niihau. The archeologcal literature provides useful information on some of these.

South-Central Section (37th) and Southeastern Section (52nd), GSA Joint Annual Meeting (March 12–14, 2003)
General Information for this Meeting
Session No. 28
The Role of Fieldwork in the Study of Carbonate Rock Aquifer/Landscape Systems
University of Memphis Conference Center: Fogelman Executive Center 308
1:00 PM-5:00 PM, Friday, March 14, 2003
 

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