Course Description

This course will examine how volcanic, geomorphic, and coastal processes have shaped, and continue to shape, the Hawaiian Islands. The course focuses on volcanism, landform development, and coastal processes. The Hawaiian Islands provide a unique opportunity to study active volcanic processes building the islands in conjunction with geomorphic processes that alter the volcanic landscape. The Hawaiian landscape ranges in age from 25 million years to minutes old. Students have the unique opportunity to study the volcanic processes creating the islands and then see how the landscapes,  coasts and soils have evolved through time.

Course Learning Objectives

• Understand how tectonic activity has shaped the development of the Hawaiian Island – Emperor Seamount chain
• Compare the geological environments on the progressively older Hawaiian islands of Hawaii, Maui and Oahu
• Understand how volcanic, geomorphic, and coastal processes have shaped, and continue to shape, the Hawaiian Islands.
• Use ergodic reasoning to develop an understanding of how the Hawaiian Islands age.
• Evaluate the geological hazard potential in Hawaii with regard to different volcanic, seismic, and mass-wasting prone terrains.
  Develop the observational and data acquisition skills used in geology.