_Papakōlea BeachFigure 1. Volcanic Tuff. (Photo by Ellen Sorenson)
_We arrived at the Papakōlea Beach covered in sand to find a grainy, greenish beige color beach. The beach curves into the island, forming a cinder. The side of the cinder cone is smooth with a layered effect due to the volcanic ash that had rained down and deposited slowly over time developing different layers that is weathering.
Standing in the green sand and looking to the left, the cinder cone was curvy and layered with different volcanic ash forming a layered effect of the volcanic ash and olivine. Looking to the right, there was unsorted volcanic rocks that seemed to pile up and did not have the “sandstone” look the left side of the cinder cone had. This area is an example of the effects of volcanic ash with weathering processes, in addition, the A’ lava flow on the right side of the beach. Road to the BeachFigure 4. Walk back from the Papakōlea beach. (Photo by Ellen Sorenson)
The 2.25 mile walk through a rough 4-wheel dirt road to the Papakōlea beach was quite a hike. The walk was extremely windy, due to us being at the southern point of Hawaii with little to no tree coverage. In addition to being covered in sand, we had to watch for 4-wheelers who enjoy speeding past us as we walked.
|
Up close image of OlivineFigure 3. Olivine sand crystals. (Photo by Ezra Zeitler)
Comparing the color of the sand in Dr. Faulkner's hand with the sand on the ground in the photo on the left, it is apparent the color impact of the olivine crystals.
Middle of the Pacific Garbage PatchFigure 5. Debris. (Photo by Ellen Sorenson)
Hawai`i is in the middle of the Eastern and Western Great Pacific Garbage Patch that form from ocean currents collecting floating garbage and drop it into the North Pacific subtropical gyre spanning for hundreds of miles across the ocean reaching depths of up to 90 feet deep of garbage, mostly plastic that ends up on the beach of Hawai`i. Walking along the 4-Wheel Drive Road to the beach it is apparent that not all garbage ends up at the dump or is recycled.
Check out this video on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch |
Sources
McLendonWed, Russell. "What Is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch? | MNN - Mother Nature Network." Environmental News and Information | MNN - Mother Nature Network. MNN Holdings, 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2011 (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-great-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch).
"THE MINERAL OLIVINE." Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery. Ed. Price Pages. Galleries.com Web Services, 1995. Web. 04 Dec. 2011 (http://www.galleries.com/).
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 21 May 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTurihxSTnI).
"THE MINERAL OLIVINE." Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery. Ed. Price Pages. Galleries.com Web Services, 1995. Web. 04 Dec. 2011 (http://www.galleries.com/).
"Great Pacific Garbage Patch - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 21 May 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2011 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTurihxSTnI).