Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawaii Island than was previously thought, according to a University of Hawaii study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of the Hualālai aquifer has been mapped by UH researchers with the Hawaii EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project.
Twice as much freshwater is stored offshore of Hawaii Island than was previously thought, according to a University of Hawaii study with important implications for volcanic islands around the world. An extensive reservoir of freshwater within the submarine southern flank of the Hualālai aquifer has been mapped by UH researchers with the Hawaii EPSCoR ʻIke Wai project. The groundbreaking findings, published in Science Advances, reveal a novel way in which substantial volumes of freshwater are transported from onshore to offshore submarine aquifers along the coast of Hawaii Island.
This mechanism may provide alternative renewable resources of freshwater to volcanic islands worldwide. “Their evidence for separate freshwater lenses, stacked one above the other, near the Kona coast of Hawaii, profoundly improves the prospects for sustainable development on volcanic islands,” said UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Dean Brian Taylor.
Read more at: University of Hawaii at Manoa
Great Blue Heron in front of an oil refinery. University of Hawaii Research Affiliate Faculty Eric Attias at Wailupe Beach Park on O'ahu. (Photo Credit: University of Hawaii)
