Hawaii Environmental Geography

Why should Hawaii use different hazard maps for different threats?

• All hazards affect precisely the same places
• Every disaster moves with trade winds only
• One map can reliably predict every event
• Floods, lava, tsunamis, and fires have different geographic exposure

How can sea-level rise worsen existing coastal hazards?

• It raises the baseline for tidal and wave flooding
• It stops high surf
• It lowers every ocean tide
• It prevents coastal erosion

Which observation supports the Hawaii hotspot and plate-motion explanation?

• All island rocks have identical ages
• Older volcanic rocks occur only on the youngest islands
• Volcanic ages increase generally toward the northwest
• The Pacific Plate is completely motionless

What processes commonly shape older Hawaiian volcanic islands?

• Only fresh lava accumulation forever
• Valley incision and coastal cliff erosion
• Formation of continental glaciers
• Deposits from large continental rivers

What does island biogeography help explain in Hawaii?

• Every species can migrate freely on land to Asia
• Islands have no endemic species
• Many species occur naturally in small, isolated ranges
• All ecosystems are identical across the Pacific

What pair of measurements is central to assessing sustainable groundwater use?

• Hotel room count and air temperature
• State flags and bird populations
• GDP and volcanic summit height alone
• Aquifer recharge and groundwater withdrawal