2009 Pahoehoe Field Trip

By Jason Saleeby

Each Spring break the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences offers a field trip to the Island of Hawaii for the respective years graduating seniors and Ph.D. students. The group undertakes an enrichment program in the exploration of Kilauea volcano, select parts of the island’s rain forest and coastal regions and takes a tour of the Keck telescopes on the Mauna Kea summit. In March 2009 fifteen GPS Division students joined Professors John Eiler and Jason Saleeby for the 8 day excursion. The Caltech group brought with them a break in nice weather conditions from a massive unseasonably cold wet weather system that had been sitting on the Hawaiian Islands for nearly two months, and which resumed for nearly another month after the group left the island. The group took full advantage of the good weather conditions in exploring Kilauea caldera, a series of young vents and pit craters, massive coastal landslide scarps, a spectacular section of a 40 mile long lava tube and the current entry site of lava flowing into the ocean. The group also met ideal weather conditions for visiting the Mauna Kea summit and touring the Keck telescopes. Unfortunately windy weather resulting in turbulent surface water conditions foiled plans to snorkel a coral reef and the submarine openings of several large lava tubes that are laced with giant coral heads. The resulting leisure time on the beaches at the “would be” snorkel spots was much appreciated as a break in the busy travel and exploration program, and of course in preparation for the students’ final quarter at Caltech.

Last updated: Wed Aug 26 12:57:54 -0700 2009