Pleistocene snowlines and glaciation of the Hawaiian Islands

Author:

Porter, Stephen C.

Title:

Pleistocene snowlines and glaciation of the Hawaiian Islands

Periodical:

Quaternary International

Year:

2005

Volume:

138-139

Pages:

118-128

Subject:

Glaciation

Summary:

High volcanoes on two of the southeastern Hawaiian Islands experienced Pleistocene ice-cap glaciations. These are the volcanic mountains of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii, and Haleakala, a mountain that is located on the island of Maui. Drifts of three glaciations on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea are interstratified with lavas. Holocene lavas that bury the upper slopes of Mauna Loa, likely intersected the snowline during the last glaciation. The reconstructed history of snowline variations and glaciation on Haleakala relies on evidence of the island's growth, isostatic subsidence, and tilting. Even though the glacial history of Haleakala has ended, ice caps will likely regenerate on Mauna Kea many thousands of years into the future, after which time the summit will subside below the glacial-age snowline.

Label:

Geology - Glaciation

URL:

http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2074/10.1016/j.quaint.2005.02.009

Date:

2005 September/October

Collection:

Periodicals