The Delissea Lava Tube System in Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a Ahupua‘a, Hawai‘i

When:
January 15, 2018 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
2018-01-15T15:00:00-10:00
2018-01-15T16:30:00-10:00
Where:
Lyman Museum
276 Haili St
Hilo, HI 96720
USA

HAP125 A_smallMatinée presentation:

Over past decades, an astonishing abundance of lava tube entrances and passages have been documented in the ahupua‘a of Pu‘uwa‘awa‘a, located on the north flank of Hualālai volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i.  A subset of these caves, known as the Delissea System, spans an elevation range of 3,000 to 6,000 feet.  Exploration of this system in the past three years has revealed a much more complex set of lava tube passages than previously thought—with more than 22 miles of passages mapped to date—and literally hundreds of entrances ranging from tiny skylights to big, deep pukas.  The pukas are host to a large, diverse population of native plants and trees, including the Delissea tree, which was thought to be extinct.  Many fossil bird bones from now-extinct bird species have been collected in the system, where biologists have also found a wide variety of cave-adapted organisms.  Dr. Peter Bosted of the Hawai‘i Speleological Society shines a light on this little-known world, discussing the techniques used to locate lava tube entrances, relating how detailed maps of the passageways are made, and sharing photographs of the intriguing geological, mineralogical, paleontological, and biological resources of this land down under.  Learn more about it either in the afternoon or evening of January 15.

Admission to these wonderful programs is free to Museum members, and $3.00 for nonmembers.  Please support the Museum by becoming a member, and enjoy all Saigo Series programs, all year round, at no charge!  Seating is limited; first come, first seated.  ON MONDAY EVENINGS ONLY, additional parking is available next door at Hilo Union School, Kapiolani St. entrance; park, then walk through our green gate in the rock wall

On Monday evenings, doors open at 6:30PM.  E komo mai!

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