The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-09-08

The subjofned remarks on the tenn
perature of the underground waters on
the southeast coast of Hawaii are of in
terest in connection with the independ-
ent action of the Mauna Loa and HI
lauea vents. The results are summed
up in the concluding paragraphs where
it is shown that the thermal regimes
of the two adjacent zones are sharply
contrasted. When we pass from the
Punaluu district in the Mauna Loa
| zone to the district of Kapapala in the
i Kilauea zone we leave a region where
/ copious perennial springs issue at the
/ coast with temperature all the year
through of about Ga deg. F. and enter
an area extending along the length of
the south coast of Puma where the I'M
foreground waters display tempera-
ture ranging usually from IS deg. to
95 deg The lower southern slopes Of
| Mauna Loa might belong to a cold
mountain, those of Kilauea undoubted-
| ly belong to a warm mountain, ana
| tho common focus must lie many
| thousands of feet below the sea level
perhaps at the base of the great noun
| tain mass as it rises from the ocean
| floor.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE TEN
| PERATURE OF THE UNDER
GROUND WATERS ON THE SOUTH
EAST COAST OF HAWAII MADE BY
H. B. GUPPY IN 1867. Fahrenheit
scale. )-This subject is briefly referred
| to on page SO of Vol. I of my "Observa-
| tons of a Naturalist in the Pacific"
| The details are now given and the gen.
eral bearing of the results on the aues-
| ton of the independent action of the
1 ic
discussed.
Although there are no rivers on this
coast, a large amount of underground
water issues at the sea-border in the
form of cold and thermal springs. The
thermal underground waters occur
| only on the Puma coast proper. east
of the lava flow that descends to the
coast midway between Punaluu and
KapapaIa Bay. In the district west
of this flow, namely in that of Punaluu
and it's neighborhood, the cool under
ground water issues in great quantity,
sometimes as springs at the surface,
when as at Ninoli they might be al
most termed subterTanean rivers, at
other times yelling up in the deep ifs
sures traversing the lava rock at the
coast. A large amount of fresh water
issues in springs at Punaluu. usually
feeding the pools. The spring most
suitable for temperature observations
lies near the wharf or go-down. Here
between October 1896 and September,
1897, I took the temperature frequently,
the readings only varying between
63.7 deg. and 64.4 deg, all the months
being represented in my register except
February, March and June At Ninoli
II took observations in November,
ings only varying between 63.s deg.
and 64.4 deg. Some springs situated in
land behind Hilia in the same district
at an elevation of 5000 feet above the
sea displayed a temperature of 5S.5 in
December, 1896. No evidence of Their
NAL influence therefore came under my
notice in the underground waters of
the Punaluu district. The copious
springs that issue at the coast at a
temperature all the year through of
about 81 deg. are on the average about
ten degrees cooler than the air. the
mean annual temperature of the air in
the shade being about IA deg. They
deprive their cool waters from the
heavy rainfall in the forest region 1000
to 5000 feet above the sea, their tenn
perature when emerging at the coast
corresponding to the mean annual tenn
perature of the air in the shade at an
altitude of 5000 feet.
The following observations on the
coast region east of Punaluu were made
during a walk along the sea-border
from that place to IIilo between De-
cember 18th, 1896, and January 9Th,
1897
Proceeding eastward along the coast
from Punaluu, noticed between that
place and Kamehameha Point, two or
three miles distant, that the lava-sur-
face was traversed near the sea by
assures, running parallel to the shore
line, 8 to 9 feet broad, 20 to 80 feet
deep, and often 100 yards long. These
assures contained considerable
amount of fresh water about 20 feet
down and from to feet deep. The
temperature of the water in one fis-
sure was 64.5 deg and in another 65
deg. being thus similar to that of the
cold perennial springs of Punaluu and
NinoH. The temperature of the air in
the shade was typical of the season,
namely 70 deg, whilst the Sea temper
allure was 755 deg. Beyond Kameha-
meha Point fresh water was observed
issuing amongst blocks at the coast in
several places, as at Hoolewa; but I
came upon no evidence of thermal in
fiuence west of the lava flow that
descends to the coast about seven miles
east of Punaluu
Crossing this flow I found at Kuee
(Dec- 21th) well-like hole in the rock
| in which at depth of some 20 feet was
| mawkish tepid water having tempera-
ture of 95 deg. The rocks around the,
| hole We're warm and warm vapor was
discharged. Kuee, it may be remarked,
| is an old-time resort for Opihi and for
fishing. The next evidence of thermal
influence was found at Kapapala Bay
| (Dec. 2Sth). Two thermal springs oc-
eur in the low strip of lava-rock be-
| tween the lower cliffs and the coast
One is situated at the bottom Of a
| deep assure, about % feet down, it's
water being fairly sweet and the tenn
| perature SIS deg. The second exists
| as a pool in a grotto nearer the base
1 of he cliff and in the WI