Diamond Head Crater, Hawaii

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Diamond Head Crater, Hawaii
World famous Diamond Head Crater is located
adjacent to Honolulus Kapiolani Park. This
crater is classified as an ancient tuff cone,
created 300,000 years ago as volcanic ash erupted
and was wind blown into this shape, with
the higher end of the crater in the direction of
wind flow.
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Diamond Head Entrance
Diamond Head is designated as a state monument on
Hawaiis Oahu Island, and is visited by hundreds
of people per day. From this point, visitors can
enter into the crater and actually climb up a
path to the top rim of the crater.
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Hiking Path within Diamond Head
This shows a segment of the hiking trail which
ascends to the rim of the crater.
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Observation Point (1)
This observation point near the top of the crater
shows a good view of the eroded remains of the
rim of the crater as well as the Pacific Ocean
about a mile in the distance.
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Observation Point (2)
In this view we can look at the roughly circular
shape of the crater floor below and the ocean in
the distance.
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Makapuu Point
Makapuu Point, a few miles east of Diamond Head,
represents the eroded easternmost shoreline of
the island of Oahu. Geologically, Oahu is one
of the oldest and most eroded of the Hawaiian
Island chain.
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Rabbit Island
Rabbit Island lies just offshore at Makapuu Point
and represents an eroded volcanic extrusion.
This island reminds tourists of a bunny rabbit
swimming with its head just above the water
level.
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Blowhole on coastline
A blowhole is a hole eroded in the basaltic
coastline through which the sea can enter
periodically and explode with a strong mist of
sea spray.
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Igneous Basalt Rock
This is a typical basaltic rock which composes
the bedrock of the Hawaiian Islands. Scientists
believe the entire island chain was extruded in a
series of fluid lava flows extending over the
past 6 million years and into the present day.
The dark color represents iron within the
silicate basalt.