Meaning
"rippling waters."
Wettest spot on earth, average
of about 450 inches of rain
per year. Couldn't see the summit
which was in the clouds. Kaua'i
June 2008.
Mount Wai'ale'ale (pronounced
wai uh-lay uh-lay), elevation 5,148
ft (1,569 m), is the second highest
point on the island of Kauai in the
Hawaiian Islands. Averaging more than
460 inches (11,680 mm) of rain over
the last 32 years, with a record 683
inches (17,340 mm) in 1982, its summit
is considered one of the rainiest
spots on earth. It has been promoted
in tourist literature for many years
as the wettest spot, although the
38-year average at Mawsynram, India
is 11,873 mm (467.4 inches). However,
Mawsynram's rainfall is concentrated
in the monsoon season, while the rain
at Waialeale is more evenly distributed
through the year.[2]
The cone of Mount Waialeale
is nestled into the island's central
massif, and bears mute testimony
to the upheaval of its birth.
Waialeale is one of the world's
wettest mountains. An annual average
of 160 inches of rain falls on
its flanks.Only well adapted plants
such as mosses, sedges, and grasses,
thrive on this high-altitude,
sunlight deprived, wet, and windy
mountain.An annual average of
160 inches of rain falls on its
flanks. in 1982 a record rainfall
of 666 inches fell at its peak,
while 10 inches fell at the coast.
Several factors give
the summit of Waialeale more potential
to create precipitation than the rest
of the island chain:
Its northern position
relative to the main Hawaiian Islands
provides more exposure to frontal
systems that bring rain during the
winter.
It has a relatively round and regular
conical shape, exposing all sides
of its peak to winds and the moisture
that they carry.
Its peak lies just below the so-called
trade wind inversion layer of 6,000
feet (1,800 m), above which trade-wind-produced
clouds cannot rise.
And most importantly, the steep cliffs
cause the moisture-laden air to rise
rapidly - over 3,000 ft (1,000 m)
in less than half a mile - and drop
a large portion of its rain in one
spot, as opposed to spreading the
rain out over a larger area if the
slope were more gradual.
The great rainfall in the area produces
the Alakai Wilderness Area, a large
boggy area that is home to many rare
plants. The ground is so wet that
although trails exist, access by foot
to the Waialeale area is extremely
difficult.[2]
Meaning "rippling
waters." Wettest spot on earth,
average of about 450 inches of rain
per year. Couldn't see the summit
which was in the clouds. Kaua'i June
2008.
The oldest and fourth
largest of the Hawaiian Islands,
Kauai is the center of this south-southwest-looking,
low-oblique photograph.
Kauai lies 105 miles
(170 kilometers) northwest of
Honolulu across the Kauai Channel.
Of volcanic origin, the highest
point on the mountainous island
is Mount Waialeale at the center
of the island [5148 feet (1570
meters) above sea level]. Soils
on Kauai are very fertile, particularly
on the north part of the island
where pineapple, rice, and sugarcane
are grown; ranching is also an
important agricultural industry.
The wettest spot on Earth, with
an annual average of 460 inches
(11 648 millimeters), is located
just east of Mount Waialeale.
The high annual rainfall has eroded
deep valleys in Kauai’s
central mountains, carving out
canyons with many scenic waterfalls.
The city of Lihue, on the island’s
southeast side, is the seat of
Kauai County and the main city
on the island. Waimea, on the
island’s southwest side
and once the capital of Kauai,
was the first place visited by
explorer Captain James Cook in
1778.
The city is at the
head of one of the most famous
and scenic canyons in the world,
Waimea, whose gorge is 3000 feet
(9144 meters) deep. The northeastern
tip of the island of Niihau is
visible near the southwest corner
of the photograph.
[4]
