HAWAII FORCES OF NATURE

WHERE DO [RAINBOWS] COME FROM?

1.      A rainbow is the amazing product of the interaction between the two fundamentals of life: light and water

2.  Rainbows are created when light is refracted or bent by raindrops – reflecting the light back to your eyes.

3.  Each color is refracted at a different angle, which allows for the separation of the colors

4.  The sun is always directly behind you when you look in the direction of a rainbow.

5.  Usually you cannot observe the entire circle of a rainbow because the earth gets in the way.

6.  The double rainbow (or supernumerary rainbow) can be seen when the sunrays follow slightly different paths through the same raindrops.   

7.  Two people can never see the same rainbow because the raindrops are always moving and the light is different depending on each persons time and place.  

8.  Kahalapuna, the legendary maiden from Manoa Valley, also goes by the name of Kaikawahine Anuenue; the Rainbow Maiden.

   WHERE DO [CORALS] COME FROM?

Although coral feels like rock and looks like a plant, it is actually classified as an animal.

- A coral polyp consists of tentacles, a mouth, and a gut.

- Coral utilizes calcium carbonate from the ocean to build its skeletal structure.

- As oceans acidify, due to increases in CO₂ levels, it becomes more challenging for coral to build and maintain its shell structure.

- The largest known coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef located off the coast of Australia.

- About 85 percent of the United States’ coral reef can be found in Hawai‘i. (The acres of coral reef found in Hawai‘i more than double the landmass of the islands.)

- Coral reef ecosystems demonstrate the second most amount of biodiversity (tropical rain forests are first).

- You can destroy a 100-year-old piece of coral with one careless step. 

WHERE DO [WAVES] COME FROM?

 Waves are created by wind energy, and wind energy is created by sun energy. Sun energy heats up one side of the planet or one particular climate. As the air warms, it rises, and cold air fills in the gap. As the cold air rushes in, it creates what we call wind. 

- The highest point of a wave is the crest, the lowest point is the trough. A wavelength is measured from crest to crest or trough to trough.

-The longer the wavelength, the longer you wait for a wave to surf.

- During peak season (November-February) waves on the North Shore of O‘ahu can reach up to fifty feet face.

- You can measure a wave from the back (Hawaiian measurement) or the front (the wave face). The Hawaiian measurement is around half the height of the face, but it depends on who you talk to. 

- Measuring waves Hawaiian style is a good way to deter surfers from crowding the ocean because the waves seem smaller.

- Measuring waves from the face is a good way to deter tourists from hitting the surf because the waves seem bigger.

- Waves just keep on coming, making them a potential source of alternative energy.

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