Nature
Mount Waiʻaleʻale, a shield volcano on Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi, rises 5,148 feet as the island’s second-highest point and is renowned for extraordinary rainfall. Since 1912, it has averaged more than 373 inches of rain annually, with 683 inches recorded in 1982, and its summit is widely regarded as one of the rainiest places on earth. Its climate results from its position in the Hawaiian chain, its height near the trade-wind inversion layer, and the steep valleys and cliffs that lift moisture-laden air. This persistent wetness nourishes the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve and helps define Kauaʻi’s lush interior.
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Wailua Homesteads, Hawaii · United States
