Maui

==Geology and topography==
[[File:Maui2022OSM.png|thumb|left|Detailed map of Maui and Kaho{{okina}}olawe]]

Maui's diverse landscapes are the result of a unique combination of geology, topography, and climate. Each [[volcanic]] cone in the chain of the Hawaiian Islands is built of [[basalt]], a dark, [[iron]]-rich/[[silica]]-poor rock, which poured out of thousands of vents as highly fluid [[lava]] over millions of years. Several of the volcanoes were close enough to each other that lava flows on their flanks overlapped one another, merging into a single island. Maui is such a "volcanic doublet," formed from two [[shield volcano]]es that overlapped one another to form an isthmus between them.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_monitoring.html |title=Hawaiian Volcano Observatory |website=volcanoes.usgs.gov |access-date=2019-02-08 |archive-date=2017-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131035346/https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/howwork/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Mount Haleakala Crater Maui Hawaii (45740764101).jpg|thumb|right|Looking into the [[Haleakalā]] crater]]

The older, western volcano has been eroded considerably and is cut by numerous drainages, forming the peaks of the [[West Maui Mountains]] (in Hawaiian, Mauna Kahalawai). [[Puʻu Kukui]] is the highest of the peaks at {{cvt|5788|ft|m}}. The larger, younger volcano to the east, [[Haleakalā]], rises to {{cvt|10023|ft|m}} above sea level, and measures {{cvt|5|mi|km|0}} from seafloor to summit.

The eastern flanks of both volcanoes are cut by deeply incised valleys and steep-sided ravines that run downslope to the rocky, windswept shoreline. The valley-like Isthmus of Maui that separates the two volcanic masses was formed by sandy erosional deposits.

[[File:Maui, Hawaii beach.jpg|thumb|right|Volcanic rocks protrude on a Maui beach]]

Maui's last eruption (originating in Haleakalā's Southwest Rift Zone) likely occurred between 1480 and 1600;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usgs.gov/news/volcano-watch-youngest-lava-flows-east-maui-probably-older-ad-1790|title=Volcano Watch — Youngest lava flows on East Maui probably older than A.D. 1790|date=September 9, 1999|access-date=August 16, 2023|website=[[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> the resulting lava flows are located at Cape Kīna{{okina}}u between {{okina}}Āhihi Bay and [[La Perouse Bay]] on the southwest shore of East Maui. Considered to be dormant by [[volcanologist]]s, Haleakalā is thought to be capable of further eruptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/haleakal%C4%81|title=Haleakalā|website=[[United States Geological Survey]]|access-date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>

Maui is part of a much larger unit, [[Maui Nui]], that includes the islands of [[Lanai|Lāna{{okina}}i]], [[Kahoolawe|Kaho{{okina}}olawe]], [[Molokai|Moloka{{okina}}i]], and the now submerged [[Penguin Bank]]. During periods of reduced sea level, including as recently as 200,000 years ago,<ref>{{cite web |date=2003-04-10 |title=Once a big island, Maui County now four small islands |url=https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=651 |accessdate=2009-02-27 |work=Volcano Watch |publisher=[[Hawaiian Volcano Observatory]]}}</ref> they are joined as a single island due to the shallowness of the channels between them.

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of Hawaii}}
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2012}}

The climate of the Hawaiian Islands is characterized by a two-season year, tropical and uniform temperatures everywhere (except at high elevations), marked geographic differences in rainfall, high relative humidity, extensive cloud formations (except on the driest coasts and at high elevations), and dominant [[trade wind]] flow (especially at elevations below a few thousand feet). Maui itself has a wide range of climatic conditions and weather patterns that are influenced by several different factors in the physical environment:

*Half of Maui is situated within {{cvt|5|mi|km|0}} of the island's coastline. This, and the extreme insularity of the Hawaiian Islands, account for the strong marine influence on Maui's climate.
*Macro weather patterns are typically determined by elevation and orientation towards the trade winds (the prevailing air flow comes from the northeast).
*Maui's rugged, irregular topography produces marked variations in conditions. Air swept inland on the trade winds is shunted one way or another by the mountains, valleys, and vast open slopes. This complex three-dimensional flow of air results in striking variations in wind speed, cloud formation, and rainfall.

Maui displays a unique and diverse set of climatic conditions, each of which is specific to a loosely defined sub-region of the island. These sub-regions are defined by major physiographic features (such as mountains and valleys) and by location on the windward or leeward side of the island. Maui's daytime temperatures average between {{cvt|75|°F}} and {{cvt|90|°F}} year round, while evening temperatures are about {{convert|15|F-change}} cooler in the more humid windward areas, about {{convert|18|F-change}} cooler in the drier leeward areas, and cooler yet in higher elevations.

An exception to the normal pattern is the occasional winter "Kona storms" which bring rainfall to the South and West areas accompanied by high southwesterly winds (opposite of the prevailing trade wind direction).

====Microclimates====
[[File:Westküste Maui Hawaii (45740526221).jpg|thumb|West coast of Maui, with Haleakalā and Kihei visible in the background]]
Although the island of Maui is fairly small, it can feel quite different due to the unique microclimates that are typical to each of its distinctive locations.

[[File:Makena Beach, Maui Hawaii (45015180584).jpg|thumb|right|Makena Beach, South Maui]]

*'''Windward lowlands''' – Below {{cvt|2000|ft|m}} on north-to-northeast sides of an island. Roughly perpendicular to the direction of prevailing trade winds. Moderately rainy; frequent trade wind-induced showers. Skies are often cloudy to partly cloudy. Air temperatures are more uniform (and mild) than those of other regions.
*'''Leeward lowlands''' – Daytime temperatures are a little higher and nighttime temperatures are lower than in windward locations. Dry weather is prevalent, except for sporadic showers that drift over the mountains to windward and during short-duration storms.
*'''Interior lowlands''' – Intermediate conditions, often sharing characteristics of other lowland sub-regions. Occasionally experience intense local afternoon showers from well-developed clouds that formed due to local daytime heating.
*'''Leeward side high-altitude mountain slopes with high rainfall''' – Extensive cloud cover and rainfall all year long. Mild temperatures are prevalent, but humidity is higher than in any other sub-region.
*'''Leeward side lower mountain slopes''' – Rainfall is higher than on the adjacent leeward lowlands but much less than at similar altitudes on the windward side; however, maximum rainfall usually occurs leeward of the crests of lower mountains. Temperatures are higher than on the rainy slopes of the windward sides of mountains; cloud cover is almost as extensive.
*'''High mountains''' – Above about {{cvt|5000|ft|m}} on Haleakalā, rainfall decreases rapidly with elevation. Relative humidity may be ten percent or less. The lowest temperatures in the state are experienced in this region: air temperatures below freezing are common.

{{Anchor|Regions}} These microclimates help to divide the major regions of Maui: Central Maui; leeward South Maui and West Maui; windward North Shore and East Maui; and Upcountry Maui.<ref name="microclimate-areas">{{cite web |last1=Mitchell |first1=Alexandra |title=Micro-Climates & Choosing Residential Property to Buy on Maui {{!}} Maui Now |url=https://mauinow.com/2015/01/05/micro-climates-choosing-residential-property-to-buy-on-maui/ |website={{!}}  Micro-Climates & Choosing Residential Property to Buy on Maui |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref>

*'''Central Maui''' consists primarily of Kahului and Wailuku, and occupies the flat isthmus between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakalā. Kahului is the center of the island and tends to keep steady, high temperatures throughout the year. The microclimate in Kahului can be at times muggy, but it usually feels relatively dry and is often very breezy. The Wailuku area is set closer to the West Maui Mountain range. Here, more rainfall will be found throughout the year and higher humidity levels.
*'''South Maui''' (Kihei, Wailea, and Makena) and '''West Maui''' (Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Kapalua) are both on the leeward side of the island. These areas are typically drier, with higher daytime temperatures (up to {{cvt|92|°F}}), and the least amount of rainfall. (An exception is the high-altitude, unpopulated West Maui summit, which boasts up to {{cvt|400|in|mm}} of rainfall per year on its north and east side.)

[[File:Waianapanapa State Park Maui Hawaii Road to Hana (45690767052).jpg|thumb|right|Waianapanapa State Park in East Maui, next to Hana]]

*The '''North Shore''' (Paia and Haiku) and '''East Maui''' (Keanae, Hana, and Kipahulu) are both on the windward side of the island. Facing the prevailing, northeast trade winds, these areas have heavier rainfall levels, which increase considerably at higher elevations.
*{{Anchor|Upcountry}} '''Upcountry Maui''' is the name for the sloping area on the western face of Haleakalā, including the towns of Makawao, Pukalani, and Kula.<ref name="Upcountry-wanderlust">{{cite web |last1=Wogan |first1=John |title=Where to Stay (and What to Eat) in Maui’s Upcountry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/20/t-magazine/travel/maui-upcountry-guide.html |website=NYTimes |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="Paniolo">{{cite web |last1=Moon |first1=Freda |title=In Maui’s Upcountry, Where the Paniolo Roam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/travel/in-mauis-upcountry-where-the-paniolo-roam.html |website=NYTimes |access-date=14 November 2023}}</ref><ref name="LATimes-upcountry">{{cite web |last1=McClure |first1=Rosemary |title=Maui's Upcountry: Laid-back vibe, cool breezes and farm-to-table food |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/hawaii/la-tr-maui-20141019-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=14 November 2023 |date=19 October 2014}}</ref> This area ranges from {{cvt|1,500|ft|adj=on}} to {{cvt|4,500|ft|adj=on}}, and the climate tends toward mild heat (between {{cvt|70|°F}} and {{cvt|80|°F}}) during the day and cool evenings. The higher the elevation, the cooler the evenings can be: during Maui's winter, Upper Kula can be as cold as {{cvt|40|°F}} in the early morning hours and the Haleakalā summit can dip below freezing.

{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
!Colspan=14|Climate data for Maui
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
|-
!Average sea temperature °F (°C)
|style="background:#FF6700;color:#000000;"|76.3<br />(24.6)
|style="background:#FF6D00;color:#000000;"|75.5<br />(24.2)
|style="background:#FF6F00;color:#000000;"|75.3<br />(24.1)
|style="background:#FF6200;color:#000000;"|75.9<br />(24.4)
|style="background:#FF5800;color:#000000;"|76.8<br />(24.9)
|style="background:#FF5000;color:#000000;"|77.7<br />(25.4)
|style="background:#FF4E00;color:#000000;"|78.6<br />(25.9)
|style="background:#FF4600;color:#000000;"|79.3<br />(26.3)
|style="background:#FF3C00;color:#000000;"|80<br />(26.7)
|style="background:#FF4400;color:#000000;"|80<br />(26.7)
|style="background:#FF5000;color:#000000;"|78.9<br />(26.1)
|style="background:#FF6200;color:#000000;"|77.1<br />(25.1)
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: meteodb.com<ref>{{cite web |url=https://meteodb.com/usa/maui |title=Maui — weather by month, water temperature |access-date=March 22, 2023 }}</ref>
|}

====Rainfall====
[[File:KahikinuiCoastlineMaui.JPG|thumb|right|Kahikinui coastline near [[Kaupo, Hawaii|Kaupo]]]]
[[File:Rainbow in Hawaii.jpg|thumb|left|[[Rainbow]] over the [[West Maui Mountains]] after rainfall in [[Kaanapali, Hawaii|Kā{{okina}}anapali]]]]

Showers are very common; while some of these are very heavy, the vast majority are light and brief. Even the heaviest rain showers are seldom accompanied by thunder and lightning. Throughout the lowlands in summer the dominance of the trade winds produce a drier season. At one extreme, the annual rainfall averages {{cvt|17|in|mm}} to {{cvt|20|in|mm}} or less in leeward coastal areas, such as the shoreline from [[Ma'alaea Bay|Maalaea Bay]] to Kaupo. At the other extreme, the annual average rainfall exceeds {{cvt|300|in|mm}} along the lower windward slopes of Haleakalā, particularly along the [[Hana Highway|Hāna Highway]]. [[Big Bog, Maui|Big Bog]], a spot on the edge of Haleakalā National Park overlooking Hana at about {{cvt|5,400|ft}} elevation had an estimated mean annual rainfall of {{cvt|404|in|mm}} over the 30-year period of 1978 to 2007.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Lee |last=Imada |title='Big Bog' ranks among wettest spots in Hawaii, possibly world |url=http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559332.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611072538/http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/559332.html |archive-date=11 June 2013 |url-status=dead |website=[[The Maui News]] |access-date=6 May 2020}}</ref> If the islands of Hawaii did not exist, the average annual rainfall on the same patch of water would be about {{cvt|25|in|mm}}.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} Instead, the mountainous topography of Maui and the other islands induce an actual average of about {{cvt|70|in|mm}}.

{{climate chart
|Maui
|7|20|33
|6|19|31
|6|21|40
|5|22|11
|8|23|10
|9|21|4
|11|26|20
|11|28|3
|8|26|7
|8|22|36
|8|20|9
|6|20|12
|float=right
|clear=right
|source=<ref name="nasa">{{Cite web |url=http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php |title=NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index |access-date=30 January 2016 |publisher=NASA |archive-date=11 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511075542/https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/dataset_index.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

In the lowlands, rainfall is most likely to occur throughout the year during the night or morning hours, and least likely in mid-afternoon. The most pronounced daily variations in rainfall occur during the summer because summer rainfall generally consists of trade winds showers that often occur at night. Winter rainfall in the lowlands is the result of storm activity, which is as likely to occur in the daytime as at night. Rainfall variability is far greater during the winter when occasional storms contribute appreciably to rainfall totals. With such wide swings in rainfall, there are inevitably occasional droughts, sometimes causing economic losses. These occur when winter rains fail to produce sufficient significant rainstorms, impacting normally dry areas outside the trade winds that depend on them the most. The winter of 2011–2012 produced extreme drought on the leeward sides of Moloka{{okina}}i, Maui, and the Island of Hawaii.

===Natural history===
Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands due to [[humpback whale]]s wintering in the sheltered [[Channels of the Hawaiian Islands|{{okina}}Au{{okina}}au Channel]] between the islands of Maui county. The whales migrate approximately {{cvt|3500|mi|km}} from [[Alaska]]n waters each autumn and spend the winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters off Maui, with most leaving by the end of April. The whales are typically sighted in pods: small groups of several adults, or groups of a mother, her calf, and a few suitors. Humpbacks are an [[endangered species]] protected by U.S. federal and Hawai{{okina}}i state law. There are estimated to be about 22,000 humpbacks in the North Pacific.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://iwc.int/estimate |title=Population Estimates |website=iwc.int |access-date=19 November 2017 |archive-date=17 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117065743/https://iwc.int/estimate |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Maui's Humpback face many dangers, due to pollution, high-speed commercial vessels, and military sonar testing, their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years, estimated at 7% growth per year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pacificwhale.org/news/news_detail.php?id=286 |title=Record Number of Whales Sighted During Great Whale Count |publisher=pacificwhale.org |access-date=2009-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225114415/http://www.pacificwhale.org/news/news_detail.php?id=286 |archive-date=2012-02-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Maui is home to a large [[Hawaiian tropical rainforests|rainforest]] on the northeastern flanks of Haleakalā, which serves as the [[drainage basin]] for the rest of the island. The extremely difficult terrain has prevented the exploitation of much of the forest.

Agricultural and coastal industrial land use has hurt much of Maui's coastal regions. Many of Maui's extraordinary [[coral reef]]s have been damaged by pollution, run-off, and tourism, although finding sea turtles, dolphins, and Hawaii's celebrated tropical fish, is still common. Leeward Maui used to boast a vibrant dry 'cloud forest' as well but this was destroyed by human activities over the last three hundred years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourmaui.com/trees-of-maui-sandalwood/ |title=History of Sandalwood on Maui |date=30 June 2016 |publisher=tourmaui.com |access-date=28 April 2015 |archive-date=8 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308020906/http://www.tourmaui.com/trees-of-maui-sandalwood/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Wildlife===
[[File:Green Sea Turtle, Maui.jpg|thumb|A [[green sea turtle]] near Maui]]

The birdlife of Maui lacks the high concentration of endemic birdlife found in some other Hawaiian islands. As recently as 200,000 years ago it was linked to the neighboring islands of Moloka{{okina}}i, Lāna{{okina}}i, and Kaho{{okina}}olawe in a large island called Maui Nui, thus reducing the chance of species endemic to any single one of these. Although Moloka{{okina}}i does have several endemic species of birds, some extinct and some not, in modern times Maui, Lāna{{okina}}i, and Kaho{{okina}}olawe have not had much endemic birdlife. In ancient times during and after the period in which Maui was part of Maui Nui, Maui boasted a species of [[moa-nalo]] (which was also found on Moloka{{okina}}i, Lāna{{okina}}i, and Kaho{{okina}}olawe), a species of harrier (the [[Wood harrier]], shared with Moloka{{okina}}i), an undescribed sea eagle (Maui only), and three species of ground-dwelling flightless ibis (''[[Apteribis]] sp.''), plus a host of other species. Today, the most notable non-extinct endemics of Maui are probably the [['Akohekohe]] (''Palmeria dolei'') and the [[Maui parrotbill]] (''Pseudonestor xanthophrys''), also known as Kiwikiu, both of which are critically endangered and only found in an alpine forest on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. Conservation efforts have looked at how to mitigate female parrotbill mortality since this has been identified as a key driving factor driving the decline in population. The parrotbill has a notable lack of resistance to mosquito-born diseases, so only forests above 1500 meters of elevation provide refuge for most parrotbills. The habitat is in the process of being restored on leeward east Maui as of 2018.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Extinction Risk and Conservation Options for Maui Parrotbill, an Endangered Hawaiian Honeycreeper |first1=Hanna L. |last1=Mounce |first2=Christopher C. |last2=Warren |first3=Conor P. |last3=McGowan |first4=Eben H. |last4=Paxton |first5=Jim J. |last5=Groombridge |date=May 9, 2018 |journal=Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=367–382 |doi=10.3996/072017-JFWM-059|doi-access=free }}</ref> 
As Maui's population continues to grow, the previously undeveloped areas of the island that provided a refuge for the wildlife are decreasing in size as they are becoming more developed. This is proving to be a risk for the endangered species of the island. Both flora and fauna habitats need to be protected for the sake of the numerous endangered species that live there. More than 250 species of native flora are federally listed as endangered or threatened.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mauicounty.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/26582 |title=Maui Island Plan |access-date=2022-03-30 |archive-date=2022-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402164953/https://www.mauicounty.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/26582 |url-status=live }}</ref> Birds found on other islands as well as Maui include the [[I'iwi]] (''Drepanis coccinea''], [['Apapane]] (''Himatione sanguinea''), [[Hawaiʻi ʻamakihi|Hawai'i 'Amakihi]] (''Chlorodrepanis virens),'' as [[Maui ʻalauahio|Maui 'Alauahio]] (Paroreomyza Montana) well as the [[Nene (bird)|Nene]] (''Branta sandvicensis'', the state bird of Hawaii), [[Hawaiian coot]] (''Fulica alai''), [[Hawaiian stilt]] (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) and a number of others. The Winter months provide a great opportunity for whale watching, as thousands of humpback whales migrate annually and pass by the island.