Pacific Islands Water Science Center

Johnson, A.G., Mair, A., and Oki, D.S., 2023, Identifying the relative importance of water-budget information needed to quantify how land-cover change affects recharge, Hawaiian Islands: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2023–5022, 28 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20235022.This report describes a sensitivity analysis of a water-budget model that was completed to identify the

The islands of Hawaiʻi were built by basaltic shield volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean. These volcanoes formed aquifers that supply hundreds of millions of gallons of fresh water per day to the islands’ residents and diverse industries. Groundwater discharge from the volcanic aquifers to streams and the coast also supports traditional practices and ecosystems. The aquifers' capacity to yield fresh gr

Accurate estimates of flood magnitude and frequency are needed to (1) optimize the design and location of infrastructure, including dams, culverts, bridges, industrial buildings, and highways, and (2) inform flood-zoning and flood-insurance studies. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, estimated flood magnitudes for the 50-, 20-,