HAWAII VOLCANIC-ROCK AQUIFER STUDY

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HAWAII VOLCANIC-ROCK AQUIFER STUDY — Water Availability and Use Science Program, Regional Groundwater Availability Studies

The volcanic-rock aquifers in Hawaii constitute one of the principal aquifers in the United States. The Hawaii aquifers supply water to 1.36 million residents, diverse industries, and a large component of the U.S. military in the Pacific.

The aquifers of individual Hawaiian Islands are isolated by sea water and have limited capacity. Fresh groundwater resources in Hawaii are therefore particularly vulnerable to impacts from human activity and climate change.

As part of an effort to assess the Nation’s groundwater resources, the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP) is conducting a multi-year study (beginning in 2012) of groundwater resources in Hawaii Volcanic-Rock Aquifers. Objectives of this study are to:

1. Provide an updated assessment of groundwater availability in Hawaii
2. Assess the current condition of Hawaii volcanic-rock aquifers and show how groundwater resources have changed as a result of natural and human stresses
3. Provide a tool to assess responses to future stresses
4. Evaluate the adequacy of the current data network for assessing groundwater resources in the future

[References: Oki and others (1999), Reilly and others (2008), U.S. Census Bureau (2011)]

Map showing thirty of the principal aquifers that account for 94 percent of the total groundwater withdrawal in the United States (from Reilly and others, 2008).