Geophysical survey of groundwater discharges into the ocean and major hydrogeological barriers in Hawaii

The first inhabitants of Hawaii faced some major challenges when they attempted to settle and prosper in these volcanic islands where the rock and the relentless sun impose their laws. In the modern age, as climate changes and demographic growth bring increasing pressure to bear on the natural resources, the islands are the first to notice the urgent need to manage resources more efficiently, and most especially water, and to find new supply sources.

What can we learn from the native Hawaiians, and how can we gain from their ancestral knowledge to combine this with modern science? We will see how, on the basis of native knowledge, geophysical surveys provide an understanding of the hydrogeology of volcanic islands, and furnish important data for our future.