Hawaii Project
Nicole Gasparini, Jianwei Han (graduate student) and J. Andy Menking (undergraduate) spent the summer of 2009 exploring how precipitation gradients affect runoff and erosion on the Big Island, Hawaii.
Andy has been studying river channel profiles on the wet and dry sides of the island using digital maps, and part of the team’s time in Hawaii was spent validating his results.
Jianwei Han is studying how vegetation and soil buffer the relationship between rainfall and runoff. In the future Jianwei hopes to install equipment that will provide data on rainfall, infiltration and runoff.
The team met with a number of landowners in Hawaii to discuss the potential of their project, and they are grateful to The New Moon Foundation, The Ponoholo Ranch, The Surety Kohala Corporation and The Parker Ranch for their time and access to their land.
Funding for the trip was provided by the Tulane Research Enhancement Fund, a Dean’s Grant to Andy Menking and an additional grant to Menking from the Tulane Honor’s Program.
101 Blessey Hall, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118 504-865-5198 website@tulane.edu