Green Sand Beach

_

On the South Point of the island there is a cove filled with sand. The sand which is sediment from the weathering of the surrounding rocks, have a distincively green hue. This is from the fact that the rocks surounding this cove are extremely olivine rich. Olivines are the first mineral to form when the lava cools, It has the highest solidifcation temperature. Because they form at such high temperatures they are more resistant to weathering which is the reason why there is more of them on this beach then any of the other minerals in the rock. Having this large concentration of olivines in one area is rare so this beach is one of a kind. The climb down to the beach is very steep and the wind is fierce, but if you dare to brave the climb and the wind throwing sand at you then the view is well worth it. While we where there we watched a group of guys surf the waves. It was very nice and educational

Olivines start to form at 1880 degrees Celsius. This is extremely hot almost 19 times the temperature water boils at. The olivines located on this beach are magnesium rich making them a pale green color. If you find a nice sized one that isn't completely fractured you could get some money for it. Olivines are the mineral name of the common gemstone Peridot, August's birthstone. Normally the olivines found in Hawaii are not gem quality, but you could get lucky.

_

Navigation Links:

Website Administrators: Amber Williams
Daniel Hawkins
Geology Faculty Advisor: Andrew Wulff Ph.D