Waimea Canyon is a spectacular canyon, approximately 10 mi (16 km) long and up to 3000 ft (900 m) deep, located on the western side of Kaua‘i in the Hawaiian Islands. Dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", the canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, among the wettest places on earth.

Geologically the canyon is carved into the tholeiitic and post-shield alkalic lavas of the canyon basalt. The lavas of the canyon provide evidence for massive faulting and collapse in the early history of the island. The west side of the canyon is all thin, west-dipping lavas of the Napali Member, while the east side is very thick, flat-lying lavas of the Olokele and Makaweli Members. The two sides are separated by an enormous fault along which a large part of the island moved downwards in a big collapse.

The canyon is a popular tourist attraction on the island. It provides a wilderness area with numerous hiking trails.

External link

• Yale University: Geology of the Waimea Canyon
• Portion of Waimea Canyon (image)
• Waterfall visible from Waimea Canyon Lookout (image)