12-742: The Kaʻū Desert is a leeward desert in the district of Kaʻū , the southernmost district on the Big Island of Hawaii , and is made up mostly of dried lava remnants, volcanic ash , sand and gravel. The desert covers an area of the Kīlauea Volcano along the Southwest rift zone. The area lacks any vegetation, mainly due to acid rainfall . Kaʻū desert is not a true desert in that rainfall exceeds 1,000 millimeters (39 in) per year. However, rain combines with sulfur dioxide , released by volcanic vents, and forms acid rain . The pH level of
24-511: Is subject to the prevailing wind , and is thus the wetter (see orographic precipitation ). The leeward side is the side distant from or physically in the lee of the prevailing wind, and typically the drier. In an archipelago windward islands are upwind and leeward islands are downwind of the prevailing winds, such as the trade winds of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Points of sail Too Many Requests If you report this error to
36-644: The points of sail they create) are important factors to consider in such wind-powered or wind-impacted activities as sailing , wind-surfing , gliding , hang-gliding , and parachuting . Other terms with broadly the same meaning are widely used, particularly upwind and downwind . Among sailing craft, the windward vessel is normally the more maneuverable. For this reason, rule 12 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea , applying to sailing vessels, stipulates that where two are sailing in similar directions in relation to
48-568: The tradewinds from Halemaʻumaʻu . One of the most devastating explosions in Hawaiian history occurred in 1790. The eruption released volcanic ash , which formed spheres of tephra known as accretionary lapilli due to the effect of electrostatic forces and moisture. Chief Keōua Kuahuʻula was traveling then around Kīlauea to Kaʻū, after battling the dominant chief Kamehameha I . At least 80 Hawaiian warriors suffocated when volcanic ash entered their lungs . The footprints preserved in
60-400: The ash were supposedly of these warriors. However, recent research indicates a variety of people used this area for hundreds of years. Windward and leeward In geography and seamanship , windward ( / ˈ w ɪ n d w ər d , ˈ w ɪ n ər d / ) and leeward ( / ˈ l iː w ər d , ˈ lj uː ər d / ) are directions relative to the wind . Windward is upwind from
72-551: The desert, one can cross the Great Crack and the Southwest Rift Zone, a major fault zone that looks like a giant groove in the earth, before reaching Kīlauea Volcano . From the city of Hilo , take Highway 11 about 30 miles (48 km) west. The area is part of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , but often is closed during periods of high volcanic activity, due to the potential for poisonous gas blown southwest by
84-537: The late 13th century. Additionally, "wind" has been used figuratively in phrases like "which way the wind blows" to indicate the current state of affairs. The suffix "-ward," meaning "toward," is an adverbial suffix in Old English derived from Proto-Germanic *werda-, which itself comes from the PIE root *wer- meaning "to turn, bend." The original notion of "-ward" is "turned toward." Windward and leeward directions (and
96-453: The point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is downwind from the point of reference, i.e., along the direction towards which the wind is going. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its "lee side". If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of crosswind , the lee side will be the "lower side". During the Age of Sail , the term weather
108-517: The rain, as low as 3.4 during an eruption, inhibits plant growth. Furthermore, water evaporates quickly on the ground and the tephra soil is extremely permeable. The Kaʻū Desert is popular for walking and hiking tours during inactive periods. It can be reached by following Highway 11 counterclockwise from Kona to the volcano. The trailhead is on Crater Rim Drive, coordinates 19°24′31″N 155°17′48″W / 19.40861°N 155.29667°W / 19.40861; -155.29667 . By traversing
120-404: The wind, the windward vessel gives way to the leeward vessel. In naval warfare during the Age of Sail , a vessel always sought to use the wind to its advantage, maneuvering if possible to attack from windward. This was particularly important for less maneuverable square-rigged warships, which had limited ability to sail upwind, and sought to "hold the weather gage " entering battle. This
132-406: Was particularly important once artillery was introduced to naval warfare. Ships heel away from the wind, so the leeward vessel would expose more of her topsides to shot, in extreme cases even part of her bottom. The terms windward and leeward are used in reference both to sides (and climates ) of individual islands and relative island locations in an archipelago . The windward side of an island
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#1732790388066144-842: Was used as a synonym for windward in some contexts, as in the weather gage . Since it captures rainfall , the windward side of a mountain tends to be wetter than the leeward side it blocks. The drier leeward area is said to be in a rain shadow . The term "windward" has roots in both Low German and Old English. The word "lee", which means a place without wind, comes from the Old Norse "hle" for "cover" and has been used in marine navigation in Germany since medieval times. The word "wind," meaning "air in motion," comes from Proto-Germanic *winda- and has evolved over time, with pronunciation changes influenced by similar words like "windy." The word "wind" has been associated with emptiness and vanity since
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