7/25/2019 Hawaii 7

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The extant main Hawaii islands of the archipelago have been above the surface of

the ocean for fewer than 10 million years; a fraction of the time biological

colonization and evolution have occurred there. The islands are well known for the

environmental diversity that occurs on high mountains within a trade winds eld. !n

a single island" the climate around the coasts can range from dry tropical #less than

$0 inches or %10 millimetres annual rainfall& to wet tropical; on the slopes"envionments range from tropical rainforest #more than $00 inches or

%"100 millimetres per year&" through a temperate climate" to alpine conditions with

a cold" dry climate. The rainy climate impacts soil development" which largely

determines ground permeability" a'ecting the distribution of streams and wetlands