Litigation forced an end to the bombing in 1990 and the island was placed under the administration of the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC). Following a 10-year period of ordnance removal, control of access to Kaho'olawe was transferred to the State of Hawai'i in 2003.
When did the U.S. bomb Kahoolawe?
19651953 – The U.S. military convinces President Eisenhower to transfer the title of Kahoʻolawe to the U.S. Navy. 1965 – To simulate an atomic blast, 500 tons of TNT are detonated on the island. A crater cracks the cap rock on the island, and that portion of the island's groundwater is lost to sea.
What happens on Kahoolawe?
When did kahoolawe last erupt?
1.1 million years agoKaho`olawe is the exposed top of a shield volcano. Most volcanic activity ended prior to 1.1 million years ago, when a thin mantle of postshield lava flows coated much of the upper surface. The volcano was a part of the much larger Maui Nui, a big island that included the volcanoes of Lana`i, Moloka`i, and Maui.
When did the U.S. start bombing Kahoolawe?
On December 8, 1941, Kaho'olawe is sequestrated by the U.S. Navy for use as a live ordnance training area. 1942-1945 Kaho'olaweʻs southern and eastern cliffs serve as targets for torpedo bomb testing.