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Located
next to Shipwreck Beach in South Kauai,
these ancient limestone sea cliffs have
been virtually sandblasted by a
combination of wind, salt and water over
millions of years. Lithified cliffs form
as weathered fragments are removed by
erosion and transported by gravity,
running water, glaciers, waves, and
wind. These weathered rock fragments
then eventually come to rest as layers
of loose, unconsolidated material called
sediment. This material may subsequently
be subjected to compaction and
cementation, causing it to be lithified
into solid rock.
Sediment is lithified when it is
compacted by the weight of overlying
layers and cemented as percolating
ground water fills pores with mineral
matter.
When sea levels drop, these cliffs are
exposed as we see them today at
Makawehi.
This entire particular stretch of
Kaua‘i’s coastline is also a treasure
trove of fossils, petroglyphs, and
burial grounds. The numerous fossils in
the sand can also be explained by the
lithified cliffs as they formed under
water. As fish and other organisms died
they would fall on top of the sediment
layers and eventually be covered up by
new layers. This allows them to be
preserved as the fossils we find in the
sand today. Please do not remove these
fossils from the cliffs and sand so that
others may also enjoy them. This area is
considered particularly sacred and
valuable to both locals and
conservationists.
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