United States, Hawaii and Pacific Territories

The U.S. Pacific territories and the state of Hawaii are a disaster research laboratory and early warning station for many of the Pacific Rim nations of the world. Housing a myriad of large-scale and only partially understood hazards, these islands are both home to beautiful tropical settings and potentially vulnerable populations. To better understand the risks associated with living and working around these types of hazards, American meteorologists, geologists, volcanologists, and other researchers, in cooperation with U.S. government agencies and the international community, continually study and monitor these active hazard zones to gain further knowledge of the processes, causes, consequences, and defenses for the disasters they create.

The climate of the Hawaiian and U.S. Pacific territories is mild, ranging on the lower end from 62.6 degrees ...