faculty, staff and students are helping revive the traditional place names of �鶹��ý Island through a growing series of bilingual geographic maps that honor ancestral knowledge and strengthen community connection to the ʻ�徱�Բ� (land).

The project began several years ago when Geography Assistant Professor Drew Kapp and his student Kaylyn Ells-Hoʻokano combined their shared passion for mapping and inoa ʻ�徱�Բ� (traditional Hawaiian place names) to produce a community map of the ahupuaʻa (land divisions) of Puna. In 2025, the pair were joined by Hawaiian studies student Yuna Inoue to create a second map of the ahupuaʻa of Hilo.

“I view this work as a means to highlight the significance of place names and their role in indicating how to interact with the environment, to honor the stories that are embedded within them, and to contribute in ensuring their regular use and vibrancy,” said Kapp.

The new Hilo map, completed in spring 2025, features ahupuaʻa across Hilo and is fully bilingual in ʻō������� �鶹��ý (Hawaiian) and English. Ells-Hoʻokano served as mapmaker using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), while Inoue and Kapp researched inoa ʻ�徱�Բ�, historic land divisions and cartographic considerations.

“One challenge we had was to figure out how to best fit a large moku (district) like Hilo with its approximately one hundred ahupuaʻa, on a single sheet,” said Kapp.

Inoa ʻ�徱�Բ� significance

Kapp said that working with historical place names required careful attention. “We encounter so many variations of names in our research, many of which are incredibly compelling, meaningful and deeply sourced,” he noted. “We hope people will use these maps as resources to strengthen connections with their moku, ahupuaʻa and ʻ�徱�Բ�.”

�鶹��ý CC Hawaiian language and studies Assistant Professor Ākeamakamae Kiyuna emphasizes the broader cultural importance of this work.

“Inoa ʻ�徱�Բ� are far more than simple labels; they are informative narratives that embody the mana (power) and unique character of a place,” Kiyuna explained. “Their restoration and presence on updated geographic maps are crucial for cultural preservation, historical accuracy, and honoring Indigenous identity and sovereignty.”

Research sources

Their research drew on Native Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena ��ū���ʻ��’s scholarship, historic maps, kaʻao (legends) of Hawaiian akua (goddesses) Pele, Hiʻiakaikapoliopele and kupua (supernatural being) Kamiki, and old nūpepa (newspaper).

Community members, faculty experts and librarians, including �鶹��ý CC’s Kiyuna and Assistant Professor Kuʻulei Kanahele, UH Hilo Librarian Annemarie Paikai and former lecturers Lokelani Brandt and Manaiakalani Kalua also served as integral resources for the collaborative project.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (WCDI) has released new online tools uncovering Japanese war crimes in Asia and the Pacific during World War II.

Launched in 2019, WCDI is housed in and led by historians, librarians and Geographic Information System specialists. Using digital humanities–computational analysis of the humanities–they map, contextualize and analyze data on Japanese military operations and war crimes. The initiative’s research draws from more than 2,240 Allied war crimes trials conducted across 51 locations in Asia and the Pacific between 1945 and 1952, with the goal of making complex historical evidence accessible to students, scholars, and the public.

“WCDI’s projects illuminate the scale and patterns of WWII Japanese war crimes in Asia and the Pacific,” said Theodore Kwok, geospatial librarian in Hamilton Library’s Government Documents and Maps department. “They expose students and researchers to primary sources, information and data otherwise hidden or difficult to discover.”

The new resources include:

Interactive ArcGIS map, War Crimes against Ethnic Chinese: A Case Study of Group-Selective Violence by the Japanese during the War in the Pacific, 1941–1945, visualizes postwar Allied trials involving crimes against ethnic Chinese communities. It shows how Japan’s war with China (1931–1945) spread into the Pacific, revealing patterns of targeted violence and intimidation.

Text-searchable archive, Imamura Statements: The 8th Area Army Commander’s Apologia for Japanese War Crimes at Fortress Rabaul, digitized using Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) standards, offers access to two statements from General Imamura Hitoshi’s 1947 trial in Australia. His testimony sheds light on prisoner abuse around Rabaul and his perspective on the postwar Allied war crimes trials.

StoryMap exhibit (coming soon), The Sook Ching Massacre: Promises and Limitations of a British Singapore War Crimes Trial, March 10–April 2, 1947, explores one of the most infamous massacres of ethnic Chinese civilians and how Allied trials sought—often with mixed results—to deliver justice.

UH ����ԴDz� history professor Yuma Totani, who leads WCDI, praised the collaboration with Hamilton Library. “WCDI has a terrific team of librarians whose expertise in digital technologies, knowledge in the humanities, and commitment to collaborative work have been invaluable,” she said.

.

The launched an that provides more function and choices for users.

The map’s side menu helps users locate the closest ATM, water refill station, gender neutral restrooms and many other amenities and points of interest. Users can also explore the many features of the campus including sustainability efforts, accessibility and the thousands of plants that make UH ����ԴDz� an accredited arboretum.

The updated map provides many features not available in previous maps for the campus. Users can explore the to learn how to best use all the updated map functions.

UH encourages users to explore the new features and provide feedback as the platform evolves.

senior geography student Kaylyn Ells-Hoʻokano, with mentor and geography instructor Drew Kapp, that details the ahupuaʻa (traditional land divisions) of �鶹��ý Island’s moku (district) of Puna. Their map is a free resource for the public, especially valuable to community members, students and educators.

The map was presented last month at of the in Arizona, where it garnered a lot of views and questions. Kapp noted that mapmaking is both artistic and highly technical, but Ells-Hoʻokano quickly developed the required expertise.

“The cartographic piece is the art of the map, and that has to do with perspective, the language, fonts and colors that you choose and where you place the text and background imagery,” said Kapp. “We made an east arrow instead of a north arrow because the sun first rises at Kumukahi in Puna, and this shape of the east arrow reflects the rising sun, too. The map is in Hawaiian and English, and that makes it special.”

The motivation behind the map

Ells-Hoʻokano was asked by Kapp to be an intern on the project because of her geography major and Hawaiian studies minor. Additionally, both Ells-Hoʻokano and Kapp have a rooted connection with the Puna district and view the map as an opportunity to give back to the community and foster pride in their moku.

“She had the passion to not only deepen her knowledge of the district of Puna, which we both love, but also to outreach to the community about the importance of knowing your ahupuaʻa and traditional names,” said Kapp.

The mapping project helps clarify misconceptions and inaccuracies of Puna, whether it be about the folklore and traditions, the current residents or the landscape that was greatly affected by volcanic activity.

“We want residents to know which of these traditional land divisions they can affiliate themselves with and honor those original names and ways of understanding the landscape,” said Kapp. “During the Kīlauea eruption people responded to it in different ways, but we also recognize that if you are familiar with what the traditional place names tell you, then you would know to expect that kind of activity. The place names tell us what to expect and how to interact with those places and how to conduct ourselves. That’s why for us the place names are really significant.”

The next phase of the project is to build a web-based interactive map featuring oli (chants), ʻōlelo noʻeau (poetical sayings) and information known about a particular ahupuaʻa.

—By Leah Sherwood, a graduate student in the tropical conservation biology and environmental science program at UH Hilo.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� unveils a that will provide more function and choices for users.

The new map has search functions to find specific buildings or points of interest. It can help users locate the closest ATM, water refill station or eating spot. It will help users find services such as lactation stations or where to pay for parking.

One other new feature showcases the plants on campus. UH ����ԴDz�’s campus is an accredited arboretum, one of 37 universities and colleges worldwide. The new map features the ability to find 4,000 trees and thousands of plants that are considered native, were brought by canoe or may have potential medicinal value.

The new map provides many features not available in previous maps for the campus. Users can explore the to find more about the map functions.

Make sure to toggle on the category to activate the individual selections.

A new geographic information system (GIS) device being employed at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� allows users to locate plants on its property and view metadata gathered over 100 years.

“This new interface opens up 100 years of Lyon’s collections history right onto your laptop,” said Rakan Zahawi, Lyon Arboretum director. “It is a great tool for both researchers and avid plant enthusiasts, and we hope that it will get a lot of use.”

The lab is headed by Jessica Adinolfi, who was a GIS analyst with the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

“I am excited to help upgrade this critical part of managing the arboretum’s living collection,” said Adinolfi. “By bringing the information into this platform, we are making the work of so many dedicated people available to everyone.”

Funded by donors, the arboretum acquired the latest equipment and tools to develop a new online interactive map as well as other mapping projects. The lab uses the latest Trimble GPS (GIS) unit, which maps the living collection and other features.

Casey McGrath, a UH ����ԴDz� graduate student is already utilizing the GIS lab services. McGrath established an experimental site at the arboretum to understand how Hawaiian soils will respond to climate change.

“Through mapping the locations of the temperature sensors and heaters across the field site, the GIS lab is aiding the project in understanding the spatial relationships between soil temperature and other soil properties,” said McGrath.

The lab is migrating the living collection data into ArcGIS, which provides a streamlined and comprehensive system for managing the approximately 20,000 entries in Lyon’s living collection.

Users can filter by plant family or other traits and view the location and information for 1,054 accessions currently on the map. The map is not yet fully populated, and Adinolfi hopes student interns and volunteers will help expedite the process.

Before 3D virtual reality and 360-degree video, there were raised relief maps. Some stunning examples are tucked away in the lobby of St. John Plant Science Lab on the campus, where seven freestanding, three-dimensional maps offer a fascinating look at the Hawaiian Islands.

Crafted in 1936, the maps offer viewers the chance to circle around and peer over the Hawaiian Islands and study both the topography and beauty of the land, as well as the way it was used for agriculture. The maps are a popular stop on campus tours and are still used by instructors.

However, after 80 years of service these one-of-a-kind masterworks are in critical need of refurbishment—cleaning, restoration and protection—to preserve them for future generations. 2015 �鶹��ý Living Treasure Honoree and long-time UH Mānoa Professor of art Laura Ruby will lead the effort.

Get involved

Every donation to this important cause will be instrumental in preserving the story of the land. Naming opportunities are available for the relief maps and/or the St. John lobby for companies or individual donors who are interesting in underwriting a meaningful portion of this preservation project.

Visit or call Lori Admiral at (808) 956-5747 to learn more and to help UH restore this unique treasure.

An array of GPS instruments near the San Andreas Fault System in Southern California detects constant motion of Earth’s crust—sometimes large, sudden motion during an earthquake and often subtle, creeping motion. By carefully analyzing the data recorded by the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory’s GPS array researchers from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, and (SIO) discovered nearly 125 mile-wide “lobes” of uplift and subsidence—a few millimeters of motion each year—straddling the fault system. This large scale motion was previously predicted in models but until now had not been documented.

The GPS array records vertical and horizontal motion of Earth’s surface. Vertical motion is affected by many factors including tectonic motion of the crust, pumping of groundwater, local surface geology, and precipitation. The challenge faced by , doctoral candidate at the UH Mānoa (SOEST) and lead author of the study, and co-authors was to discern the broad, regional tectonic motion from the shorter-scale, local motion.

New assessment revealed the pattern

To tease out such motions, the team used a comprehensive statistical technique to extract from the GPS data a pattern of large-scale, smoothly varying vertical motions of the local crust.

“While the San Andreas GPS data has been publicly available for more than a decade, the vertical component of the measurements had largely been ignored in tectonic investigations because of difficulties in interpreting the noisy data,” said Howell. “Using this technique, we were able to break down the noisy signals to isolate a simple vertical motion pattern that curiously straddled the San Andreas fault.”

Confirmation of predicted motion

The pattern resulting from their data analysis was similar in magnitude and direction to motions predicted by previously published earthquake cycle model results led by co-authors , associate professor at SOEST, and , professor at SIO.

“We were surprised and thrilled when this statistical method produced a coherent velocity field similar to the one predicted by our physical earthquake cycle models,” said Smith-Konter. “The powerful combination of a priori model predictions and a unique analysis of vertical GPS data led us to confirm that the buildup of century-long earthquake cycle forces within the crust are a dominant source of the observed vertical motion signal.”

Improving hazard predictions

The new findings, , indicate that researchers can use GPS vertical motion measurements to better understand the structure and behavior of faults, even in times of earthquake quiescence, when no major ruptures have occurred for several decades to centuries. As scientists patiently monitor the San Andreas Fault System for indications of the next big earthquake, these results will help constrain seismic hazard estimates and may allow for a more prudent mapping of the large-scale motion resulting from the next significant rupture of the San Andreas.

—By Marcie Grabowski

The , working with University of �鶹��ý at Hilo’s , has released a study on agricultural land use which provides information on the location of commercial agriculture activities statewide.

The study updates a 1980 survey and provides current information and maps on the locations of �鶹��ý’s farms and ranches. The baseline study is intended to help industry, government and the community in making decisions that affect agriculture land use in the state.

The 100-page report was prepared by the UH Hilo Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab. The project used geographic information systems technology and aerial imagery from several sources to digitally document the footprint of lands engaged in commercial scale agriculture statewide. , UH Hilo assistant professor of geography, is primary investigator on the project.

Report maps agricultural activity around the state

The report provides a wide range of maps and graphics depicting the location of 15 crop categories with island-by-island summaries and regional descriptions of some of the factors that drive ongoing agricultural activity around the state. It is a snap shot in time from which to measure change in agricultural land use patterns both historically and for measuring change in the future.

“This has been a very interesting project and long overdue as the last statewide assessment took place 35 years ago,” says Perroy. “Obviously a lot has changed in the meantime and we, meaning the UH Hilo Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Lab and , were very happy to work with the Department of Agriculture to produce this dataset and accompanying report.”

Also working on the project are , a land use planning and resource management expert, as project manager, Sylvana Cares as cartographer and geospatial analyst, and former UH Hilo student interns Leilani Yamasaki and Ian Seely.

In addition to incorporating spatial data and satellite imagery, the project also included many field visits and days of interviews and community outreach events with representatives from the local farming and ranching communities and different agencies across the Hawaiian islands.

A tool for increasing agricultural production statewide

“We also created a web portal for soliciting feedback on our draft crop boundary layers, to try and make sure everyone had a chance to comment on the new layer,” explains Perroy. “Agriculture in �鶹��ý continues to evolve, given the recent announcement by HC&S on Maui to cease operations, and having the maps and other geovisualizations we’ve put together, along with the GIS dataset itself, will be useful to see where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are headed in terms of commercial agriculture in the state.”

He adds, “If we are serious about increasing our level of local food production here in �鶹��ý, there are opportunities to do that and some bright spots across the state, but the overall signal we are seeing on the landscape is one of major contraction of agricultural lands.”

The report also will serve as a planning tool for agency, industry and community interests to think collaboratively about future directions in agriculture based on what is currently taking place on a region-by-region basis around the state.

“This baseline study is one of several projects we are working on to lay a foundation for measuring our progress toward increasing agricultural production statewide,” says Scott Enright, chairperson of the �鶹��ý Board of Agriculture. “We look forward to using this tool in making informed decisions about current agricultural enterprises and in the planning and promoting of new agricultural investment to increase our food security.”

For more on this project, go to the to read the full story.

—By Susan Enright