Diamond Head is a volcanic

tuff cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and s ...

on the Hawaiian island of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

. It is known to Hawaiians as Lēahi (), which is most likely derived from ''lae'' (browridge, promontory) plus ''ahi'' (tuna) because the shape of the ridgeline resembles the shape of a

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

's dorsal fin. Its English name was given by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

sailors in the 19th century, who named it for the

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

crystals on the adjacent beach.

Geology

Diamond Head is part of the system of cones, vents, and their associated eruption flows that are collectively known to geologists as the Honolulu Volcanic Series, formed by renewed eruptions from the Koolau Volcano that took place long after the volcano formed and had gone dormant. These eruptive events created many of Oahu's well-known landmarks, including Punchbowl Crater, Hanauma Bay, Koko Head, and Mānana Island. Like the rest of the Honolulu Volcanic Series, Diamond Head is much younger than the main mass of the Koolau Mountain Range. While the Koolau Range is about 2.6 million years old, Diamond Head is estimated to be about 400,000 to 500,000 years old.

History

Known as ''Lēʻahi'' in Hawaiian, the mountain was given the name ''Diamond Hill'' in 1825 by British sailors who discovered sparkling volcanic calcite crystals in the sand and mistook them for diamonds. This is reflected in another local name, ''Kaimana Hila''. The name later became ''Diamond Head'', with ''head'' being shortened from ''headland''. The interior and adjacent exterior areas were the home to Fort Ruger, the first United States military reservation on

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

.Alt URL
/ref> Only Battery 407, a National Guard emergency operations center, and Birkhimer Tunnel, the Hawaii State Civil Defense Headquarters ( HI-EMA), remain in use in the crater. An FAA air traffic control center was in operation from 1963 to 2002.

Tourism

Diamond Head is a defining feature of the view known to residents and tourists of Waikiki, and also a U.S. National Natural Monument. The volcanic tuff cone is a State Monument. While part of it is closed to the public and serves as a platform for antennas used by the U.S. government, the crater's proximity to Honolulu's resort hotels and beaches makes the rest of it a popular destination.

National Natural Landmark

In 1968, Diamond Head was declared a National Natural Landmark. The crater, also called Diamond Head Lookout, was used as a strategic military lookout in the early 1900s. Spanning over 475 acres (190 ha) (including the crater's interior and outer slopes), it served as an effective defensive lookout because it provides panoramic views of Waikiki and the south shore of Oahu. The Diamond Head Lighthouse, a navigational lighthouse built in 1917 is directly adjacent to the crater's slopes. In addition, a few pillboxes are on Diamond Head's summit.

In popular culture

Diamond Head appears on an 80-cent

air mail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be the ...

stamp issued in 1952 to pay for shipping

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

s to the U.S. mainland.

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

stars in the 1963 film '' Diamond Head,'' in a role that

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

was supposed to play. "Diamond Head" an instrumental song by Danny Hamilton recorded in 1964 by

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

, was an international hit. The song was especially popular in Japan where it became the first single to sell a million copies. A 1975 televised

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

, '' The Diamond Head Game'', was set at Diamond Head. The Crater was the location of several concerts in the 1960s and 1970s. First held on New Year's Day 1969, and often known as ''Hawaiian

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

'', Diamond Head Crater Festivals, sometimes called Sunshine Festivals, were all-day music celebrations held in the 1960s and '70s, attracting over 75,000 attendees for performances of the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer * Sailboat designs by W. D. Schock Corp ** Santana 20 ** Santan ...

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

, Journey,

War War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

, and

Tower of Power Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. The band has had a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted ...

, alongside Hawaiian talent like Cecilio & Kapono and the Mackey Feary Band. The one-day festivals became two-day events in 1976 and 1977, but were canceled by the

Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is a part of the Government of Hawaii, Hawaii state government dedicated to managing, administering, and exercising control over public lands, water resources and streams, ocean waters, ...

because of community noise and environmental impact concerns. Many items from the bands were brought into and out of the Crater by

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

. File:Diamond head bay view.jpg, A view from the ocean of Diamond Head Image:Diamond Head.jpg, Diamond Head cone seen from the coast off Waikiki Image:Diamondhead.png, View from Rocky Hill, which resides over

Punahou School Punahou School (known as Oahu College until 1934) is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established by P ...

Image:Diamond_Head_Kapiolani_Park.jpg, Diamond Head peak from Kapiolani Park File:Waikiki shore - diamond head - 1800s.jpg, Diamond Head seen from Waikiki in the 1800s Image:Waikiki Diamond Head CC.jpg, Waikiki Beach facing Diamond Head, 1958 File:Diamond Head Hawaii - panoramio.jpg, Aerial view of the cone, and the Kahala and Kaimuki neighborhoods File:Diamond Head East View ^ Eric Tessmer Hawaii - panoramio.jpg, Aerial view of the Diamond Head File:USCGC William Hart transits Diamond Head, 2019-08-17 - 190817-G-US251-218.jpg, A view from the south, including Diamond Head Lighthouse

References

External links

Official website
Hawaii State Parks - Diamond Head State Monument *
Satellite image of Diamond Head (Google Maps)
{{authority control Landforms of Oahu

Manoa Manoa (, ; ) is a valley on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is a residential neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. The neighborhood is approximately three miles (5 km) east and inland from downtown Honolulu and less than a mile (1600 m) from ...

Tuff cones Volcanoes of Oahu National Natural Landmarks in Hawaii Pleistocene volcanoes Pleistocene Oceania Cenozoic Hawaii Extinct volcanoes of the United States Hotspot volcanoes Monogenetic volcanoes Geography of Honolulu County, Hawaii Tourist attractions in Honolulu Geography of Honolulu