Rainmaker Mountain
| Rainmaker Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Rainmaker Mountain from Pago Pago Harbor | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 523 m (1,716 ft) |
| Coordinates | 14°16′35″S 170°39′10″W / 14.27639°S 170.65278°W |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Tutuila Island in American Samoa |
| Designated | 1972 |
Rainmaker Mountain (also known as Mount Pioa[1][2] and Mount Peiva[3]) is the name of a mountain located near Pago Pago, American Samoa on Tutuila Island. Rainmaker Mountain traps rain clouds and gives Pago Pago the highest annual rainfall of any harbor.[4][5][6] The average annual rainfall on the mountain is around 200 inches (510 cm).[7] It has a three-pronged summit. Rainmaker Mountain and its base were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972 due to the slopes’ tropical vegetation.[8][9]
Rainmaker Mountain is one of several giant volcanic mountains that created Tutuila Island. It dominates the scene from nearly every point in Pago Pago Harbor. It comprises three mountain peaks: North Pioa, South Pioa, and Sinapioa. The peaks range in elevation from 1,619 feet (493 m) to 1,718 feet (524 m). The 170-acre (69 ha) designated landmark area occurs above the 800-acre (320 ha) contour line. Several endemic species are present only here and on Matafao Peak, the highest point on Tutuila.[10]
Rainmaker Mountain, famous in Samoan legend and lore, is also geologically important as an example of a volcanic plug (quartz trachyte). The upper slopes are montane rainforest and the crest is montane scrub.[11]
A closeup of the mountain is visible up Rainmaker Pass.[12] It is located behind the village of Lauli’i on the east side of Pago Pago Bay.[13]
Rainmaker Hotel was a hotel at the port entrance under the mountain.[14]
Geology
[edit]The mountain is a volcanic feature known as a trachyte plug, a volcanic intrusion made of extrusive igneous rocks having alkali feldspar and minor mafic minerals as the main components and a fine-grained, generally porphyritic texture.
Flora
[edit]Rainmaker Mountain is home to rare plant species that have been documented only once or twice within the Samoan Islands. These include Zschaemum cf. byrone, a grass species, and Mapania vitiensis, a sedge, both of which were found in the montane scrub habitat of the mountain. Additionally, the fern Dipteris, characterized by leaves that resemble those of Tacca, is another rare species recorded in the region. In the Samoan Islands, Dipteris has been observed exclusively on Rainmaker Mountain and Matafoa Mountain, highlighting the ecological significance of these National Natural Landmarks.[15][16]
Fauna
[edit]Petrels and shearwaters are known to breed predominantly on the higher elevations of Tutuila, with Rainmaker Mountain serving as a particularly significant habitat. These seabirds are rarely observed near the coastline.[17] Rainmaker Mountain is a nesting site for both the Wedge-tailed Shearwater and the White-throated Storm Petrel. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater, a rare species in American Samoa, likely burrows in the mountain's high-altitude soil. It is also thought to inhabit the cliffs and inaccessible montane scrub of the mountain.[18][19]
In 2023, a groundbreaking discovery was reported: researchers from Archipelago Research and Conservation (ARC), in collaboration with USFWS, DMWR, and NPS, identified four active burrows of the rare Tahiti Petrel on Rainmaker Mountain and Matafao Mountain. This marked the first confirmed breeding activity of the species on Tutuila in nearly 40 years. Additionally, researchers documented new colonies of the Tropical Shearwater.[20][21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Ross, Jim (2009). Four Winds Nomad. Lulu Press, Inc. Page 80. ISBN 9781445239354.
- ^ Swaney, Deanna (1994). Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 177. ISBN 9780864422255.
- ^ Krämer, Augustin (1994). The Samoa Islands: Constitution, pedigrees and traditions. University of Hawaiʻi Press. Page 497. ISBN 9780824816339.
- ^ Charles Rawlings-Way (2016). Lonely Planet Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga (Travel Guide). Lonely Planet. Page 147. ISBN 9781786572172.
- ^ Lonely Planet. "Rainmaker Mountain in Tutuila". Lonely Planet. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ "American Samoa Is The Empty Slice Of Bliss You've Been Craving". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
- ^ Craig, Robert D. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 19. ISBN 9780810867727.
- ^ "Rainmaker Mountain | American Samoa Attractions".
- ^ Swaney, Deanna (1994). Samoa: Western & American Samoa: a Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Page 177. ISBN 9780864422255.
- ^ Goldin, Meryl Rose (2002). Field Guide to the Sāmoan Archipelago: Fish, Wildlife, and Protected Areas. Bess Press. Page 284. ISBN 9781573061117.
- ^ http://www.npshistory.com/publications/npsa/feasibility-study.pdf (Page 62)
- ^ "Rainmaker Mountain | Ma'oputasi | American Samoa | AFAR". 29 November 2018.
- ^ Krämer, Augustin (1994). The Samoa Islands: Constitution, pedigrees and traditions. University of Hawaiʻi Press. Page 497. ISBN 9780824816339.
- ^ Fodor's Travel Guides (1991). Fodor’s South Pacific. Fodor's Travel Publications. Page 88.
- ^ Whistler, W. Arthur (April 1980): “The Vegetation of Eastern Samoa”. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden. Page 129. Retrieved on November 30, 2024, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349619846_The_Vegetation_of_Eastern_Samoa
- ^ Whistler, W. Arthur (2002). The Samoan Rainforest: A Guide to the Vegetation of the Samoan Archipelago. Isle Botanica. ISBN 9780964542631.
- ^ Watling, Dick and Dieter R. Rinke (2001). A Guide to the Birds of Fiji and Western Polynesia, Including American Samoa, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Wallis & Futuna. Environmental Consultants. Page 246. ISBN 9789829047014.
- ^ Amerson, A. Binion, W. Arthur Whistler, and Terry D. Schwaner (1982). “Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat of American Samoa II: Accounts of Flora and Fauna. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Page 56.
- ^ Muse, Corey and Shirley (1982). The Birds and Birdlore of Samoa: O Manu Ma Tala'aga o Manu o Samoa. Pioneer Press. Pages 19 and 21. ISBN 9780936546056.
- ^ https://www.talanei.com/2023/07/07/rare-seabird-found-on-tutuila-after-40-years/
- ^ https://www.samoanews.com/local-news/research-team-discovers-rare-seabird-nests-tutuila
External links
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