University of Hawaii HIGP

University of Hawaii HIGP
Name	Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
Native name	HIGP
Established	1959
Parent	University of Hawaii at Mānoa
City	Honolulu
State	Hawaii
Country	United States

University of Hawaii HIGP is the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, a research institute at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa focused on geoscience and planetary science. The institute conducts multidisciplinary research linking terrestrial volcanology, seismology, geodesy, geochemistry, planetary geology, and space physics and supports fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and instrument development. HIGP serves as a nexus for collaboration among researchers, students, and agencies across the Pacific and global science communities.

History

HIGP traces origins to postwar initiatives connected with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California Institute of Technology, United States Geological Survey, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Science Foundation programs in the 1950s and 1960s, drawing personnel influenced by figures associated with Harry Hess, Walter Munk, Robert S. Dietz, J. Tuzo Wilson, and Maurice Ewing. The institute expanded alongside the growth of University of Hawaii at Mānoa research infrastructure and participated in collaborative campaigns with Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. HIGP investigators contributed to planetary missions with teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and participated in field campaigns linked to Haleakalā Observatory, Mauna Kea Observatories, Kīlauea, and Mauna Loa, while engaging with regional entities such as United States Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and United States Federal Aviation Administration.

Organization and Structure

HIGP is organized into research groups and centers affiliated with academic departments at University of Hawaii at Mānoa, including links to faculty appointments that intersect with School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, Department of Earth Sciences (University of Hawaii), and graduate programs tied to SOEST. Administrative oversight involves partnerships with external funders like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, NASA, and cooperative agreements with NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Pacific Disaster Center. Internal governance includes director-level leadership, research faculty associated with American Geophysical Union, European Geosciences Union, and advisory boards populated by representatives from Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil, and academic institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge.

Research Programs and Centers

HIGP hosts programs in seismology, volcanology, geodesy, marine geophysics, planetary geology, and space physics, collaborating with centers including Seismological Society of America projects, International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, USGS Volcano Hazards Program, and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission initiatives. Research themes connect to planetary missions like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Cassini–Huygens, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, Voyager, and Magellan (spacecraft), and to Earth observation platforms such as Landsat, Sentinel-1, Terra (satellite), Aqua (satellite), and ICESat. HIGP-affiliated centers include instrument laboratories akin to California Institute of Technology Space Radiation Laboratory, computational facilities comparable to National Center for Atmospheric Research, and data centers interoperating with IRIS (seismology), UNAVCO, and PANGAEA.

Education and Training

HIGP supports graduate and postdoctoral training aligned with degree programs at University of Hawaii at Mānoa and professional development linked to workshops hosted by American Geophysical Union, GeoPRISMS, International Glaciological Society, and International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior. Students train on instrumentation used in campaigns with NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, R/V Kilo Moana, RV Thomas G. Thompson, and conduct fieldwork at sites such as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Kīlauea Caldera, Mauna Kea, and Mauna Loa Observatory. Academic mentorship involves collaborations with faculty connected to Caltech, MIT, Princeton University, University of Washington, and visiting scholars from European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Facilities and Instrumentation

HIGP maintains laboratories for rock and mineral analysis, mass spectrometry, paleomagnetism, and geochemical preparation, with equipment comparable to facilities at Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Goldschmidt Conference-standard labs, and specialized clean rooms used in Jet Propulsion Laboratory instrument assembly. Instrument suites include seismometer arrays interoperable with USArray, GPS/GLONASS receivers integrated with UNAVCO, magnetometers aligned with INTERMAGNET, and remote sensing capabilities compatible with AVIRIS, MODIS, ASTER, and SAR platforms. HIGP also supports submersible and marine instrument integration for use on ROV Jason, Alvin (DSV-2), and autonomous platforms deployed from partners like Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Notable Projects and Contributions

HIGP researchers have led and contributed to mapping of volcanic processes at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, seismic monitoring networks integrated with Pacific Tsunami Warning Center operations, and paleomagnetic studies relevant to plate tectonics debates involving Alfred Wegener-inspired frameworks and Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis evidence. Contributions extend to lunar and Martian analogue studies supporting missions such as Apollo program follow-ups, Mars Science Laboratory, and sample analysis techniques used in Genesis (spacecraft) and OSIRIS-REx contexts. HIGP teams have developed instruments and software cited in work by American Geophysical Union and used by consortia including International Continental Scientific Drilling Program and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program.

Outreach and Collaborations

HIGP conducts public outreach through partnerships with Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, Honolulu Museum of Art, and community programs associated with Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Collaborative networks extend to international research organizations such as Australian Antarctic Division, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Geological Survey of Japan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian Space Research Organisation, and regional agencies including Pacific Islands Forum-linked bodies. Workshops and symposia connect HIGP with stakeholders from World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and professional societies including Seismological Society of America and Geological Society of America.

Category:Research institutes in Hawaii