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The atoll of Tetiʻaroa in French Polynesia. An atoll (/ ˈ æ t. ɒ l,-ɔː l,-oʊ l, ə ˈ t ɒ l,-ˈ t ɔː l,-ˈ t oʊ l /) [1] is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. [2] [3] Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where ...
They are ridges of reef formed by coral ("spurs") separated by channels ("grooves") which often have sediment or rubble bed. Spur and groove formations vary in their size and distribution worldwide but are a common feature on many forereefs of fringing reefs , barrier reefs , and atolls which are exposed to moderate wave energy. [ 1 ]
Eventually the island completely subsides beneath the water, leaving a ring of growing coral with an open lagoon in its center. The process of atoll formation may take as long as 30,000,000 years to occur. Reason Not many people know what an atoll is. This is a simple explanation in a picture. Also, it is original. Articles this image appears ...
Ria – Coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley; River delta – Silt deposition landform at the mouth of a river; Salt marsh – Coastal ecosystem between land and open saltwater that is regularly flooded; Sea cave – Cave formed by the wave action of the sea and located along present or former coastlines
Reefs were formed by corals living in shallow depths of water. Darwin's theory set out a sequence of coral reef formation around an extinct volcanic island, becoming an atoll as the island and ocean floor subsided. Courtesy of the US Geological Survey. When the Beagle set out in 1831, the formation of coral atolls was a scientific puzzle.
In New Zealand the Māori word hapua refers to a coastal lagoon formed at the mouth of a braided river where there are mixed sand and gravel beaches, while waituna, an ephemeral coastal waterbody, is neither a true lagoon, lake, nor estuary. [15] Some languages differentiate between coastal and atoll lagoons.
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Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; Hawaiian: Kuaihelani, lit. 'the backbone of heaven'; Pihemanu, 'the loud din of birds') [3] [4] is a 2.4 sq mi (6.2 km 2) atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the United States and is an unorganized and unincorporated territory. The largest island is Sand Island, which ...