Tern Island is in NW corner.
French Frigate Shoals is a typical coral atoll whose shallow lagoon is bordered by a barrier reef. The barrier reef is seven miles across at it's widest point and 19 miles along it's longitudinal axis to result in approx. 140 square miles of shallow lagoon of which only 73 acres is emergent land area.
12 sand islets make up the shoals, these are composed primarily of coral sand and rubble. Of these 12 sand islets only 4 contain considerable amounts of vegetation, these are Tern, East, Whale-Skate, and Trig. The rocky volcanic remnant called LaPerouse Pinnacle **see pic in side bar**marks the atoll's highest point at 135 feet. This rocky promintory is the last vestage of an ancient island believed to be 11.7 million years old.
No comments:
Post a Comment