Geology Picture of the Week (late), 12/31/06 - 01/06/07: Arno Atoll

ASTERWeb ^ | July 25, 2002 | JPL

[cogitator]

I guess we could say that Arno Atoll is kind of loopy (click on image for BIG full-size):

[cogitator]

"Arno Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands is located to the east of Micronesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Marshall Islands are made only of coral reefs, similar to the adjacent countries such as Tuvalu and the Republic of Kiribati. The islands consist of Ratak Islands (sunrise in Marshallese), and Ralik Islands (sunset in Marshallese). After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986. Arno Atoll is in the Ratak Islands, 20 km east of Majuro Atoll where the capital is located. The image was acquired July 25, 2002, is centered near 7.1 North, 171 East, and covers 41 x 45.3 km."

[cogitator]

** ping **

[Sax]

Looks like an amoeba who just scored a soccer goal.

GOOOOOOOAL!

[Dog Gone]

I can see buildings in the bigger picture, so it's clearly inhabited.

[Robert A Cook PE]

In a slow Texas drawl, Robt responds, "Yeah, Arno it's ahtoll, but does sheno it's ahtoll?"

[Robert A Cook PE]

Not enough straight land wide enough and long enough for even an airport runway!

Lots of time, these coral islands were started on top ofsubmerged volcano that is slowly still going under.

Would an original caldera (partially collapsed) account for the twin "arc's" that make up the current island?

[cogitator]

Would an original caldera (partially collapsed) account for the twin "arc's" that make up the current island?

Good question. Without knowing more, I'd stake a first guess on uneven erosion, but it's not unknown for volcanoes to have multiple craters.