High island

Short description: Island of volcanic origin

Mo'orea, a high island of volcanic origin where the central island is still prominent Stromboli is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sicily

Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs[1] (which have often formed on sunken volcanos).

## Contents

* 1 Definition and origin
* 2 Habitability
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Definition and origin

There are a number of "high islands" that rise no more than 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) above sea level, often classified as "islets or rocks", while some low islands, such as Banaba, Henderson Island, Makatea, Nauru, and Niue, as uplifted coral islands, rise over 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level.

The two types of islands are often found in proximity to each other, especially among the islands of the South Pacific Ocean, where low islands are found on the fringing reefs that surround most high islands. Volcanic islands normally arise above a hotspot.

## Habitability

High islands above a certain size usually have fresh groundwater, while low islands often do not, so high islands are more likely to be habitable.

## See also

* Earth:Archipelagic apron - Fan-shaped gently sloping region of sea floor found around oceanic islands
* Earth:Atoll
* Earth:Galápagos Islands - Archipelago and protected area of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean
* Earth:Guyot - Isolated, flat-topped underwater volcano mountain
* Earth:Seamount
* Earth:Submarine landslide - Landslides that transport sediment across the continental shelf and into the deep ocean
* Earth:Volcanic arc - Chain of volcanoes formed above a subducting plate

## References

1. ↑ Murphy, Raymond E. (July 1949). ""High" and "Low" Islands in the Eastern Carolines". Geographical Review (American Geographical Society) 39 (3): 425–439. doi:10.2307/210643.

## External links

* Micronesian culture: High island and low island cultures at Britannica.com. Retrieved 2011-09-22.

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Earth's landform

List of landforms

Mountainous|

* Table
* Butte
* Flat
* Hill
* Mountain
* Mountain range
* Plateau
* Ridge
* Valley

Continental plain|

* Ice sheet
* Plain
* Steppe
* Tundra

Fluvial|

* Alluvial fan
* Beach
* Canyon
* Cave
* Channel
* Cliff
* Floodplain
* Lake
* Levee
* Meander
* Oasis
* Pond
* Rapids
* River
* River delta
* River mouth
* River valley
* Strait
* Swamp
* Waterfall

Glacial|

* Arête
* Cirque
* Esker
* Fjord
* Glacier
* Ice field
* Tunnel valley

Oceanic and
coastal landforms|

* Atoll
* Bay
* Cape
* Channel
* Coast
* Continental shelf
* Coral reef
* Estuary
* High island
* Island
* Isthmus
* Lagoon
* Mid-ocean ridge
* Oceanic trench
* Peninsula
* Seamount

Volcanic|

* Caldera
* Crater lake
* Geyser
* High island
* Mid-ocean ridge
* Lava dome
* Lava field
* Lava plateau
* Submarine volcano
* Guyot
* Volcanic crater
* Volcanic plug
* Volcano
* Wall rock

Aeolian|

* Desert
* Dry lake
* Dune
* Sandhill
* Tundra

Artificial|

* Artificial island
* Artificial reef
* Bridge
* Building
* Canal
* Dam
* Ditch
* Land reclamation
* Levee
* Polder
* Quarry
* Reservoir
* Road
* Tunnel

* See also: Geographical feature

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