Pacific Geology and Geography

1625 Words7 Pages
In understanding the Pacific, it is important to know of its geology and geography. Geology considers the origin, history and structure of the earth whereas geography dwells upon landscape, peoples, places and environments. As such this essay will discuss the different types of island formations in the Pacific, traditional islander practices related to the sea, how globalization impacts Pacific societies, how land is viewed by Pacific Islanders and how links to home/ land can extend beyond island shores. In doing so, it is intended to gain a better understanding of the Pacific Islands. To begin with, an island is a relatively small piece of land surrounded entirely by water. The islands of Oceania include high islands and low islands. The high islands include continental and volcanic (or oceanic) islands whereas low islands include coral atolls and raised coral islands (Ridgell 2006, p. 9). These are the four different types of island formations found in the Pacific. A continental island is a piece of land that has been separated from the main continent either by shifting plate tectonics or by rising sea levels. It does remain connected to the continents coastline by and underwater continental shelf though. As a continental island is the largest type of high island, it has a variety of plants and animals and can support more people than volcanic islands or atolls can (Ridgell 2006, p. 9). Freshwater is available on continental islands. Secondly, volcanic islands are built by volcanoes rising from the sea floor to above the surface. Volcanic islands can be formed by subduction of one plate over another or be the above-water tops of seamounts formed by hotspots. A hotspot is a place deep within the earth where hot magma rises to just underneath the sea floor surface (Ridgell 2006, p. 10). If it burns through the crust then the lava builds a volcanic island. This lava
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