coral atolls
Circular reef islands
Coral atolls are ring-shaped islands formed from coral reefs encircling a central lagoon.
They develop over millennia as coral grows around a volcanic island that eventually subsides beneath the sea, leaving only the reef structure above water.
Atolls are typically low-lying and found in tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean waters: The Maldives consist almost entirely of coral atolls.
- islandWater-bounded land mass
- Pacific OceanLargest body of water
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
- barrier reefOffshore coral formation
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
Charles Darwin · subsidence · reef ecosystems · Tuvalu · Kiribati · Maldives · archipelago · Micronesia · azure · palm · submerged · coconut · paradise · tropical paradise · sand · white sand beaches · shallow · turquoise
coral atollsvolcanic islands
Land formed by underwater eruptions
volcanic peaks · shield volcanoes · stratovolcanoes · Mauna Kea
coral atollsmountain peaks
Highest elevations of ranges
volcanic peaks · volcanic cones · Mauna Loa · Tahiti · steep cliffs