Île Matthew
- ISS002-E-8881
- 13 July 2001
- 03:30 UTC
Île Matthew, located 340 km southeast from the island of Maré in the Loyalty Islands group, can be considered along with Hunter Island (located 75 km further to the east) as the southernmost islands of the volcanic New Hebrides island arc system. As such it has, along with Hunter Island, been the subject of a long-running territorial dispute with Vanuatu over jurisdiction of the island. In 2007 France withdrew its territorial claims over both islands.
Measuring around 500 m in length the island consists of two peaked lobes that are connected by to one another via a low isthmus of 200 m in width. The western lobe is the highest at around 170 m above sea level, the eastern peak reaches 140 m. The island is volcanically active.
Sometimes plumes of discoloured water may be seen around the island — signs of submarine volcanic activity.
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center.