Nikumaroro
- IKONOS
- April 16 2001
Nikumaroro (formerly Gardener Atoll) is the most southerly and westernmost of the Rawaki Islands, being located 250 km west-southwest from Orona and around 370 km southwest from Abariringa; its closest neighbour is the tiny island of McKean, 123 km to the northeast.
Measuring around 6 km in length and up to 2 km across and with a land area of 4.1 km² the atoll forms an elongated structure enclosing a narrow lagoon. There are two passes that split the rim into three sections — the narrow Bauareke Passage on the south side and the broader Tatiman Passage at the western end. Note that neither of the passes cuts through the broad reef flat that completely surrounds the atoll. Much of the land is thickly vegetated with Pisonia grandis, Cordia subcordata and Cocus nucifera.
Like all of the Rawaki Islands, the north, south and eastern sides of the atoll are pounded by heavy surf and are exposed to storms and Pacific swells from the east and south (note the thickness of the surf-line around three sides of the island in the image).
image: spaceimaging.com
