Aitutaki Atoll CW
Aitutaki Atoll - Landsat Image S-04-15_2000
Aitutaki Atoll - Marplot Map
Aitutaki (18˚54'S., 159˚46'W.), the farthest NW of the Lower Cook Islands, lies about 51 miles WNW of Manuae Atoll. The island, about 4 miles long in a N-S direction, is located at the N end of a reef which is a fringing reef on its N extremity, but becomes a barrier reef farther S. A number of small islets, from 6 to 18m high and covered with trees, stand on the barrier reef; also, some low cays on the E side of the reef break heavily.
Aitutaki rises to a height of 119-meters in the N part. A light is situated on this peak. There are some conspicuous rocks, 11.6m high, off a point on the W coast about 2 miles SSW of the N extremity of the island. A house with a conspicuous silver-grey roof stands near the coast, about 0.4 mile SSE of the conspicuous rocks, and 0.6 mile SSW of the house there is a church with a conspicuous red roof.
Motikitiu, a small islet, is located near the SE extremity of the barrier reef 4 miles SE of Aitutaki; Maina, a small islet, is located near the W extremity of the reef, 5.5 miles WNW of Motikitiu.
(SD Pub-126)
Group: Archipelago: Southern Cook Islands Country: Cook Islands Region: Oceania 16 Lat: 18.88º S Long : 159.74º W Area: 16.5 sq. km Altitude: 124 m Shoreline: 24.1 km (scale 1:250000) Coastal Index: 1.4606 Submerged area <100 m: 0 sq. km Reef area: 0 sq. km Lagoon area: 66 sq. km Depth to nearest land: 4000 m Nearest island: 100 km Group: 700 km Nearest continent: Australia Distance: 5000 km Isolation Index: 107 ISLAND TYPE: volcanic, almost atoll Natural Protection Indicator: 0 GEOLOGY/SOILS: Volcanic island to one side of large lagoon which is silting up (mostly under 4.5 m, maximum 10.5 m depth), 13 low coral islands (2.2 km}) on triangular reef CLIMATE: tropical rainfall 1900 mm CATASTROPHIC THREATS: cyclones Threat Indicator: 1 ECOSYSTEMS: Lowland rain forest, disturbed lowland vegetation; coconuts and scrub on coral islets; fringing reef, barrier reef 600-1000 m wide, lagoon with patch reefs (CRD) Forest Number of Ecosystems - Terrestrial: 4 Marine: 4 Percent shoreline: Coral Reef: 99% Mangrove: 0% SPECIES OF CONSERVATION INTEREST: Marine life: 28 coral genera Birds: Vini peruviana (Tahiti Lorikeet) introduced, Rare (RDB) Species Richness Indicator - Terrestrial: 1 Marine: 0 HUMAN OCCUPATION: Inhabited Population: 2904 (1960) Density: 176.0 persons/sq. km Growth Rate: 1.1%/yr Increasing slowly Major Human Activities: agriculture, tourism,, fishing and aquaculture HUMAN IMPACTS: Much of land cleared for agriculture Habitat: scattered villages Urban Pop: 0 Urban Indicator: 0 Accessibility: airport Conservation support: legislation DATA RELIABILITY: good Data Rel. Indicator: 3 HUMAN IMPACT INDEX HI: 7 CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE INDEX CI-Terrestrial: 7 Moderate CI-Marine: 4 Low REFERENCES: Good SPOT satellite images of Aititaki (Lubersac et al., in press) Last updated: 06/05/89
This was not a particularly difficult project to complete. It was just time consuming. It took about 5-hours of work to finish. I am surprised that the Sailing Directions had so little information about this island. It usually has quite alot to say about islands of this size, especially when they have a port listed in the World Port Index.
You will note that I have not attempted to edit the UNEP Islands information. I am awaiting word from the gentleman who controls access to the data. I need to secure permission to post edited information.
There is a great resource available online for this island. The publication is the Smithsonian's Atoll Research Bulletin No 190. The link I have given you will take you to the index. Find No 190 in the list of pubs titled "Almost-Atoll of Aitutaki: Reef Studies in the Cook Islands, South Pacific". The research was conducted in the early 1970's. The pub contains some excellent maps of the individual motus. If you have an interest in this island, this is the pub for you.
Enjoy!
Labels: atoll, Cook Islands, EVS, island, Landsat, map, Marplot, Pacific, Survivor
