Abstract
The three uplifted atoll islands Banaba, Nauru and Niue are shaped by submarine mass wasting. For each island, the most distinct submarine landslide is described using multibeam bathymetry. All three islands are fractured through tectonic uplift. Subaerial exposure caused further structural weakness through karstification and dolomitisation, which increased porosity and permeability of the limestone cap. Initial fractures became enlarged into chasms, caves and caverns which ultimately resulted in flank failure. The ages of these submarine landslides are poorly constrained, but were probably youngest for Home Bay, Banaba, (>10,000 BP); between 1.6 Ma and 10,000 BP for Anabar Bay, Nauru; and 700,000 BP or less for Tepa Point, Niue.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the European Community who funded this study through the 8th and 9th European Development Fund. Useful comments on the manuscript were received from John Collen and Brian McAdoo. Thanks also go to Tariq Rahiman for help in the production of the vector map for Banaba.
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Krüger, J.C., Pohler, S.M.L. (2014). Modification of the Shape of Pacific Islands by Submarine Landslides: Banaba, Nauru, and Niue. In: Krastel, S., et al. Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, vol 37. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_38
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00972-8_38
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