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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms pp 1–5Cite as

Streamlined Island

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Definition

Teardrop-shaped mesoscale landscape features in plan view, having a tapered downstream tail.

Synonyms

Teardrop island

Description

Streamlined forms are often semi-lemniscate in plan view and may be composed of layers (Burr 2005) and so can have terrace-like benches along their margins. Some islands may be rhomboid or diamond-like shaped.

Subtypes

None but see also yardangs in aeolian systems

Morphometry

Commonly semi-lemniscate in plan view, with a length to width ratio averaging 3–4 (Komar 1983) and maximum width (y) ideally at a distance along the length (x) of 0.6–0.7× (Wyrick 2005). Shape is generally ascribed to one of the mathematical forms detailed by Zhukovsky (Anderson 1997).

Interpretation

Generally interpreted to represent a shape that is hydraulically streamlined by deposition and erosion of sediment and rock by fluid flow to minimize flow resistance.

Formation

Models on the origin of the islands:

  1. (1)

    Depositional: the channel-forming flows were ponded by local...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany

    Gino Erkeling

  2. Geography & Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, SO17 1B, Southampton, UK

    Paul A Carling

Authors
  1. Gino Erkeling
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  2. Paul A Carling
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul A Carling .

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Erkeling, G., Carling, P.A. (2014). Streamlined Island. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_547-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_547-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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