A Marshall Islands atoll that grew 23 per cent in 65 years shows islands can form and grow much more rapidly than previously thought. <\/p>\n
And scientists say the research may be significant as sea levels continue to rise thanks to climate change, threatening low-lying atolls. <\/p>\n
In 1905, Nadikdik Atoll in the Marshall Islands was hit by a devastating typhoon which destroyed large sections of the reef island, and killed the entire population except two survivors. <\/p>\n
Scientists from the University of Auckland compared aerial photographs from 1945 with pictures from 2010, and found the vegetated area of the islands grew by 23 per cent. <\/p>\n
The research puts this down to sediments generated from the atoll's surrounding reef system, which was likely in a healthy condition as the atoll had been uninhabited since 1905. <\/p>\n
The scientists also noticed a new island grow from a sediment deposit to a fully vegetated and stable island in 61 years, and a number of separate islands form a single larger island. <\/p>\n
\"These changes were rapid and indicate that reef island formation can occur quickly,\" the report said. <\/p>\n
Sea levels are expected to continue rising thanks to climate change, with the levels around Marshall Islands rising at about 2.2 millimetres a year since 1946. <\/p>\n
The report said there was considerable global interest about the future stability of the landforms given the projected sea level increases. <\/p>\n
Past studies have focused on the immediate impacts of extreme weather events on islands, but comparatively few studies have documented how islands have changed after the impact. <\/p>\n
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