Geomorphology

The Pacific Islands region extends over 130° of longitude and 70° of latitude. Some islands are more than 100,000 km² in size; others are miniscule. Some islands are pieces of ancient continent, hundreds of millions of years old; other islands are still growing, and periodic volcanic eruptions give subaerial landforms little chance to develop. Some tropical islands are so high they have ice caps; others are so low they can barely be seen on approach by sea. Some islands are rain-soaked; others sometimes go for years without rain. Prevailing climatic and geological controls produce seemingly infinite permutations and militate against sweeping generalizations. Yet generalize we must to get some appreciation of Pacific Island landscapes. This chapter begins by looking in detail at the principle cause of landscapes diversity in the Pacific Islands, along with some pertinent examples. This is followed by a systematic account of landscapes on distinct island types. The chapter concludes with a discussion of rates of change and two key issues in Pacific Islands landscape study.