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ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN No. 50 Geology of Kapingamarangi Atoll

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ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN No. 50 Geology of Kapingamarangi Atoll ATOLL RESEARCH BULLETIN - No. 50 Geology of Kapingamarangi Atoll, Caroline Islands by Edriin D. PIcKee THE PACIFIC SCIENCE BOARD National Academy of Sciences--Natianal.Research Council Washiii&ton,. D. C. June 30, 1956 .Page Introduction ............................................... 1 Acknovledgriients ........................................... 1 Atoll fra~nework............................................ Geology of the islands ................................... Character of islaxis .................................. Sedimentary rocks ..................................... Lagoon beaches and bars ................................ Sear.iard beaches ....................................... Ragart and rampart wash ............................... Migration of islands ................................. Problem of Xapingamararigi eachroclr. .................. Petrology ................................................ Sediments ............................................. Sedimentary rocks ..................................... Soils ..................................................... General statement ..................................... Parent materials ...................................... Alteration processes .................................. Eelation of soil to posi-ti03 on is:.and ................ DevelopneilL of p11osphor.i-ie ................................ Ground water .............................................. Generai features ...................................... Objectives of investigatioi? ........................... Methods of si;udy ..................................... Depth to ground water ............................... Variations in water level ............................. La!: in rise and fall of g~ound7.iater ................... Relative permeability of seaj.riier~tarymateri.als ........ Effects of island size on leiis ........................ Quali-ty of the ground water ........................... Near-shore currents ...................................... Sedimenta-tion in the lagoon ............................... Geology of the patch reefs ................................ References ci,ted .......................................... Figure 1. Geologic map of Torongahai Island .............. 2 . Geologic map of Ringwtoru and Rikwnanu Islands .. 3- Geolagic map of Nunalrita Island ................. li . Geologic map of Werua Island ................... 5 . Geologic map of Taringa Island ................. 6. Geologic Map, of' Matiro 1sl.arld .................. 7. Geologic map of Matulietuke Island .............. 8 . Geologic map of Hare Island .................... 9 Geologic map of Pmatahati Island .............. 1.0 . Geologic ma2 of Natukerekere Island ............ 11 . Erofiles of lagoon beaches and distribution of beach sediment ................................ Page Figure 12, 'Iypical soil profi.les in test pl.ts on Ringui;oru end k'umatahat,i ................................ lac 13. Typical soil profiles in test pits on Riirvmanu, Pwakahi and Tokmgo 1sl.aniis ................. 1.8d 1.4. Lithology and water leveis in wells on 'l'aringa Island ........................................ 22a 15. Lithclogy and water leyels in wells on Werua Island ........................................ 22b 1.6s. Tide and well. fluctuations, , Taringa Island, June 23-24, 1954.. .................................. 26a 16b. Tide and weli fluctutitions, , Taringa Island, July 30-31, 1954 .................................... 26b 16c. Tide and well fluctuations, Taringa Island, Aug. 20-21, 19jk .................................... 26~ 17a. Tide and .*r,ell ,fluc,tuations, hTerua Isl.ar.d, J-me 23-%!$, 1954 ................................... 26d l.7b. Tide arid well flccixations, Werua Island, July 30-3i, 1954 ................................... 26e 172. 'I'icle and well fluctuations, Werua Island, Aug. 20-21, 1954 .................................. 26r :1.8a. Tide tiad :re].:. fluctutitions, Hukuniu arid. ParaIrahi IsleLs, July 30-31, 1954 ...................... 26g 18b. Tide and well fluctuations, Xuiruniu and Parakahi Islets, Auk:. 20-21, 1951: ...................... 26h 19 Near-shore currerits of two soutlie:rn, ixo eastern ana one nort;?ern islands of KapYngarnarar.gi .... 28a 20. Near-shore currents of two eastern and two norther;l islai~dsof Kapingmarangi ............ 28'0 21. Sections across lagoon, ver-tical exagzeration approximately X30 ............................ 30a 22. Offshore profiies, eas.t and south sections of atoll arid distribution of bottom sedjments .... 3Ob 23,. Profiles of Ivianin patch reef .................... 3Oc 24. lso~oathiclines of Kapingamarangi Ato1.l comgiled from data on U, S. Navy Hydrographic Cha,r-t 6042 306 25. Relative proportions of princlpal ty~esof sediment at 5-root depth intervals as determined by sampling .................................... Fieid sketches of patch reefs showing dist-ibution of sediments and corals ........................ Table 1. Characteristics of lagoon beaches ................. 2. Distribution and characteristics of ramparts and rampart wash .................................... 3. Mineral composition of Kapingamarangi sediments as determined by X-ray diffraction pa-tterns ..... 4. Elements in Kapingamarangi soils determined by semiquantitative spectrographic method .......... -.--Page Table 5. Runice analyses; elements determined by semi- qua.ntj.ta-Live syec'irogra;~hic method ............. 1% 6. Percentages of apatite as deterinined by X-yay diffraction analyses ........................... 21 7. hal~pesof' %rater. samples fro^:! test wlls and comparative data for normal sea water .......... 27 8. Depth (in feet) of :.agoon floor surro~.urdir~gMmirl patch reef ..................................... 311. 9. Some characteristic coi-a1 assemblages on Kzplnga- lnarangiAtol1 .................................. 35 10. Thickness (in inches) of sand accumulations on patch reef ..................................... 35 Kapingamaraiigi Atoll is located at .the southerrmost end of the Caroline .roup of islmds, slightly rimre than 1' north of the i$quatf>i.. It is about k10 miles s0xthcas.t of Tnk and 350 mlles novth of I?a'uaul im New Bribain. This isolated atoll surromds a lagoon al>out 6 miZes across fzom ex-l; to xest and slightly less ffora nwth to south. It is inhabited by 1125Po!.ynesians (19511), mos-t of vhom live on Timhou and Werua islands on the eastern side. DE.GR~~Sof geographic setting, cl.ima:te, and general e:ivix-o~:~e~~thilve been treatec?. H. J. %icw so will not be iacluried hwe. This report on the gectlogy of Ihpingamar'angi Atoll covers prelimi.riary resul", ffr~ilfield investiga%ioi:s conciuc'ted during late Jwe, J,and AU- gust of 1954 and lzi~oratolyexamination of specimens made duri??~-the winter of 1951!-1955. Much attention has been devsted to stuiies of the islands, with special emphasis oil the classificaticn of sedimeuts an& sedimentary rocks, the occurrence %,id. behavior of grouiXl ::ater, and. the distribu-tion of soils. De- tailed stu6i.c~also were made of -t;ile processes of seiliinen-tation that curreiltly are qerating bot;h oa the reef &id in the lagoon. These s-Ludies incl.uded the making of deta5.3.ed aina,lyses of beach aad bar str~ctures,the recor::stru.ction of reef acd offshore profiles, and the sysi,ema-ti2 sampling of the lagoon floor. Termiiiology med in this report folio>~s,in general, that reconumnded by Trace:? and othe;s (1995) in their receiit paier tl-iled "Conspicuous features of organic ~eefs." The terra "atoll" is useu for the peri;3lieral reef arid everythiiig ~rithii~it. The upper surface of the peripheral reef, except where covered by islands, is refened to as the reef flat. Small reefs within the lagoon, icdiaritis that heve been ca1l.ed patch reefs, small table reefs, reef knolls ma reef pinriacles, are discussed under the ger.ei-al desig- nation of patch reef. Dense growths of staghorn or branchinl: corals are re- ferred to as t1iic;rets. Other terms for geomorphic and organic features are expl.ained in the text wherever thcir meaning is not apparent. The geokogical iilvestigation described in this repa?t ms conducted as part of a project of Vne Pacific 'Science B0ar.d of the NzrLiona!. Hesearch Coun- cil and ?!as supported 'oy funds from the Office of' Naval Research through its contrac-t Wronr-29104 ('NR ,388 001) with the PJaational Acade~~yof Scimces. The U. S. Navy Depa.rtment aild the ~MiliiaryAir Transport Service furnished trans- portation to aiid from the atoll and the Navy Department assistea greatlf by supplying many items of equipment. The Civil Administi,ative staff of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was helpful in milily vays . Many thanks are due Harold Coolidge, Lenore Smi:th,and Ercestine Akers of the Pacific Science Board for the help t,hat they renaered. the party. Ap- preciation is also e,upressed to iienneth P. &lory of the Bishop hiuseurn in Honolulu for his briefings on the atoll and its inhabitan-& and for personal introduction to its peop2.e. Preston Cloud and Joshla Tracey of the U. S. Geological Survey \,rere both extremely helnful with sugges-tioils for the work and with the loan of scj.enti.fic equi-gme;i,t. My associates in the field. pazty were Cadet Iiand, Robert R. EIarry, Id. Jar1 Newhouse, William Niering, and H. J. Wierls, all of whom cortributed in various ways totrard the developmer-t of this report. The base maps of the islads prepared by Wiens were especialiy important in carrying out a gen- logical nrogram arrd the assistaxe of Niering in soil. studies
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