Ahe

Ahe, Tuamotu Archipelago

Ahe is a large atoll of the North West Group, making up part of the historical group known as the Îles du Roi Georges (King George Islands) — which also includes the atolls of Manihi, Takapoto, and Takaroa as well as the small island of Tikei. Ahe is located 15 km west from Manihi and 76 km northeast from Arutua.

Measuring around 20 km in length and up to 10 km across, the atoll occupies an area in the region of 183 km². Its reef rim, of 57 km in circumference, contains numerous small motu; the central lagoon covers some 145 km². The large Passe de Tiareroa which connects the lagoon with the open ocean can be seen on the left side of the image.

Like all the atolls of the region, Ahe is a reef-topped seamount (part of the Tuamotu Seamount Trail) that rises sharply from the seabed, which around Ahe is located at a depth of 2,700 m. Ahe is located at the northeastern summit of the seamount; the southwestern end of the seamount is also emergent and is home to the atoll of Manihi. The entire formation is known as the Ahe Seamount and sometimes as the Manihi Seamount. Like several other seamounts that are located north of the main northwest-southeast trending line of the Tuamotu atolls, the Ahe-Manihi seamount is elongated in an atypical southwest to northeast orientation. Other seamounts sharing this orientation include the Takapoto-Takaroa Seamount, the Raroia-Takume Seamount and the Amanu Seamount.

Synonyms: Ahemaru, Ahii, Omaru, Peacock Island

image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center

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