Katiu
- ISS010-E-5452
- 29 October 2004
- 19:52 UTC
Katiu is a medium-sized atoll formation of the central Tuamotu Archipelago, located within the Centre West Group of atolls. It is a member of the twin chains of closely spaced atolls that run northwest to southeast through the northwestern and central regions of the archipelago. The large elongate atoll of Makemo is located 25 km to the southwest and the smaller atolls of the Raevski group (Hiti, Tuanake, and Tepoto Sud) are found between 13 km (Hiti) and 30 km (Teopto Sud) to the south.
The atoll measures 27 km in length with a maximum width of 13 km; it has a total area of some 235 km². The western rim of the atoll, with the exception of a few small islets, consists primarily of a continuous reef crest that is submerged or awash. The narrow eastern rim, in contrast, is topped by a series of elongate, vegetated motu with a land area of around 3 km².
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center