Pacific OceanUnited States
20°01′N 145°13′E
Maug Islands
Part of Mariana Islands
Maug (from the Chamorro name for the islands, Ma'ok, meaning 'steadfast' or 'everlasting') consists of a group of three small uninhabited islands.
Chart
Overview
Maug (from the Chamorro name for the islands, Ma'ok, meaning 'steadfast' or 'everlasting') consists of a group of three small uninhabited islands. This island group is part of the Northern Islands Municipality of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, itself part of the Marianas archipelago in the Oceanian sub-region of Micronesia.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Census, cataloged
- Major islands3
- Minor islands0
- Islets2
- Rocks & skerries0
Major islands
Maug East Island
- Area
- 0.92 km²
- High point
- 190 m
Maug West Island
- Area
- 0.59 km²
- High point
- 140 m
Maug North Island
- Area
- 0.44 km²
- High point
- 180 m
Islets
- Unnamed island6 m · 0.01 km²
- Unnamed island2 m · 0.1 ha
Figures
Comparative heights
- Maug East: 190 m
- Maug North: 180 m
- Maug West: 140 m
To the same scale
Islands by area
| Maug East Island | 0.92 km² |
| Maug West Island | 0.59 km² |
| Maug North Island | 0.44 km² |
| Unnamed island | 0.01 km² |
| Unnamed island | 0.1 ha |
Photographs
Inside of the caldera is a living laboratory for researchers studying the volcanic gasses released through the floor of the caldera and how they effect the growth of corral.
Approaching East Island, Maug Islands, Northern Mariana Islands. Taken from USCGC Sequoia.
Following the sale of the Northern Marianas by Spain to the German Empire in 1899, the Maug islands were administered as part of German New Guinea. (wikipedia text)
The central volcanic caldera is relatively shallow while the sea floor outside the crater rim plunges many thousands of feet.
Center windshield photo of East Island as we fly south through the crater.
In this photo we have begun our descent to search altitude (200') and are still headed north over North Island. Photo shows the inner caldera side of this rim fragment.
Swimming within the caldera of this geologically active crater is described as similar to swimming through a glass of champaign due to all the venting gases in the sea floor.
North Island as seen from the right front windshield as we enter the caldera itself.
Keeping an eye out for sea birds as well as fishing boats.
Our crew has picked the gap to enter the caldera, and keep a sharp eye out for sailors in need.
Sources
Facts
Photographs
- Maug Island - flying just outside the rim of the caldera - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug East Island. Ian Gable, Iag84 / Public domain
- Maug Island - as seen from Navy P-3 cockpit - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - caldera looking south - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - crossing the threshold of the inner crater - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - as seen from Navy P-3 cockpit on SAR mission. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - central caldera as seen from Navy P-3 cockpit on SAR mission - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - gorgeous day for a SAR mission - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - Hazy weather with strong winds and some seaspray - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - headed for the gap - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - if you look closely you can see fishing boat in lower right of photo - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maug Island - isolated, uninhabited and gorgeous - Spring 1988. Mark Thorngren / CC BY-SA 4.0