Geology topics

J. E. Hoffmeister

Publications and source records attributed to J. E. Hoffmeister.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1948

Reefs of Bikini, Marshall Islands

Systematic surveys made at Bikini before and after the atomi bomb tests (Operation Crossroads) in the summer of 1946 afforded an unusual opportunity to examine the reefs and islands of one of the larger atolls of Micronesia. The existing reef appears to be developed on an older surface that extends as a terrace into the lagoon and beyond the seaward margin of the reef. A sketch map shows the distribution of the terraces in relation to the existing reefs. Reef zonation is briefly described, and a classification of reef types based upon the characteristics of the marginal zone is presented. Illustrations are given from Bikini's reefs and those of near-by atolls. A sketch map shows the distribution of the reef types at Bikini relative to prevailing winds and currents. The processes of reef growth and unusual areas wherein the existing reef appears to be undergoing destruction are also described and figured.

Bikini Reefs↗

USGS1945

Solution effects on elevated limestone terraces

Limestone terraces on a number of islands in the southwest Pacific show a well-developed wall or rampart along their seaward edges that apparently is formed by solution. Such rimmed terraces resemble, on a much enlarged scale, the solution facets developed on flat-lying joint blocks of limestone, recently described by Smith and Albritton (1941). In an attempt to check the interpretation of field observations, a rimmed facet was produced experimentally in the laboratory. The artificial structure appears to be very similar to the natural facets on joint blocks and in many ways closely resembles the much larger rimmed terraces of the Pacific islands. It is believed that rimmed terraces with a profile similar to that of the island of Eua, Tonga, indicate island uplift accompanied by tilting. © 1945, The Geological Society of America, Inc.

Geological Society of America Bulletin↗