How Are New Islands Formed?

Piper (age 7) asked,

“How are new islands formed?”

That’s a great question!

An island is a body of land surrounded on all sides by water. Islands can be found in any body of water, including oceans, rivers, and lakes. There are six main kinds of islands that can form. Read about each of them below.

Oceanic

Oceanic (oh-shee-A-nuhk) islands are found at the top of underwater volcanoes. These types of islands are formed when an underwater volcano erupts and pushes the ocean floor upward above sea level. The Hawaiian Islands are an example of oceanic islands.

Continental

Continental islands are part of nearby continents. These islands are formed when valleys near the coast are flooded and land with higher elevation pokes out above the water. Greenland and Madagascar are both continental islands.

Coral

Coral islands form in tropical areas where there are coral reefs. They are formed when coral dies and more coral grows on top. When the coral piles up, creating a land mass that rises above sea level, an island is formed. In the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a chain of about 1,200 small coral islands.

Tidal

Tidal islands are connected to mainlands by a low-elevation piece of land. During high tide each day—when the water in the ocean is at its highest—the connected piece of land becomes covered by water, leaving an island. At low tide—when the water in the ocean is at its lowest—the water recedes, and the connected piece of land is not underwater. Penguin Island, off the coast of Perth, Australia, is a tidal island. The little island is home to a colony of 120 penguins.

Barrier

Barrier islands are thin, long strips of land that are parallel (in the same direction) to the mainland. These strips of land are formed when waves and currents deposit sand and sediment (solid material that is moved and deposited in a new location) over and over. The Outer Banks, off the coast of North Carolina, are considered barrier islands.

Artificial

Artificial islands are man-made, instead of naturally formed like the other kinds of islands. In Osaka, Japan, an island in the middle of Osaka Bay was created for Kansai International Airport.

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