Keelung Islet
Encyclopedia
Keelung Islet is a small island
located 3.35 km (2.08 mi) northeast of the northern shore of Keelung
, Taiwan
and 4.9 km (3 mi) away from the Port of Keelung
. It has an area of 23.91 ha (59.08 acre). It is 910 m (2,986 ft) in length, and 410 m (1,345 ft) in width including the artificial harbor, the highest point is 182 m (597 ft) above sea level.
In ancient times, the island was seen as a sacred place by locals. It was rumoured that a female ghost named Shih-Yun lived there, to mourn over her husband who died in a shipwreck hundreds of years ago.
In the modern day, the islet is primarily used as a military training base. Since 2001, it has been opened for tourists. Ferry services to the island operate daily from the port of Keelung. There is a small port and a walkway on the island. The island is also popular with the local fishing industry, because of the quantity of fish it attracts in its surrounding sea.
The island is volcanic, part of the Chilung Volcano Group
. It dates from the Pleistocene
period. The eruption was explosive tholeiitic andesite
and dacite
. The main mineral is calcium rich plagioclase
. The magma source is the western extremity of the Ryukyu Volcanic Arc formed when the subducting Philippine Sea Plate was compressed below the edge of the Eurasian Plate at about 20 to 30 km deep. The magma was contaminated with continental crust material. Geochemistry of the rock shows that iron, aluminium, titanium, potassium, rubidium and strontium are enriched, but sodium, magnesium and nickel are impoverished.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
located 3.35 km (2.08 mi) northeast of the northern shore of Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and 4.9 km (3 mi) away from the Port of Keelung
Port of Keelung
The Port of Keelung , also refers to Keelung Harbor, located in the vicinity of Keelung City, Taiwan. It is operated by the Keelung Harbor Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications of The Republic of China.- History :...
. It has an area of 23.91 ha (59.08 acre). It is 910 m (2,986 ft) in length, and 410 m (1,345 ft) in width including the artificial harbor, the highest point is 182 m (597 ft) above sea level.
In ancient times, the island was seen as a sacred place by locals. It was rumoured that a female ghost named Shih-Yun lived there, to mourn over her husband who died in a shipwreck hundreds of years ago.
In the modern day, the islet is primarily used as a military training base. Since 2001, it has been opened for tourists. Ferry services to the island operate daily from the port of Keelung. There is a small port and a walkway on the island. The island is also popular with the local fishing industry, because of the quantity of fish it attracts in its surrounding sea.
The island is volcanic, part of the Chilung Volcano Group
Chilung Volcano Group
Chilung Volcanoes , a group of volcanoes located at northern Taiwan, is just lies on the east of Taipei and Keelung , and adjoins the northern coast of the Taiwan island. It comprises the largest gold-copper deposits of Taiwan....
. It dates from the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
period. The eruption was explosive tholeiitic andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
and dacite
Dacite
Dacite is an igneous, volcanic rock. It has an aphanitic to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. The relative proportions of feldspars and quartz in dacite, and in many other volcanic rocks, are illustrated in the QAPF diagram...
. The main mineral is calcium rich plagioclase
Plagioclase
Plagioclase is an important series of tectosilicate minerals within the feldspar family. Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a solid solution series, more properly known as the plagioclase feldspar series...
. The magma source is the western extremity of the Ryukyu Volcanic Arc formed when the subducting Philippine Sea Plate was compressed below the edge of the Eurasian Plate at about 20 to 30 km deep. The magma was contaminated with continental crust material. Geochemistry of the rock shows that iron, aluminium, titanium, potassium, rubidium and strontium are enriched, but sodium, magnesium and nickel are impoverished.