Koniuji Island
Encyclopedia
Koniuji Island is one of the Andreanof Islands
subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska
, USA. It lies northwest of Atka Island
and east of Kasatochi Island
. Koniuji Island has a land area of 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km² or 236 acre
s) and is uninhabited.\
On all sides of Koniuji Island except the south and southeast, the shoreline is sheer and precipitous, rising to two sharp summits of 896 feet and 790 feet. The south side of the island, above lower bluffs at the shore, slopes gradually to a ridge about 0.2 mile N and drops off again into a ravine that passes through the island at some elevation. The slope up from the south side is grass covered. The northwest end of the island is a low, flat, rocky point about 200 yards long. An extensive kelp patch extends from the south of the island. Also, in the summer, heavy kelp is found along and well off the western shore.
Compass reading differences of as much as 10° from the normal variation have been observed on Koniuji Island and as much as 7° at a distance of 2 miles in all directions around the island.
Koniuji Island is emergent top of a mostly submarine volcano. Little is known of the geologic history of this volcano. Reports of eruptive activity may be erroneous and are considered to refer to eruptions of Kasatochi volcano to the west.
Koniuji Island provides nesting habitat for close to 300,000 seabirds. Around 70% are Fork-tailed Storm-petrels and 17% are Leach's Storm-petrel. There are also large numbers of the Ancient Murrelet and the Whiskered Auklet that nest on Koniuji. These four species breed on Koniuji Island in numbers that exceed 1% of their total global populations.
A 1998 survey found these birds on Koniuji during the breeding season:
Andreanof Islands
The Andreanof Islands are a group of islands in the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. They are located between Amchitka Pass and the Rat Islands group to the west, and Amukta Pass and the Islands of Four Mountains group to the east, at about 52° North and 172°57' to 179°09' West. The islands...
subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, USA. It lies northwest of Atka Island
Atka Island
Atka Island is the largest island in the Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The island is east of Adak Island. It is long and wide with a land area of , making it the 22nd largest island in the United States. The northeast of Atka Island contains the Korovin volcano which...
and east of Kasatochi Island
Kasatochi Island
Kasatochi Island also known as Kasatochi volcano is an active stratovolcano and one of the Andreanof Islands subgroup of the Aleutian Islands of southwestern Alaska, USA.-Geography:...
. Koniuji Island has a land area of 0.37 sq mi (0.95 km² or 236 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) and is uninhabited.\
On all sides of Koniuji Island except the south and southeast, the shoreline is sheer and precipitous, rising to two sharp summits of 896 feet and 790 feet. The south side of the island, above lower bluffs at the shore, slopes gradually to a ridge about 0.2 mile N and drops off again into a ravine that passes through the island at some elevation. The slope up from the south side is grass covered. The northwest end of the island is a low, flat, rocky point about 200 yards long. An extensive kelp patch extends from the south of the island. Also, in the summer, heavy kelp is found along and well off the western shore.
Compass reading differences of as much as 10° from the normal variation have been observed on Koniuji Island and as much as 7° at a distance of 2 miles in all directions around the island.
Koniuji Island is emergent top of a mostly submarine volcano. Little is known of the geologic history of this volcano. Reports of eruptive activity may be erroneous and are considered to refer to eruptions of Kasatochi volcano to the west.
Koniuji Island provides nesting habitat for close to 300,000 seabirds. Around 70% are Fork-tailed Storm-petrels and 17% are Leach's Storm-petrel. There are also large numbers of the Ancient Murrelet and the Whiskered Auklet that nest on Koniuji. These four species breed on Koniuji Island in numbers that exceed 1% of their total global populations.
A 1998 survey found these birds on Koniuji during the breeding season:
| Glaucous-winged Gull | 300 |
| Black-legged Kittiwake | 2,246 |
| Red-legged Kittiwake | 28 |
| Common Murre | 449 |
| Thick-billed Murre | 1,299 |
| Pigeon Guillemot | 62 |
| Ancient Murrelet | 10,000 |
| Parakeet Auklet | 300 |
| Crested Auklet | 300 |
| Whiskered Auklet | 200 |
| Least Auklet | 2,000 |
| Horned Puffin | 200 |
| Tufted Puffin | 20,000 |
| Leach's Storm-Petrel | 50,000 |
| Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel | 200,000 |
External links
- Koniuji Island Photos Photos from Koniuji Island, July 2008