Hadhdhunmathee

Hadhdhunmathee
  • ISS011-E-12777
  • 10 September 2005
  • 08:17 UTC

Hadhdhunmathee Atoll (also known as Laamu Atoll), an atoll of the southern Maldives, is located 95 km north — across the One and a Half Degree Channel — from Huvadhoo Atoll and 32 km southeast — across the Velmandu Channel — from Kolhumadulu Atoll. The atoll is approximately oval-shaped, measuring 48 km in length (northeast to southwest) and is up to 35 km across (east to west), covering an area in the region of 1,155 km².

The outer rim of the atoll consists of a series of four large elongated reefs and four smaller reefs, broken by deep passages, that surround a deep central lagoon of up to 73 m in depth. In the northeast a finger-like projection extends from the main atoll ring for 7 km; it is separated from the main lagoon by a ridge and contains several small lagoon basins as well as one of the atoll's largest islands — Isdhoo (at far-right in the above image). Like most Maldivian atolls, its interior lagoon contains numerous smaller reefs — particularly in the south opposite the Hithadhoo and Gaadhoo Passages.

There are 82 islands in total, with all but six of these being located on the eastern and southern sides — the northwest rim is largely composed of submerged reefs flats. The atoll's main islands include: Gan (5.166 km²), Isdhoo (2.937 km²), Hithadhoo (1.065 km²), Kunahandhoo (0.813 km²) and Gaadhoo (0.694 km²). Gan, measuring 6.8 km in length and up to 1.4 km in width, is the not the only the largest island of Hadhdhunmathee Atoll, but also the largest single island of the entire Maldives group of atolls; Isdhoo (4.37 km by 1.525 km) ranks as the fourth largest island. The combined land area of all islands and islets is estimated to be 21.6 km².


image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center

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