Takume
- ISS006-E-9325
- 16 December 2002
- 17:18 UTC
The atoll of Takume is a member of the Centre East Group of atolls, located 6 km off the northwestern tip of Raroia and 128 km west from Fangatau.
The atoll is elongate in form, measuring some 20 km in length, enclosing a lagoon of 43.5 km² in area. It's southwest to northeast orientation is unusual amongst the Tuamotu atolls — a feature that is also shared with a number of other atolls such as Amanu and Raroia. Most elongate atolls of the archipelago have southeast to northwest orientations. The atoll's numerous small motu have a combined area of 5 km².
Takume is the emergent summit of a twin-peaked seamount that rises some 2,600 m above the surrounding ocean floor. Takume marks the northeastern summit, the larger atoll of Raroua occupies the southwestern summit. Other seamounts with elongated summits that contain two atolls include the Ahe-Manihi and Takapoto-Takaroa seamounts; like the Raroia-Takume seamount, they are orientated southwest to northeast.
image: earth sciences and image analysis laboratory, nasa johnson space center