Masefau is a village located in the Eastern District of American Samoa, near the villages of Utuloa and Masausi. It is situated along Masefau Bay, on the northeast side of Tutuila Island.
The pillboxes associated with the Masefau Defensive Fortifications, a World War II-era monument, was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2012. [1]
Masefau Bay is located approximately 1.5 miles east of Afono Bay on Tutuila Island. The bay is sheltered on its northwest side by Nuusetoga Island (also known as Bartlett Island), which is connected to the west point of the bay by a reef. A rock protruding above water is situated near Tiapea Point, the eastern boundary of the bay. The inner part of Masefau Bay is fringed by a coral reef, which limits the anchorage area and leaves only a narrow channel for small boats to access the beach. The village of Masefau is situated on the western side of the bay. [2]
The Masefau Dike Complex is a geological feature comprising hundreds of basaltic dikes, ranging from a few centimeters to 2 meters in width. These dikes, which are vesicular, platy, or amygdaloidal, strike N70°E and dip slightly southward. They are among the oldest exposed rocks in the region, believed to be remnants of a volcanic rift zone. The complex is exposed at a cliff near Nuusetoga Island (formerly Bartlett Island), which may represent an eroded fault scarp or sea cliff. The cliff is topped with 3–23 meters of vitric basaltic pumice and cinders, overlaid by aa basalt flows. Geologist Harold Stearns proposed that this area may be part of an eroded caldera wall of an ancient volcano or an early rift zone horst block of the Pago Volcano. Formed at depths of 92–610 meters beneath a volcanic rift zone, the dike complex is intersected by thin, faulted basaltic lava flows dipping 10–20° NW. Repeated dike intrusions likely fractured the rocks, causing brecciated material to settle into the underlying magma chamber. Over time, erosion has removed over 300 meters of overlying lava. [3]
Mangrove forests are found at four locations on Tutuila Island in American Samoa: Masefau, ʻAoa, Nuʻuuli, and Leone. The mangrove forest at Masefau is particularly notable for its unique setting. It is nearly enclosed by a sandy beach ridge and extends approximately 200 meters inland. Although its landform resembles that of coastal marshes, it remains connected to the sea through a stream channel, allowing the tidal inundation essential for the mangrove ecosystem's survival. There is speculation that the beach ridge, on which the village of Masefau is situated, may be partially man-made. [4] [5]
Small numbers of the Black Turtle (Chelonia agassizii) have been recorded within Masefau Bay. [6]
The Samoan Islands are an archipelago covering 3,030 km2 (1,170 sq mi) in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa and most of American Samoa. The land masses of the two Samoan jurisdictions are separated by 64 km of ocean at their closest points.
The National Park of American Samoa is a national park of the United States located in the territory of American Samoa, distributed across four islands: Tutuila, Ofu, Olosega, and Ta‘ū. The park preserves and protects coral reefs, tropical rainforests, fruit bats, and the Samoan culture. Popular activities include hiking and snorkeling. Of the park's 8,257 acres (3,341 ha), 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) is coral reefs and ocean. The park is the only American National Park Service system unit south of the equator.
Tutuila is the largest and most populous island of American Samoa and is part of the archipelago of the Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific. It is located roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) northeast of Brisbane, Australia and lies over 1,200 kilometers (750 mi) to the northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor, Pago Pago Harbor, where Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, is situated. Pago Pago International Airport is also located on Tutuila. The island's land expanse is about 68% of the total land area of American Samoa. With 56,000 inhabitants, it is also home to 95% of the population of American Samoa. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems.
Rainmaker Mountain is the name of a mountain located near Pago Pago, American Samoa on Tutuila Island. Rainmaker Mountain traps rain clouds and gives Pago Pago the highest annual rainfall of any harbor. The average annual rainfall on the mountain is around 200 inches (510 cm). It has a three-pronged summit. Rainmaker Mountain and its base were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972 due to the slopes’ tropical vegetation.
The Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province (NCVP), formerly known as the Stikine Volcanic Belt, is a geologic province defined by the occurrence of Miocene to Holocene volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest of North America. This belt of volcanoes extends roughly north-northwest from northwestern British Columbia and the Alaska Panhandle through Yukon to the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area of far eastern Alaska, in a corridor hundreds of kilometres wide. It is the most recently defined volcanic province in the Western Cordillera. It has formed due to extensional cracking of the North American continent—similar to other on-land extensional volcanic zones, including the Basin and Range Province and the East African Rift. Although taking its name from the Western Cordillera, this term is a geologic grouping rather than a geographic one. The southmost part of the NCVP has more, and larger, volcanoes than does the rest of the NCVP; further north it is less clearly delineated, describing a large arch that sways westward through central Yukon.
Mount Price is a small stratovolcano in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an elevation of 2,049 metres and rises above the surrounding landscape on the western side of Garibaldi Lake in New Westminster Land District. The mountain contains a number of subfeatures, including Clinker Peak on its western flank, which was the source of two thick lava flows between 15,000 and 8,000 years ago that ponded against glacial ice. These lava flows are structurally unstable, having produced large landslides as recently as the 1850s. A large provincial park surrounds Mount Price and other volcanoes in its vicinity. It lies within an ecological region that surrounds much of the Pacific Ranges.
Aunuʻu is a small volcanic island off the southeastern shore of Tutuila in Saʻole County, American Samoa. It has a land area of 374.83 acres, and a 2010 census population of 436 persons. Politically, it is a part of the Eastern District, one of the two primary political divisions of American Samoa.
Fatu Rock is a natural landmark and offshore islet of American Samoa. It is located near the entrance of Pago Pago Harbor, close to the village of Fatumafuti. Fatu and nearby Futi are also known as Flowerpot Rock.
The Milbanke Sound Group, also called the Milbanke Sound Cones, is an enigmatic group of five small basaltic volcanoes in the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. Named for Milbanke Sound, this volcanic group straddles on at least four small islands, including Swindle, Price, Lady Douglas and Lake Island. Not much is known about this group of volcanoes and they remain undated. However, they all likely formed in the past 10,000 years after the last glacial period as evidenced by a small amount of erosion. The age of the most recent volcanic activity is also unknown. Most of the Milbanke Sound Cones are covered by mature forest. Kitasu Hill and Helmet Peak are the only two cones that are officially named.
Volcanic activity is a major part of the geology of Canada and is characterized by many types of volcanic landform, including lava flows, volcanic plateaus, lava domes, cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, submarine volcanoes, calderas, diatremes, and maars, along with less common volcanic forms such as tuyas and subglacial mounds.
Tafuna is a village in Tualauta County, Western District, American Samoa. It is the most populous village in American Samoa, with a population of 7,988 according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
ʻAmanave is a village on the coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located close to the island's western tip, Cape Taputapu, and to the south of the village of Poloa. It is located in Lealataua County.
Alofau is a village on the southeast coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located at the eastern end of Faga'itua Bay, six miles east of Pago Pago, between Pagai and Amouli. It is home to Alofau Village Marine Protected Area. It is an agrarian and traditional village. It is also a poor village with residents with low literacy and high unemployment rates. As of the U.S. Census 2000, the per capita income was $4,357 and 67 percent of children were below the poverty line. 15.6 percent of residents were receiving public assistance. It is lauded as a kava place in the Manu'a Songs. Alofau is located in Sa'Ole County.
The volcanism of Eastern Canada includes the hundreds of volcanic areas and extensive lava formations in Eastern Canada. The region's different volcano and lava types originate from different tectonic settings and types of volcanic eruptions, ranging from passive lava eruptions to violent explosive eruptions. Eastern Canada has very large volumes of magmatic rock called large igneous provinces. They are represented by deep-level plumbing systems consisting of giant dike swarms, sill provinces and layered intrusions. The most capable large igneous provinces in Eastern Canada are Archean age greenstone belts containing a rare volcanic rock called komatiite.
Matafao Peak is a mountain in American Samoa, on the island of Tutuila. With an elevation of 653 metres (2,142 ft), it is the highest peak on Tutuila Island. The mountain, like Rainmaker Mountain across Pago Pago Harbor, is a remnant of a volcanic plug and is part of the volcanic origins of the island. The mountain can be hiked from the high point of the Pago Pago-to-Fagasa Road. It is designated a National Natural Landmark above the 492-foot (150 m) level, an area known as Matafao Peak National Natural Landmark.
Vatia is a village on Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is a north shore village located on Vatia Bay. The road to Vatia, American Samoa Highway 006, is the only road going through National Park of American Samoa. Vatia is a scenic community at the foot of Pola Ridge and surrounded by the national park. It is only reached by Route 6 which traverses the national park before reaching Vatia. There was once a hiking trail over Maugaloa Ridge from Leloaloa, but since the completion of Route 6, this trail is now overgrown. It is home to a beach, and panoramic views of jungle-covered peaks surround the village on all sides. Vatia is the center of the Tutuila-section of National Park of American Samoa. It is located in Vaifanua County.
Tula is a village in the Eastern District of Tutuila Island in American Samoa. Tula is located in Vaifanua County and had a population of 405 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.
South Island, or Hohnel Island, is a fissure-formed volcanic island and the largest one out of 3 other major islands in Lake Turkana, Kenya. This volcano was discovered in 1888 while it was erupting by Count Teleki, a Hungarian explorer who led the first expedition into the region. It is a part of the Lake Turkana National Parks, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Maunganui Bluff is a prominent coastal bluff located on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Northland region. Known locally as The Bluff, it is set in a 495 hectares scenic reserve and rises 459 metres (1,506 ft) above sea level.
Nuusetoga Island is situated along the northern coast of Tutuila Island in American Sāmoa. It forms the western entrance to Masefau Bay, approximately 0.5 miles northeast of the village of Masefau. The island’s geographic coordinates are 14°15'15" S, 170°37'20" W. Historically, the island has also been referred to as Bartlett Islet or Bartlett Island. Nuusetoga Island is a small landform approximately 0.3 miles long. It is connected to the west point of Masefau Bay by a coral reef. The island plays a significant role in narrowing the anchorage in the bay due to the surrounding reefs. The coral reefs around the island create a natural barrier, leaving only a small channel available for boat access to the beach.