Long Island (Papua New Guinea)
Long Island (known locally as Pono,[1] and as Arop or Ahrup on the New Guinean mainland) is a populated volcanic island in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea. It is located north of the island of New Guinea, separated from it by the Vitiaz Strait. The island's interior contains a 360m deep freshwater volcanic crater lake and within that lake exists an even smaller island known as Motmot island. During the late 17th or early 18th century virtually all of the biota on the island was destroyed and has subsequently provided scientists a unique opportunity to study recolonization efforts by plants, animals, and humans. The vast majority of the buildings on the island are constructed using vernacular architecture.
| Long Island | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,280 m (4,200 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,280 m (4,200 ft) |
| Coordinates | 5°21′S 147°7′E |
| Geography | |
  Long Island Location in Papua New Guinea | |
| Location | Papua New Guinea |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Complex volcano |
| Last eruption | November 1993 |
Geography
Two stratovolcanoes are located on the island: Mount Reaumur and Cerisy Peak. The summit of the volcanic complex collapsed during at least three major explosive eruptions, about 16,000, 4000, and 300 years ago. These produced a large caldera 10 x 12.5 km in size, now filled with a freshwater crater lake, Lake Wisdom. In 1953-1954 and 1968, volcanic activity created Motmot Island on the crater lake,[2] 200 x 200 m in size. The 1660 eruption was one of the largest in Papua New Guinea's recent history with an estimated air-fall volume in excess of 11 cu km,[3] comparable to the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, but the Global Volcanism Program gives a much higher estimate of 30 cu km. This cataclysmic event prompted legends of a "Time of Darkness".[4] The most recent (and a smaller) eruption occurred in 1993.
Inhabitants
Based upon oral tradition Long Island was inhabited before the last major volcanic eruption that wiped out much of the island's biota. Before the eruption the inhabitants supposedly interpreted a warning signal from the volcano before its eruption and were able to flee to nearby surrounding islands, years later the descendants of the island's original inhabitants would begin a recolonization effort that continues today. Inhabited places on the island include Malala, Bok, Poin Kiau, Kaut, and Matapun with Malala being the original and primary settlement on the island.[5] The local population regularly harvests eggs from three species of sea turtle, these are Eretmochelys imbricata bissa, Chelonia mydas, and less commonly, Dermochelys coriacea.[5]
Languages
The Arop-Lokep language is spoken by the island's inhabitants.
History
Several archaeological sites around the island have been investigated and archeologists believe that the earliest human habitation was sometime around 1000 years ago. Obsidian and pottery fragments from other cultures found within the dig sites provides evidence for the expansive trade networks that the islands inhabitants operated.[6] A single impressive human-like stone carving was discovered near the present-day settlement of Bok, the exact age of which is unknown.[6]
The first sighting by Europeans of Long Island was by the Spanish navigator Iñigo Órtiz de Retes on 12 August 1545 when on board of the carrack San Juan he tried to return from Tidore to New Spain.[7]
Long Island was charted in 1643 by Abel Tasman but he mistook it for part of the New Guinea mainland.
Long Island was utilised as a barge staging area by the Imperial Japanese during World War II. On December 26, 1943, D Company of the 592d Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, 2d Engineer Special Brigade, US Army, landed on Long Island to prepare a radar station as part of the Battle of Cape Gloucester. The Royal Australian Air Force No. 338 Radar Station was set up at Matfum Point and became operational on April 6, 1944, and was to remain until March 1945.
Folklore
Early anthropologists observed that island inhabitants believe in a cargo cult creation myth.[5] A creation story recorded in a 1987 edition of Deutsche Kolonialzeitug (10 (38) N.S.: 379-380) translates accordingly:
"Thereupon it was decided that the young man Mandumba should also have an island. Therefore, sand was also thrown out of the boat on the side where the outrigger was. There the island Mereju (Long Island) rose out of the water. But the young man Mandumba did not understand the speech of the people of Mereju. So, his uncle took a breadfruit seed, roasted this in the fire, and threw it, red-hot, down the throat of Mandumba. The latter jerked his head back and shouted '0 Tenako' and could now understand and speak the language of Mereju."[5]
Folklore relating to the volcanic eruption on Long Island and its subsequent ash fall have been recorded from surrounding areas such as Astrolabe Bay and the Rai Coast.[5] The crater lake which was created by the eruption is also the subject of local folklore. Long islanders are quite superstitious about the lake and will seldom ever approach its shoreline as they believe another, stronger, race of humans lives nearby. Local disappearances are often blamed on these mysterious people.[5]
Flora
Owing to the comparatively arid environment caused by near-constant trade winds and unusually porous soil, researchers often remark on the lack of expected undergrowth compared to other forests in the region.[5] There are currently 305 known vascular plant species on long island of which 32 are pteridophytes and 273 are spermatophytes. 31 different Ficus varieties were present on the island during the latest survey.[8] Barringtonia speciosa is noted to be one of the most abundant trees on the island, likely due to the mechanism and ease in which it's seeds are disseminated.[5]
Fauna
Long island is host to a wide variety of animal species including reptiles, birds, bats, rodents, and populations of feral pigs, cats, dogs, and chickens.[8] The reptile population on long island is considered to be depauperate when compared to other nearby islands and this is often attributed to a relatively dry climate.[8] A species of Cuscus was introduced to the island and is now considered abundant. Within the freshwater of lake wisdom four species of freshwater mollusk can be found, the most common being Melanoides tuberculatus. Two species of frog can be found on the island, these are Litoria infrafrenat and Platymantis papuensi.[8] Crocodiles are often cited as being present in small numbers along the northern shore of Lake Wisdom.[5]
| Species | Count |
|---|---|
| Frog | 2 |
| Crocadile | 1 |
| Snake | 1 |
| Varanid Lizard | 1 |
| Geckos | 5 |
| Skinks | 7 |
| Frogs | 2 |
| Land Birds | 50 |
| Doves | 8 |
| Rats | 2 |
| Bats | 8 |
| fresh-water mollusk | 4 |
Lake Wisdom
Lake Wisdom is a crater lake and it was first discovered by Europeans in 1928.[9] The lake takes it's name from Brigadier General Evan. A. Wisdom, who was the administrator of Papua New Guinea from 1921-1933.[9]
The crater holds water at a much higher level than the surrounding sea water. Aircraft surveying inside the crater with radar altimeters estimate the height of the water to be approximately 600-700' higher than the water outside suggesting there is no channel or means of water transfer to Lake Wisdom.
References
- Specht, Jim; Ball, Eldon E.; Blong, R. J.; Egloff, B. J.; Hughes, Ian M.; McKee, C. O.; Pain, C. F. (1982-07-31). "Long Island, Papua New Guinea: Introduction". Records of the Australian Museum. 34 (6): 407–417. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.34.1982.288. ISSN 0067-1975.
- Specht, J.; et al. (1980). "Long Island, Papua New Guinea: Introduction" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 34 (6): 407–417. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.34.1982.288. Retrieved 2016-04-08.
- Hoffman, G. (Fall 2008). "Volcanic flow deposits on the flanks of Long Island, Papua New Guinea: lavas or pyroclastics?". AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. Harvard. 2008: V11C–2067. Bibcode:2008AGUFM.V11C2067H.
- Blong, Russell J. (1982). Time of Darkness. Canberra: Australian National University Press.
- Ball, Eldon E.; Hughes, Ian M. (1982-07-31). "Long Island, Papua New Guinea: people, resources and culture". Records of the Australian Museum. 34 (10): 463–525. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.34.1982.292. ISSN 0067-1975.
- Egloff, B. J.; Specht, Jim (1982-07-31). "Long Island, Papua New Guinea: aspects of the prehistory". Records of the Australian Museum. 34 (8): 427–446. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.34.1982.290. ISSN 0067-1975.
- Coello, Francisco "Conflicto hispano-alemán" Boletín de Sociedad Geográfica de Madrid, t.XIX. 2º semestre 1885, Madrid, p.371.
- Thornton, Ian W. B. (2003-02-03). "Colonization of an island volcano, Long Island, Papua New Guinea, and an emergent island, Motmot, in its caldera lake. I. General introduction". Journal of Biogeography. 28 (11–12): 1299–1310. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.2001.2811121299.x. ISSN 0305-0270.
- New, Tim (2007), Thornton, Ian; New, Tim (eds.), "Lake Wisdom: a new island of fresh water", Island Colonization: The Origin and Development of Island Communities, Ecological Reviews, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 137–141, ISBN 978-0-521-85484-9, retrieved 2023-04-06
External links
- "Long Island". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
