Ciporan Island
Ciporan Island (Chinese：奚卜蘭島), also referred to as Shiqiu Island[1] and historically as Benten Island[2] during the Japanese occupation, is an island located at the mouth of the Xiuguluan River[3] in Gangkou and Jingpu villages of Fengbin Township,[4][5] Hualien County,[6] Taiwan. The island covers an area equivalent to approximately half a football field.[7] Although Ciporan Island has long been subjected to erosion by seawater and river currents,[8] its composition of volcanic breccia[9] has given it a very hard geological structure, allowing it to stand firm over time.[10] On the eastern side of Ciporan Island, the combined effects of seawater erosion and crustal uplift have created two marine abrasion platforms,[11] featuring sea cave landscapes.[12] Ciporan Island is also part of the Huadong Coastal Reserve.[13]
Geography
[edit]Isolated at the mouth of the Xiuguluan River, Ciporan Island's geography and geology are notable. It is composed of volcanic breccia from the Duluan Mountain formation,[14] resulting in its prominent and rugged terrain due to the hardness of the rock.[15]