Mauritius and Réunion
The Mascarene Islands, Mauritius and Réunion, are the largest and youngest islands associated with the Mascarene Plateau, rising 21,300 ft (6,500 m) above the sea floor. Like the older banks of the plateau to the northeast and the Rodrigues Ridge to the east, they are volcanic in origin, having formed above a deep mantle hotspot. After the Deccan Traps eruption, the Réunion Hotspot continued to punch through the crust as India moved north, leaving a trail of volcanic structures across the ocean floor, including the Laccadive and Maldive islands and the Chagos Bank on the other side of the Mid-Indian Ridge. Réunion’s main peak, Piton de la Fournaise, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
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- Type Volcanic islands
- Area 1,800 square miles (4,550 square km)
- Number of Islands 2
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