Bikar Atoll
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Map of Bikar Atoll
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 Bikar Atoll
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| Geography | |
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| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 12°14′N 170°08′E / 12.233°N 170.133°E |
| Archipelago | Marshall Islands |
| Total islands | 6 |
| Major islands | 5 |
| Area | 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Bikar Atoll (Marshallese: Pikaar, [pʲi͡ɯɡɑːrˠ]) is an uninhabited atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smallest atolls in the Marshalls and located at 12°14′N 170°08′E / 12.233°N 170.133°E. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bikar has a largely undisturbed flora and fauna that has been allowed to exist in a relatively pristine condition.
It is located 579 kilometres (360 mi) north of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Marshall Islands, 320 kilometres (200 mi) South-southeast of Bokak, and 115 kilometres (71 mi) north of Utirik, the nearest inhabited atoll. The land area is 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi), surrounding a 37.4-square-kilometre (14.4 sq mi) lagoon. It consists of 6 islets.
The approximately diamond-shaped atoll measures up to 13 km north to south and up to 8 km across. Its six islets have a combined land area of less than 0.5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi) and enclose a shallow lagoon of 37 square kilometres (14 sq mi). The surrounding reef is continuous except for one narrow pass located on the western side. The major islets are Bikar, Jabwelo, Almani and Jaboero. Bikar, the largest, reaches a height of 6 meters above sea level.
Based on the results of drilling operations on Enewetak (Eniwetok) Atoll, in the nearby Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands, Bikar may include as much as 4600 feet of reef material atop a basalt rock base. As most local coral growth stops at about 150 feet below the ocean surface, such a massive stony coral base suggests a gradual isostatic subsidence of the underlying extinct volcano, which itself rises 10,000 feet from the surrounding ocean floor. Shallow water fossils taken from just above Enewetak's basalt base are dated to about 55 mya.
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