Bokak Atoll
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Map of Bokak
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 Bokak Atoll
Bokak Atoll (Marshall islands)
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| Geography | |
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| Location | North Pacific |
| Coordinates | 14°32′N 169°00′E / 14.533°N 169.000°E |
| Archipelago | Ratak |
| Total islands | 10 |
| Major islands | 6 |
| Highest elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Administration | |
Bokak Atoll (Marshallese: Bokaak or Bok-ak, [pˠʌ͡ɔɡʷɑ̯ɑk]) or Taongi Atoll is an uninhabited coral atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands, located in the North Pacific Ocean at 14°32′N 169°00′E / 14.533°N 169.000°E. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bokak has an undisturbed flora and fauna that has been allowed to exist in a pristine condition.
It is located 685 km (426 mi) north of Majuro Atoll, the capital of the Marshall Islands, and 280 km (170 mi) northeast of Bikar Atoll, the closest atoll, making it the most northerly and most isolated atoll of the country. Wake Island is 348 mi (560 km) north-northwest. The land area is 3.2 km2 (1.2 sq mi), and the lagoon measures 78 km2 (30 sq mi). It consists of 36 islets. The total area is 129 km2 (50 sq mi) (including reef flat).
The atoll is roughly crescent-shaped, measuring about 18 km (11 mi) by 9 km (5.6 mi), and oriented in a north-south direction. The atoll reef is unbroken except for a 20 m (66 ft) wide channel in the west. Ten islets lie on the eastern and southeastern reef. The more important named islets, from north to south, are North Island, Kamwome, Bwdije, Sibylla, Bokak, and Bwokwla. Sibylla is the largest, measuring approximately 7.2 km (4.5 mi) in length and up to 305 m (334 yd) in width. Kamwome Islet to the north-east of Sibylla is the second largest, while Bokak (Taongi), after which the atoll is named, lies to the south of Sibylla. Based on the results of drilling operations on Enewetak (Eniwetok) Atoll, in the nearby Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands, Bokak may include as much as 1,400 m (4,600 ft) of reef material atop a basalt rock base. As most local coral growth stops at about 45 m (148 ft) below the ocean surface, such a massive stony coral base suggests a gradual isostatic subsidence of the underlying extinct volcano, which itself rises 3,000 m (9,800 ft) from the surrounding ocean floor. Shallow water fossils taken from just above Enewetak's basalt base are dated to about 55mya.
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