S.

5 Geography Field Trip

Report
{Sharp Island }

By : Simrandeep Kaur 5M (25)

Contents

Introduction
deposition landform
weathering process

Land form features

Volcanic breccia
Rhyolite
Tuff and Tuffite
Quartz monzonite

Reflection

Introduction to Sharp Island

2,000 metres off Sai Kung Pier
Shape: long,narrow,extending some 2,500 metres long
and about 500 metres wide from east to west
Highest point : 136 metres above sea level
Geological age : Early cretaceous period (about 140
million years old)
Depositional landform : Tombolo
Formation of Tombolo :
Relative motion of sea currents pushes coastal sand or
gravel to the shore, eventually forming a tombolo,which
connects two islands. This landform is usually found in
narrow sea channels. The submerged in water at high
tide, the sand strip is only visible when tides goes out.

 Weathering process

Land forms
1. Volcanic breccia
Colour : White/ Grey
Minerals : angular volcanic fragments (
content )

silica

Formation : By violent volcanic eruption, formed by

extrusive vulcanivity.Rocks fell near the caldera and
cool and consolidated to volcanic breccias.

2. Rhyolite
Colour : Brick red (traces of lava flow )
Minerals :

silica content

Formation : It is formed by silica lava which is

extruded onto the ground surface during a volcanic
eruption. It cools and consolidates to form a rock.]

3.1 Tuff
Colour : Grey
Minerals :

silica content ; volcanic ash

Formation : Volcanic ash and fragment are

deposited in lowland waters and solidify into tuffite.
3.2 Tuffite
Colour : Grey
Minerals :

silica content ; Volcanic ash

Formation : Tuff is formed by solidification of

buried volcanic ash while tuffite is formed by water
sedimentation.

4.Quartz Monzonite
Colour : Salmon-coloured
Minerals : Feldspar and Quartz
Formation : formed by intrusive vulcanicity.As
magma slowly rise from the depths of the crust, a
small amount intrudes along fissures. It cools down
and solidifies to crystallise.

Reflection
On the 18th of March, our geography class went to Sharp Island
in Sai Kung.Why Sharp Island ? This is actually because it is well
known as a memory of volcanic lava flows and it has a lot of
different types of rocks. Some examples of such volcanic rocks
are volcanic breccia,rhyolite,tuff,tuffite and also quartz
monzonite.
Most of their formation occurs when violent volcanic eruptions.
This is called extrusive vulcanicity for many of the rock types
found on the island. Except quartz monzonite which is formed by
intrusive vulcanicity when magma rises from the cracks
underground. Not only can these rock types be distinguished from
their formations but also their colours and the minerals they
contain. Volcanic breccia and tuff are relatively grey while
rhyolite and quartz monzonite are darker in colour. Most of them
have high silica content and quartz monzonite also contain
feldspar and quartz .
Other than the variety of rocks, Sharp Island is another special
coastal feature. It is a tombolo.The formation is known as
sediment deposition. Sea currents and wave cause coastal sand
and gravel to push towards the shore.Then,a tombolo is found in
narrow sea channels. If there is a high tide, the tombolo is easily
submerged under the sea.However,if there is a low tide, then the
tombolo is visible.
This activity has aroused my interest in studying rocks, not only
through learning inside classroom but also outside. Hong Kong
actually has many interesting features but are needed to be
discovered !