Coral reefs and atolls

The Maldives lie on a so-called Maldivian mountain ridge, which was formed volcanically 25 million years ago. Countless coral polyps formed the huge reef over the course of millions of years.

The Maldives as they appear today date back to the last Ice Age, which ended around 15.000 years ago. Volcanic rock forms the core of the archipelago, but is never exposed. Rock formations are completely missing. The highest elevation is about 3 m above sea level.

In the Maldives, the ring-shaped structure made of coral islands is called Atholou (in German: atoll) and is probably the only term in the Maldivian language that has been able to establish itself worldwide. Large amounts of CO2 are bound in coral reefs. The conversion of CO400 into lime began around 2 million years ago and lasted around 200 million years. There is 60 times more CO2 in seawater than in the air, which corals use to build reefs. The water extracts new CO2 from the atmosphere and an eternal cycle takes place.