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The islands of Kinmen National Park are
made up of granitic gneiss. The tallest mountain in the park
is Taiwu Mountain (253 meters) which makes up part of the hilly terrain.
In less hilly areas, flattish plateaus are largely covered by laterite.
Along the coast, the seawater has eroded away the granitic gneiss
forming cliffs and terraces, as well as some well-developed sand
beaches. The alternation of rocky and sandy shores creates rich
and varied coastal scenery.
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Geology
All of the islands and islets of Kinmen are
small in area with lowland terrain, short rivers and a winding coastline.
Kinmen Island has a simple geology. If a line is drawn from
Cyonglin to Shangyi dividing the island into east and west, the
eastern half is mostly comprised of granitic gneiss while the western
half is mostly comprised of laterite.
The eastern half of Kinmen
Island includes Sishan to Taiwu Mountain, which is mostly hilly terrain
made up of ridges of granitic gneiss. The rock types and geological
formations appear to be arranged from northeast to southwest.
The major rock types are biotite and granitic gneiss.
The western half of Kinmen
Island is mostly covered in laterite. The granitic gneiss base
is more or less convex. Only in Gugang and Shueitou on the southwestern
side can granitic gneiss be clearly seen. The remaining area
is comprised of shallow marine sedimentary layers above 60 meters.
These sedimentary rock layers are not completely solid, and include
some mud and loose soil.
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Terrain
Kinmen National Park is
made up of small subtropical islands such as Kinmen Island and Lieyu,
as well as a number of islets. The island terrain is mostly
composed of granitic gneiss with wave-like hills, laterite plateaus
and coastal lowlands. These islands and islets appear like plateaus
jutting out from the water with granite hills on top. The highest
point is Taiwu Mountain at 253 meters.
The terrain of Kinmen Island
and Lieyu can be divided into five types: (1) hills, (2) plateaus,
(3) lowlands and wetlands, (4) bodies of water and (5) sandy beaches
and sand dunes.
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Water Resources
In addition to a small number of natural lakes, the Kinmen area
possesses many artificial dikes and embankments used to create lake
reservoirs. These reservoirs have greatly contributed to the
environment by not only providing water but also by increasing the
sustainability of this area. These reservoirs also provide
good habitats and foraging areas, as well as abundant scenic spots.
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Sand Dunes, Sandy Beaches,
Coast
The islands and islets of Kinmen are surrounded
on all sides by ocean. Sand dunes, sandy beaches and coastline
are important parts of the terrain. In the northeast, southeast
and on Lieyu from northeast to southeast are granite hills that
have been eroded by the seawater to form cliffs or terraces.
Moreover, granitic gneiss veins have appeared due to erosion and
make up the diverse natural terrain of this area.
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Climate
Kinmen and Lieyu border
on mainland China. It is warm in the daytime and cool at night.
The rainy season is from April to August. Yearly rainfall is about
1,000 ml and evaporation level reaches 1,750 ml. The average
yearly temperature is about 21 degrees Celsius. In addition,
there are often strong winds. The climate is influenced by
conditions in southern China and the marine flow, creating cold,
dry winters with much fog in spring. In the summer, although
the climate is affected by the southwestern air mass and typhoons,
there is a strong evaporative effect and weak water collection ability,
so the island conditions are usually dry. In the spring, the heavy
fog can affect plane travel, which also affects tourism.¡@
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