Misteriosa Bank
Encyclopedia
The Misteriosa Bank is a submerged bank
or atoll
in the Caribbean Sea
, located at 18°48′N 83°54′W - approximately equidistant from Mexico
(380 km (205.2 nmi)), Honduras
(345 km (186.3 nmi)) and Cuba
(320 km (172.8 nmi)). The bank is 39 km (24.2 mi) long and 3 to 11 km (1.9 to 6.8 mi) wide. The area is 322 km² (124.3 sq mi) [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf]. Immediately south of it is Rosario Bank
. The closest piece of land is the Swan Islands, Honduras
, 140 km (75.6 nmi) to the south and separated from it by the more than 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft)-deep Cayman Trench. The reported depth is 20 metres (65.6 ft) on the average http://www.ussnewjersey.com/voyl_46b.htm or up to 22 metres (72.2 ft), with depths of 14–18 m (45.9–59.1 ft) along the rim [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf], or 12.8–49 m (42–160.8 ft) http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub148/148sec06.pdf. It is part of the Cayman Ridge http://www.bakerelectric.net/cayman%20ISLANDS%20MAIN.htmhttp://www.diveguide.com/caym-info.htm,
A buoy
has been anchored to the seabed of this submerged peak of a sea mountain range that appears to have been claimed by the Principality of New Utopia
. The placing of the buoy was filmed by a German
film crew and broadcast by Arte
television on satellite
.
New Utopia
, maintains no state claims it, and wants to build a kind of microcountry on top of it, using concrete blocks.
's Coral Reefs mentions the Misteriosa Bank as an example of the sharply declining coral reef:
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Bank (topography)
A bank, sometimes referred to as a fishing bank, is an area on the continental shelf which is shallow compared to its surrounding area, such as a shoal or the top of an underwater hill. Somewhat like continental slopes, ocean banks slopes can upwell as tidal and other flows intercept them,...
or atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
in the Caribbean Sea
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
, located at 18°48′N 83°54′W - approximately equidistant from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(380 km (205.2 nmi)), Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
(345 km (186.3 nmi)) and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
(320 km (172.8 nmi)). The bank is 39 km (24.2 mi) long and 3 to 11 km (1.9 to 6.8 mi) wide. The area is 322 km² (124.3 sq mi) [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf]. Immediately south of it is Rosario Bank
Rosario Bank
Rosario Bank is a former atoll in the southern Caribbean Sea, located just south of Misteriosa Bank. It is in Honduras' EEZ....
. The closest piece of land is the Swan Islands, Honduras
Swan Islands, Honduras
The Swan Islands, or Islas Santanilla, are a chain of three islands located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, approximately ninety miles off the coastline of Honduras, with a land area of .-Detailed location and features:...
, 140 km (75.6 nmi) to the south and separated from it by the more than 5000 metres (16,404.2 ft)-deep Cayman Trench. The reported depth is 20 metres (65.6 ft) on the average http://www.ussnewjersey.com/voyl_46b.htm or up to 22 metres (72.2 ft), with depths of 14–18 m (45.9–59.1 ft) along the rim [ftp://rock.geosociety.org/pub/reposit/2001/2001075.pdf], or 12.8–49 m (42–160.8 ft) http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub148/148sec06.pdf. It is part of the Cayman Ridge http://www.bakerelectric.net/cayman%20ISLANDS%20MAIN.htmhttp://www.diveguide.com/caym-info.htm,
A buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
has been anchored to the seabed of this submerged peak of a sea mountain range that appears to have been claimed by the Principality of New Utopia
New Utopia
The Principality of New Utopia is a micronation project established and operated by Lazarus Long .The project was publicised by various media outlets in Europe and the United States. In an article about fake nations, Quatloos.com called "New Utopia" a "fake nation scam"...
. The placing of the buoy was filmed by a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film crew and broadcast by Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
television on satellite
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
.
New Utopia
New Utopia
The Principality of New Utopia is a micronation project established and operated by Lazarus Long .The project was publicised by various media outlets in Europe and the United States. In an article about fake nations, Quatloos.com called "New Utopia" a "fake nation scam"...
, maintains no state claims it, and wants to build a kind of microcountry on top of it, using concrete blocks.
Charles Darwin
Charles DarwinCharles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
's Coral Reefs mentions the Misteriosa Bank as an example of the sharply declining coral reef:
- "Besides the coast-banks, there are many of various dimensions which stand quite isolated; these closely resemble each other, they lie from two or three to twenty or thirty fathoms [4 to 55 m] under water, and are composed of sand, sometimes firmly agglutinated, with little or no coral; their surfaces are smooth and nearly level, shelving only to the amount of a few fathoms, very gradually all round towards their edges, where they plunge abruptly into the unfathomable sea. This steep inclination of their sides, which is likewise characteristic of the coast-banks, is very remarkable: I may give as an instance, the Misteriosa Bank, on the edges of which the soundings change in 250 fathoms [460 m] horizontal distance, from 11 to 210 fathoms [20 to 380 m]..."
External links
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