Muirfield Seamount
Encyclopedia
The Muirfield Seamount is a submarine mountain
located in the Indian Ocean
approximately 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) southwest of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
. The Cocos Islands are an Australian territory, and therefore the Muirfield Seamount is within in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ). The Muirfield Seamount is a submerged archipelago
, approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) in diameter and 16–18 m (52.5–59.1 ft) below the surface of the sea. A 1999 biological survey of the seamount performed by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) revealed that the area is depauperate.
The Muirfield Seamount was discovered accidentally in 1973 when the cargo ship MV Muirfield (a merchant vessel named after Muirfield, Scotland
) was motoring in waters charted at a depth of greater than 5000 metres (16,404 ft), when she suddenly struck an unknown object, resulting in extensive damage to her keel
. In 1983, HMAS Moresby
, a Royal Australian Navy
survey ship, surveyed the area where Muirfield was damaged, and charted in detail this previously unsuspected hazard to navigation
.
The dramatic accidental discovery of the Muirfield Seamount is often cited as an example of limitations in the vertical datum accuracy of some offshore areas as represented on nautical charts
, especially on small-scale
charts. A similar incident involving a passenger ship occurred in 1992 when the Cunard
liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
struck a submerged rock off Block Island
in the Atlantic Ocean
. More recently, in 2005 the submarine USS San Francisco (SSN-711)
ran into an uncharted seamount about 560 kilometers (350 statute miles) south of Guam at a speed of 35 kn (42.6 mph; 68.6 km/h), sustaining serious damage and killing one seaman.
Seamount
A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface , and thus is not an island. These are typically formed from extinct volcanoes, that rise abruptly and are usually found rising from a seafloor of depth. They are defined by oceanographers as...
located in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
approximately 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) southwest of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Territory of the Cocos Islands, also called Cocos Islands and Keeling Islands, is a territory of Australia, located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka....
. The Cocos Islands are an Australian territory, and therefore the Muirfield Seamount is within in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
(EEZ). The Muirfield Seamount is a submerged archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
, approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) in diameter and 16–18 m (52.5–59.1 ft) below the surface of the sea. A 1999 biological survey of the seamount performed by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia...
(CSIRO) revealed that the area is depauperate.
The Muirfield Seamount was discovered accidentally in 1973 when the cargo ship MV Muirfield (a merchant vessel named after Muirfield, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) was motoring in waters charted at a depth of greater than 5000 metres (16,404 ft), when she suddenly struck an unknown object, resulting in extensive damage to her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
. In 1983, HMAS Moresby
HMAS Moresby (1963)
HMAS Moresby, named for the explorer Captain John Moresby, was a hydrographic survey ship of the Royal Australian Navy . Serving in the RAN from 1964 to 1999, Moresby was then sold into civilian service...
, a Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
survey ship, surveyed the area where Muirfield was damaged, and charted in detail this previously unsuspected hazard to navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
.
The dramatic accidental discovery of the Muirfield Seamount is often cited as an example of limitations in the vertical datum accuracy of some offshore areas as represented on nautical charts
Nautical chart
A nautical chart is a graphic representation of a maritime area and adjacent coastal regions. Depending on the scale of the chart, it may show depths of water and heights of land , natural features of the seabed, details of the coastline, navigational hazards, locations of natural and man-made aids...
, especially on small-scale
Level of measurement
The "levels of measurement", or scales of measure are expressions that typically refer to the theory of scale types developed by the psychologist Stanley Smith Stevens. Stevens proposed his theory in a 1946 Science article titled "On the theory of scales of measurement"...
charts. A similar incident involving a passenger ship occurred in 1992 when the Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
struck a submerged rock off Block Island
Block Island
Block Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. More recently, in 2005 the submarine USS San Francisco (SSN-711)
USS San Francisco (SSN-711)
USS San Francisco , a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, is the third ship or boat of the United States Navy to be named for San Francisco, California.-History:...
ran into an uncharted seamount about 560 kilometers (350 statute miles) south of Guam at a speed of 35 kn (42.6 mph; 68.6 km/h), sustaining serious damage and killing one seaman.
See also
- Jasper SeamountJasper SeamountJasper Seamount is a seamount located in the Fieberling-Guadalupe seamount track, west of Baja California, Mexico. Jasper is the site of detailed geophysical geological and geochemical studies which suggest that many seamounts, big and small, follow the same pattern of growth and death that was...
- Graveyard SeamountsGraveyard SeamountsThe Graveyard Seamounts are a series of 28 small seamounts and ediffices located on the Chatham Rise, east of New Zealand. They cover about , and stand out from the surrounding oceanic plateau that measures several hundred kilometers...
- Mud volcanoMud volcanoThe term mud volcano or mud dome are used to refer to formations created by geo-excreted liquids and gases, although there are several different processes which may cause such activity. Hot water mixes with mud and surface deposits. Mud volcanoes are associated with subduction zones and about 700...
- Sedlo SeamountSedlo SeamountSedlo Seamount is an isolated seamount and underwater volcano located in the Northeast Atlantic, northeast of Graciosa Island. It has an elongate structure, roughly . The summit is flat with three peaks. Sedlo Seamount sits on the ocean floor deep, and rises to within of the surface...
- South Chamorro SeamountSouth Chamorro SeamountSouth Chamorro Seamount is a large serpentinite mud volcano and seamount located in the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc, one of 16 such volcanoes in the arc. These seamounts are at their largest in diameter and in height...
External links
- http://www.marine.csiro.au/nationalfacility/franklin/plans/2001/fr07_99.html, a summary of the 1999 CSIRO Franklin voyage that included a survey of the Muirfield Seamount.