Porcupine Seabight
Encyclopedia
The Porcupine Seabight is a deep-water basin in the Porcupine Bank
in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean
. It lies southwest of Ireland
and is approximately 180 nautical miles (north-south axis) by 100 nautical miles (east-west axis). The feature is shaped roughly like an amphitheatre
with the deepest point (approximately 3000 metres) lying to the southwest. Beyond the deepest point and southwest of the Porcupine Bank lies the Porcupine Abyssal Plain
.
The basin lent its name to Operation Seabight
, an Irish drug bust in November 2008.
Porcupine Bank
Porcupine Bank is an area of the Irish shelf approximately west of Ireland. The relatively raised area of seabed lies between the deep-water Porcupine Seabight and Rockall Trough....
in the northeastern 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...
. It lies southwest of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and is approximately 180 nautical miles (north-south axis) by 100 nautical miles (east-west axis). The feature is shaped roughly like an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
with the deepest point (approximately 3000 metres) lying to the southwest. Beyond the deepest point and southwest of the Porcupine Bank lies the Porcupine Abyssal Plain
Porcupine Abyssal Plain
The Porcupine Abyssal Plain , located in international waters, is adjacent to the Irish continental margin. The PAP lies beyond the Porcupine Bank's deepest point and is southwest of it. It is a muddy seabed, with scattered abyssal hills that covers an area approximately half the size of Europe's...
.
The basin lent its name to Operation Seabight
Operation Seabight
Operation Seabight, or Sea Bight, is the codename used to describe the tracking and eventual seizure of up to €750 million of cocaine off the Irish coast in November 2008, originally thought to have been the largest such haul in the history of Ireland and one of the largest in Europe in 2008...
, an Irish drug bust in November 2008.