Rosalind Bank
Encyclopedia
Rosalind Bank, also called Rosalinda or Rosa Linda Bank, is a large, completely submerged atoll
that lies with its southern extremity 269 km ENE of Cabo Gracias a Dios
, at 16°26′N 80°31′W. It is the culmination of an area of coral
reef
some 300 km long that is stretching out eastward from Cabo Gracias a Dios. This area, an extensive structure that continues further east through Pedro Bank
towards Jamaica
, is known as Nicaragua Rise.
Rosalind is 101 km long in a north-south direction, and 56 km wide, as defined by the 200 m isobath, which corresponds to an area of roughly 4 500 km². General depths range from 18 to 37 m, an almost immediate transition from the 300 m depth of surrounding waters. The bottom is of coarse sand and coral
.
Several patches of depths from 7.3 to 11 m lie on a 23 km long coral ledge located 3 km within the SE edge of the bank. A detached 11 m patch lies near the SW edge of the bank, 21.7 km WNW of the southern end of this ledge. A depth of 10.9 m lies close to the northern edge of the bank.
An extensive bank 66 km long and 16 km wide, with an area of 830 km², lies 18 km west of Rosalind Bank. Depths over this bank range from 7 to 66 m. The shallowest detached patches are found along the eastern edge of the bank. A detached 11 m patch lies on the northern part of the bank. 6 km further west lies Thunder Knoll
.
30 km southeast of Rosalind Bank is Serranilla Bank
. The cay
s on it are the closest pieces of dry land.
Several countries claim that their EEZs extend over Rosalind Bank, including Colombia
, Nicaragua
, Honduras
, the United States
, and Jamaica
.
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...
that lies with its southern extremity 269 km ENE of Cabo Gracias a Dios
Cabo Gracias a Dios
Cabo Gracias a Dios is a cape located in the middle of the east coast of Central America, within what is variously called the Mosquito Coast and La Mosquitia...
, at 16°26′N 80°31′W. It is the culmination of an area of coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
some 300 km long that is stretching out eastward from Cabo Gracias a Dios. This area, an extensive structure that continues further east through Pedro Bank
Pedro Bank
Pedro Bank is a large bank of sand and coral, partially covered with seagrass, about 80 km south and southwest of Jamaica, rising steeply from a seabed of 800 metres depth. It slopes gently from Pedro Cays to the west and north with depths from 13 to 30 metres. The total area of the bank...
towards Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, is known as Nicaragua Rise.
Rosalind is 101 km long in a north-south direction, and 56 km wide, as defined by the 200 m isobath, which corresponds to an area of roughly 4 500 km². General depths range from 18 to 37 m, an almost immediate transition from the 300 m depth of surrounding waters. The bottom is of coarse sand and coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
.
Several patches of depths from 7.3 to 11 m lie on a 23 km long coral ledge located 3 km within the SE edge of the bank. A detached 11 m patch lies near the SW edge of the bank, 21.7 km WNW of the southern end of this ledge. A depth of 10.9 m lies close to the northern edge of the bank.
An extensive bank 66 km long and 16 km wide, with an area of 830 km², lies 18 km west of Rosalind Bank. Depths over this bank range from 7 to 66 m. The shallowest detached patches are found along the eastern edge of the bank. A detached 11 m patch lies on the northern part of the bank. 6 km further west lies Thunder Knoll
Thunder Knoll
Thunder Knoll is a reef knoll about 18 km in extent and composed of coral sand. It lies 6 km west of the north part of Rosalind Bank. Depths over this bank range from 11 to 27 m.-External links:*...
.
30 km southeast of Rosalind Bank is Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank
Serranilla Bank is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea. It is situated about northeast of Punta Gorda, Nicaragua, and roughly southwest of Jamaica. The closest neighbouring land feature is Bajo Nuevo Bank, located 110 km to the east.Serranilla...
. The cay
Cay
A cay , also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans , where they provide habitable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people...
s on it are the closest pieces of dry land.
Several countries claim that their EEZs extend over Rosalind Bank, including Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, 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...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.