Wachusett Reef
Wachusett Reef | |
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![]() Wachusett Reef on 1921 Pacific map | |
Information | |
Type | Phantom island |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Wachusett_Bank_on_map_of_Antarctica.png/220px-Wachusett_Bank_on_map_of_Antarctica.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Antarctica_1912_edit.jpg/220px-Antarctica_1912_edit.jpg)
Captain Lambert of the ship Wachusett reported that on June 4, 1899 he passed over a reef which appeared to be of coral formation in approximately latitude 32°18′S 151°08′W / 32.300°S 151.133°W. The reef appeared to be about 500 feet (150 m) wide. The bottom showed of a dark gray color with deep blue on both sides of the reef. The depth was estimated at from 5 to 6 fathoms (30 to 36 ft; 9.1 to 11.0 m); unfortunately no soundings were taken.[1]
The 2015 edition of the National Geographic Atlas of the World still shows Wachusett Reef, with a depth of 9 metres (30 ft).[2] Nevertheless, its existence is doubtful, making it a phantom reef. Other nearby historically reported reefs which appear to not exist include Ernest Legouve Reef, Jupiter Reef, and Maria Theresa Reef.
Notes[]
- ^ United States Hydrographic Office (1916). Pacific Islands Pilot, v. 2. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 56. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ^ National Geographic Atlas of the World (10th ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. 2015. p. plate 109. ISBN 1-4262-1354-9.
References[]
This article incorporates text from Pacific Islands Pilot, v. 2, a publication from 1916, now in the public domain in the United States.
- Eade, J.V. (1976). Geological notes on the Southwest Pacific Basin in the area of Wachusett Reef and Maria Theresa Reef. Wellington: New Zealand Oceanographic Institute.
- Phantom islands
- Reefs of the Pacific Ocean