Sandy Island, New Caledonia: Difference between revisions
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| publisher = TXØDX |
| publisher = TXØDX |
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| date = 10 April 2000 |
| date = 10 April 2000 |
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| accessdate = 22 November 2012}}</ref> but the news was not widely circulated. A rediscovery of the issue was made in 2012 by Australian scientists aboard the [[RV Southern Surveyor|RV ''Southern Surveyor'']] who were in the area studying [[plate tectonics]]. During the voyage, they noticed a discrepancy between different maps and decided to sail to the supposed location to investigate. |
| accessdate = 22 November 2012}}</ref> but the news was not widely circulated. A rediscovery of the issue was made in 2012 by Australian scientists aboard the [[RV Southern Surveyor|RV ''Southern Surveyor'']] who were in the area studying [[plate tectonics]]. During the voyage, they noticed a discrepancy between different maps and decided to sail to the supposed location to investigate. No island was found, and some news reports claim that they found ocean to a depth of {{convert|1400|m|ft}} deep.<ref>{{cite web |
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| title = The Pacific island that never was |
| title = The Pacific island that never was |
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| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/22/sandy-island-missing-google-earth |
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/22/sandy-island-missing-google-earth |
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Revision as of 09:29, 23 November 2012
Sandy Island is a phantom island that was supposedly located between Australia and New Caledonia in the Coral Sea. The island appears on some world maps, including Google Maps.[1] On Google Earth's default view the island area is covered by black pixels, but the program's historical imagery feature has a satellite image of the southern portion taken by DigitalGlobe on 3 March 2009 showing nothing but sea. It also appeared in some editions of the Times Atlas of the World (there labelled Île de Sable, the French equivalent of Sandy Island).
The case that the island does not exist was first made by some amateur radio enthusiasts on a DX-pedition[2] in April 2000[3] but the news was not widely circulated. A rediscovery of the issue was made in 2012 by Australian scientists aboard the RV Southern Surveyor who were in the area studying plate tectonics. During the voyage, they noticed a discrepancy between different maps and decided to sail to the supposed location to investigate. No island was found, and some news reports claim that they found ocean to a depth of 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) deep.[4][5][6][7] Had the island existed, it would have been within French territorial waters.[8]
It has been suggested that the island first appeared on a map as a copyright trap, but has remained, unchallenged, ever since. It is a common practice in cartography to place a fictitious "trap street" on a map for the purpose of "trapping" potential copyright violators; however, the Australian Hydrographic Service, a department of the Royal Australian Navy, said that this would not have been standard practice with nautical charts.[8] Others have suggested that its appearance in some maps is simply due to human error.[5]
See also
- Argleton, a village appearing on maps but not in reality
References
- ^ "Scientists un-discover Pacific island". TV3 (New Zealand). 23 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
- ^ "Sandy 'Marie Celeste' Island undiscovered - again: Radio hams beat science by a decade". The Register. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "TXØDX challenges National Geographic (Bulletin 16)". TXØDX. 10 April 2000. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "The Pacific island that never was". The Guardian. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ a b "South Pacific Sandy Island 'proven not to exist'". BBC News Online. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "South Pacific island 'does not exist'". BBC News Online. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "Scientists un-discover Pacific island". The News International. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Where did it go? Scientists 'undiscover' Pacific island". WAtoday. 22 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
External links
- Maps of Sandy Island through history, tumblr.com
19°13′30″S 159°55′30″E / 19.225°S 159.925°E
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