Anegada Passage

Anegada Passage is a strait in the Caribbean that separates the British Virgin Islands and the British ruled Sombrero Island of Anguilla, and connects the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. It is 2300 m deep. Because the threshold depths are 1800 and 1600 m, Atlantic deep water from 1600 m level may flow into the deep areas in the Caribbean Sea.[1]

Anegada Passage
Map of the British Virgin Islands, with the Anegada Passage labeled at right side.
Anegada Passage Show map of Lesser Antilles Anegada Passage Show map of Caribbean
Coordinates	18°22′41″N 63°50′15″W
Basin countries	British Virgin Islands Anguilla
Max. length	200 kilometres (120 mi)
Max. width	65 kilometres (40 mi)
Average depth	2,300 metres (7,500 ft)

The Anegada Passage is a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal.[2] Often called the "Oh-my-god-a Passage"[3], it is considered a difficult passage for sailors because of the winds, waves, and swells.[4]

The passage consists of multiple basins and ridges. The Anegada Trough or Virgin Islands Basin was the likely site of the 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and subsequent tsunami.[5][6]

See also

• Noroit Seamount

References

1. "Anegada Passage". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
2. "The World Factbook". CIA. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
3. "The "Oh-my-god-a Passage"". Motivator. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
4. "Anegada Passage". SV Party of Five. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
5. "Significant Earthquake". NOAA. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
6. Barkan, R.; Ten Brink, U. (2010). "Tsunami Simulations of the 1867 Virgin Island Earthquake: Constraints on Epicenter Location and Fault Parameters". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 100 (3): 995. Bibcode:2010BuSSA.100..995B. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.544.6624. doi:10.1785/0120090211.