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Location #4: Underwater Patterns,
Caribbean Sea, Belize
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Image Center Coordinates
Latitude: 17.5 Longitude: -87.5
Original ASTER VNIR image taken from the USGS online archives,
March, 2003. ASTER image ID: AST_L1B.003:2012859776
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| Another series of interesting patterns has been spotted in the Caribbean sea between the Lighthouse Island and the two small islands of Half Moon Caye. |
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To download a full size image of the ASTER VNIR original click here.
The GPS coordinates for the pattern features have been supplied in the photo below. The underwater ridge like feature that runs North to South in the image helps reveal the underwater patterns. |
Enhanced Close-up Image
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Enhanced Close-up Image
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Light, circular features can be seen in the close-ups to the left.
Upon further research of an interesting feature called the Blue Hole between the Lighthouse island and Half Moon Caye an aerial image of the Blue Hole was found on the internet and can be seen in the image below. |
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| Sure enough there were circular features in the Caribbean sea that may have mysterious origins. The great Blue Hole area was explored and made famous in a 1970's TV show by Jacques Cousteau entitled "Secrets of the Sunken Caves". (1) It has been said that these holes were formed during the last Ice Age at least 10,000 to 12,000 years ago when the sea-level was nearly 300 feet lower than what it is today. This particular episode also included similar formations near Andros island in the Bahamas. According to the information contained in the TV documentary, the formation of this giant hole may have occurred when an underwater cave collapsed. It appears that this underwater ridge where these circular formations exist is hollow in many places and is linked together by a large underwater series of caves, some of which have yet to be explored. (2) Also Jacques Cousteau explored the Blue Hole and found the depth of the blue hole to be around 430 feet.(3) |
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Sources:
1. http://www.scubabelize.com/Why%20Lighthouse.htm
2. http://www.exuma-bahamas.com/starfish/thingstodo.html
3. http://www.caribbeantravelmag.com/article.jsp?ID=5106
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© 2007-2008 Satellite Discoveries. All Rights Reserved. Images provided by USGS.
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