Lansdowne Bank

Lansdowne Bank, sometimes called Landsdowne Bank, is an extensive submerged bank located between the main island of New Caledonia and the Chesterfield Islands, in the easternmost part of the Coral Sea. It covers an area of 21,000 km², making it one of the largest banks of the world (after Saya de Malha), has general depths of 60 to 80 meters, and a largely sandy bottom. Two reefs mark the shallowest spots of the bank, but they are still submerged at low tide.

Fairway Ridge, a submarine feature, is shown some maps in that area. Lansdowne Bank or Fairway Ridge, shown at the northeastern end of Lord Howe Rise, are separated from New Caledonia by New Caledonia Basin and Fairway Basin.

Nereus Reef

At the northern end of Lansdowne Bank, Nereus Reef is located. Its given position of coord|20|07|S|160|28|E is doubtful [http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub127/127sec06.pdf] . Nereus Reef has the least depth of the bank, with 3.7 meters. A shoal with a depth of 16 meters is located convert|14|mi|km|0 km WNW of Nereus Reef.

Fairway Reef

The southeastern end of Lansdowne Bank is marked by Fairway Reef, thus named from its lying in the fairway between Australia and New Caledonia, midway between the Bellona Reefs (south of the Chesterfield Islands) and New Caledonia. Fairway Reef is 3.2 km long, about 4 to 5 fathoms (7.3 to 9.1 meters) deep, of coral bottom, and located at coord|21|00|15|S|161|45|09|E. According to some sources, Fairway Reef dries at low tide [http://www.reefbase.org/global_database/default.aspx?section=r1&region=22&country=NCL] .

External links

* [http://www.zoneco.nc/IMG/pdf/brodien_2003_geologie_systemes_rides_et_bassins_partie_sud_ouest_zee_nc_style_structural_et_poten.pdf Geology]
* [http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/pleins_textes_5/b_fdi_06-07/08780.pdf Geology]
* [http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/coralsea/fairway.htm Fairway Reef]
* [http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/pollux/pollux.nss.nima.mil/NAV_PUBS/SD/pub127/127sec06.pdf nautical description of Nereus Reef]