ATLANTIC OCEAN

Bermuda is a group of low-forming volcanoes in the Atlantic Ocean. Located in temperate latitudes, roughly 578 nautical miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Bermuda lies near the western edge of the Sargasso Sea, and is warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream, and has a tropical rainforest climate. The vicinity of the warming Gulf Stream is responsible for the tropical coral reefs surrounding Bermuda, which Dr. Alshuth explored on her island expedition. Bermuda gives its name to the Bermuda Triangle, an oceanic region in which, according to legend, a number of aircraft and ships have disappeared under supposedly unexplained or mysterious circumstances.

Although usually referred to in the singular, Bermuda's territory consists of 181 limestone islands, with five main islands, along the southern margin of the Bermuda Platform - one of three topographic highs found on the Bermuda Pedestal. Geologically, this Bermuda Pedestal sits atop the Bermuda Rise, a mid-basin swell surrounded by abyssal plains. Initial uplift of this rise occurred in the Middle to Late Eocene and concluded by the Late Oligocene, when it subsided below sea level. The volcanic rocks associated with this rise are tholeiitic lavas and intrusive lamprophyre sheets, which form a volcanic basement, on average, 50 m below the island carbonate surface.

Manuscript prepared for publication:

Alshuth, S. 1993: Bermuda - Nördlichstes Korallenriff der Welt. (Northernmost coral reef in the world.) 10 pages. (German - Text & Photography).


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Exploring the Bermudas.
Exploring the Bermudas.
Natural arch at Tobacco Bay
Natural arch at Tobacco Bay
Exploring St. Georges Island - the northern part of Bermuda - at Tobacco Bay.
Exploring St. Georges Island - the northern part of Bermuda - at Tobacco Bay.
Southern shores of Bermuda and beaches at Warwick Long Bay.
Southern shores of Bermuda and beaches at Warwick Long Bay.
Horseshoe Bay beach - southern shores of Bermuda.
Horseshoe Bay beach - southern shores of Bermuda.
Bermuda's reefs are readily accessible from shore by snorkellers and scuba divers, especially at Church Bay.
Bermuda's reefs are readily accessible from shore by snorkellers and scuba divers, especially at Church Bay.
Dr. Alshuth exploring Bermuda's tropical reef ecosystem and its biodiversity.
Dr. Alshuth exploring Bermuda's tropical reef ecosystem and its biodiversity.
Bermuda is warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream, inhabiting tropical coral reef communities with schooling Blue Tang.
Bermuda is warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream, inhabiting tropical coral reef communities with schooling Blue Tang.
Floating Sargasso Weed. Bermuda is located near the western edge of the Sargasso Sea.
Floating Sargasso Weed. Bermuda is located near the western edge of the Sargasso Sea.
Tucker's Town's Natural Arches Beach - famous for its natural rock formations and caves (largely destroyed by Hurricane Fabian in 2003).
Tucker's Town's Natural Arches Beach - famous for its natural rock formations and caves (largely destroyed by Hurricane Fabian in 2003).
Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters.
Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters.
Bermuda's pink beaches are composed of single-celled red foraminifera - mixed with coral and shell fragments.
Bermuda's pink beaches are composed of single-celled red foraminifera - mixed with coral and shell fragments.

BERMUDA ISLAND EXPEDITION

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