Bismarck Sea

Bismarck Sea Latest News

A submarine volcanic eruption in the Bismarck Sea, north of Papua New Guinea has drawn attention to the poor mapping of the deep ocean floor on Earth.

About Bismarck Sea

• It is a part of the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
• It is bounded to the southwest by the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea and to the northwest through to the southeast by the Bismarck Archipelago, consisting of the Admiralty Islands (north), New Ireland (east), and New Britain (southeast).  
• It has a total surface area of about 40,000 sq.km.
• It opens to the Pacific on the north and to the Solomon Sea on the southeast through the Vitiaz and Dampier straits and St. George’s Channel.
• The basin, with a general depth of 2,000 meters and maximum depths approaching 2,500 meters, is divided by a central ridge into the eastern New Ireland and western New Guinea sections.  
• The sea was under German control from about 1885 until 1914 and bears the name of the German statesman Otto von Bismarck.
• During World War II, it was the site of many important naval battles between the Allied Forces and Japanese troops. 
• The Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943 was a significant event where Allied forces stopped a Japanese convoy. 
• Today, the area is explored by historians and divers looking for sunken ships and airplanes.

Source: NEWS9

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