Source: TOI
Subject: Geography
Context: A boat carrying approximately 250 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea.
About Andaman Sea:
What it is?
- The Andaman Sea is a significant marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean. It serves as a vital maritime link between Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, historically facilitating trade and modern-day shipping routes between India and China.
Located in:
- Geographic Position: Situated in Southeast Asia, it connects the Bay of Bengal to the west with the South China Sea to the east via the Strait of Malacca.
- Coordinates: It lies roughly between 4°N to 20°N latitude and 92°E to 100°E longitude.
Border Nations and Territories:
- North: The Irrawaddy River delta of Myanmar (Burma).
- East: Peninsular Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia.
- South: The Indonesian island of Sumatra.
- West: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India.
Origin of the Name:
- The name Andaman is widely believed to be derived from Handuman, the Malay form of the Hindu deity Hanuman.
- Ancient traders and sailors, influenced by the Ramayana, likely bestowed this name as they plied these waters.
Key Geological Features:
- Basin Metrics: The sea spans approximately 308,000 square miles (798,000 sq km) with an average depth of 3,609 feet (1,100 meters).
- Submarine Valleys: While much of the northern/eastern third is shallow (under 600 feet) due to Irrawaddy silt, submarine valleys east of the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge exceed depths of 14,500 feet (4,400 meters).
- Active Tectonics: The seabed marks the boundary between the Burma Plate and the Sunda Plate. This tectonic activity makes it a high-seismic zone, notably responsible for the massive 2004 tsunami.
- Volcanism: It is home to Barren Island, the only active volcano in the Indian subcontinent.
- Climate Influence: The South Asian monsoon regime governs its salinity; heavy summer runoff from Myanmar drastically lowers surface salinity in the northern third.
Significance:
- It forms a critical part of the global shipping corridor through the Strait of Malacca, connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
- While not exceptionally rich in general marine life, its coastal waters support intensive fishing and tin deposits off Malaysia and Thailand.
