Adolphus Channel
| Adolphus Channel | |
|---|---|
  Adolphus Channel | |
 A map of the Torres Strait Islands, with the Adolphus Channel located south of Mount Adolphus Island in the Torres Strait | |
| Location | Northern Australia |
| Coordinates | 10°41′20″S 142°36′51″E / 10.688958°S 142.614167°E |
| Type | Channel |
| Part of | Torres Strait |
| Ocean/sea sources | Coral Sea, South Pacific Ocean |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Managing agency | Torres Strait Island Region |
| Islands |
|
The Adolphus Channel is a channel located in the Torres Strait, situated northeast of Cape York, in Queensland, Australia.
Geography
[edit]The channel runs north of the Albany Island, one of the islands of the Manar group of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, and to the south of Mount Adolphus Island.[1][2]
It is about 7 km (4.3 mi) across at its narrowest point, mostly less than about 20 m (66 ft) in depth and opens towards the west (into the Torres Strait) and towards the east (into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon). Submarine dunes (sand waves) up to 5 m (16 ft)tall migrate along the Adolphus Channel seabed, posing a potential risk to safe navigation.[3]
Much of the area has dual naming with traditional names from the Torres Strait Islander people.[2]
Shipping use
[edit]Adolphus Channel is a major shipping route for traffic passing from the eastern (Coral Sea) coast of Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Arafura Sea and regions further west.[3]
History
[edit]On the night of 28 February 1890, the Royal Mail Ship RMS Quetta struck a rock and sank in Adolphus Channel, sending 134 of her passengers to their deaths.[4]
Islands
[edit]Adjacent to the channel are a group of islands, part of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, comprising:
- Albany Island
- Bush Islet
- Eborac Island[5]
- Ida Island
- Mai Islet
- Middle Brother Islet
- Tree Island
Ida Island is north and adjacent to Muddy Bay, while the remaining islets are adjacent to Pioneer Bay on the north east coast of Albany Island.[2]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Harris, P. T.; Schneider, P. M.; Baker, E. K. (1988). Currents, sedimentation and sandwave migration in the Great North East Channel and Adolphus Channel areas of Torres Strait: report on measurements taken during HMAS Cook cruises. Sydney, NSW: The University of Sydney.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^ a b c Taranto; Jacobs; Long. "Map 4: Adolphus channel" (PDF) (Map). Torres Strait Atlas – Report MR-GIS 97/6. CSIRO Marine research. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
- ^ a b Harris, P.T., 1989. Sandwave movement under tidal and wind-driven currents in a shallow marine environment: Adolphus Channel, northeastern Australia. Continental Shelf Research 9, 981-1002
- ^ "The tragic tale of the Quetta". Torres News. Queensland, Australia. 30 July 2012. p. 10. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Eborac Island gecko". The Australian Reptile Online Database. Stewart Macdonald. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
Further reading
[edit]- Gadke, Christopher (2001). The architecture of the Torres Strait Islands : from the vernacular to the 'South Sea' type [St. Lucia, Qld.]
List of Torres Strait topics | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torres Strait Islands, islets, and cays |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| People, culture, communities and languages |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Governance and legal matters |
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Buildings and structures | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||||||||||
