In the researches made by scientists, it was revealed that Sandy Island, which is located on the world map and seen on Google Earth, is not real. Sandy Island, also known as Sable Island, is a ghost island in the South Pacific Ocean thought to have existed for centuries. The island is located in a region shown on maps between Australia and New Caledonia under French administration.
Sydney University scientists made an examination in the area where the island is located and it was seen that the island was not there. Scientists who went to the region only encountered the ocean. Moreover, in the examinations made by going down to the depths of 400 meters of the ocean, it was stated that there was no land. As a result of the research, it was discovered that such an island did not exist, and this situation was considered quite strange by scientists. So how is this possible?
How a non-existent island entered the maps has been the subject of research. Some scientists have stated that it may have been caused by human error while preparing Google Earth Maps. However, as a result of the researches, it was revealed that the situation is different because the world is a constantly changing place.
Sandy Island was added to many maps and nautical charts in 1774. An Australian research vessel passing through the area in 2012 discovered that the island was not there. With the sharing of this situation, the island was quickly removed from Google Earth and many maps as a result of the researches made by scientists.
Some Ghost Islands Sailors Have Seen
In 2006, Swedish sailor Fredrik Fransson described an event he witnessed as follows. He said that while they were cruising at sea, in the ocean and in the place shown as an island on the maps, they suddenly came across a coast. He describes how it appeared as a floating beach, similar to the Sahara Desert. But this beach rises and falls with the waves. He shared the event he recorded on camera, and it was discussed for years whether what he told was true or not.
In another incident, another boat traveling in the same region on 9 August 2019 said that they woke up to strange sounds in the morning. When they climbed onto the deck and looked, they came across a 15 cm thick layer of floating rock around them. He said that there are millions of floating rocks in the middle of the sea. Shortly after the incident, Landsat 8 satellite took a picture of the area and it was seen that there was a 150 square meter island there. Many sailors in the past have reported seeing such ghostly islands that are not seen on maps. The most famous of these reported islands is the island of Sandy, which has been removed from the maps.
How Are Ghost Islands Formed?
As a result of research on ghost islands, scientists have clarified the event. The places that appear as ghost islands and which sailors see as islands are floating islands formed by huge masses of pumice stone. These islands are formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions can cause the surrounding geography to change completely.
As a result of volcanic eruptions on land, the lava and ash that comes out cools and forms a new layer. In volcanic eruptions that occur in the ocean, the volcanoes suddenly encounter cold water, quickly cool down and form pumice sources. Pumice rocks are the only floating rock in the world. When these rocks are formed in very high quantities and come together, they form ghost islands. This situation, which has been perceived as a mysterious event for centuries, is a very common natural phenomenon.
Many islands formed on the ocean are formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes erupting under the sea continue to grow with the continuation of the eruptions and form islands. While some parts of the islands are losing soil due to erosion, some parts continue to rise. After the islands are formed, they become normal after a period of 6 months and their mobility stops. While there was no plant species at first on the islands formed in the middle of the ocean, different plant species began to grow later due to the seeds brought by the birds and animals that came to the region. Pumice stones, which are formed by the cooling of the materials coming out of the volcanoes, are very productive stones.
The pumice stones, which failed to become an island, come together to form an island appearance. However, it disperses later due to ocean and sea currents. Islands that the sailors saw and were later displaced are islands of this type. Sandy Island is one such island.
