Macquarie Island

Why in news?

• Australia announced plans to triple the size of the Macquarie Island Marine Park to protect the entire Exclusive Economic Zone around the island.
• This proposed expansion would bring marine parks to 48.2 per cent of Australian oceans.

About Macquarie Island:

• Macquarie Island is a sub Antarctic Ocean Island situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
• Politically, it is the portion of the Australian island nation of Tasmania, which is part of Oceania.
• Macquarie Island is located around 1,501 kilometres southeast of Tasmania’s main island, almost halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Uniqueness:

• It is the only area on Earth where rocks from the Earth’s mantle are continuously revealed above sea levels.
• This is the only piece of land in the world formed entirely of oceanic crust.
• Macquarie Ridge is one of only 3 such ridges that impede the Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation.
  • This results in distinct differences between the west and east sides of the ridge, which are used in different ways by different species.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Macquarie Islands, recently seen in news, is located in:

(a) Pacific ocean

(b) Arctic Ocean

(c) Atlantic Ocean

(d) Indian Ocean

Answer