Details

Most of the Western Bahama Banks, the Tongue of the Ocean (center), and Andros Island (left), as well as north central Cuba (lower left) with its fringing reefs, may be seen in this one view. The green-turquoise water over the banks is less than 9 m (30 ft) deep but the deep blue of the Tongue is 1,200 to 1,800 m (4,000 to 6,000 ft) deep. All the sediment on the banks, including the material that forms the islands, is calcium carbonate (lime) precipitated from sea water by animals and plants. Image courtesy of NASA.