Information AboutCape Agulhas |
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Cape Agulhas ( of the African Continent and is defined for hydrographic purposes to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as a major hazard on the traditional Clipper Route and is sometimes regarded as one of the Great Capes . GEOGRAPHY Cape Agulhas is the of the Western Cape Province of South Africa . ''Cape Agulhas Municipality'' official home page The cape is defined by the that flows south along the east coast of Africa retroflects back into the Indian Ocean. While retroflecting, it pinches off large ocean eddies (Agulhas rings) that drift into the South Atlantic Ocean and take enormous amounts of heat and salt into the neighboring ocean. This mechanism constitutes one of the key elements in the global Conveyor Belt circulation of heat and salt. .]] Unlike its better-known relative, the Cape Of Good Hope , Cape Agulhas is relatively unspectacular, consisting of a gradually curving coastline with a rocky beach. A survey marker indicates the location of the cape, which would otherwise be difficult to identify. The waters near the coast are quite shallow and are renowned as one of the best fishing grounds in South Africa . The rocks that form Cape Agulhas belong to the Table Mountain Group, often loosely termed the Table Mountain sandstone. They are closely linked to the geological formations that are exposed in the spectacular cliffs of Table Mountain , Cape Point , and the Cape of Good Hope. The climate is extremely mild, with no temperature or rainfall extremes. The average rainfall is 500mm per annum, mostly received in winter (unverified, as closest data is from Bredasdorp ). Temperature climate data is available for Cape Agulhas, averages are:
Shipping hazards The sea off Cape Agulhas is notorious for winter storms and mammoth Rogue Wave s, which can range up to 30 Metre s (100 Ft ) high and can sink even large ships. These conditions are caused by a number of factors. The naturally strong winds of the Roaring Forties , which blow from west to east, and the cold Antarctic Circumpolar Current flowing in the same direction, come up against the warmer Agulhas Current in the region of the cape. These conflicting currents of water of different densities, and the west winds blowing against the Agulhas Current, can create extremely hazardous wave conditions; these are further exacerbated by the shallow waters of the Agulhas Bank , a broad, shallow part of the Continental Shelf which juts 250 Kilometre s (155 Mi ) south from the cape, after which it falls steeply away to the Abyssal Plain . These hazards have combined to make the cape notorious among sailors; the coast here is littered with wrecks. ''Cooranga'', ''Elise'', ''European'', ''Federal Lakes'', ''Geortyrder'', ''Gouritz'', and ''Gwendola'' are just a few of the vessels lost at the "Cape of Needles." ''Marine Casualty Database Southern African Coast'' , from NCS Cape Town Owing to the hazards and following the loss of several vessels, a lighthouse was built in 1848 . SEE ALSO
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