Erica Reef, South China Sea
6 April 2010

Note: The area of coverage in this WORLDVIEW-2 image is approximately 3.5 km x 3.5 km.
The reduced resolution image on display has undergone compression and so does not represent the true resolution of the original satellite image.

This is an oval-shaped low atoll, almost all of which is inundated at high tide. A few places on the eastern edge of the atoll have been reported to remain above water. The image shows a structure with pipelines on the eastern edge, possibly on the same high rocks. Reefs like these have been sources of dispute between several countries of Southeast and East Asia because of potential oil and gas reserves in this region. Erica reef displays the standard form of atolls with higher levels on the outer edge where waves are seen to break towards the north and northeast. The internal slope of the atoll falls gently towards the lagoon on the western side but rather steeply on the east. The different shades of blue and green in the reef suggest varying depth of water in the lagoon and existence of corals at different depths.