Atlantis: Google Earth discovery is not sunken city
Mythological sunken city of Atlantis reportedly located via Google Earth
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Friday, 20, Feb 2009 06:54
Claims that the mythological sunken city of Atlantis has been located on Google Earth have been dashed.
An aeronautical engineer contacted the Sun after he discovered a rectangular shape the size of Wales that seemed to resemble an ancient city's ruins.
620 miles off north-west Africa near the Canary Islands – visible on Google Earth at coordinates at 31 15'15.53N 24 15'30.53W – the site is a rough geographical match for the ruins of Atlantis as described by Plato.
But a Google Earth spokesperson told the Press Association that the shapes were created by boats using sonar to take measurements of the seafloor.
"It's true that many amazing discoveries have been made in Google Earth including a pristine forest in Mozambique that is home to previously unknown species and the remains of an ancient Roman villa," the representative said.
"In this case, however, what users are seeing is an artifact of the data collection process.
"Bathymetric (or sea floor terrain) data is often collected from boats using sonar to take measurements of the sea floor.
"The lines reflect the path of the boat as it gathers the data.
"The fact that there are blank spots between each of these lines is a sign of how little we really know about the world's oceans."
Dr Charles Orser, curator of historical archaeology at New York State University, had earlier told the Sun: "The site is one of the most prominent places for the proposed location of Atlantis, as described by Plato.
"Even if it turns out to be geographical, it definitely deserves a closer look."
The man who spotted 'Atlantis', 38-year-old Chester resident Bernie Bamford, had said: "It must be man made."
Google Earth, a virtual map that allows users to take advantage of satellite imagery and aerial photography to zoom into any area of the world, was recently expanded to include the planet's oceans.