What is Arafura Sea?
{{coord|9|30|S|135|0|E|scale:5000000|display=title}} [[File:Arafura Sea map.png|right|thumb|Map]] The '''Arafura Sea''' is west of the [[Pacific Ocean]]. It overlys the [[continental shelf]] between [[Australia]] and [[New Guinea]]. ==Geography== The Arafura Sea is bordered by [[Torres Strait]] and through that the [[Coral Sea]] to the east, the [[Gulf of Carpentaria]] to the south, the [[Timor Sea]] to the west and the [[Banda Sea|Banda]] and [[Ceram Sea|Ceram]] seas to the northwest. It is {{convert|1,290|km|mi}} long and {{convert|560|km|mi}} wide. The depth of the sea is mostly 50–80 metres (165–265&nbsp;feet) with the depth increasing to the west. As a shallow tropical sea, its waters are the start for [[tropical cyclones]]. The sea is over the Arafura Shelf, part of the [[Sahul Shelf]]. When [[sea level]]s were low during the last [[glacial maximum]], the Arafura Shelf, the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait formed a large flat [[land bridge]]. The bridge connected Australia and New Guinea and let humans move from [[Asia]] into Australia. The combined landmass formed the continent of [[Sahul]]. ==Other websites== {{commons cat-inline}} {{List of seas}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Seas of the Pacific Ocean]] [[Category:Bodies of water of Australia]] [[Category:Geography of the Northern Territory]] [[Category:Seas of Indonesia]]