Saba
- ISS004-E-8157
- 28 February 2002
- 20:29 UTC
Saba, with an area of 13 km², is the smallest (measuring 5.1 km by 4.3 km) of the 3 islands that comprise the northern members of the Netherlands Antilles. The island is located in the northeastern Caribbean 43 km south of Saint Martin and 25 km northwest of Saint Eustatius across the Saint Eustatius Passage. The island is the northernmost island on the inner curve of the Lesser Antilles — the active volcanic arc that extends from Saba, through Saint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Redonda, Montserrat to Basse Terre of Guadeloupe.
Saba is the emergent peak of a dormant volcano, last active over 5,000 years ago, that rises today to 870 m at the summit of the twin-peaked Mt. Scenery. Around the peak of Mt. Scenery are several other peaks — such as Troy (586 m), Peak Hill (401 m) and Mary's Point Mountain (566 m) — that are former lava domes formed on the flanks of the volcano. Processes of erosion have sculpted the interior of the island into a series of deep ravines — there are very few areas of flat land on Saba. Its coast too, is steep, largely consisting of vertical cliffs, scree slopes and hillsides that slope sharply to the shore. Its mountainous interior contains a rainforest environment, with the peak of Mt. Scenery usually enveloped in cloud (as in the above image).
Saba experiences a tropical climate (warm and humid) that is modified by trade winds from the east. Annual rainfall is highly variable, with an average year producing 1,103 mm that falls throughout the year. At the summit of Mt. Scenery rainfall is twice as high as that of lower elevations.
Located 5 km to the southwest of Saba lies the large submarine platform known as the Saba Bank. The bank covers around 1,300 km² and lies in 20-30 m of water. Off the platform, depths can drop to 1,000 m.
