Nation building: extending Mischief reef
Coral reef
Philippines
Brunei
Spratly
Islands
Vietnam
Malaysia
Tawian
China
South China
Sea
50 miles
Itu Aba Is
Pigeon
Reef
Alison Reef
Fiery Cross
Reef
Mischief Reef
The main focus of activity has been on Mischief Reef where satellite images show the island growing bigger, shoals of dredgers and tankers at work and new buidlings springing up over the course of three years
200 miles
Limit of China’s
territorial
claim
Spratly Islands
Sand sprayed
onto the reef
Sand-delivery pipe
Dredgers
Lagoon
Vehicle
tracks
Container
ship
Ramp
Buildings
Satellite images taken by DigitalGlobe appear to show that China has been extending coastlines and placing buildings on reefs in the South China Sea that are claimed by four other nations
Sand sprayed
onto reef
Flexible
pipe
Dredging arm
Dredger
After 16 March 2015
Before 2012
3
New arrivals
These two photos show that the entrance to the reef has been widened to about 275 metres, presumably to allow bigger vessels into the lagoon, and a tongue of sand now links the building with a storage area
2
Buliding materials
A closeup shows one of the ships carrying containers and with a ramp down to the new ‘beach’. This may be delivering building materials for the structures above
1
Sand pumping
Ships dredge sand up from the shallow lagoon and pump it into the coral reef to extend the land area of the atol. The sand is sprayed onto the reef from the end of each pipe
Shifting sand
How the reef was built
After 16 March 2015
Before 24 January 2012
Mischief Reef expansion
The evidence
Materials
arriving
New
building
Depot
Wider reef entrance
Sand pipe
Dredger
New
building
Coral reef
Sand sprayed
onto the reef
Sand-delivery pipe
Dredgers
Lagoon
Vehicle
tracks
Container
ship
Ramp
Buildings
Sand sprayed
onto reef
Flexible
pipe
Dredging arm
Dredger
After 16 March 2015
Before 2012
3
New arrivals
These two photos show that the entrance to the reef has been widened to about 275 metres, presumably to allow bigger vessels into the lagoon, and a tongue of sand now links the building with a storage area
2
Buliding materials
A close up shows one of the ships carrying containers and with a ramp down to the new ‘beach’. This may be delivering building materials for the structures above
1
Sand pumping
Ships dredge sand up from the shallow lagoon and pump it into the coral reef to extend the land area of the atol. The sand is sprayed onto the reef from the end of each pipe
Shifting sand How the reef was built
Materials
arriving
New
building
Depot
Wider reef entrance
Sand pipe
Dredger
New
building
Brunei
Philippines
Spratly
Islands
Vietnam
Malaysia
Tawian
China
South China
Sea
50 miles
Itu Aba Is
Pigeon
Reef
Alison Reef
Fiery Cross
Reef
Mischief Reef
The main focus of activity has been on Mischief Reef where satellite images show the island growing bigger, shoals of dredgers and tankers at work and new buidlings springing up over the course of three years
Satellite images taken by DigitalGlobe appear to show that China has been extending coastlines and placing buildings on reefs in the South China Sea that are claimed by four other nations
200 miles
Limit of China’s
territorial
claim
Spratly Islands
Before
24 Jan
2012
After
16 Mar
2015
Mischief Reef expansion
The evidence
Vehicle
tracks
Container
ship
Brunei
Sand sprayed
onto the reef
Philippines
Spratly
Islands
Vietnam
Malaysia
Tawian
China
South China
Sea
Materials
arriving
3
New arrivals
These two photos show that the entrance to the reef has been widened and sand now links the building with a storage area
2
Buliding materials
A closeup shows one of the ships carrying containers and with a ramp down to the new ‘beach’. This may be delivering building materials for the structures above
After
16 March 2015
Before
2012
Before
24 January
2012
After
16 March
2015
50 miles
Itu Aba Is
Pigeon
Reef
Alison Reef
Fiery Cross
Reef
New
building
Depot
Wider reef entrance
Container
ship
Ramp
Buildings
Sand sprayed onto reef
Flexible pipe
Coral reef
Dredging arm
Sand-delivery pipes
Mischief Reef
The main focus of activity has been on Mischief Reef where satellite images show the island growing bigger, dredgers and tankers at work and new buidlings springing up over the course of three years
Shifting sand How the reef was built
Mischief Reef expansion
The evidence
1
Sand pumping
Ships dredge sand up from the shallow lagoon and pump it into the coral reef to extend the land area of the atol. The sand is sprayed onto the reef from the end of each pipe
Dredger
Dredgers
Lagoon
Coral
reef
Satellite images taken by DigitalGlobe appear to show that China has been extending coastlines and placing buildings on reefs in the South China Sea that are claimed by four other nations
200 miles
Limit of China’s
territorial
claim
Spratly Islands
Sand pipe
Dredger
New
building
Vietnam
Brunei
Malaysia
Tawian
Philippines
China
South China Sea
Sand pipe
Dredger
Materials
arriving
3
New arrivals
These two photos show that the entrance to the reef has been widened to about 275 metres, presumably to allow bigger vessels into the lagoon, and a tongue of sand now links the building with a storage area
2
Buliding materials
A closeup shows one of the ships carrying containers and with a ramp down to the new ‘beach’. This may be delivering building materials for the structures above
After
16 March 2015
Before
2012
Before
24 January
2012
After
16 March
2015
Spratly Islands
50 miles
Itu Aba Is
West York Is
Thitu Is
Pigeon
Reef
Alison Reef
Fiery Cross
Reef
New building
New building
Depot
Wider reef entrance
Container
ship
Ramp
Vehicle
tracks
Buildings
Sand sprayed onto reef
Flexible pipe
Coral reef
Dredging arm
Plume of sand
being sprayed
onto the reef
Sand-delivery pipe
Mischief Reef
The main focus of activity has been on Mischief Reef where satellite images show the island growing bigger, shoals of dredgers and tankers at work and new buidlings springing up over the course of three years
Shifting sand How the reef was built
Mischief Reef expansion The evidence
1
Sand pumping
Ships dredge sand up from the shallow lagoon and pump it into the coral reef to extend the land area of the atol. The sand is sprayed onto the reef from the end of each pipe
Dredger
Dredgers
Lagoon
Coral reef
Satellite images taken by DigitalGlobe appear to show that China has been extending coastlines and placing buildings on reefs in the South China Sea that are claimed by four other nations
200 miles
Limit of China’s
territorial
claim
Spratly
Islands