Lombok Strait

The Lombok Strait is a passage between Bali and Lombok that connects the Bali Sea with the Indian Ocean. Its deep channel carries major shipping traffic and forms part of the Indonesian Throughflow.

Indonesian Throughflow: The system of ocean currents that carries Pacific water through the Indonesian seas into the Indian Ocean. A major branch passes through the strait, transferring warm water between ocean basins.
Lombok Strait Route: A maritime route through the Lombok Strait linking the Indian Ocean with the Java Sea and waters farther east. Deep-draft vessels use this route as an alternative to the shallower Strait of Malacca.
Bali: An Indonesian island east of Java, known for its Hindu culture, volcanic landscapes, and tourism. Bali forms the western side of the strait.
Alfred Russel Wallace: A British naturalist who independently developed the theory of evolution by natural selection and studied biogeography in Southeast Asia. His observations across the strait helped identify the sharp faunal boundary now called the Wallace Line.
Lombok Strait Current: The strong, generally southward current that transports water through the Lombok Strait. This current is the strait’s direct contribution to the Indonesian Throughflow.
Strait of Malacca: A major shipping passage between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, linking the Indian Ocean with the South China Sea. It is the region’s principal alternative route, but its shallower waters constrain some large ships.
Lombok: An Indonesian island east of Bali, dominated by the volcano Mount Rinjani. Lombok forms the eastern side of the strait.
Wallacea: The Indonesian island region between the Asian and Australian continental shelves, with a distinctive mix of wildlife. The strait marks a western edge of this biogeographic transition zone.
Lombok Strait tidal bore: A tidal bore and associated turbulent flow generated in the Lombok Strait by strong tides and currents. Its turbulence shows how tidal forcing interacts with the strait’s steep underwater topography.
Alfred Thayer Mahan: An American naval officer and historian whose writings argued that sea power depends on maritime commerce and strategic routes. His framework helps explain why control of passages such as Lombok has strategic significance.

Linked from 5 pages

Lesser Sunda IslandsRelated: It separates Bali from the islands farther east and marks a major biogeographic divide.