Area bound by
Introduces a list of positions that are the corners of an area — the polygon the warning applies to.
"IN AREA BOUND BY 34-00N 120-00W, 34-00N 119-00W, 33-00N 119-00W, 33-00N 120-00W" defines a polygon by its corners, in order. Launch drop zones, exercise areas and survey areas are almost always written this way; several areas in one warning are lettered A, B, C.
seahazards turns these lists into map polygons. Where a line crosses the coast, the parser follows the shore; the original list of positions on the warning page is the authority for the shape.
What the archive shows
44,133 messages in this archive use “Area bound by”, the earliest issued 1990-11-02 and the latest 2026-09-23. 76 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2020, with 3,219 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Exercises accounts for 21,735 of 44,133 recorded messages (49%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 92 sea areas; the most frequent are South Atlantic Ocean (7,380), North Pacific Ocean (4,156) and North Atlantic Ocean (4,135).
Its use is spread fairly evenly through the year: the busiest month, September, has 4,170 messages and the quietest, July, 3,240.
By warning series: HYDROLANT 18,729, HYDROPAC 17,120, NAVAREA IV 3,784 and NAVAREA XII 2,826, and 9 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 92 sea areas
- South Atlantic Ocean 7,380
- North Pacific Ocean 4,156
- North Atlantic Ocean 4,135
- Black Sea 2,830
- Bay of Bengal 2,430
- Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin 2,367
- Arabian Sea 2,298
- South Pacific Ocean 2,147
- Yellow Sea 1,455
- Aegean Sea 1,238
- Indian Ocean 1,148
- Barentsz Sea 1,047
In force now · 76
- NAVAREA XI 425/26 · Missiles2026-09-23 · in force
NORTH PACIFIC. SPACE DEBRIS. 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP TO 04 OCT. AREA BOUNDED BY 23-55N 144-37E 26-07N 151-14E 27-41N 156-20E 29-25N 165-03E 30-26N 172-41E 30-56N…
Space debris → - AUSCOAST 300/26 · Surveys · Indian Ocean2026-09-22 · in force
…PURPOSE VESSEL FUGRO KWILENA / MLOV8 / 503147420 CONDUCTING UNDERWATER OPERATIONS IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY 20-19.72 S TO 20-35.47 S AND 115-42.52 E TO 115-43.80 E 1.5NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.
Special purpose vessel fugro kwilena / MLOV8 / 503147420 conducting underwater operations in an area bounded… → - HYDROPAC 2712/26 · Exercises · Arabian Sea2026-09-18 · in force
ARABIAN SEA. PAKISTAN. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 0300Z TO 1200Z DAILY 25 AND 26 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 25-12.00N 064-27.83E, 25-12.00N 064-49.00E, 25-03.83N 064-49.00E, 25-03.83N 064-27.83E.…
Hazardous operations 0300Z to 1200Z daily 25 and 26 sep in area bound by 25-12.00N 064-27.83E, 25-12.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2709/26 · Exercises · Bay of Bengal2026-09-18 · in force
BAY OF BENGAL. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 0700Z TO 1200Z DAILY 22 THRU 24 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 17-06.00N 082-21.60E, 17-06.00N 082-26.00E, 17-00.50N 082-20.00E, 17-00.50N 082-17.10E.…
Hazardous operations 0700Z to 1200Z daily 22 thru 24 sep in area bound by 17-06.00N 082-21.60E, 17-06.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2707/26 · Exercises · Bay of Bengal2026-09-18 · in force
BAY OF BENGAL. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 0130Z TO 1130Z DAILY 21 THRU 24 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 12-49.00N 080-46.00E, 12-59.00N 080-46.00E, 12-59.00N 081-26.00E, 12-49.00N 081-26.00E.…
Hazardous operations 0130Z to 1130Z daily 21 thru 24 sep in area bound by 12-49.00N 080-46.00E, 12-59.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2705/26 · Exercises · Bay of Bengal2026-09-18 · in force
BAY OF BENGAL. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 211330Z TO 241530Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 16-20.10N 084-29.30E, 16-01.80N 087-23.30E, 13-52.40N 085-31.50E, 14-43.10N 082-33.50E.…
Hazardous operations 211330Z to 241530Z sep in area bound by 16-20.10N 084-29.30E, 16-01.80N 087-23.30E,… →
How it reads in recent messages
- HYDROPAC 2760/26 · Exercises · Arabian Sea2026-09-23
GULF OF KHAMBHAT. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 250230Z TO 251130Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 20-26.00N 072-27.00E, 20-26.00N 072-40.00E, 20-40.00N 072-40.00E, 20-40.00N 072-27.00E.…
Hazardous operations 250230Z to 251130Z sep in area bound by 20-26.00N 072-27.00E, 20-26.00N 072-40.00E,… → - NAVAREA XII 657/26 · Missiles2026-09-23
…1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP THRU 04 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY 23-55.00N 144-37.00E, 26-07.00N 151-14.00E, 27-41.00N 156-20.00E, 29-25.00N 165-03.00E,…
Hazardous operations, space debris 1427Z to 1833Z daily 28 sep thru 04 oct in area bound by 23-55.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2761/26 · Missiles2026-09-23
…1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP THRU 04 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY 23-55.00N 144-37.00E, 26-07.00N 151-14.00E, 27-41.00N 156-20.00E, 29-25.00N 165-03.00E,…
Hazardous operations, space debris 1427Z to 1833Z daily 28 sep thru 04 oct in area bound by 23-55.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2759/26 · Exercises · Laccadive Sea2026-09-23
EASTERN INDIAN OCEAN. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 241330Z TO 241730Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 09-35.00N 075-11.00E, 09-35.00N 075-27.00E, 09-50.00N 075-27.00E, 09-50.00N 075-11.00E.…
Hazardous operations 241330Z to 241730Z sep in area bound by 09-35.00N 075-11.00E, 09-35.00N 075-27.00E,… → - HYDROPAC 2758/26 · Exercises · Bay of Bengal2026-09-23
BAY OF BENGAL. INDIA. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL 251829Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 19-14.60N 084-53.70E, 19-07.39N 085-35.94E, 18-52.00N 085-29.95E, 18-45.00N 085-24.21E,…
Hazardous operations in progress until 251829Z sep in area bound by 19-14.60N 084-53.70E, 19-07.39N… → - HYDROPAC 2755/26 · Missiles · Arabian Sea2026-09-23
ARABIAN SEA. PAKISTAN. 1. MISSILE AND GUNNERY OPERATIONS 231900Z TO 251300Z SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 25-28.00N 063-18.00E, 25-28.00N 066-00.00E, 23-35.00N 066-00.00E, 23-35.00N 063-18.00E.…
Missile and gunnery operations 231900Z to 251300Z sep in area bound by 25-28.00N 063-18.00E, 25-28.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2753/26 · Exercises · North Pacific Ocean2026-09-23
NORTH PACIFIC. GUAM. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 2200Z TO 1000Z DAILY 28 THRU 30 SEP IN AREA BOUND BY 12-40.00N 144-45.00E, 11-00.00N 144-45.00E, 11-00.00N 143-00.00E, 11-45.00N 143-00.00E,…
Hazardous operations 2200Z to 1000Z daily 28 thru 30 sep in area bound by 12-40.00N 144-45.00E, 11-00.00N… →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROPAC 1218/90 · Mines1990-11-02
PRACTICE MINEFIELD ESTABLISHED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE IN AREA BOUND BY 24-54N 54-24E, 24-54N 54-30E, 24-47N 54-27E, 24-47N 54-23E. WIDE BERTH REQUESTED.
Practice minefield established until further notice in area bound by 24-54N 54-24E, 24-54N 54-30E, 24-47N… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Track line joining
- Introduces a route through a series of positions — a cable route, a tow's track or a survey line.
- Within a radius of
- A circular area — every position within a stated distance of a point.
- Position (degrees and minutes)
- How warnings write positions: degrees, a hyphen, then minutes, with N/S and E/W — 49-40.8N 003-43.8W.
- Hazardous operations
- NGA's heading for activities that make an area dangerous — most often rocket launches, space debris and weapons firings, and some open-ended danger areas.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.