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 and Ceram seas to the northwest. It is long and wide. The depth of the sea is mostly 50–80 metres (165–265 feet) with the depth increasing to the west. As a shallow tropical sea, its waters are the start for tropical cyclones.