On a clear day, it is possible to see the opposite coastline of England from France and vice versa with the naked eye, with the most famous and obvious sight being the White Cliffs of Dover from the French coastline and shoreline buildings on both coastlines, as well as lights on either coastline at night, as in Matthew Arnold's poem "Dover Beach".
Most maritime traffic between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and Baltic Sea passes through the Strait of Dover, rather than taking the longer and more dangerous route around the north of Scotland. The strait is one of the busiest international seaways in the world, used by over 400 commercial vessels daily.[4] This has made traffic safety a critical issue, with HM Coastguard and the Maritime Gendarmerie maintaining a 24-hour watch over the strait and enforcing a strict regime of shipping lanes.[6]
In addition to the intensive north-east to south-west traffic, the strait is crossed from north-west to south-east by ferries linking Dover to Calais and Dunkirk.[4] Until 1994 these provided the only route across it except for air transport. The Channel Tunnel now provides an alternative route, crossing beneath the strait at an average depth of 45 m (148 ft) below the seabed.
The town of Dover gives its name to one of the sea areas of the British Shipping Forecast.
Geological formation
Map showing the hypothetical extent of Doggerland (c. 10,000 BCE), which provided a land bridge between Great Britain and continental Europe
The strait is believed to have been created by the erosion of a land bridge that linked the Weald in Great Britain to the Boulonnais in the Pas de Calais. The predominant geology on both the British and French sides and on the seafloor is chalk. Although somewhat resistant to erosion, erosion of both coasts has created the famous white cliffs of Dover in the UK and the Cap Blanc Nez in France. The Channel Tunnel was bored through solid chalk.
The Rhine (as the Urstrom) flowed northwards into the North Sea as the sea level fell during the start of the first of the PleistoceneIce Ages. The ice created a dam from Scandinavia to Scotland, and the Rhine, combined with the Thames and drainage from much of north Europe, created a vast lake behind the dam, which eventually spilled over the Weald into the English Channel. This overflow channel became the Strait of Dover about 425,000 years ago. A narrow deep channel along the middle of the strait was the bed of the Rhine in the last Ice Age. A geological deposit in East Anglia marks the old preglacial northward course of the Rhine.
NASA Satellite image December 2002
A 2007 study[7][8] concluded that the English Channel was formed by erosion caused by two major floods. The first was about 425,000 years ago, when an ice-dammed lake in the southern North Sea overflowed and broke the Weald-Artois chalk range in a catastrophic erosion and flood event. Afterwards, the Thames and Scheldt flowed through the gap into the English Channel, but the Meuse and Rhine still flowed northwards. In a second flood about 225,000 years ago the Meuse and Rhine were ice-dammed into a lake that broke catastrophically through a high weak barrier (perhaps chalk, or an end-moraine left by the ice sheet). Both floods cut massive flood channels in the dry bed of the English Channel, somewhat like the Channeled Scablands or the Wabash River in the USA. A further update in 2017 attributed a series of previously described underwater holes in the Channel floor, "100m deep" and in places "several kilometres in diameter", to lake water plunging over a rock ridge causing isolated depressions or plunge pools.[9] The melting ice and rising sea levels submerged Doggerland, the area linking Britain to France 6,500–6,200 BCE.
The Lobourg strait, a major feature of the strait's seafloor, runs its 6 km (4 mi) wide slash on a NNE–SSW axis. Nearer to the French coast than to the English coast, it runs along the Varne sandbank where it plunges to 68 m (223 ft) at its deepest, and along the latter's south-east neighbour the Ridge bank (French name "Colbart"[10]) with a maximum depth of 62 m (203 ft).[11]
The submarine depth of the strait varies between 68 m (223 ft) at the Lobourg strait and 20 m (66 ft) at the highest banks. It presents a succession of rocky areas relatively deserted by ships wanting to spare their nets, and of sandy flats and sub-aqueous dunes. The strong currents of the Channel are slowed around the rocky areas of the strait, with formation of countercurrents and calmer zones where many species can find shelter.[12] In these calmer zones, the water is clearer than in the rest of the strait; thus algae can grow despite the 46 m (151 ft) average depth and help increase diversity in the local species – some of which are endemic to the strait. Moreover, this is a transition zone for the species of the Atlantic Ocean and those of the southern part of the North Sea.
This mix of various environments promotes a wide variety of wildlife.[13]
The Ridens de Boulogne, a 10–20 m (33–66 ft) deep[14] rocky high ground partially covered with sand located 15 nmi (28 km; 17 mi) to the west of Boulogne, boasts the highest production of maerl in the strait.[14]
A 682 km2 (263 sq mi) area of the strait is classified as a Natura 2000 protection zone listed under the name Ridens et dunes hydrauliques du Pas de Calais (Ridens and sub-aqueous dunes of the Dover Strait). This area includes the sub-aqueous dunes of Varne, Colbart, Vergoyer and Bassurelle, the Ridens de Boulogne, and the Lobourg channel which provides calmer and clearer waters due to its depth reaching 68 m (223 ft).[15]
In the late 17th century during the "Little Ice Age", there were reports of severe winter ice in the English Channel[16][17] and Strait of Dover, including a case in 1684 of only a league of open water remaining between Dover and Calais.[18]
^Historically known as the Dover Narrows; Dutch: Nauw van Calais[nʌu̯ vɑn kaːˈlɛː] or the lesser used Straat van Dover<
^Crystal, David, ed. (1999). "English Channel". Cambridge Paperback Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1080. ISBN978-0521668002.
^López Martín, Ana G. (2010). International Straits: Concept, Classification and Rules of Passage (Illustrated ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 95 & 102. ISBN9783642129063.
^ abcGlegg, G; Jefferson, R; Fletcher, S (30 June 2015). Sheppard, Charles; Galgani, Francois; Hutchings, Pat; Quintino, Victor (eds.). "Marine Governance in the English Channel (La Manche): Linking Science and Management". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 95 (2): 707–718. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.02.020. PMID 25819447.
^Van Dyke, Jon M. (2009). "Transit Passage Through International Strait". In Chircop, Aldo; McDorman, Ted; Rolstons, Susan (eds.). The Future of Ocean Regime-Building. Brill (1618). pp. 175–232. ISBN978-9004172678.
^Davoult, D.; Richard, A. (1988). "Les Ridens, haut-fond rocheux isolé du Pas de Calais: un peuplement remarquable" [The Ridens, Rocky Shallows in the Center of the Channel: A Distinguished Settlement]. Cahiers de Biologie Marine (in French). 29 (1): 93–107.
^ ab"Richesses de la mer" [Richness of the sea] (PDF) (in French). Picardy Estuaries and Opal Sea Marine Natural Park.
^"Ridens et dunes hydrauliques du Pas de Calais" (in French). Natura 2000.
^"The Great Frost of 1683-4". www.pastpresented.info. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
^"Notes and Queries". Notes and Queries. Second Series. 11: 219. 16 March 1861 – via archive.org.
^The World of Wonders: A Record of Things Wonderful in Nature, Science, and Art. London: Cassel Petter & Galpin. 1869.
External links
Channel Navigation Information Service
Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation
Channel Swimming Association
Depth Chart showing straits and former course of Rhine
January 08, 2023
strait, dover, dover, strait, french, calais, kalɛ, strait, calais, strait, narrowest, part, english, channel, marking, boundary, between, channel, north, separating, great, britain, from, continental, europe, shortest, distance, across, strait, approximately,. The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait French Pas de Calais pɑ d e kalɛ Strait of Calais 1 is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea separating Great Britain from continental Europe The shortest distance across the strait at approximately 20 miles 32 kilometres is from the South Foreland northeast of Dover in the English county of Kent to Cap Gris Nez a cape near to Calais in the French departement of Pas de Calais Between these points lies the most popular route for cross channel swimmers 2 The entire strait is within the territorial waters of France and the United Kingdom but a right of transit passage under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea allows vessels of other nations to move freely through the strait 3 4 5 Dover StraitView from France across the Strait of Dover towards the English coastLocationNorth Sea English Channel Atlantic Ocean Coordinates51 00 N 1 30 E 51 000 N 1 500 E 51 000 1 500 Coordinates 51 00 N 1 30 E 51 000 N 1 500 E 51 000 1 500TypeStraitBasin countriesFranceEnglandMin width20 miles 32 km Average depth150 feet 46 m On a clear day it is possible to see the opposite coastline of England from France and vice versa with the naked eye with the most famous and obvious sight being the White Cliffs of Dover from the French coastline and shoreline buildings on both coastlines as well as lights on either coastline at night as in Matthew Arnold s poem Dover Beach Contents 1 Shipping traffic 2 Geological formation 3 Marine wildlife 4 Unusual crossings 5 Ice 6 See also 7 Notes 8 External linksShipping traffic Edit Automatic Identification System display showing traffic in the strait in 2006 Most maritime traffic between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and Baltic Sea passes through the Strait of Dover rather than taking the longer and more dangerous route around the north of Scotland The strait is one of the busiest international seaways in the world used by over 400 commercial vessels daily 4 This has made traffic safety a critical issue with HM Coastguard and the Maritime Gendarmerie maintaining a 24 hour watch over the strait and enforcing a strict regime of shipping lanes 6 In addition to the intensive north east to south west traffic the strait is crossed from north west to south east by ferries linking Dover to Calais and Dunkirk 4 Until 1994 these provided the only route across it except for air transport The Channel Tunnel now provides an alternative route crossing beneath the strait at an average depth of 45 m 148 ft below the seabed The town of Dover gives its name to one of the sea areas of the British Shipping Forecast Geological formation Edit Map showing the hypothetical extent of Doggerland c 10 000 BCE which provided a land bridge between Great Britain and continental Europe The strait is believed to have been created by the erosion of a land bridge that linked the Weald in Great Britain to the Boulonnais in the Pas de Calais The predominant geology on both the British and French sides and on the seafloor is chalk Although somewhat resistant to erosion erosion of both coasts has created the famous white cliffs of Dover in the UK and the Cap Blanc Nez in France The Channel Tunnel was bored through solid chalk The Rhine as the Urstrom flowed northwards into the North Sea as the sea level fell during the start of the first of the Pleistocene Ice Ages The ice created a dam from Scandinavia to Scotland and the Rhine combined with the Thames and drainage from much of north Europe created a vast lake behind the dam which eventually spilled over the Weald into the English Channel This overflow channel became the Strait of Dover about 425 000 years ago A narrow deep channel along the middle of the strait was the bed of the Rhine in the last Ice Age A geological deposit in East Anglia marks the old preglacial northward course of the Rhine NASA Satellite imageDecember 2002 A 2007 study 7 8 concluded that the English Channel was formed by erosion caused by two major floods The first was about 425 000 years ago when an ice dammed lake in the southern North Sea overflowed and broke the Weald Artois chalk range in a catastrophic erosion and flood event Afterwards the Thames and Scheldt flowed through the gap into the English Channel but the Meuse and Rhine still flowed northwards In a second flood about 225 000 years ago the Meuse and Rhine were ice dammed into a lake that broke catastrophically through a high weak barrier perhaps chalk or an end moraine left by the ice sheet Both floods cut massive flood channels in the dry bed of the English Channel somewhat like the Channeled Scablands or the Wabash River in the USA A further update in 2017 attributed a series of previously described underwater holes in the Channel floor 100m deep and in places several kilometres in diameter to lake water plunging over a rock ridge causing isolated depressions or plunge pools 9 The melting ice and rising sea levels submerged Doggerland the area linking Britain to France 6 500 6 200 BCE The Lobourg strait a major feature of the strait s seafloor runs its 6 km 4 mi wide slash on a NNE SSW axis Nearer to the French coast than to the English coast it runs along the Varne sandbank where it plunges to 68 m 223 ft at its deepest and along the latter s south east neighbour the Ridge bank French name Colbart 10 with a maximum depth of 62 m 203 ft 11 Marine wildlife Edit NASA Terra satellite image March 2001 The submarine depth of the strait varies between 68 m 223 ft at the Lobourg strait and 20 m 66 ft at the highest banks It presents a succession of rocky areas relatively deserted by ships wanting to spare their nets and of sandy flats and sub aqueous dunes The strong currents of the Channel are slowed around the rocky areas of the strait with formation of countercurrents and calmer zones where many species can find shelter 12 In these calmer zones the water is clearer than in the rest of the strait thus algae can grow despite the 46 m 151 ft average depth and help increase diversity in the local species some of which are endemic to the strait Moreover this is a transition zone for the species of the Atlantic Ocean and those of the southern part of the North Sea This mix of various environments promotes a wide variety of wildlife 13 The Ridens de Boulogne a 10 20 m 33 66 ft deep 14 rocky high ground partially covered with sand located 15 nmi 28 km 17 mi to the west of Boulogne boasts the highest production of maerl in the strait 14 A 682 km2 263 sq mi area of the strait is classified as a Natura 2000 protection zone listed under the name Ridens et dunes hydrauliques du Pas de Calais Ridens and sub aqueous dunes of the Dover Strait This area includes the sub aqueous dunes of Varne Colbart Vergoyer and Bassurelle the Ridens de Boulogne and the Lobourg channel which provides calmer and clearer waters due to its depth reaching 68 m 223 ft 15 Unusual crossings EditFurther information English Channel History of Channel crossings Many crossings other than in conventional vessels have been attempted including by pedalo jetpack bathtub amphibious vehicle and more commonly by swimming French law bans many of these while English law does not so most such crossings originate in England citation needed Ice EditIn the late 17th century during the Little Ice Age there were reports of severe winter ice in the English Channel 16 17 and Strait of Dover including a case in 1684 of only a league of open water remaining between Dover and Calais 18 See also EditBattle of Dover Strait 1916 Battle of Dover Strait 1917 Calais Lighthouse South Foreland Lighthouse Cap Gris Nez France UK borderNotes Edit Historically known as the Dover Narrows Dutch Nauw van Calais nʌu vɑn kaːˈlɛː or the lesser used Straat van Dover lt Crystal David ed 1999 English Channel Cambridge Paperback Encyclopedia 3rd ed Cambridge University Press p 1080 ISBN 978 0521668002 Lopez Martin Ana G 2010 International Straits Concept Classification and Rules of Passage Illustrated ed Springer Science amp Business Media p 95 amp 102 ISBN 9783642129063 a b c Glegg G Jefferson R Fletcher S 30 June 2015 Sheppard Charles Galgani Francois Hutchings Pat Quintino Victor eds Marine Governance in the English Channel La Manche Linking Science and Management Marine Pollution Bulletin 95 2 707 718 doi 10 1016 j marpolbul 2015 02 020 PMID 25819447 Van Dyke Jon M 2009 Transit Passage Through International Strait In Chircop Aldo McDorman Ted Rolstons Susan eds The Future of Ocean Regime Building Brill 1618 pp 175 232 ISBN 978 9004172678 The Channel Navigation Information Service CNIS Archived from the original on 17 October 2007 Gupta Sanjeev Collier Jenny S Palmer Felgate Andy Potter Graeme 2007 Catastrophic Flooding Origin of Shelf Valley Systems in the English Channel Nature 448 7151 342 5 Bibcode 2007Natur 448 342G doi 10 1038 nature06018 PMID 17637667 S2CID 4408290 Gibbard Philip 19 July 2007 Europe Cut Adrift Nature 448 7151 259 60 Bibcode 2007Natur 448 259G doi 10 1038 448259a PMID 17637645 Morelle Rebecca 4 April 2017 Evidence of Ancient Geological Brexit Revealed BBC News Science amp Environment Retrieved 6 April 2017 Pas de Calais Dover Strait sea seek com CoastView What happens offshore GEOSYNTH Project University of Sussex Underwater video of the ridens YouTube Davoult D Richard A 1988 Les Ridens haut fond rocheux isole du Pas de Calais un peuplement remarquable The Ridens Rocky Shallows in the Center of the Channel A Distinguished Settlement Cahiers de Biologie Marine in French 29 1 93 107 a b Richesses de la mer Richness of the sea PDF in French Picardy Estuaries and Opal Sea Marine Natural Park Ridens et dunes hydrauliques du Pas de Calais in French Natura 2000 The Great Frost of 1683 4 www pastpresented info Retrieved 20 March 2020 Notes and Queries Notes and Queries Second Series 11 219 16 March 1861 via archive org The World of Wonders A Record of Things Wonderful in Nature Science and Art London Cassel Petter amp Galpin 1869 External links EditChannel Navigation Information Service Channel Swimming amp Piloting Federation Channel Swimming Association Depth Chart showing straits and former course of Rhine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Strait of Dover amp oldid 1124133458, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
