Explore the intricate tapestry of the Strait of Dover, one of the world’s busiest waterways. Uncover the secrets hidden beneath its waves as we delve into the historical, and geographical. The strategic significance of this fascinating maritime passage. Join us on a journey through time and currents. As we unravel the mysteries that make the Strait of Dover a crucial and captivating part of global navigation
Strait of Dover
The Dover Strait is also called the Strait of Dover. It is a key maritime route in the Western European area located at the narrowest place of the English Channel.
It is the strait which separates the English Channel and the North Sea. A border between Great Britain and France, and the European Continent.
Beneath the Dover Strait is an underwater Channel Tunnel enabling trains and vehicles to move from Southern England to Northern France. Cutting maritime traffic and congestion in the strait that caters to about 400 commercial vessels regularly. This is one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world, with a mean depth of 40 m.
The 50.45-kilometer-long Channel Tunnel was inaugurated in 1994 between Britain and France. The underwater rail tunnel is one of the greatest engineering ventures ever undertaken in Britain. It connects Folkestone in the UK with Coquelles in France.
Electricity is provided to the trains, the tunnels, and the light system and drainage pumps by 2 160MW huge stations located on both sides of the tunnel. If one station encounters any issues, the second one can supply electricity to the whole system.
The Dover Strait has a width of 18-23 miles. While the depth of the place is between 120 to 200 feet. Across the Dover area, the shortest distance is 20.7 miles. From the Southern Foreland area to Cap Gris Nez, a cape close to Calais in France.
The size of the strait
Since the size of the strait is not so much, it is possible to see the opposite coastline of both nations with the naked eye on a clear day. One can easily find the White Cliffs of Dover from the French beaches. The buildings on both parts of the coastal areas. Also, city lights look beautiful, as stated in Matthew Arnold’s poem ‘Dover Beach.’
Dover is known for White Cliffs. It includes a part of the coastline lined with straight cliff hangings made of white chalk. A like-looking geologic formation can be seen across the water at Cap Blanc-Nez. Indicating that both coastal areas were once joined together.
How was the Dover Strait Formed?
Half a million years ago, erosion caused high-magnitude floods that created the Strait by breaking the land connection between Great Britain and continental Europe, according to geologists. Water began cascading over the narrow land, ultimately leading to the collapse of the natural bridge thousands of years later in a two-pronged process, researchers say.
Sub-bottom data records display sediment-infilled depressions incised into bedrock. These show initial erosion of the Dover Strait by lake overspills, sink pool erosions by waterfalls, and lastly, dam breaching.
Also, before the start of the Dover Strait, the nation was connected to Europe through a structural ridge. Thus, it went from southeast England to northwest France. Thus, the geographic insularity of the UK from continental Europe is a product of high interglacial sea levels, leading to heavy flooding of shallow shelf parts of the English Channel and the North Sea.
A new study
A new study said the starting breach must have happened about 450,000 years ago, making a smaller channel compared to the present one. The second one probably took place hundreds of thousands of years in the future. Creating a catastrophic breach separating the United Kingdom from France completely.
During the first breach, the ice-managed lake in the southern area of the North Sea flowed, breaking the Weals-Artois chalk range in a considerable erosion and flood event. Eventually, the Thames and Scheldt also flowed into the English Channel via the gap. However, Meuse and Rhine still went on their northward flow.
In the second flood event, which took place around 225,000 years ago. The Meuse and the Rhine were ice-dammed into a lake, which destroyed its barriers. Both flood events led to the making of huge flood channels into the dry bed from the English Channel. Similar to the Channeled Scablands or Wabash River in the United States.
The Lobourg Strait, also called the Lobourg Channel, is a considerable feature of the strait’s seabed that goes for six kilometers wide on a north-north-east axis. It is nearer to the French coast than the English beaches. It goes along the Varne sandbank, the place where it plunges to 68 meters at its deepest.
The exact period of these happenings remains uncertain. The Geologists from Britain, Belgium, and France intend to drill into the seafloor to fetch samples from the plunge pool sediments in the hopes of determining the precise time.
Importance of Dover Strait in Global Maritime Map
The Strait of Dover, which is thought to be the busiest maritime route in the world, has been a main thing of the European shipping network for several years now. Despite its narrowness, the Strait’s geographic location is quite distinct.
Both for vessels wishing to cross the English harbors and enter European waters. For those going in the North and the Baltic Sea through the English Channel, going over the Dover Strait is a must.
Statistically, it is said that the Dover Strait sees the passage of around 400 ships on an everyday basis. The boats that transit through the Strait of Dover are not only cargo-carrying boats but also Voyager and specific Ro/Ro ferryboats.
Hence, safety in the strait’s waters is considered seriously, with HM Coastguard keeping a 24-hour watch over the channel and implementing a hatch regime of shipping lanes.
The harbour of Dover
The harbor of Dover on the water’s British part and the harbor of Calais on its French part are two of the world’s most busy harbors located along the Strait. Because it is a major transportation link between the two countries. Additionally, part of busy shipping areas, traffic safety has become a major issue in the water in recent times.
Several necessary protocols emphasize the significance of the Strait to ensure a safer and more secure passage through it. Moreover, the French maritime domain recognizes the Dover Strait as the Strait of Calais due to its importance.
Alongside being a crucial marine entry area, the Dover Strait is also a loved recreational swimming place, especially for swimmers wanting to go across the English Channel.
The shortest distance from the strait is via the South Foreland, 20.6 miles north of Dover, in Kent, Britain, to Cap Gris Nez. This is a cape near to Calais in Pas-de-Calais, France. Moreover, between these points is the most popular place for cross-channel swimmers.
Maritime Protocols and Laws in the Strait of Dover
Being the busiest global seaway in the world, several important and noteworthy regulations have been made to aid the passage of vessels Via the strait during the past several decades. Because of its narrowness, the Strait witnessed different accidents every year in earlier times.
As part of the introduction of the Collision Laws of 1960, the strait comes under full radar surveillance and also works on a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). Which two lanes move through the strait for inward and outward-destined traffic to avoid collisions.
Introduced in 1967, the Traffic Separation System in Dover was the beginning of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to legalize TSS in the world. The Collision Regulations were eventually replaced with International Regulations for stopping Collisions at Sea. It was taken up as a convention of the IMO in October 1975. The new law amended the existing rules with more strict navigation laws to prevent collisions in the water.
In addition, the CNIS, which was established in 1972, goes for the fulfillment of the aforesaid objective. The CNIS helps control the maritime traffic crossing via the Strait by way of a full-day, around-the-clock radar system checking and radio channel feasibility.
The Strait of Dover also falls under the league of a ‘mandatory reporting zone.’ As per Pas de Calais/Dover Strait report or CALDOVREP. The boats with GRTs over 300 tonnes moving these zones are mandated to announce their specifications.
The information required to give includes the name of the ship, call sign, IMO identity number, and MMSI number. Also, place in latitude and longitude. The draught of the ship, direction, and speed of the vessel, route information, details regarding the hazardous cargo, and IMO class and quantity, among various others.
