Where is the English Channel. Analysis of the navigational support of the vessel's navigation along the route: Port of Genoa

In the II century, BC. e. the ancient Greek scientist Herodotus called this water isthmus "Oceanus Britannicus".
An interesting situation has developed around the name "English Channel". The French version has been known since the 17th century. and means sleeve. The Spaniards called the strait El Canal de la Mancha, the Portuguese called Canal da Mancha, the Italians La Manica, the Germans Ermelkanal.
The desire of each of the peoples to remake the name in their own way betrayed a persistent desire to claim ownership of these small, but significant waters. Control of the strait provided colossal advantages. Firstly, it was the closest way to England, and secondly, the shortest way to. Despite the capricious nature of the English Channel - frequent fogs, gale-force winds, high tides and treacherous currents - political and commercial importance outweighed all natural barriers.
According to the most rough estimates, the remains of several million people and tens of thousands of ships lie at the bottom of the strait: from Roman galleys to diesel submarines. Such is the price of the centuries-old battle for the strait.
None of this would have happened if the British Isles had remained part of continental Europe 10,000 years ago, during the last glaciation (Pleistocene). But the land in these places lay 120 m below sea level, and as the glaciers melted, water filled the lowlands, forming what we now call the English Channel.
In times of peace, the strait served a noble purpose: it was a kind of water bridge, through which there was a cultural exchange between the Celts and the peoples of inner Europe, contributing to the formation of new languages ​​and nationalities. This is indicated by the obvious similarity of many dialects and customs common on both sides of the strait.
However, in difficult times for the population of Britain, the strait became a natural barrier to the conquerors, although not for everyone. The ancient Romans managed to successfully cross the strait and conquer Britain in the 1st century BC. n. e., Normans in 1066, William III of Orange in 1688.
Beginning with Elizabeth I (1533-1603), the policy of the English kings in the area of ​​the strait was to prevent an invasion of England from the continent. To do this, the British ensured that none of the major European powers controlled important ports on the other side of the strait. The formation of the British Empire would have been impossible if the British had not established the most severe control over the English Channel in their time.
The rise of England as "Queen of the Seas" began after 1588, when the Spanish "Invincible Armada" perished along its coast, partly in the English Channel, where it was covered by one of the fierce English Channel storms. On the occasion of the victory, Queen Elizabeth III ordered the minting of a medal with the Latin inscription Adflavit Deus et dissipati sunt ("God blew and they scattered").
France tried twice more to conquer England: during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and during the Napoleonic Wars (1800-15). Both times the "guests from the continent" gathered a huge fleet, but never invaded the island. A significant role was played here by all the same famous English Channel winds and storms, which, to spite the French, began on the most favorable day for the invasion.
First Lord Fisher of the British Admiralty declared shortly before the outbreak of the First World War: "Five keys keep the world shut: Singapore, Cape Town, Alexandria, Gibraltar and Dover." The importance of the English Channel port of Dover remained decisive for the defense of the strait.
On July 25, 1909, Frenchman Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel for the first time in his monoplane, starting at Calais and landing at Dover. The British were made clear that the English Channel was no longer an insurmountable barrier to enemy troops. In addition, Germany began to hastily build submarines, which was an even greater threat to England. The British had to fight on land in order to get close to the German submarine bases, but only in 1918, when the war was drawing to a close, the threat of an invasion of England from under the water was finally eliminated during the famous Zeebrugee Raid and the complete naval blockade of Germany .
During World War II, the theater of operations at sea moved to the Atlantic, as the shallow waters and narrow inlets of the English Channel were too dangerous for large-capacity ships. Having abandoned a direct invasion (Operation Sea Lion), the German troops concentrated on submarine warfare, laying minefields and rocket and artillery shelling of England across the strait.
In May 1940, the British Expeditionary Force, which fought on the side of France, retreated through Dunkirk along with the remnants of the French army under the onslaught of the advancing German army. It was the most ambitious rescue operation in the history of wars: in just a few days, 338,000 soldiers were evacuated during Operation Dainemo.
During 1940-1945, the Germans built the most powerful fortifications on the continental side of the strait, called the Atlantic Wall. Many have survived to this day, becoming tourist attractions. German troops managed to occupy several islands in the strait, but did not advance further. The Atlantic Wall fell in 1944, during the opening of the Second Front and the implementation of Operation Overlord to land Allied troops in Normandy.
After the end of the war and with the beginning of the unification of Europe, the issue of transport links between the British Isles and the continent became acute. Ferry crossings were morally and technologically outdated and could not cope with the transportation of goods, cars and railway cars. About 3.5 million people lived on the banks of the English Channel, in dire need of a modern crossing.
The idea of ​​building a tunnel under the English Channel has a long history. Back in 1802, the French engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier proposed a project for a tunnel for traveling in carriages by the light of oil lamps. There were other projects, and even construction began: twice in 1876 and 1922. But both times the construction was frozen for political reasons.
The new project was launched in 1973. The underground crossing was opened in 1994 and was named the Eurotunnel. This is a double-track railway with a length of about 51 km (39 km under the English Channel). Thanks to the tunnel, it is now possible to get from Paris to London in 2 hours and 15 minutes; in the tunnel itself, the trains are 20-35 min.

general information

The English Channel, together with the Pas de Calais, connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean

The most important ports: Great Britain- Portsmouth, Southampton, Dover; France- Le Havre, Calais, Cherbourg, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Largest islands: Isle of Wight (Great Britain), (Jersey and Guernsey), under the jurisdiction of Great Britain, off the coast of France.
Peninsulas: Cornwall (UK), Cotentin (France).
Rivers flowing into the strait: Seine, Somme, Orna, Vira (France); Ex, Dort, Tamer, Fal (Great Britain).
Languages: English, French, dialects of the population of the shores of the strait (Gallo, Mor Bretannec, Het Canaal, Ermel Canal, etc.).
Monetary units: pound sterling, euro.

Numbers

Area: 75,000 km2.
Length: 560 km.
Width: from 34 km (between Dover, UK, and Calais, France) to 240 km (between Mont Saint-Michel, France, and Devon, UK).
Average depth at widest section: 120 m
Average depth at the narrowest section: 45 m
Minimum depth on the fairway: 23.5 m
Maximum depth in the fairway: 172 m (underwater low Heards Deep).
Average current speed: 12-13 km / h near the city of Portland. Great Britain, 15-18.5 km/h at Cape Ag France.
Maximum tidal wave height: 15 m (city of Saint-Malo, France).
Average salinity: over 35% ° .

Economy

Shipping.
Minerals: building sand and gravel.
Fishing: turbot (halibut), flounder, stingray, mackerel, whiting, sea eel (conger). Breeding oysters.
Services sector: tourism, transport.

Climate and weather

Moderate maritime, significant influence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Average air temperature:+4°С in winter, +18°С in summer.
The average temperature of the surface layer of water: January: +6°С; July: +19°С.
Average annual rainfall: 830 mm.
Average annual cloudiness: 7 points.
Average number of foggy days per year: in the west - 34, in the east - 101. Storms in autumn and winter.
Relative humidity: 85-100%.

Attractions

■ Eurotunnel (France - Great Britain);
■ Chalk reefs "Seven Sisters" (UK);
■ Allied landing site (Normandy, France);
■ Guernsey Island (Channel Islands, UK): Cornet Castle (1206-1256), Victoria Tower (1848), forts, small chapel, mills;
■ The ruins of the "Atlantic wall" (France);
■ Cotentin Peninsula: Cherbourg city, Cape Flamanville (France);
■ Lighthouses of the Brittany Peninsula (France);
■ Needle Rocks (Great Britain).

Curious facts

■ Herds Deep - a depression at the bottom of the English Channel - was used by the British during the First World War to bury chemical weapons. After the Second World War, German weapons were flooded here. Similar operations continued until 1974. In the period 194673. the depression was used to flood radioactive waste.
■ Eurostar trains travel through the Eurotunnel at a speed of 160 km/h.
■ The Channel Islands, part of the two Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey, are under the jurisdiction of the British Monarchy, but are not part of the UK and are not part of the EU, although they are part of the customs territory of the EU.
■ The island of Sark (Channel Islands) until 2008 retained a feudal system of government - the last in Europe. The island was governed by a council of elders.
■ The giant sea eel, or conger, living in the English Channel, reaches a length of 3 m and weighs more than 100 kg.
■ Alderney (Channel Islands) has the only railway on the islands. Built in 1847, 3 km long, open only in summer, on weekends and public holidays.
■ The British swimmer Matthew Webb was the first in the history of mankind to cross the English Channel in 1875 in 21 hours and 45 minutes. The slowest swim across the strait - 28 hours 44 minutes. (Jackie Cobell, UK, 2010)

The coast of the English Channel is a very beautiful place to relax. Few tourists know that you can get to France or the UK (or vice versa) through a unique tunnel. It was built more than 20 years ago, but is still considered the most interesting building.

The English Channel or the English Channel is a strait located between France and Great Britain. The country is connected by a road passing under water. It ranks third in the list of the longest railway tunnels. In ancient times, the strait had other names, for example, Oceanus Britannicus, Canal da Mancha, La Manica or Ermelkanal. The French say the English Channel, which means "sleeve", but what do the British call the bay? They prefer such a name as the English Channel. The length of the strait is 578 km, the width at the narrow point is 32 km, at the wide point it reaches 250 km, flows into the Pas de Calais. The average depth of the strait is 60 meters, and the maximum can be up to 170.

Cities located in the strait

The world map shows that a denser population is noted on the shores of England. The city of Portsmouth has 422 thousand inhabitants, Southampton - 304, and Plymouth - 259 thousand people. The largest city near the English Channel in France is Le Havre. The population there is almost 250 thousand people. Calais has a population of 100,000, while Boulogne-sur-Mer has less than 90,000.

Crossing the strait by swimming

Swimmers from all over the world are trying to conquer the English Channel by swimming through the narrowest part (Pas de Calais, 32 km wide). Weather conditions complicate this process, because the water temperature in summer does not rise above 18 degrees. Waves and wind sometimes reach 4 on the Beaufort scale. In addition, sometimes the current changes due to the tides. At the moment, a little more than 1 thousand people swam across the strait. Some facts about it:

1. Matthew Webb is the first man to swim across the English Channel in 1875. The swim took almost 22 hours. The first woman in history was Gertrude Ederle, a resident of the United States of America, who made the journey in 14 hours and 39 minutes in 1926.
2. The population of the Soviet Union never participated in such an unusual sport. However, 12 years ago, Pavel Kuznetsov, a resident of Russia, swam across the English Channel in 14 hours and 33 minutes. In addition to him, several other compatriots tried their hand. The record was set by Yuri Kudinov, who covered the distance in just 7 hours and 5 minutes.
3. D. Cobell from Great Britain scored the slowest swim. He spent almost 29 hours swimming across the bay.
4. Philippe Croison is the first man without arms and legs to swim across the strait. The man used special prostheses, thanks to which he did not drown. Swimming took 14.5 hours.

English Channel

General information. In this sailing boat, consisting of two issues, a description of the English Channel, or the English Channel (La Manche, English channel) is given.

Issue 1 describes the northern coast of the English Channel from North Foreland (5P23"N, 1°27"E) to Cape Cornwall (50°08"N, 5°43"W) and the Isles of Scilly belonging to the United Kingdom UK and Northern Ireland. Issue 2 describes the southern coast of the English Channel from the Franco-Belgian border to Cape Penmark (47°48"N, 4°22"W), which belongs to the French Republic.

A developed network of navigation equipment and a significant number of conspicuous points provide navigation along the English Channel day and night. High shores with characteristic peninsulas and capes facilitate orientation according to radar data. The most difficult sailing conditions are found in the Pas de Calais, or Dover (Pas de Calais, Dover Strait), which is the eastern and narrowest part of the English Channel, due to the presence of banks and strong tidal currents.

Due to heavy shipping traffic, the greatest threat to navigation in the English Channel is the risk of collision, especially in conditions of limited visibility. Vessels following the strait must take into account that it is crossed by ships plying at high speed between English and French ports.

Shores. The northern coast of the English Channel, which is the southern coast of the island of Great Britain, is predominantly rocky and rocky. According to the nature of the relief, it is divided into two parts: eastern and western. The boundary between them runs along the meridian 3 ° 00 "W. long. Along the eastern part of the northern coast of the strait stretches a long chain of chalk mountains Downs (Downs) with a height of no more than 300 m. To the west of the meridian 3 ° 00" W. debt, the coast gets higher; here are mountains up to 619 m high, made of red sandstone and other hard rocks.

In many places the hills come close to the sea and form high and precipitous capes, visible from a great distance. In places where the mountains are far from the coast, there are low plains with clay and sandy shores near the sea. The slopes of the hills, as well as the low parts of the coast, are covered in places with monotonous vegetation. There are few forests here.

The northern coast of the English Channel from Cape North Foreland to Cape Selsey Bill (50 ° 43 "N, 0 ° 47" W) is slightly indented. To the west of Cape Selsey Bill, several bays and inlets jut into the shore. The most important among them are Portsmouth Bay, Southampton Water, Lyme, Plymouth and Mounts.

Approximately from the middle of the northern coast of the English Channel, the high, narrow and conspicuous Portland Peninsula protrudes, connected to the shore by a low isthmus.

The extremities of many peninsulas are high and conspicuous. The most significant protruding from the coast are the capes of North Foreland, South Foreland (51 ° 08 "N, 1 ° 22" E), Dungeness (50 ° 55 "N, 0 ° 59" E), Beachy Head (50 ° 44 " N, 0°15"E), Selsey Bill, St. Catherines (Isle of Wight), Bill of Portland (50°W N, 2°27" W), Launch (50° 13" N, 3°38 "W), Lizard (49°58"N, 5°12"W) and Land's End (50°04"N, 5°43"W).

The steep and rocky shores are bordered by a narrow strip of drying reefs and rocks. The low-lying parts of the coast are relatively shallow and bordered by drying sandbars.

The northern coast of the strait is cut by many short rivers, of which the main ones are Rother, Ouse, Frum, Ex, Dart, Teimar and Fal; the depths at the mouths of these rivers are usually large. Some ports and harbors located on such rivers are accessible to large ships. The wide mouths of the Aix and Fall rivers give the impression of a break in the coastline from a distance.

The southern coast of the English Channel in the section from the Franco-Belgian border to the port of Le Treport (50 ° 04 "N, 1 ° 22" E) is low and sandy, and further to the S to the mouth of the Seine River, a high rocky coast stretches. To the west of the mouth of the River Seine, the south coast of the Gulf of the Seine is mostly low, but steep.

The eastern part of the southern coast of the English Channel to the Cotentin Peninsula (49 ° 30 "N, 1 ° 35" W) has a flat-hilly relief, and its western part, with the exception of the Cotentin Peninsula, is more elevated, mostly rocky, composed of granite, sandstone and shale. The landscape of the Brittany peninsula (48°30" N, 4°30" W) is an alternation of small cultivated land with meadows and groves.

Several bays and bays jut out into the southern coast of the English Channel east of the Cotentin Peninsula, including the bays of the Seine and Saint-Malo. To the S from the Brittany peninsula stretches the heavily indented, high, rocky western coast of France; a bay juts out into this shore, in which the Brest raid is located.

From the southern coast of the English Channel protrude Capes Gris-Ne (50°52" N, 1°35" E), Antifer (49°41" N, 0°10" E), Barfleur (49°42" N, D16 "W) and a cape (49°44"N, 1°56"W), which is the northwestern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula.

Throughout the southern coast of the English Channel, steep and rocky sections of the coast are bordered by drying reefs, and low sandy areas are a sandy drying shallow. The coast to the west of the Cotentin Peninsula is bordered by numerous islands, islets and rocks and has a skerry character; navigation along this coast is the most difficult from a navigational point of view.

The southern coast of the English Channel is cut by many rivers, of which the Seine River has the most important navigational value. The most significant navigable rivers after the Seine are the rivers Somme, Orne, Rane, Treguier, Morlaix, Abervrac and Hen (listed from east to west). The mouths of the rivers of the eastern part of this coast are usually blocked by sand bars, through which channels are dug, and the mouths of the rivers of the western part are cluttered with many dangers, between which fairways lie. The rivers of the described region are characterized by small fluctuations in the water level and a weak current.

Islands and straits. Off the northern shore of the English Channel is White Island, separated from the shore by the deep-water Te Solent. The height of the southern part of the Isle of Wight reaches about 240 m. To the north, the height of the island gradually decreases. There are several islands and rocks off its coast.

On the northern side of the entrance to the English Channel from the west, 24 miles SW of Land's End, are the Isles of Scilly, which are a vast group of islands, surface and underwater rocks.

Off the southern coast of the English Channel immediately to the west of the Cotentin Peninsula lie the Channel Islands: Alderney, Guernsey, Sark and Jersey, between which deep passages lead. Between the island of Alderney and the Cotentin peninsula there is a deep-water strait of the Race of Alderney, and there are narrow shallow passages between the island of Jersey and the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula.

Near the northwestern tip of the Brittany peninsula is the island of Ouesant, and in the strait between the island and the mainland there is a vast shallow area through which there are several passages accessible to small craft.

About 24 miles south of Ouesant Island are the cliffs of the Chaussée de Seine. Between these cliffs and the coast of the mainland there is a passage of Ras de Seine, which, in clear weather and subject to strong tidal currents, can be used by small and medium-sized ships to shorten the route from the port of Brest to the ports of the Bay of Biscay and back.

Depths, relief and soil. The bottom in the English Channel gradually decreases from east to west and from both banks to its middle. However, in the western part of the strait, near the northern shore, the bottom is flatter than near the southern one.

In the middle of the Pas de Calais, which is the eastern entrance to the English Channel, there are several long shallow banks: Varne, The Ridge, Le Ridens, Bassurel; the soil on the banks is coarse sand and broken shells. These banks divide the narrow strait of Pas de Calais into two passages, in which traffic separation zones are established.

On the northern coast of the English Channel, the bottom is quite flat. Here there are only a few rocky banks, remote from the coast at a distance of up to 8 miles. The rest of the dangers are close to the coast.

The bottom near the southern coast of the English Channel is uneven. Near the coast there are many dangers that make it difficult to approach it.

In some places, on the approaches to the southern coast of the English Channel, there are depressions with distinctive depths, which contribute to the identification of the vessel's position when sailing during poor visibility. On the approach to the Channel Islands from the NW is the vast Heard Basin, which is elongated from NE to SW.

The edge of the continental shoal to the SW from the entrance to the English Channel is limited by the 200 m isobath. Seaward of this isobath, the depths increase sharply. In good weather, the edge of the continental shoal can be identified by the ripples that form above it, and in stormy weather, by excitement and a sharp change in the color of the water from dark blue to green. To the east of the edge of the continental shelf, the depths decrease evenly.

Soil in the English Channel is sand, gravel, stone, shell, chalk and silt. There is often a rock near the shore. In the western part of the strait, on its northern side, the soil is darker than on the southern side, and the sand and stone are finer.

On approaches to the strait from the west, the soil is predominantly fine or coarse-grained sand and broken shells; in some places there are pebbles, gravel, small stones and in some places silt. The sand is mostly white, although yellow is found in some places. Yellow sand is located mainly to the south of the parallel 49 ° 30 "north latitude, and yellow with black sand grains is located north of this parallel.

Terrestrial magnetism. Magnetic knowledge in the English Channel is satisfactory. For this area, there are data from magnetic measurements of the Soviet expeditionary vessel Zarya, aeromagnetic surveys of the United States under the Magnit project, and the State Observatory of Canada. A dense network of dotted lines of magnetic observations covers the coast.

The magnetic declination for the 1995 epoch varies from 3.3°W in the northeast of the region (52°00"N, 2°00"E) to 5.8°W in the southwest of the region (49°00"N, 5°00"W). Direction of isogons -- NE -- SW. Anomalies and anomalous points were not found. The average annual change in declination is 0.13°.

The magnetic inclination varies from 66.9°N in the northeast of the region to 64.2°N in the southwest of the region. The direction of the isoclines is latitudinal.

The horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field strength in the region described varies from 190 meO in the northeast to 202 meO in the southwest of the region. The direction of the isodynamics is latitudinal.

Navigation aids. In the English Channel, navigational aids fully ensure the safety of navigation of ships both far from the coast and on the approaches to bays, bays and estuaries. In conditions of normal visibility, a reliable determination of the position of the vessel is provided by beacons and luminous signs. For orientation in conditions of limited visibility, there are sound signal installations. Radio navigation systems operate in the English Channel.

The Loran-S and Konsol systems in this area have low positioning accuracy and are not recommended for use.

In addition to the above-mentioned radio navigation systems, the Toran, Siledis and Rana P17 radio navigation systems are deployed on the coast of France. The Rana P17 system mainly captures the western part of the English Channel and provides vessel positioning with an accuracy of 200 m.

Many lightships and buoys are equipped with radar transponder beacons. Shoals that protrude far from the coast, banks and wrecks, as well as fairways leading to ports located in this area, are protected by floating warning signs. For fencing, the IALA system, region A, has been adopted.

Lighted Oceanographic Data Acquisition Buoys (ODAS) may be encountered in the English Channel.

In French waters, in addition to IALA (Region A), buoys fencing target practice areas may be painted white with a blue cross.

In French notices to mariners, buoys are often described by function or color; therefore, on English maps, they may not be plotted in the appropriate form or type of top piece.

Oil and gas fields. Within the boundaries of the continental shelf of the two countries in the English Channel, production platforms and drilling rigs for the development of oil and gas fields can be installed. Drilling rigs are not marked on the maps; information about them is reported by radio to NAVIP and published in notices to mariners. Each side of the platform or rig has an illuminated yellow board with the structure's name or number attached.

Navigation equipment. On production platforms and drilling rigs, lights are lit and fog signals are given:

a) a white group flashing all-round light corresponding to the letter U (* *--) of Morse code; flashes repeat after 15 s, visibility range 10 miles;

b) red lights operating synchronously with the above white light are lit at the ends of the structures; visibility range 2 miles;

c) fog signal is a group of sounds corresponding to the letter U (**--) of Morse code; the signal is repeated after 30 s.

Approaches to drilling rigs, platforms and other structures in the areas of development are protected by luminous buoys. Aviation obstruction lights are installed at the top of the platforms.

If a platform or rig cannot be detected by radar at a distance of about 3 miles, radar reflectors are installed on it.

Most of the operational platforms, as well as all platforms located in the English sector, have security zones. In accordance with the 1964 Convention on the Continental Shelf, the radius of the safety zone is 500 m. Entry into the safety zone is prohibited except in the following cases:

a) repair of a submarine cable or pipeline in the vicinity of the zone;

b) delivery and removal of service personnel, ensuring their vital functions, inspection of the platform - in all cases, if there is an appropriate permit;

c) saving people and property;

d) due to bad weather or in distress.

swimming mode. The English Channel is a former mine-prone area open to shipping. Anchorage in former mine-hazardous areas is permitted only in special places; Fishing in these areas is allowed only under strict observance of special instructions.

In the areas of the busiest navigation, namely in the Strait of Pas de Calais and on the approaches to it, NW from the Caskets Rocks (49°43" N, 2°23" W), NW from Ouesant Island (48°28" N, 5°05"W), as well as to the E, S and W from the Isles of Scilly (49°57"N, 6°20"W) traffic separation systems are installed; zones or separation lines and lanes are shown on maps. Navigation in these systems is regulated by regulation 10 COLREG-72. However, this rule does not change the requirement to follow the rules of passing of ships and to proceed at a safe speed, especially in conditions of limited visibility.

Between the traffic separation zones and the shores of the strait, there are coastal navigation zones intended for small craft. Swimming in some areas of coastal navigation in France is regulated by special rules.

In the English Channel there are numerous combat training areas for the armed forces of Great Britain and France.

Hydrometeorological essay. Hydrometeorological conditions for navigation of vessels in the described area are unfavorable from October to March. During this period, strong winds and waves are often observed, due to precipitation and fog, visibility deteriorates.

Navigation of ships can be hampered by strong local winds, which develop significant waves.

Tidal currents, combined with strong wind waves or large swells in the open part of the strait and in some roadsteads, also create unfavorable conditions for navigation and mooring of ships.

At the mouth of the River Seine, the threat to anchored ships may be the "mascaret" - a shaft formed by a tidal wave.

In May-September, hydrometeorological conditions for navigation of ships are “more favorable: strong winds and waves are less common. However, at this time, navigation of ships can be hampered by fogs.

Tornadoes, which occur mainly in August and September, can also be a danger to navigation.

meteorological characteristic. The described area is located in the temperate climate zone. The climate here is typically maritime. It is characterized by slight fluctuations in air temperature throughout the year, high humidity and cloudiness, a significant amount of precipitation and a predominance of westerly winds.

Winters are mild, with rare and short frosts. The weather is usually cloudy and rainy, fogs and strong winds are not uncommon.

Spring is relatively cold. The weather is less cloudy compared to winter; fogs and strong winds are less common than in winter.

Summer is cool. There are rare fogs, significant cloudiness, moderate amount of precipitation, which falls mainly in the form of showers. Strong winds are rare and do not last long.

Autumn is relatively warm. Cloudy weather; fogs are frequent, strong winds and prolonged precipitation, which, however, are less intense than in summer.

The most significant factor in the formation of the climate of the region described is the circulation of the atmosphere. Its characteristic feature is the predominance of a powerful western transport of warm and humid sea air masses of temperate latitudes, which are formed in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The western transfer is due to very intense cyclonic activity that develops throughout the year on the front of temperate latitudes, passing through the entire ocean from the coast of North America to the coast of Europe.

In winter, cyclones usually follow through the British Isles and the North Sea to the east. As a result, a powerful flow of warm and humid air masses is created over the described area.

In summer, the western transfer of air masses over the English Channel persists, although the paths of cyclones shift somewhat in the meridional direction. As a result, the air masses brought by summer cyclones are relatively cool.

In the area described, there are mainly four types of weather: southwestern, northwestern, southeastern, and anticyclonic.

The southwestern type of weather prevails in this area. This type of weather is characterized by the dominance of winds from SW, especially strong in winter. The weather is usually cloudy and rainy.

The northwestern type of weather is observed mainly in winter, when cold and strong winds from NW, which are often squally, prevail everywhere. With these winds, there is an alternation of cloudy, rainy weather with clear weather.

The southeastern type of weather occurs when air masses from the continent invade a given area. This type of weather is characterized by a predominance of winds from E to S, which cause warm, mostly dry weather in summer and cold or very cold winters.

The anticyclonic type of weather is noted when an anticyclone is located above the described area. The weather is predominantly dry and warm, with slight haze in summer and frequent fogs in winter.

The North Atlantic Current has a significant influence on the climate of the area described, bringing to the shores of Western Europe large masses of warm water entering the English Channel, which causes an increase in air temperature in winter and a slight decrease in it in summer.

Temperature and humidity. The temperature regime of the region described is rather uniform; only in winter the air temperature noticeably decreases from west to east.

In the coldest months of the year (January and February), the average monthly air temperature varies from 6 to 8 °С in the open part of the strait and from 4 to 8 °С on its coasts.

The absolute minimum air temperature is -18°С (Dunkirk port, January).

In the warmest months of the year (July, August), the average monthly air temperature is 16--18 °C everywhere.

The absolute maximum air temperature is 38 °С (port of Le Havre, July).

From October to April, and in some places even to May, frosts are observed on the coast of Great Britain; their greatest probability is in January - March, and more often they are noted in the eastern part of this coast. The number of frost days per year is small; in the port of Falmouth, for example, there are 15 such days.

The diurnal variation of temperature in summer is more pronounced than in winter.

Relative humidity is high throughout the year. The average monthly humidity is everywhere on average 75--85%, and in summer it is slightly lower than in winter. Daily fluctuations in relative humidity do not exceed 5% in winter and 20% in summer.

winds. In the open part of the English Channel, winds from SW and W dominate throughout the year.

In autumn and winter, winds from SW and W prevail in the English Channel (total frequency is 30–40%). In spring, the winds are more variable than in autumn and winter, but winds from SW, W, NE (40--50%) are more often than others. In summer, in addition to winds from SW and W (35--45%), winds from NW (10--20%) are observed.

On the coasts of the English Channel, winds from SW and W dominate (total frequency 25–50%). Of the winds of other directions, winds from N, NW and NE are most often observed, and in the ports of Le Havre, Dieppe and Cherbourg, from October - November to February - March, winds from S prevail (up to 26%).

The average monthly wind speed in the open part of the strait is predominantly 5-9 m/s, and it is higher in winter than in summer. On the coasts of the strait, it is 4--7 m/s, only on the Isles of Scilly and on the island of Uesan in December - February the wind speed increases to 9--10 m/s.

The diurnal variation of the wind speed on the coasts is more pronounced in summer, with the highest speed occurring at approximately 13:00. In winter, the diurnal variation is very weakly expressed.

Calms are rarely observed. Their frequency everywhere usually does not exceed 5%, only in the ports of Brest and Southampton it reaches 9-10%.

The frequency of wind speeds of 15 m/s and more in the open part of the strait from September to April is predominantly 5–10%, and in summer it is no more than 5%. On the coasts of the strait, the average annual number of days with a wind speed of 17 m / s varies from 5 to 34. The average monthly number of days with such a wind speed from October to February - March is mainly 1--3, and from March to September it rarely exceeds 1 The exceptions are the ports of Boulogne, Falmouth and the Isles of Scilly, where in October-January this number increases to 4-6.

Strong winds most often blow from SW and last in winter sometimes 3-4 days. In April and even in May, strong winds from NE are sometimes observed in the eastern part of the region described, accompanied by snowfalls and blizzards. Wind speed from NE can reach 36 m/s, and from SW - 59 m/s. Sometimes storm winds from SW, without weakening, change their direction to W, NW or NE (through N), and then blow again from SW.

On the coast of France, local winds are common, with which residents usually associate weather changes.

Norde is a cold and dry wind from the NE that occurs in the very north of France in winter.

South of parallel 50° N. latitude, especially in winter and autumn, there are winds called "naroe" and "syuroe". Naroe is a strong gusty cold wind from N or from W, usually accompanied by heavy cumulus clouds and showers of rain. Shuroe - a warmer and more prolonged wind from SW or from S, accompanied by heavy rainfall. On the coast of the Brittany peninsula, there is a warm, less humid than suroe, wind from SW or from W, which is called here "xue".

North of parallel 50° N. lat. winds "viendoes" and "biz" are noted. Viendoes is a warm westerly wind accompanied by intense rain, often with thunderstorms. Biz is a cold wind from N, NE or from E. With this wind, usually dry, slightly cloudy weather is noted, a significant increase in atmospheric pressure. Biz occurs most often in winter and spring.

Flurries are often observed in summer during thunderstorms.

Breezes are everywhere observed on the coasts of the strait. In summer, the sea breeze is better developed, and in winter, the coastal breeze. The sea breeze begins at 12-13 o'clock and lasts until 19 o'clock; after a short lull, a coastal breeze begins, reaching its greatest development between 1 and 8 a.m. The sea breeze is stronger than the coastal breeze; its speed sometimes reaches 7 m/s, and the speed of the coastal breeze does not exceed 3 m/s.

fogs. The frequency of fogs in the open part of the English Channel in April - November 1 - 3%; in December - March it increases to 5--7%. On the coasts of the strait, the average annual number of days with fog varies from 12 to 53. The average monthly number of days with fog generally does not exceed 4. The number of such days reaches 6 in the port of Le Havre in December - March, in the area of ​​Cape La Hague in June and July 5, and on the island of Uesan in May - September, 5-8 days with fog are observed per month.

The duration of fogs varies from 4 hours to 2 days, sometimes more.

On the coast of Great Britain, the largest number of hours with fog in a month is 64 (Isles of Scilly, June, July), and the smallest is 6 (a section of the coast between Capes Start and Lizard, January).

The fogs that arise over the open part of the strait are longer than the fogs over the coasts.

In the described area, mainly radiative and advective fogs are observed.

Radiation fogs occur more often in the cold season over certain areas of land and can be carried by coastal winds into the strait. Sometimes these fogs cover a large area. There are cases when fog was observed on the coast of Great Britain with a height of 1200 m and a length from the mouth of the River Thames to the port of Plymouth.

Advection fogs typically form in spring and summer with moderate SW to W winds as warm, moist air passes over a relatively cold underlying surface. They can be very dense and occupy large areas. Moving along with the wind, advective fogs suddenly and rather quickly envelop the English Channel in a thick milky veil, visibility in which can be less than 10 m. Advective fogs are very stable and can persist for several days.

In the eastern part of the English Channel and in the estuary of the Seine River, evaporation fogs are sometimes encountered in winter. They form in the presence of very cold air, anticyclonic weather and light winds.

Visibility. During almost the entire year, visibility of more than 5 miles prevails in the region described (recurrence 70-80%, and in August up to 90%).

The frequency of visibility of 2 miles or less during the year varies from 5 to 15%, and in the eastern part of the strait it is greater than in the western; in July-August, the frequency is not more than 5%.

The deterioration in visibility is usually caused by fog, haze and precipitation. So, for example, in the western part of the English Channel, during rains, visibility decreases to several hundred meters.

Visibility of 2 miles or less is observed in all winds, however, in the western part of the English Channel, it occurs mainly with weak and moderate winds from SW and W and with calm. In some places on the shores of the strait, visibility deteriorates sharply with winds that bring smoke and fumes from industrial areas. Thus, for the port of Le Havre, such winds are from NE to E, and for the port of Brest, these are winds from E to SE.

radar observability. In the described area, normal radar observability prevails from November to August, and increased in September and October.

Cloudiness and precipitation. The average monthly cloudiness in the open part of the strait from October to March is 6–7 points, and from April to September it does not exceed 6 points. On the coasts, cloudiness varies from 6 to 8 points, and in winter it is more than in summer.

Cloudiness is usually higher in the morning than in the afternoon; only from November to January does it slightly increase during the day. Daily changes in cloudiness are small.

The frequency of overcast skies (cloudiness 7-10 points) ranges from 45% in summer to 65% in winter.

During the year, the number of cloudy days is 108-203. The average monthly number of cloudy days from October to February is 10-15 on the coast of Great Britain, 15-21 on the coast of France, and 8-14 on the island of Jersey. From March to September, it is 7-11 on the coast of Great Britain, 12-18 on the coast of France, and 6-9 on the island of Jersey.

The frequency of clear sky (cloudiness 0-3 points) varies from 15% in winter to 30% in summer.

The number of clear days per year is 22-63. The average monthly number of clear days on the coasts of the strait from April to September is 2-6, and on the island of Jersey 6-9. From October to March, it generally does not exceed 5.

The average annual rainfall in the described area 635-- | 1090 mm. Most precipitation falls from October to January, when the average monthly amount is 50-130 mm. From February to September, an average of 30-90 mm of precipitation is recorded per month. The average monthly number of days with precipitation of 1 mm or more ranges from 6 to 16.

The maximum daily precipitation is 130 mm (port of Brest, June).

Precipitation falls mainly in the form of rain, but snow is also observed in winter. The average monthly number of days with snow from November to April is 1--5. The snow cover is unstable and lasts no more than 2 days; in some winters it lasts up to 7 days.

Special meteorological phenomena. Thunderstorms are rare and most common in summer. The average annual number of days with them varies from 2 to 16, and the average monthly number of days does not exceed 3.

Tornadoes are rare. A tornado is a whirlwind that has great destructive power and has a vertical or curved axis with a diameter of several tens of meters. The air pressure in it is reduced. The tornado looks like a dark cloud column. Its formation is associated with a particularly strong instability of the atmosphere. First, a funnel-shaped process appears in the lower part of the cumulonimbus cloud, gradually descending in the form of a cloudy tube resembling a flexible hose. Towards him rises a column of dust from land or water spray from the sea. Several tornadoes can descend simultaneously from one cumulonimbus cloud; in this case they have a small diameter. The speed of the tornado is on average 10 m/s.

The wind speed in a tornado reaches 100 m/s. The rotational movement in it can occur both clockwise and against it. > Duration of tornadoes-from several minutes to several tens of minutes. They are usually accompanied by thunderstorms and rain.

Tornadoes are most likely in August-September. During this time, up to 5 tornadoes are sometimes noted.

Often tornadoes cause catastrophic destruction, sometimes) there are human casualties.

Grad. On the northern coast of France, an average of 15 hail days are observed per year.

Hydrological characteristic.

The hydrological regime of the English Channel is determined by water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, climatic conditions, the dissection of the coast and the features of the bottom topography.

The free water exchange of the English Channel with the Atlantic Ocean and the dominance of westerly winds throughout the year contribute to an increase in salinity and density of water, as well as the penetration of the ocean tidal wave and swell here. The ocean tidal wave, combined with the shallowness of the area, causes a rather large tide and very strong tidal currents, the speed of which in some places exceeds 9 knots. A tidal wave from the North Sea, meeting with a tidal wave from the Atlantic Ocean, creates rotational currents in the Pas de Calais and a very complex system of currents in the bays of the eastern part of the English Channel.

Of the climatic conditions, the greatest influence on the hydrological regime is exerted by storm winds, which contribute to the development of strong waves and cause significant sea level fluctuations near the coast.

The dissection of the shores and the features of the bottom topography cause differences in the speed and direction of the tidal wave.

Level fluctuations and tides. Level fluctuations near the shores of the strait

The English Channel depends mainly on tidal and surge phenomena.

Cotidal lines.

The tides in the area described are semi-diurnal and shallow. Sometimes the influence of shallow water is so great that additional high and low waters appear, i.e., the tides become double semidiurnal. They are observed, although rarely, in the ports of Portland and Southampton.

High water is first observed near the western coast of the Brittany Peninsula, where it occurs 4 hours after the passage of the Moon through the Greenwich meridian. At Cape La Hague, full water occurs after 7 hours, at the port of Le Havre - after 9 hours and 35 minutes, and at Cape Gris-Ne - after 11 hours and 10 minutes after the passage of the Moon through the Greenwich meridian.

The average value of the quadrature tide varies from 0.5 to 5.2 m, and the spring tide - from 1 to 11.6 m.

The maximum theoretically possible tide is 15 m (Saint-Malo Bay).

At the mouth of the Seine River, mascaret is observed. Mascaret is a tidal wave 1--2.5 m high with a steep front slope. Such a wave at the beginning of the tide quickly spreads up the river in the form of a foaming shaft, sometimes accompanied by a strong noise. Mascaret reaches a particularly high height with a strong headwind.

Surge fluctuations in the level are insignificant. Continuous fresh winds cause the level to rise or fall by 0.3--0.6 m relative to the mean sea level. Under extreme meteorological conditions, an increase or decrease in the level by 2–3 m relative to the mean sea level can be observed.

Seiche level fluctuations are mainly due to sharp changes in atmospheric pressure. Seiches are observed mainly in winter.

currents. The current regime in the English Channel is formed under the influence of constant and tidal currents, as well as the prevailing winds.

The constant current is represented by a branch of the warm North Atlantic Current, which flows from the Atlantic Ocean along the English Channel from west to east into the North Sea.

The speed of this current is on average 0.1-0.5 knots, its stability is generally less than 30%. With stable and strong winds from SW and W, its speed sometimes reaches 0.9 knots in the eastern part of the English Channel, and 1.5 knots near the capes of the Cotentin Peninsula.

Steady winds from N, NE and E reduce the speed of the steady current; sometimes the current has the opposite direction, the current speed then does not exceed 0.5 knots.

In autumn and winter, after strong prolonged westerly storms, on the approaches to the English Channel from the west, a current is observed that follows from the Bay of Biscay to N. This current is most clearly expressed from November to February, when its speed can reach 1.5 knots, then it weakens and by August completely disappears. When approaching Uesan Island, it is recommended to consider the possibility of encountering this current.

Tidal currents are semidiurnal. In the open part of the English Channel, the direction of tidal currents coincides with the direction of the axis of the strait, and in the coastal zone it depends on the bends of the coastline and bottom topography. The change of currents usually begins in the coastal strip, and after a while captures the open part of the English Channel. This is especially noticeable in the western part of the strait, where already 5 miles seaward of the islands and rocks bordering the coast, the change of currents can occur 3 hours later than near the coast between the islands of Uesan and Brea.

In different parts of the English Channel, the change of currents does not occur simultaneously. While in the western and eastern parts of the English Channel "calm water" - very weak currents - occurs approximately at half-tide and low-tide in the port of Dover, and the highest current velocities are observed during high and low water in the same port , in the middle part of the English Channel, “calm water” occurs during high and low tide in the port of Dover, and the highest current velocities are observed around the time of half-tide and half-tide in the same port.

6 hours before the moment of high water in the port of Dover, on the line connecting Cape Manvieux (49 ° 21 "N, 0 ° 37" W) with the port of Newhaven, a tidal current entering the strait from the Atlantic Ocean meets with a tidal current going across the strait from the North Sea. This rendezvous line then moves east for 6 hours and reaches the line connecting the port of Dunkirk with Cape North Foreland.

For 6 hours after the moment of high water in the port of Dover in the eastern part of the strait, the currents are directed to W, with the exception of the Pas de Calais, where for 4 hours after the same moment they follow E.

In the western part of the English Channel, bounded by lines connecting Start Point with the Caskets Rocks and Land's End Point with Ouesan Island, the eastward tidal current first passes into the southward current and then into the ebb current, which follows to the west. A full turn of the currents clockwise occurs in 12 hours and 30 minutes.

On the western approaches to the English Channel, the current strongly changes its direction and completes a full circle in 12 hours and 30 minutes.

The speed of tidal currents in the English Channel is subject to significant changes, and it is more at the headlands and less in the bays. So, off the coast of Great Britain in the Strait of Pas de Calais, the average speed of spring tidal currents 4 hours before the moment of high water in the port of Dover exceeds 3 knots and decreases to almost 1 knot after 3 hours. At Cape Bill of Portland, after 2 hours after the moment of high water in the port of Dover, the average speed of spring currents reaches 7 knots, and 5 hours after the moment of high water at the same cape, it does not exceed 1 knot. Between Cape Land's End and the Isles of Scilly and in the region of these islands, the average speed of spring currents reaches 2.5 knots, in the middle part of the English Channel - 3.5 knots, and in the western part - 1.7 knots.

Off the coast of France in the Strait of Pas de Calais, the average speed of spring tidal currents sometimes exceeds 3 knots, in the area between the Strait of Pas de Calais and Cape Barfleur - 4 knots, in the Strait of Reiss of Alderney and in the area of ​​the Channel Islands - - 5 knots In the Gulf of Saint-Malo, it is usually 3-4.5 knots, but at capes it increases to 5 knots. Near Uesan Island, the average speed of spring currents reaches 7 knots. The highest speed of spring currents is observed in the Ruys of Alderney Strait and is 10 knots.

The most detailed information about tidal currents is given in the Atlas of the tidal currents of the North and Irish Seas, GUNiO MO, 1970.

Tidal currents are significantly affected by the direction and strength of the wind. If the direction of the wind coincides with the direction of the current, then the speed and duration of the current increase, and its change is delayed. Headwinds, on the other hand, reduce the speed and duration of the current and are the cause of its earlier change. With the change of long and strong winds or with their sharp weakening, currents usually arise, caused by surge and surge of water and having a noticeable effect on tidal currents. Thus, off the coast of Great Britain, winds from S have a significant influence on tidal currents, and off the southwestern coast of the Isle of Wight, winds from SW.

In the English Channel, ripples and whirlpools are observed in places.

Excitement. In the described region, during the year, waves with a height of less than 1.25 m predominate, the frequency of which is 45--70%.

Waves with a height of 2--3.5 m are more often observed from September to February, when their frequency reaches 21%.

The frequency of waves with a height of 3.5 m or more from December to February is 15%, and from June to August it does not exceed 3%.

The maximum wave height in the very west of the English Channel is 25 m. Strong waves in this area are usually caused by winds from SW, W, NW and NE. Such excitement is often accompanied by strong surf. At the northern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, winds with counter tidal currents create high and steep waves. Near Uesan Island, large waves are observed with strong winds from SW to NW. At Cape Antifer, they are observed at high tide during storms from N and NE, and at low tide - during storms from SW and W. A strong swell coming from the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea is observed even during calm. Most often, swell is observed from SW and W, and in the eastern part of the strait, from NE.

Temperature, salinity and density of water. The temperature of the surface layer of water during almost the entire year increases from east to west and in February is

6--10°C, and in August 16-17 C.

The salinity of the surface layer of water during the year ranges from 34 to 35.3 °/oo.

In the coastal zone, in bays and bays, as a result of river runoff, salinity decreases. Seasonal changes in salinity are small and do not exceed 0.5 ° / oo-

The density of the surface layer of water changes in February from 1.0270 to 1.0275, and in August from 1.0255 to 1.0260.

Transparency and color of water. Conditional transparency of water in the described area is 10-20 m, and it increases from east to west. In some areas, transparency reaches 30 m.

The color of the water in the western part of the English Channel is blue, and in the eastern part it is greenish-blue.

Icing of ships. In the Pas de Calais, slow icing of ships is possible during very severe winters.

The tunnel has a length of about 51 km, of which 39 km is directly under the seabed. . One of the greatest buildings of the 20th century and a symbol of a united Europe, at one time it held the title of the longest tunnel in the world. It was opened on May 6, 1994. The American Society of Civil Engineers declared the Eurotunnel one of the seven wonders of our time. came up with the idea of ​​building a tunnel. According to the project, the tunnel was to be lit with oil lamps and horse-drawn carriages were to travel through it. For ventilation, vents were provided leading to the surface of the sea. At that time, the cost of construction was estimated at 1 million pounds sterling (approximately 64.4 million in today's prices). This project was proposed by Napoleon at the conclusion of a peace treaty between England and France, but because of the war it remained on paper. 1875 Peter William Barlow, one of the builders of the first underground in the world - London, proposed to lay a steel pipe along the bottom of the strait, inside which a tunnel would be placed. However, the idea was rejected. At the same time, the French and English parliaments adopted a resolution on the construction of the tunnel. Due to lack of funding, the project was launched only a year later. In 1876, geological work was carried out, and on October 21, the French began to dig a tunnel from their end near the city of Sangatt. On March 18, 1883, construction was stopped, as the British feared that the finished tunnel could become the reason for a possible easy invasion of the enemy into the territory of Great Britain. By this time, 2026 meters had been dug from the English side and 1829 meters from the French side. In 1922, workers began to drill a tunnel at Folkestone. After 128 meters were completed, the project was stopped again for political reasons. After the Second World War, the idea of ​​building a tunnel was revived again. In 1957, a research group was formed, which in 1960 in its report recommended that two main tunnels and one service tunnel be dug between them. , it was stopped again. In 1984, the governments of Great Britain and France came to the conclusion that construction was impossible without additional attraction of private funds. Of the four proposals, the plan most similar to the 1973 project was chosen. January 20, 1986 it was published. On February 12, both governments signed an agreement on the construction of the tunnel in Canterbury and ratified it in 1987. The project was completed in seven years by 13 thousand workers and engineers. On May 6, 1994, the Eurotunnel was inaugurated by the leaders of the participating states - Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the President of France François Mitterrand. After 8,500 years since the last ice age, it has again become possible to cross overland from continental Europe to the British Isles.

The world's longest underwater tunnel runs under the English Channel and connects England with France. This is an amazing piece of engineering. The length of the tunnel is slightly more than 50 kilometers, 38 of which are laid under the seabed. The Channel Tunnel was opened in 1994 as part of a modern transport system linking Britain to the Continent. Over the past 200 years, many ways have been developed to overcome the English Channel. The tunnel was first proposed in 1802, and the Committee for its creation was formed as early as 1892. Some engineers even talked about building a bridge over the strait. In 1985, the British and French governments asked the companies to get serious about developing tunnel plans. A year later, they chose the best of 9 projects. In reality, there are three tunnels: two railway and one service. Work began on the English coast in December 1987, and on the French coast three months later. Huge machines with rotating cutting heads spent a month laying each kilometer. In total, the tunneling took three years. The tunnels were dug an average of 45 meters below the seabed. When only 100 meters separated the two halves of the service tunnel, a small tunnel was manually dug to connect them. The workers met at the end of 1990. Completion of the two railway tunnels took place on May 22 and June 28, 1991. Seven months later, all three tunnels were completed, and the laying of rails began. During this time, engineers were working on the railway terminals at Folkestone, England, and near Calais, France. The tunnel was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and President Mitterrand on May 6, 1994. Cars use the tunnel trains as a moving highway. They enter the car at one end and leave it at the other after a 35-minute journey. Electric locomotives reach speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour.

ya zhivy v Anglii..kogda mi ezdili k sestre v Germaniuy, cherez Franciuy..to where to v doroge 3-4 hours..

Oceans, lakes and rivers

The English Channel or English Channel is located between the south coast of England and the north coast of France. It connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea.

Part of the canal is the Pas de Calais or the Dover Canal as the English call it.

Geographic data

The total length of the considered strait is 560 km.

The maximum width in the west is 240 km, the minimum width in the eastern part is 33.1 km. As for the depth, the maximum reaches 174 meters, and the average depth is 63 meters. The total area of ​​the English Channel corresponds to 75 thousand square meters.

The western border of the strait runs between Cape Land's End (Land's End) in England and the island of Ile Virg, 1.5 km from the French coast of Brittany.

On the island is the highest stone lighthouse in Europe. The eastern border runs between the French lighthouse Walde, located 6 km east of the city of Calais, and the northern tip of St. Margaret's Bay in England.

It is next to the port city of Dover.

The Pas de Calais is 33.3 km long with an average depth of 30 meters. On a clear day, standing on the French coast, you can see the English coast. It is here that the most popular route for swimmers seeking to swim from one coast to another is located.

English Channel on the map

Strait name

The name "English Channel" has been widely used since the beginning of the 18th century.

It was so designated on nautical charts, only in the Dutch manner "Engelse Kanaal", from the 16th century. As for the French name "English Channel", it was used in France as early as the 17th century. The Spaniards from time immemorial call the strait "El Canal de la Mancha", and the Portuguese say "Canal da Mancha".

The word "mancha" in Spanish and Portuguese means "spot".

Cities

In terms of population, the English Channel is more densely populated on the English coast than on the French. The largest is the English city of Portsmouth with a population of 422 thousand people. Then comes Southampton with a population of 304 thousand people. This is followed by Plymouth with a population of 259 thousand people, Brighton with a population of 156 thousand.

people, Torbay (130 thousand people) and other cities with a smaller population.

Le Havre is the largest city on the French coast. Its population is 248 thousand inhabitants. Next comes Calais with 105 thousand inhabitants, Boulogne-sur-Mer with 93 thousand inhabitants and other smaller cities.

In terms of cargo transportation, the English Channel is the busiest sea route in the world. 500 ships pass through it daily. At the same time, ships going towards the North Sea move along the French coast, and hurrying to the Atlantic, adhere to the English coast.

This division is associated with a whole series of collisions that were characteristic of the early 70s of the last century. It was after this that two-way traffic was created with a separation zone in the middle.

Eurotunnel

A railway tunnel was built under the English Channel.

It is double-tracked and has a length of 51 km. At the same time, 39 km pass directly under the strait. The Eurotunnel was put into operation on May 6, 1994.

Passengers traveling by train are in the tunnel for 30 minutes. It connects the English port city of Folkestone and the French town of Coculles, located near Calais.

This engineering structure consists of 3 tunnels. Two of them have rail tracks, and between them there is a service tunnel.

Every 380 meters it is connected by passages with working tunnels. It was created for service personnel, and also performs emergency functions. In the event of a breakdown of the rolling stock, passengers can be evacuated through it.

There are interchanges in the tunnels, which allows trains to move freely. By the way, it is left-handed, like on all railway lines in Great Britain and France.

With the advent of the railway tunnel, the number of ferry crossings in the Pas de Calais has been reduced.

The train leaves the eurotunnel

First people to swim and fly across the English Channel

The English Channel was first flown in a balloon on January 7, 1785 by the Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard and the American John Jeffreys.

The flight was attempted to be repeated on June 15, 1785 by the French Pilatre de Rozier and Pierre Romain. But their balloon did not fly from France to England, as the direction of the wind changed. The ball fell to the ground 5 km from the point of departure, and people died.

The Englishman Matthew Webb was the first to swim across the canal. He began sailing on 24 August 1875 from Admiralty Wharf at Dover. He swam breaststroke and planned to get to the French coast in 5 hours. But a strong current carried the swimmer to the side. So Webb took 21 hours and 45 minutes to sail to Calais.

Its zigzag route was 64 km long.

On July 25, 1909, the French pilot Louis Charles Blériot flew across the strait for the first time on an airplane. A double flight back and forth was made by the English pilot Charles Stuart Rolls on June 2, 1910. The first flight with passengers dates back to August 23, 1910. The American pilot John Bevins Moisant made this risky act.

The passengers on the plane were a mechanic and a cat named Fifi.

The first woman swam across the canal on August 23, 1926. It was the American swimmer Gertrude Caroline Ederle. The Queen of the Waves - that's what they called her in the USA.

Eurotunnel

She crossed the English Channel breaststroke, spending 14 hours and 39 minutes on it. The listed people were the first, so their names are widely known in the world.

Ecology

Given the busy traffic of ships, the strait is experiencing certain environmental problems.

They are associated with an oil spill and damage to toxic cargo. Over 30% of the world's water pollution incidents occur in the English Channel. The most infamous happened on January 18, 2007, when the container ship Napoli crashed in the waters of the English Channel.

It carried 41,773 tons of cargo. At the same time, 1684 tons were classified as dangerous.

103 containers fell into the sea. A large oil slick also formed, which adversely affected seabirds. And similar incidents, however, in smaller volumes, happen in these waters regularly.

Sergey Gubanov

Very interesting facts.

first The length of the tunnel under the English Channel is 51 km, of which 39 are directly under the strait. Trains from London to Paris and back are in the tunnel from 20 to 35 minutes.

second Thanks to Eurotunnel, the train can be reached from Paris in just 2 hours and 15 minutes.

third Contrary to the wrong idea, the English Channel Tunnel is not the longest tunnel in the world, it ranks third.

The second place is occupied by the Japanese Seikan Tunnel, which connects the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, the length of which is 53.85 km.

The longest Gotthard railway tunnel in the Swiss Alps, scheduled to officially open in 2017.

Its length is 57 km.

fourth The idea of ​​building a tunnel connecting England and Continental Europe was published at the beginning of the 19th century, but was rejected because Britain feared that the building could be used for a military invasion of the island for a long time.

fifth The construction of the tunnel began in 1881 and in 1922.

First, the builders managed to cross 2,026 meters from the English side and 1,829 meters from the French side. Other tunneling was stopped for only 128 meters. At that time, construction was interrupted for political reasons.

sixth In the post-war period, the tunnel under the Canal goes very slowly.

The research team worked in 1957, the project was approved in 1973, then frozen again, and the rectangular tunnel construction did not begin until December 15, 1987.

Project for the Channel Tunnel, ca.

English Channel Tunnel (English Channel)

seventh Eurotunnel technically consists of three tunnels - two main ones, with a railway line for trains going north and south, and one small tunnel.

The official tunnel, each 375 meters long, has passages that combine it with the main ones.

It is intended for access to the main tunnels for service personnel and emergency evacuation of people in case of danger.

eighths Road transport crosses the tunnel in front of the tunnel in a train of special train wagons.

At the same time, drivers and passengers of cars transported by the Eurotunnel Shuttle do not leave their vehicles.

The process of loading the vehicle into the vehicle takes up to eight minutes.

Construction of the tunnel under the English Channel, 1993.

ninth During the twenty years of operation of Eurotunnel, seven major incidents occurred that led to the interruption of the normal operation of the tunnel for several to several months.

Most of the incidents were caused by fires, but thanks to the professional actions of the survivors, the victims fled.

tenths Approximately £10 billion has been spent on the construction of the Eurotunnel, with construction planning costs exceeding 80 per cent.

According to experts, the recovery period of the project may exceed 1000 years.

source

transatlantic tunnel- a tunnel existing in the form of conceptual designs, which should pass under the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe and is intended for any of the types of public transport (in most proposals these are trains with a speed of 500 to 8000 km / h (inaccessible link from 27 -11-2017 ).

Currently, there are only conceptual designs. Work on the creation of such a tunnel is not currently underway, and is not planned in the near future.

20th century project. 10 Facts About the Channel Tunnel

Most of the projects assume that the tunnel will provide a connection between the US and the UK, and specifically between New York and London. The main barriers to constructing such a tunnel are cost (US$175 billion to US$12 trillion) and the limitations of modern materials.

Existing long tunnels, such as the Channel Tunnel and the Seikan Tunnel, are struggling financially despite using cheaper technology.

The Transatlantic Tunnel would be 88 times as long as the Gotthard Base Tunnel and 36 times as long as the Delaware Aqueduct. In 2003, in the transfer Extreme Engineering channel Discovery was considered in detail one of the conceptual projects of the tunnel.

Proposals for the construction of such a tunnel go back to Michel Verne, son of Jules Verne, who described it in 1888 in the story Un Express de l'avenir (Express to the Future). The story was published in English in 1895 in the magazine Strand Magazine. There it was incorrectly attributed to Jules Verne; this mistake is often repeated in subsequent publications.

Robert Goddard received two patents for the idea of ​​building a transatlantic tunnel. Arthur Clarke mentions intercontinental tunnels in the 1956 novel The City and the Stars.

Harry Harrison describes a system of vacuum tunnels running along the ocean floor, which are used by maglev trains, in the 1972 novel Long Live the Transatlantic Tunnel! Hooray!". In the April issue of the magazine Popular Science in 2004, a transatlantic tunnel project is being considered.

It is indicated that at present the creation of such a tunnel is possible using modern technologies, and the cost of the tunnel will be from 88 to 175 billion dollars.

Options[edit | edit code]

Several options for the tunnel project have been proposed: in the form of a pipe passing along the bottom of the sea or above it, a tunnel under the ocean floor, etc.

In the 1960s, a project was proposed for a 5,000-kilometer tunnel through which vacuum trains were supposed to run, accelerating to a speed of 8,000 km / h. At that speed, a trip from London to New York would take less than one hour. Another modern option involves the creation of a submersible floating tunnel at a depth of about 50 meters.

See also[edit | edit code]

rhine tunnel(German: Rheinufertunnel) is an automobile tunnel along the right bank of the Rhine in the central part of the city of Düsseldorf, the capital of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The tunnel passes under the territory of three administrative districts of Düsseldorf - Altstadt, Karlstadt (District 01) and Unterbilk, Bilk (District 03).

History[edit | edit code]

During the reconstruction of Düsseldorf after the Second World War, urban traffic is organized in a new way and part of the B1 federal highway is laid along the banks of the Rhine.

Thus, the pedestrian zone along the Rhine, which has existed since the beginning of the 20th century, disappears.
In the 1980s, heavy car traffic on the B1 motorway (about 60,000 cars passed along the embankment daily) led to the need to build a tunnel.

On December 17, 1987, the city council makes a fundamental decision on the construction, and on March 15, 1990, excavation work begins.

How long is the tunnel between England and France (under the English Channel)?

Design and construction work was carried out by Schüßler-Plan Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH in cooperation with Heilit-Wörner Bau AG and Philipp Holzmann AG
The tunnel, almost 2 km long, was opened on December 15, 1993. The space freed from car traffic made it possible to design the Rhine embankment in a new way, again organizing a promenade along the Rhine.

Since October 2009, a traffic control system using CCTV cameras has been operating.
The former technological tunnel under the Mannesmann embankment, which was originally used as a service tunnel during the construction of the Rhine Tunnel, houses an exhibition hall, which is called "Art in the Tunnel".

Tunnel entrances/exits[edit | edit code]

The Rhine Tunnel has the following entrances/exits:

Technical data[edit | edit code]

• Length - 1,931 m
• Total length with branches - 2 600 m
• Number of barrels - 2
• Concrete consumption - 235,000 m³
• Steel consumption - 22,000 tons
• Number of ventilation units - 72
• Total cable length - 120 km
• Number of fixtures - 1657
• Number of CCTV cameras - 53
• Construction cost - 570,000,000 marks

Links[edit | edit code]

Notes[edit | edit code]

1. Heike Becker-Baumann: Die Umgestaltung des Rheinufers, in: Harald Frater, Günther Glebe, Clemens von Looz-Corswarem, Birgit Montag, Helmut Schneider, Dorothea Wiktorin: Der Düsseldorf Atlas - Geschichte und Gegenwart der Landeshauptstadt im Kartenbild.

   Grupello Verlag, Düsseldorf 2002, page 56

2. Schüßler-Plan Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH official website (German)
3. International Database and Gallery of Structures
4. www.derwesten.de (German)
5. International Database and Gallery of Structures

"City Gates" - the main southern entrance to the tunnel

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The northern and southern tunnels were completed on May 22, 1991 and June 28, 1991, respectively. Equipment installation work followed. May 6, 1994 Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth II) and French President Francois Mitterrand (François Mitterrand) officially opened the tunnel.

The Eurotunnel is a complex engineering structure, including two track tunnels of circular shape and an internal diameter of 7.6 meters, located at a distance of 30 meters from each other, and a service tunnel with a diameter of 4.8 meters located between them.

The journey from Paris to London takes two hours and 15 minutes, and from Brussels to London two hours. At the same time, the train is in the tunnel itself for no more than 35 minutes. Eurostar has carried more than 150 million passengers since 1994, and passenger numbers have grown steadily over the past decade.

In 2014, 10.4 million passengers used Eurostar services.

The European Union approved the takeover of Eurostar by the French railway operator SNCF. Once the deal is completed, SNCF will have to allow competing firms to fly on the same routes.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources