In the Atlantic Ocean, the islands of Great Britain and Ireland are separated by the Irish Sea. It was formed a very long time ago and is of interest not only to geographers and geologists, but also to historians. What is known about the marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean? And what secrets are still kept in s alty sea waters? This information may be of interest to many.
Where to look on the map
In the geographical atlas, each object has clear coordinates. However, you are unlikely to look for the position of the Irish Sea on them. It is much easier to find it, starting from where Ireland is located on the map. So, the sea, about which the story is being told, washes the British coast from the west, as well as the east coast of the island of Ireland, which is the third largest in Europe. The northern part of the reservoir is located near the lands of Scotland, and in the south it connects with the Celtic. With this knowledge, finding the sea bounded by two European islands is not at all difficult.
One small detail: the island of Ireland on the map is divided by the border into two unequal parts. One belongs to the UK (Northern Ireland) and the other to the Republic of Ireland (an independentstate).
Some numbers and more
It is interesting to consider all the figures that relate to the description of the Irish Sea. Initially, it is worth pointing out that its area is approximately 47 thousand km2. The depths of the Irish Sea are considered fairly uniform. Basically, they do not exceed 50 m in the basin, and in the central rift basin they are approximately 159 m. The deepest point of the basin is 175 m. It was found near the coast of Scotland (Cape Mull of Galloway).
Bottom sediments consist of pebbles of various fractions, sand and shell rock. Most likely, before the formation of the sea, the materials that make up the bottom rocks were part of the glacial moraines. In the area of the Isle of Man, bottom sediments are softer, consisting of sand and silt.
The length of the Irish Sea, together with the adjacent straits, is only 210 km. And its width, also taking into account the straits, is 240 km.
Geology
As you know, this science studies the structure of the Earth. It examines the composition of rocks, the origin and stages of the development of the planet, based on the study of various processes that took place both on its surface and in the depths.
The Irish Sea was formed over 1.6 million years ago. At this time, rifting processes began as a result of ruptures in the earth's crust. As a result, a basin was formed on the continental shelf, which was filled with the waters of the oceans. The sea took its modern shape not so long ago by geological standards, only 12 thousand years ago.
Coastline outlines, islands in the sea
Islands in the Irish Sea are different. Some of them are inhabited and some remain uninhabited. Smaller islands include Holy Island, Walney and Ireland Eye. By the way, the last of these is uninhabited. There are only 2 large islands. One of them is the Isle of Man, which belongs to the British crown. Formally, the island is not part of the UK and is not considered an overseas territory. The island has its own coat of arms, postage stamps and mints its own coins. The governing function is performed by the local parliament, but the issues of foreign policy and security are decided by the UK. Mena area - 572 km².
The second island that surrounds the Irish Sea is called Anglesey. It is an administrative part of Wales and belongs to the UK. The area of this island is 714 km².
As for the coastline, it is broken by bays and bays. However, all the bays are not large and do not cut deep into the land.
Climate features
The Irish Sea is blown by westerly winds. Because of them, it often storms here in winter. The air temperature at this time of the year is about 5 °C. In summer, it is also not too hot, the air is warmed up to 15 ° C. What other climatic parameters are given when describing the Irish Sea? The water temperature here in summer is not higher than 16 °C. In winter, the temperature maximum of sea water is 9 °C. Such heating of water is not suitable for seaside resorts. In addition, herequite humid due to frequent rainfall and cloudiness. Even at the height of summer there are few sunny days.
The sea is known for its cyclonic circulation in the area of St. George's Strait. It is formed by several surface currents. In addition, there are quite strong tidal currents with a semi-diurnal cycle. The strongest tide, with a height of up to 6 m, is observed off the coast of England, in the northwestern part.
Mineral content
The salinity of the Irish Sea is close to that of the Atlantic. Off the coast, it is slightly lower, since it is diluted by flowing freshwater rivers. From south to north, along the deep central depression, there is a tongue with more saline waters. In general, salinity varies in different areas from 32‰ to 35‰. The maximum rate is observed in the summer, specifically in August, in the border areas between the Irish and Celtic Seas.
What is interesting about the history of the Irish Sea
Historians study the Irish Sea, closely intertwining and linking it to the development of several European nations. During the times of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, the territory of the island of Ireland was called "Hibernia". An approximate translation of this word is “cold”. And the sea itself was called the "Ibernian Ocean".
Celtic ships sailed boldly across the expanses of the Irish Sea, despite currents and storms. Later, Vikings often traveled here, trying to find new territories and establish trade relations. They were buildingon the coasts of the settlement to be able to rest, resupply and repair their ships.
The history of the development of the Irish Sea can be traced through archaeological finds on the Isle of Man. The island changed hands many times. Here you can find the remains of buildings of the Neolithic era, settlements from the time of King Edwin of Northumbria. In addition, the territory became the property of England and Scotland several times.
If you are interested in ancient treasures, here, according to legend, there are innumerable of them. In the 16th century, the famous Spanish "Invincible Armada" sank in the waters of the Irish Sea. It consisted of 24 ships, the holds of which could not be empty. The culprit of the shipwreck was a severe storm that lasted more than two weeks.
Economic and economic importance
On the shores of the Irish Sea there are several major ports belonging to England and the Republic of Ireland. One of these ports is considered the largest in the whole of Great Britain. It is called Liverpool. A major port is also located in the city of Dublin. A large number of goods pass through these ports.
Like all the seas belonging to the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish is famous for its developed fishing. Herring fish, cod, whiting, flounder and small anchovies are commercially caught here. The main fishing ports are Fleetwood, which belongs to the English possessions and KilKil, the territory of the Republic of Ireland.
Strong winds made it possible to build powerful wind farms in coastal areas. One of them is located in the Republic of Ireland, near the city of Arklow, the second - not far from the city of Drogheda. In the UK, the wind farm is located near the city of Rila.
An interesting project has been discussed for many years, the purpose of which is to connect the islands of Britain and Ireland. It is not yet clear whether it will be a bridge or an underwater tunnel, like under the English Channel. Everything, as always, comes down to finances. Project implementation may not pay for itself.
There is a black page in the history of the Irish Sea. Until 2003, a large nuclear complex, whose name is Sellafield, was located here. Its construction began after World War II, in 1947. In addition to generating electricity, the production of weapons-grade plutonium and nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants was established here. Greenpeace has been arguing for years that Sellafield is polluting the waters of the Irish Sea. The dismantling of nuclear reactors was started only a few years later (in 2007), after the official decision to close.
