Saltstraumen
Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located in Nordland 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway. The narrow channel connects the outer Saltfjord with its extension, the large Skjerstadfjord. It is the strongest tidal current in the world. Up to 400 million m³ (tonnes) of seawater forces its way through a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) long and 150-metre (490 ft) wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). Vortices known as whirlpools or maelstroms up to 10 metres (33 ft) in diameter and 5 metres (16 ft) in depth are formed when the current is at its strongest.
Saltstraumen has existed for some two to three thousand years. Before that the area was different due to post-glacial rebound. The current is created when the tide tries to fill the Skjerstad fjord. The height difference between the sea level and the fjord inside can be up to 1 meter. When the current turns, there is a period when the sound is navigable.
Saltstraumen is popular with anglers, due to its abundance of fish such as saithe, cod, wolffish, rose fish and halibut. Coalfish is a speciality of the area. The largest documented coalfish of 22.7 kilograms (50 lb) was caught in Saltstraumen on a fishing rod.[1]
The Saltstraumen Bridge crosses Saltstraumen.
[edit] The name
The first element is the name of the district Salten, the last element is the finite form of straum, meaning 'stream, strong motion of water'. (See also Moskstraumen.)
[edit] History
The remains of a 10,000-year-old hunter settlement in the area are the oldest known traces of human settlement in Bodø, and also one of the oldest archaeological discoveries in Norway. These hunters lived on the edge of the ice, attracted by the abundance of fish caused by the strong currents.
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Saltstraumen, the strongest maelstrom in the world!". Bodo Turistinformasjon. http://www.visitbodo.com/?c=5&display=product&PR=37_55_1&sp=GB. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
[edit] External links
- Local Norwegian site with details about the current, in English
- Visit Norway's guide to Saltstraumen
- The complete text of Edgar Allan Poe's A Descent into the Maelstrom
Coordinates: 67°14′N 14°37′E / 67.233°N 14.617°E
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