. It lies between mid-western Greenland
and Nunavut
, Canada
's Baffin Island
. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis
(1550–1605), who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage
.
The International Hydrographic Organization
defines the limits of the Davis Strait as follows:
On the North. The Southern limit of Baffin BayBaffin BayBaffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
[The parallel of 70° North70th parallel northThe 70th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 70 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America, and passes through some of the southern seas of the Arctic Ocean....
between GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and Baffin LandBaffin IslandBaffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...] .
On the East. The Southwest coast of Greenland.
On the South. The parallel of 60° North
60th parallel northThe 60th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
between Greenland and LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
On the West. The Eastern limit of the Northwestern Passages
Northwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
South of 70° North [the East coast of Baffin Island to East Bluff, its Southeastern extremity] and of Hudson StraitHudson StraitHudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies between Baffin Island and the northern coast of Quebec, its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley and Resolution Island. It is long...
[A line from East Bluff, the Southeast extreme of Baffin Island (61°53′N 65°57′W), to Point Meridian, the Western extreme of Lower Savage IslandsLower Savage IslandsThe Lower Savage Islands are an uninhabited offshore island group of Baffin Island, located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. The islands lie in...
, along the coast to its Southwestern extreme and thence a line across to the Western extreme of Resolution IslandResolution Island (Nunavut)Resolution Island is one of the many uninhabited Canadian Arctic islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. It is a Baffin Island offshore island located in Hudson Strait. It has an area of...
, through its Southwestern shore to Hatton Headland, its Southern point, thence a line to Cape ChidleyCape ChidleyCape Chidley is a headland located on the eastern shore of Killiniq Island, Canada at the northeastern tip of the Labrador Peninsula.-Cape Chidley:...
, LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
(60°24′N 64°26′W)].
The Davis Strait is underlain by complex geological features of buried graben
s (basins) and ridge
s, probably formed by strike-slip faulting during Paleogene
times about 45 million to 62 million years ago.
. It lies between mid-western Greenland
and Nunavut
, Canada
's Baffin Island
. The strait was named for the English explorer John Davis
(1550–1605), who explored the area while seeking a Northwest Passage
.
Extent
The International Hydrographic Organizationdefines the limits of the Davis Strait as follows:
On the North. The Southern limit of Baffin BayBaffin BayBaffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
[The parallel of 70° North70th parallel northThe 70th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 70 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane, in the Arctic. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and North America, and passes through some of the southern seas of the Arctic Ocean....
between GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and Baffin LandBaffin IslandBaffin Island in the Canadian territory of Nunavut is the largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is and its population is about 11,000...] .
On the East. The Southwest coast of Greenland.
On the South. The parallel of 60° North
60th parallel northThe 60th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 60 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
between Greenland and LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
.
On the West. The Eastern limit of the Northwestern Passages
Northwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
South of 70° North [the East coast of Baffin Island to East Bluff, its Southeastern extremity] and of Hudson StraitHudson StraitHudson Strait links the Atlantic Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies between Baffin Island and the northern coast of Quebec, its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley and Resolution Island. It is long...
[A line from East Bluff, the Southeast extreme of Baffin Island (61°53′N 65°57′W), to Point Meridian, the Western extreme of Lower Savage IslandsLower Savage IslandsThe Lower Savage Islands are an uninhabited offshore island group of Baffin Island, located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago in the territory of Nunavut. The islands lie in...
, along the coast to its Southwestern extreme and thence a line across to the Western extreme of Resolution IslandResolution Island (Nunavut)Resolution Island is one of the many uninhabited Canadian Arctic islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut. It is a Baffin Island offshore island located in Hudson Strait. It has an area of...
, through its Southwestern shore to Hatton Headland, its Southern point, thence a line to Cape ChidleyCape ChidleyCape Chidley is a headland located on the eastern shore of Killiniq Island, Canada at the northeastern tip of the Labrador Peninsula.-Cape Chidley:...
, LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
(60°24′N 64°26′W)].
Geology
The Davis Strait is underlain by complex geological features of buried grabens (basins) and ridge
s, probably formed by strike-slip faulting during Paleogene
times about 45 million to 62 million years ago. The strike-slip faulting transferred plate-tectonic motions
in the Labrador Sea to Baffin Bay. It is the world's broadest strait.
Depth
With a water depth of between one and two thousand meters the straitis substantially shallower than the Labrador Sea
to the south or Baffin Bay
to the north.
Tides
The strait is famous for its fierce tides that can range from 30 foot, which discouraged many earlier explorers.External links
- June 2005 Satellite photograph of Davis Strait from MODISMODISThe Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer is a payload scientific instrument launched into Earth orbit by NASA in 1999 on board the Terra Satellite, and in 2002 on board the Aqua satellite...
, showing meltwater ponds.