Reykjavik, Iceland – Tucked away beneath the frigid waters of the Denmark Strait, between Iceland and Greenland, lies a hidden giant – the Denmark Strait cataract. While invisible to the naked eye, this submerged waterfall is a powerhouse, plunging a staggering 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) down into the depths below.
Spanning an area of approximately 300 miles wide, the cataract’s seabed drop-off stretches across 310 to 370 miles. Despite its immense size, the waterfall flows at a slow pace of just 1.6 feet per second, much gentler than the roaring cascades of land-based waterfalls like Niagara Falls.
With origins dating back to the last Ice Age, the Denmark Strait cataract was shaped by glaciers between 17,500 and 11,500 years ago. The waters from the Greenland, Norwegian, and Iceland Seas cascade down the slope into the Irminger Sea, forming a crucial part of the North Atlantic’s ecosystem and global circulation pattern.
The cataract plays a vital role in the thermohaline circulation, also known as the ocean’s “conveyor belt,” which helps regulate global climate patterns by transporting warm and cold water around the world. Despite its hidden nature, the underwater waterfall’s impact on the Earth’s climate and ocean dynamics is significant.
While it may not have the grandeur of terrestrial waterfalls, the Denmark Strait cataract remains a fascinating natural wonder, subtly shaping the ocean currents that circulate throughout the globe. Its importance to the stability of the Atlantic Ocean’s current system cannot be understated, making it a critical feature of the North Atlantic ecosystem.