The Nazaré Canyon is an

undersea canyon A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf, having nearly vertical walls, and occasionally having canyon wall heights of up to 5 km, from c ...

just off the coast of Nazaré,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, in the eastern

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. It is the largest submarine canyon in Europe, reaching depths of about deep and a length of about . The canyon is being studied as part of the EU HERMES project using a

remotely operated vehicle A remotely operated underwater vehicle (technically ROUV or just ROV) is a tethered underwater mobile device, commonly called ''underwater robot''. Definition This meaning is different from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the a ...

. The project is investigating the specialized canyon

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

s, sediment transport and deposition, and the way in which the canyon influences and is affected by local

ocean circulation An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of sea water generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. Depth contours, ...

Sections

The canyon can be divided into three distinct sections. The upper section extends from about off Nazaré to the edge of the continental shelf (up to ); it is composed of ravines and has a distinct V-shaped profile. The middle section of the canyon, defined by a tear in the long

continental slope A continental margin is the outer edge of continental crust abutting oceanic crust under coastal waters. It is one of the three major zones of the ocean floor, the other two being deep-ocean basins and mid-ocean ridges. The continental margin ...

, extends from the edge of the platform to a depth of . In this section, the canyon retains a V shape and is highly sinuous, with large ravines on the walls bordering the deepest part that defines the canyon's axis (called the

thalweg In geography and fluvial geomorphology, a thalweg or talweg () is the line of lowest elevation within a valley or watercourse. Under international law, a thalweg is the middle of the primary navigable channel of a waterway that defines the boun ...

). The bottom section is the deepest end of the canyon, with depths greater than , and extends for about . In this section, the thalweg loses the sharp characteristics of the shallower sections, shifting from a V-shaped profile to a flat, slightly sinuous floor. At a depth of , from the headland, the canyon reaches the Iberian Abyssal Plain.

Dynamics

The Nazaré Canyon functions as a ripple polarizer. Waves are able to travel at a much greater speed due to the geological fault, arriving at the coast with virtually no dissipation of energy. Praia do Norte consistently presents waves significantly larger than the rest of the Portuguese coast due to the canyon. The predominant northern currents function as sedimentary ducts, along which there is an intensification of the particle transport processes between the coastal zone and the deep sea domain, making the transport of particulate matter (sediments) throughout the entire canyon very efficient. This underwater gorge causes major changes in the level of coastal sedimentary traffic, acting as a sink for sediments from the north, from coastal drift; this also explains the absence of large stretches of sand on the beaches south of Nazaré. The importance and interest in the natural phenomenon led the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute (IH), in collaboration with the Municipality of Nazaré, to install an exhibition that illustrates the knowledge acquired from the research carried out in the area. The Nazaré Canyon Interpretive Center, installed in one of the fort's rooms, houses informational posters, a three-dimensional model of the underwater valley and images and information about the German submarine U-963, which sunk in Nazaré's waters at the end of World War II.

Surfing

One of the most distinct features of this canyon is the high breaking waves it forms. This makes Nazaré, specifically Praia do Norte, a hotspot for

big wave surfing Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves which are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. Sizes of the board needed to successfully su ...

. In November 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a record breaking giant wave: from trough to

crest Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...

, at Praia do Norte,

Nazaré, Portugal Nazaré () is a Portuguese town and municipality located in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the Leiria District. The municipality has a population of 14,889 in an area of 82.43 km2, while the town itself h ...

. In January 2013, it was reported he successfully rode a wave measuring an estimated at the same location, possibly exceeding the size of his previous record-breaking wave. In January 2018, Hugo Vau might have smashed a

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

amid claims he surfed one of the biggest waves ever seen at Nazaré, Portugal. The wave — nicknamed ‘Big Mama’ — was reported to be up to 35 metres high, which, if confirmed, would beat current Guinness Book of Records holder Garrett McNamara. Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Koxa has officially broken the world record for the world's biggest wave ever to have been surfed, with his incredible run at Nazare beach in Portugal being recognized as a Guinness World Record. In May 2018, the World Surf League confirmed this achievement at its Big Wave Awards in Santa Monica, California, with the official height of the wave registered at . On February 11, 2020, at Praia do Norte in Nazaré, Portugal, Maya Gabeira broke the record for the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman on a record-setting wave measuring 73.5 feet (22.4 meters), besting her own previous world record of 68 feet. The 73.5-foot wave she surfed on February 11 in Nazaré was the largest wave surfed by anyone that year, earning Gabeira the WSL’s 2020 women’s XXL Biggest Wave Award. By contrast, that year’s men’s XXL Biggest Wave Award winner, Kai Lenny, rode a 70-foot wave.

References

BBC - Garrett McNamara surfs 'highest ever' wave off Portugal.
Robot sub explores giant canyon
Shukman, David, (2007, June 19). In BBC News Online. Retrieved 02:02, June 20, 2007, from
Physical processes in the Nazare Canyon area and related sedimentary impacts
Vitorino, J., A. Oliveira and J. Beja, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 7, 10187, 2005 SRef-ID: 1607-7962/gra/EGU05-A-10187

External links

EU HERMES
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nazare Canyon Landforms of the Atlantic Ocean Submarine canyons of the Atlantic Ocean

Sections

Dynamics

Surfing

See also

References

External links