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Dogger Bank

Dogger Bank is a large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea about 100km off the coast of the United Kingdom. It extends over approximately 6800 square miles, with its maximum dimensions being about 160 miles from north to south and 60 miles from east to west. The water depth ranges from 15-36 metres, about 20m shallower than the surrounding sea. Geologically, it is a moraine, formed at the southern extent of glaciation during the last ice age.

In the First World War, the area saw the Battle of Dogger Bank, a naval engagement between the Royal Navy and German boats which were intending to shell the Yorkshire coastal towns of Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby.

In 1931, the largest earthquake ever recorded in the United Kingdom took place below the bank, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was 23km beneath the bank, and the quake was felt in countries all around the North Sea, causing damage across eastern England.

The bank is an important fishing area, with cod and herring being caught in large numbers. It gives its name to the Dogger region used in the BBC Radio 4 Shipping Forecast. Several shipwrecks lie on the bank.

Last updated: 05-09-2005 14:46:29
Last updated: 10-29-2005 02:13:46