M'Clure Strait

M'Clure Strait
M'Clure Strait, Northwest Territories, Canada.
  Nunavut
  Northwest Territories
  Yukon Territory
  Regions outside Canada (Alaska, Greenland)

The M'Clure Strait (sometimes rendered McClure Strait) is a strait on the edge of the Canadian Northwest Territories. It forms the northwestern end of one of the routes through the Northwest Passage. The strait was named for Robert McClure, an Irish Arctic explorer serving in the Royal Navy. He was the first man to traverse the North-West Passage (by boat and sledge).

The strait connects the Beaufort Sea in the west with Viscount Melville Sound in the east. It is bounded by Prince Patrick Island, Eglinton Island and Melville Island on the north and Banks Island on the south. As the strait is chronically blocked with thick ice, it is usually impassable to ships; in 1969, the United States-registered tanker SS Manhattan was freed from the ice by a Canadian icebreaker, and forced to travel through Canadian territorial waters to complete its westward passage. There is a dispute between Canada and the United States over the waters of the Arctic Islands, other than those within 12 mi (19 km) of shore.

The M'Clure Strait became fully open (ice-free) in early August 2007, and again in August 2008. The European Space Agency reports that the Arctic's Northwest Passage has opened up fully because of melting sea ice, clearing a lane through the northern section of the historically impassable route between Europe and Asia.

See also

Coordinates: 74°00′50″N 119°07′40″E / 74.01390°N 119.12774°E / 74.01390; 119.12774



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • M'Clure Strait — ▪ strait, Arctic Ocean       eastern arm of the Beaufort Sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is about 170 miles (270 km) long and 60 miles (90 km) wide. In western Franklin District, Northwest Territories, Canada, it extends west of Viscount Melville… …   Universalium

  • M'Clure Strait — geographical name channel N Canada between Banks Island & Melville Island opening on the W into Arctic Ocean …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Détroit M'Clure — Détroit de McClure Détroit de McClure, Territoire du Nord Ouest, Canada.      Nunavut …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Détroit de M'Clure — Détroit de McClure Détroit de McClure, Territoire du Nord Ouest, Canada.      Nunavut …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Dolphin and Union Strait — Dolphin and Union Strait, Canada.   Nunavut …   Wikipedia

  • McClure Strait — The McClure Strait (sometimes rendered M Clure Strait) is a strait on the edge of the Canadian Northwest Territories. It forms the northwestern end of one of the routes through the Northwest Passage.The strait connects the Beaufort Sea in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Мак-Клур (пролив) — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Мак Клур. Пролив Мак Клур англ. M Clure Strait …   Википедия

  • Murray Inlet — The Murray Inlet (75°15′N 114°0′W / 75.25°N 114°W / 75.25; 114Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • arctic — arctically, adv. /ahrk tik/ or, esp. for 7, /ahr tik/, adj. 1. (often cap.) of, pertaining to, or located at or near the North Pole: the arctic region. 2. coming from the North Pole or the arctic region: an arctic wind. 3. characteristic of the… …   Universalium

  • Detroit de McClure — Détroit de McClure Détroit de McClure, Territoire du Nord Ouest, Canada.      Nunavut …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”