The Strait of Gibraltar • Earth.com

The Strait of Gibraltar

03-12-2021


The Strait of Gibraltar Today’s Video of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Strait of Gibraltar, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. 

The strait also separates the Iberian Peninsula in Europe from Morocco in Africa. At the narrowest point between Point Marroquí in Spain and Point Cires in Morocco, the two continents are separated by just over eight miles of ocean. 

In the false-color image, which was captured on October 28, 2020, ferries and vessels can be seen crossing back and forth between Europe and Africa. 

The near-infrared channel from Copernicus Sentinel-2 is used to evaluate plant density and health. Plants reflect near-infrared and green light, and plant-covered land appears in bright red. The Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean appear in dark blue or black, while turbid waters appear in cyan or light blue. Video Credit: ESA  The strait lies in the territorial waters of Morocco, Spain, and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, foreign vessels and aircraft have the freedom of navigation and overflight to cross the strait of Gibraltar in case of continuous transit.

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day