These extend for 350 miles north to south
and 420 miles east to west off the island of Newfoundland.
The area is one of the world's largest and richest sources
of petroleum and fish.
The Grand Banks are situated off the south-east
coast of Newfoundland, and are a series of submarine plateaux.
The shallow water permits plant and marine life to flourish.
The warm Gulf Stream passes over the southern portion of the
Banks in winter but covers almost all of them in summer.
Over-fishing has resulted in the closure
of cod and flounder fisheries. In November 1929, an earthquake
shook the Grand Banks. This triggered a tsunami, which measured
7.2 on the Richter scale and resulted in twenty-nine deaths.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 44.5 degrees north and
56.3 degrees west.
History
There have been 29 attempts
to row the Atlantic from west to east.
Only ten have been successful
and not one has reached mainland Britain. Six men have died
in the attempt. More>>
Pete's written a book
Last time Peter Bray crossed the Atlantic it was in
a 27ft kayak. More>>
Heart's in the right place
While they're rowing their hearts out you can help them
help others. More>>
Dangers
Apart from the weather
our rowers will have many other hazards to contend with.
These include the
shallows of the Grand Banks, icebergs and whales. More>>
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