The Celtic Sea receives its name from theCeltic heritage of the bounding lands to the north and east.[2]E. W. L. Holt proposed the name at a 1921 meeting of fisheries experts from Great Britain, France, and the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.[2] This sea's northern portion was considered part ofSaint George's Channel, and the southern portion was an undifferentiated part of theSouthwest Approaches to Great Britain. The desire for a common name came to be felt because of the area's commonmarine biology, geology andhydrology.[2]
It was adopted in France before being common in English-speaking countries.[2] In 1957,Édouard Le Danois wrote, "the nameCeltic Sea is hardly known even to oceanographers."[3] Marine biologists and oceanographers adopted it, and later, by petroleum exploration firms.[4] It is named in a 1963 British atlas,[5] but a 1972 article states, "what British maps call theWestern Approaches, and what the oil industry calls the Celtic Sea [...] certainly the residents on the western coast [of Great Britain] don't refer to it as such."[6]
The seabed under the Celtic Sea is referred to as theCeltic Shelf, part of the continental shelf of Europe. The northeast portion has a depth of between 90 and 100 m (300–330 ft), increasing towards Saint George's Channel. In the opposite direction, sand ridges pointing southwest have a similar height, separated by troughs approximately 50 m (160 ft) deeper. These ridges were formed by tidal effects when the sea level was lower. South of50°N, the topography is more irregular.[7]
Oil and gas exploration in the Celtic Sea has had limited commercial success. TheKinsale Head gas field supplied much ofIreland's demand for gas in the 1980s and 1990s. The water is too deep for fixed wind turbines. The area has potential for 50 GW offloating wind farms, andTotalEnergies plans a project with almost 100 MW.[8]
Map of Sea Areas referred to in the Shipping Forecast; Lundy is in the Celtic Sea.
There are no land features to divide the Celtic Sea from the open Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. For these limits, Holt suggested the 200-fathom (370 m; 1,200 ft) marinecontour and the island ofUshant off the tip of Brittany.
On the East. The Western limit of the English Channel [a line joiningÎle Vierge to Land's End] and the Western limit of the Bristol Channel [a line joining Hartland Point to St. Govan's Head].
^abcdHaslam, D. W. (Hydrographer of theRoyal Navy) (29 March 1976). "It's the Celtic Sea—official".The Times. No. 59665. p. 15 (Letters to the Editor), col G.
^Le Danois, Edouard (1957).Marine Life of Coastal Waters: Western Europe. Harrap. p. 12.
^Cooper, L. H. N. (2 February 1972). "In Celtic waters".The Times. No. 58391. p. 20; col G (Letters to the Editor).
^The Atlas of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Clarendon Press. 1963. pp. 20–21.; cited in Shergold, Vernon G. (27 January 1972). "Celtic Sea: a good name".The Times. No. 58386. p. 20 (Letters to the Editor); col G.
^Vielvoye, Roger (24 January 1972). "Industry in the regions Striking oil in Wales and West Country".The Times. No. 58383. p. 19; col A.
^Hardisty, Jack (1990).The British Seas: an introduction to the oceanography and resources of the north-west European continental shelf. Taylor & Francis. pp. 20–21.ISBN0-415-03586-4.
