McClure Strait

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 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 convert|12|mi|abbr=on of shore.

The McClure Strait became fully open (ice-free) in early August 2007, and again in August of 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.

The strait was named for Robert McClure, an Irish Arctic explorer.

ee also

*Territorial claims in the Arctic


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • McClure Strait — Verbindet Gewässer Viscount Melville Sund mit Gewässer Beaufortsee Trennt Landmasse Königin Elisabeth Inseln von Landmasse Banks Island …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • McClure Strait — Sp Maklūro sąsiauris Ap McClure Strait L Arkties vand., tarp Bankso s. ir Pario ss., Kanada (ŠV teritorijos) …   Pasaulio vietovardžiai. Internetinė duomenų bazė

  • McClure — may refer to: McClure (surname) McClure s Magazine, a popular United States illustrated monthly magazine at the turn of the 20th century McClure (crater), an impact crater on the Moon In geography: McClure, British Columbia, Canada McClure,… …   Wikipedia

  • McClure-Straße —   [mə klʊə ], englisch McClure Strait [mə klʊə streɪt], Meeresstraße im Kanadisch Arktischen Archipel, zwischen Banks Island und den Parry Islands, bis 100 km breit, stark vereist (Eismächtigkeit bis 10 m, lokal bis 20 m) …   Universal-Lexikon

  • McClure Arctic Expedition — Map drawn by Robert McClure detailing the Northwest Passage, including the 1851 route of the Investigator. The McClure Arctic Expedition of 1850, among numerous British search efforts to determine the fate of the Franklin s lost expedition, is… …   Wikipedia

  • McClure, Sir Robert John Le Mesurier — ▪ Irish explorer born Jan. 28, 1807, Wexford, County Wexford, Ire. died Oct. 17, 1873, London  Irish naval officer who discovered a waterway, known as the Northwest Passage, linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through Arctic North America. He …   Universalium

  • Estrecho de McClure — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Estrecho de McClure (McClure Strait) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Robert McClure — Sir Robert John Le Mesurier McClure (or M Clure) (28 January 1807 ndash; 17 October 1873) was a British explorer of the Arctic.He was born at Wexford, in Ireland, the posthumous son of one of Abercrombie s captains, and spent his childhood under… …   Wikipedia

  • M'Clure Strait — M Clure Strait, Northwest Territories, Canada.   Nunavut …   Wikipedia

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

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