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Kōrero: Engineering on the sea floor

Cook Strait currents

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Cook Strait currents

Cook Strait is not only a bottleneck for wind; as this map shows, tidal currents pour through the narrow gap between the North and South islands. They scour the sea floor and transport gravel back and forth. This makes a harsh environment for cables lying along the seabed. The cables are armoured to protect them from abrasion.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Keith Lewis, Engineering on the sea floor – A hostile seabed, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/map/6631/cook-strait-currents (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Keith Lewis, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009.