English Channel at a glance
- 59 maverage depth
- 58 mmedian depth
- 201 mmaximum depth
- 93,982 km²water area
English Channel is a channel. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 93,982 km² of water, with an average depth of about 59 m (the middle value is 58 m) and a maximum of 201 m, found at 48.52° N, 5.19° W.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the English Channel?
The bar splits the English Channel's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 100%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 0%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 0%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Hurd's Deep (249 km), Biscay Abyssal Plain (363 km), Whittard Canyon (381 km), Le Danois Bank (494 km).
The English Channel if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the English Channel's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 3,458 km² | 3.7% |
| 20 m | 9,447 km² | 10.1% |
| 50 m | 38,668 km² | 41.1% |
| 80 m | 69,328 km² | 73.8% |
| 120 m | 93,773 km² | 99.8% |
| 200 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 500 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 1,000 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 2,000 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 3,000 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 4,000 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 93,982 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Irish Sea average depth about 52 m
- Bay of Biscay average depth about 1,919 m
- North Sea average depth about 78 m
- Inner Seas average depth about 80 m
- Balearic Sea average depth about 899 m
- Ligurian Sea average depth about 1,194 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the English Channel?
On average about 59 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 58 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 201 m, at 48.52° N, 5.19° W.
How big is the English Channel?
About 93,982 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the English Channel would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 3,458 km² (3.7%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the channel. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.