Jutland Reef and the underwater landscape

The site encompasses the seabed off the West Coast from Vedersø Klit to Thyborøn, and extends from the coastline and approximately 50 km out into the North Sea.

 

The seabed in the northern part of the area deviates from the normal pattern along the west coast of Jutland with a gently sloping seabed. Instead, there is an area of varying water depths consisting of composite banks and shoals, collectively referred to as the Jutland Reef.

 

The area's varied topography is due to the fact that it is a flooded glacial landscape with, among other things, moraine hills and meltwater plains. Exposed moraine deposits are found on the seabed in the area, and the geopark's central theme, the main residence line, can be followed across the area. The area is rich in raw materials (gravel/sand) and constitutes important habitats for many species.

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During the main thrust of the Weichselian glaciation (23,000-21,000 years ago), the area was covered by ice, and the main line of residence cuts roughly east-west through the area immediately south of Jutland. The impact of this ice is represented by glacial tectonic disturbances as well as by moraine formations deposited under the glacier and in connection with the melting.

 

Despite the fact that the area is now covered by sea, it is rich in historical remains that testify to a long period of human activity. First of all, there are many shipwrecks that illustrate how dangerous this stretch of coast was in the past. In addition, there are wrecks from warships from both world wars - for example, from the Battle of Jutland, which can be seen at the Sea War Museum, and from the Napoleonic Wars, which today form the basis of museums in Thyborøn - Coastal Centre and Thorsminde - Strandingsmuseum St. George .

 

The area has also been a unique pantry for the Stone Age population before it was completely flooded, and many remains from this period have been found on the seabed - see Holstebro Museum . Finally, it should be mentioned that large parts of the current seabed have actually been dry land within the last few hundred years. The reason for this is not due to sea level changes, but rather the extensive coastal erosion that has characterized the area in historical times (see site 1 - Bovbjerg and site 37 - Vestkysten for more information on this).