The Gibraltar Bridge

[The Mad Monk]

From memory, the Gibralter Strait (and the rest of the Mediterrainean) are one big subduction zone (that's why it's so deep there, the soon-to-be-former oceanic plate is being driven completly under Europe). While it's not very active at the moment at the Straits, it's still quite active in the center and east, feeding the volcanoes around Italy and causing earthquakes in the Mideast.

The lack of activity may mean that the zone in that region is dead, but given that the African plate is still moving north relative to Eurasia, I personally doubt it. It could be slowly building stress, to be released when something snaps in the future (think San Anreas versus the New Madrid faults for some idea of what I'm talking about). At this point, the African plate is actively rifting, and this may result in additional stress westward in a short time, geologically speaking.

A bridge sounds like a good idea, but I personally wouldn't want to be responsible for the go-ahead.

edit: Oh yeah...a tunnel is right out.
2nd edit: did they have any structural geologists working on this, or just engineers?
3rd edit: It looks like the Straits region may be a transform zone rather than a suduction zone now -- at least looking at the map Kamrat posted.

[The Mad Monk]

Here's an interesting world tectonic map:

[Zoid]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
From memory, the Gibralter Strait (and the rest of the Mediterrainean) are one big subduction zone (that's why it's so deep there, the soon-to-be-former oceanic plate is being driven completly under Europe). While it's not very active at the moment at the Straits, it's still quite active in the center and east, feeding the volcanoes around Italy and causing earthquakes in the Mideast.

It seems that your memory was correct (at least according to NASA´s map)

And I´m no geologist but IMO the Gibraltar Straits seems pretty safe. Maybe only for the moment but a moment is quite a long period in geological time frame...

The lack of activity may mean that the zone in that region is dead, but given that the African plate is still moving north relative to Eurasia, I personally doubt it. It could be slowly building stress, to be released when something snaps in the future (think San Anreas versus the New Madrid faults for some idea of what I'm talking about). At this point, the African plate is actively rifting, and this may result in additional stress westward in a short time, geologically speaking.

Again the time-span, at the current rate of movement we´re talking hundreds of thousands of years. I think it´s safe to say that the bridge will be geologically safe for at least a couple of thousand years. And in that time the bridge will have crumbled to dust anyway, so...

If we continue present-day plate motions the Atlantic will widen, Africa will collide with Europe closing the Mediterranean, etc. But that´s like 50 million years from now...

A bridge sounds like a good idea, but I personally wouldn't want to be responsible for the go-ahead.

I don´t think the bridge is a good idea at all, really. For reasons stated in my initial post.

edit: Oh yeah...a tunnel is right out.

Yep, but I´m mostly worried for the structural integrity of the tunnel. It seems to be an awful lot of water pressing down on it. But then I´m no building engineer either

2nd edit: did they have any structural geologists working on this, or just engineers?

I don´t know. I´ve only heard engineers talking about this grand achievment of mankind, etc, etc... But I assume they´ve made a geological survey. Anything else would be stupid (but then again, that´s capitalism for you )

3rd edit: It looks like the Straits region may be a transform zone rather than a suduction zone now -- at least looking at the map Kamrat posted.

Nope, I´d say it´s a subduction zone. NASA´s map is a bit more detailed

[Andrew1999]

Reminds me of the plan to build a bridge from Sicily to Italy. "When they build the bridge" is used on the island the same as "when hell freezes over."

[faded glory]

A tunnel is impossible. I watched a show about where they clearly stated that a tunnel is much too difficult. Too deep, too much pressure. And way to much pollutants building up from vehicles inside the tunnel choking the air.

The bridge is the only real aspect possible. Even tho the 3 of the support columns would have to be the size of the empire state building

[faded glory]

plus once you open a bridge in morrocco, it just becomes a place for yet more refugee's to cross over. Whos gonna pay for the african half? Morrocco? lol

[Zoid]

So are you for or against a bridge, faded?

[Ned]

What if you anchor an airtight tube 100 feet below the surface?

[Immortal Wombat]

Then you'd have an airtight tube 100 feet below the surface.
getting the cars in might be a pain

[Ned]

Immortal Wombat, Why?

[Immortal Wombat]

Think about it. If the air cannot get in, how can the cars?

[moomin]

Originally posted by Ned
What if you anchor an airtight tube 100 feet below the surface?

Nope. We use real units in Europe!

[Paul Hanson]

This thread is merely demonstrating society's intense need for teleportation. Teleportation must be invented as soon as possible, so that projects like this are unnecessary!

[Ned]

Originally posted by Immortal Wombat
Think about it. If the air cannot get in, how can the cars?

Airlocks.

Also, run electric trains in the tunnel an carry the cars.

[Provost Harrison]

That is how the Channel Tunnel works Ned.

Yeah, it would be quite impressive although I have seen a bridge of a similar length to that proposed (OK, it was part suspension, part causeway, the Vasco De Gama Bridge in Lisbon spanning the Tagus). It is 10 miles long.



The Humber Bridge where I live is pretty impressive too, only drove across it on Sunday Not as long but was until recently the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world.