Building a bridge between Europe and Africa sounds amazing, but it’s way trickier than it seems. The Strait of Gibraltar, where the two continents are closest, is about 8 miles wide, but the water there is super deep—up to 3,000 feet in some places! On top of that, the area is really windy and has strong currents, which makes construction extra challenging. Engineers have proposed ideas, like floating tunnels or super-long suspension bridges, but they’d cost a fortune and would still face massive technical hurdles. Political and economic challenges also come into play, as such a bridge would require cooperation between multiple countries. For now, ferries do the job, and most people find them convenient enough. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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FunTranscript
00:00So, look at this narrow passage between the north of Morocco and the southern part of
00:05the Spanish region.
00:06It's called the Strait of Gibraltar.
00:09There are only 8 miles between the two continents, but for some reason, there's no bridge,
00:15despite people having been dreaming for centuries about connecting these two regions.
00:20There are places in the world where a bridge over water stretches for a much greater distance.
00:25For example, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway near New Orleans, Louisiana, goes for 24 miles,
00:32which is three times the length of the hypothetical bridge between Africa and Europe.
00:37That's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest continuous bridge passing
00:42over water.
00:43It consists of two parallel bridges and connects the urban area of New Orleans with small settlements
00:49in the north of Lake Pontchartrain.
00:519,000 concrete piles hold more than 1,000 decks above the water.
00:56This large-scale structure was built in the middle of the 20th century.
01:00It only took 14 months from the start of construction to its completion.
01:05American engineers created a unique technology for attaching concrete piles to the base of
01:10the bridge.
01:11And this bridge is still functioning.
01:13So, what's the problem with building a shorter bridge to connect Africa and Europe?
01:19Let's first find out the value of the 8-mile bridge that could connect two continents and
01:24the reason why everyone is talking about it.
01:27In fact, the value of such a bridge would be enormous.
01:30Diamonds, oil, minerals…
01:33Africa is full of valuable materials, and Europe is happy to buy these things.
01:38This theoretical bridge could allow people to transport things for trade quickly and
01:42comfortably.
01:44Right now, the exchange of goods between Africa and Europe is only possible thanks to airplanes
01:49and cargo ships, and airplanes are extremely expensive because of hefty fuel price tags.
01:56In addition, air travel is often delayed because of bad weather.
02:00There are long customs procedures and transportation from the airport to the destination.
02:06Ships can also be a problem.
02:08The narrow area of the Mediterranean Sea, where the two continents are closest to each
02:12other, is a dangerous place because of storms and strong currents.
02:17The transportation of your diamonds is highly dependent on weather conditions.
02:22The second advantage of such a bridge would be the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.
02:28People from Europe and Africa would build hotels, ports, parks, and even small towns
02:33for each other.
02:34The coastal parts of both continents would become a new economic center.
02:39And just imagine how much investment those places would attract!
02:43Europe and Africa would be much closer than ever before.
02:47You could drive from a small Spanish town to a safari park in northern Morocco, buy
02:52Moroccan tea, get some argan oil, and go home for the evening.
02:57Or you could take a high-speed train across the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
03:02People would open hundreds of restaurants, amusement parks, shopping malls, and a museum
03:07next to this bridge.
03:09Unfortunately, it's impossible to build such a bridge, at least at the moment.
03:14And here's why.
03:16The main problem is the Strait of Gibraltar itself, because of its strong current and
03:21seismic activity.
03:23How can you start large-scale construction if, in a couple of days, an underwater earthquake
03:29can trigger giant waves and take all the ships underwater?
03:33Even if you build a bridge, rapid streams of water that constantly change direction
03:38can shake the entire structure and tear the connecting parts of the construction.
03:42The bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar must have a strong, sturdy system that will withstand
03:47seismic activity.
03:49Huge resources are required to create such a complex structure.
03:54Despite the dangerous passage between the two continents, it remains one of the busiest
03:59points in the world.
04:00It's the only place on the planet connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
04:06300 ships pass through this area every day.
04:10Not only merchant ships, but also fishing vessels and tourist boats.
04:15There are not so many places in the world where you can watch whales coming out of the
04:19water.
04:20Not only people, but also marine creatures often visit this passage because of the peculiarities
04:25of the sea currents.
04:27But we'll talk about that later.
04:30Another problem is the depth of the Strait.
04:32In simple words, any bridge over the water is built on long metal piles.
04:38Builders and engineers stick piles into the seabed and use them as a holding base for
04:43the whole construction.
04:45But installing such piles firmly enough is a difficult task because of the uneven seabed.
04:51The seabed has a unique geological landscape, irregularities, and different densities of
04:56the Earth's rocks.
04:58There are also reefs, rocks, and pits.
05:01Any seabed requires extensive geological studies before piles are installed.
05:07However, the bottom of the Strait of Gibraltar is especially difficult because of its depth
05:12– almost 3,000 feet.
05:15It's one of the deepest straits in the whole world.
05:18Just imagine, you'll need the height of 10 Statues of Liberty to reach the surface
05:22of the water from the bottom of the Strait.
05:25What kind of piles should be used there to hold the entire bridge?
05:29Most likely, one pile will have to consist of several parts connected into one large
05:34metal rod.
05:36And don't forget about seismic activity.
05:38Let's say you've installed perfectly strong piles, but the next day, an earthquake occurs
05:44and destroys the entire structure, and a strong current is carrying fortifications all over
05:50the Mediterranean Sea.
05:52The next problem is probably the most important one because it concerns marine life.
05:58The Strait of Gibraltar has a high salt content.
06:01This natural element makes water heavier and makes it descend to the bottom of a deep Mediterranean
06:06basin.
06:07Then, this saltwater pushes up cold water from the seabed into the Atlantic Ocean.
06:13These changes in water density, as well as fast currents, create sea vortices and turbulence.
06:20It's like a raging cauldron of cold water that raises a lot of nutrients to the surface.
06:26The hollows and hills of the Strait of Gibraltar are filled with different substances and sunlight.
06:32This creates ideal conditions for the formation of phytoplankton.
06:36Whales, dolphins, and other marine creatures adore this delicacy.
06:40That's why you can see about 7 species of whales and dolphins in this place.
06:46What might happen to phytoplankton after the start of global construction?
06:50Carbon dioxide, crushed rock, tons of dust and ashes, falling building materials – all
06:56of this could significantly pollute the environment.
07:00Without phytoplankton, many fish would go extinct.
07:03Without fish, thousands of fishers wouldn't be able to get food and earn money.
07:08But even if the bridge was built, cars and trains would continue to pollute the air and
07:13water.
07:15This disruption of the delicate balance in this narrow strait can lead to larger-scale
07:20environmental disasters.
07:22Dolphins and whales may leave to look for food elsewhere and, thus, take resources from
07:27other marine inhabitants.
07:29Like falling dominoes, one problem can follow another.
07:33And all this because of one bridge.
07:36In 2007, the Spanish Ministry of Environmental Protection introduced speed limits for all
07:41ships sailing through the strait in order to not disrupt the delicate balance of nature.
07:47At the beginning of the 20th century, a French engineer proposed a project of a bridge, but
07:53it was rejected because it was too complicated and costly.
07:57People also tried to develop a 23-mile-long tunnel, but this project also faced financial
08:03and technical difficulties.
08:05People are still dreaming of a bridge over the Strait of Gibraltar.
08:09Perhaps, in the future, when we develop cooler technologies, we'll be able to build this
08:14thing.
08:15Oh, by the way, there hasn't always been water between these two regions.
08:20In the distant past, the two continents were connected.
08:24The entire Mediterranean Sea is the remains of the Titus Sea that existed before the era
08:30of dinosaurs.
08:31Then, the African and Indian plates collided with the Eurasian one, and the Titus Sea completely
08:37disappeared.
08:38In its place, a land bridge was formed that separated the Mediterranean Sea from the ocean.
08:45Without access to water, the sea dried up about 6 million years ago.
08:50But then, when the bridge came down, the water began to fill the dried-up pool.
08:55For tens of thousands of years, the narrow plate sank lower and lower, and the Mediterranean
09:01Sea eventually got its current water levels.
09:05That's it for today!
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