Search results
Mar 13, 2023 · Despite this progress, pollution is still a problem; last year, 1.9 million cubic meters of untreated wastewater was spewed into the Seine. Dumping all of this into the river, officials say, is...
- Overview
- Physiography
- Hydrology
- The economy
- Development of the river
Seine River, river of France, after the Loire its longest. It rises 18 miles (30 kilometres) northwest of Dijon and flows in a northwesterly direction through Paris before emptying into the English Channel at Le Havre. The river is 485 miles (780 kilometres) long and with its tributaries drains an area of about 30,400 square miles (78,700 square ki...
The Seine rises at 1,545 feet (471 metres) above sea level on the Mont Tasselot in the Côte d’Or region of Burgundy but is still only a small stream when it traverses porous limestone country beyond Châtillon. Flowing northwest from Burgundy, it enters Champagne above Troyes and traverses the dry chalk plateau of Champagne in a well-defined trench. Joined by the Aube near Romilly, the river bears west to skirt the Île-de-France in a wide valley to Montereau, where it receives the Yonne on its left bank. This tributary is exceptional in rising beyond the sedimentary rocks of the Paris Basin on the impermeable crystalline highland of the Morvan, a northward extension of the Massif Central. Turning northwest again, the Seine passes Melun and Corbeil as its trenched valley crosses the Île-de-France toward Paris. As it enters Paris, it is joined by its great tributary the Marne on the right, and, after traversing the metropolis, it receives the Oise, also on the right. In its passage through Paris, the river has been trained and narrowed between riverside quays. Flowing sluggishly in sweeping loops, the Seine passes below Mantes-la-Jolie across Normandy toward its estuary in the English Channel. The broad estuary opens rapidly and extends for 16 miles below Tancarville to Le Havre; it experiences the phenomenon of the tidal bore, which is known as the mascaret, although continued dredging since 1867 has deepened the river so that the mascaret has gradually diminished.
Britannica Quiz
Water and its Varying Forms
From its source to Paris, the Seine traverses concentric belts of successively younger sedimentary rocks, infilling a structural basin, the centre of which is occupied by the limestone platforms of the Île-de-France immediately surrounding Paris. The rocks of this basin are inclined gently toward Paris at the centre and present a series of outward-facing limestone (including chalk) escarpments (côtes) alternating with narrower clay vales. The côtes are breached by the Seine and its tributaries, which have made prominent gaps. As they converge upon Paris, the trenchlike river valleys separate a number of islandlike limestone platforms covered with fertile, easily worked windblown soil (limon). These platforms have provided rich cereal-growing land from time immemorial and constitute the Île-de-France. The lower course of the Seine, below Paris, is directed in a general northwesterly direction toward the sea, in conformity with the trend of the lines of structural weakness affecting the northern part of the basin. The English Channel breaches the symmetry of the basin on its northern side, interrupting the completeness of the concentric zones. Still in the chalk belt, the river enters the sea. The basin of the Seine presents no striking relief contrasts. Within 30 miles of its source the river is already below 800 feet, and at Paris, 227 miles from its mouth, it is only 80 feet above sea level. It is thus slow flowing and eminently navigable, the more so because its regime is generally so regular.
Most of the river basin is formed of permeable rocks, the absorptive capacity of which mitigates the risk of river floods. Precipitation throughout the basin is modest, generally 25 to 30 inches (650 to 750 millimetres), and is evenly distributed over the year as rain, with snow infrequent except on the higher southern and eastern margins. The Yonn...
The Seine, especially below Paris, is a great traffic highway. It links Paris with the sea and the huge maritime port of Le Havre. Rouen, although some 75 miles from the sea, was France’s main seaport in the 16th century, but it was surpassed by Le Havre in the 19th century. Vessels drawing up to 10 feet (3.2 metres) can reach the quays of Paris. M...
Although the regime of the Seine is relatively moderate, improvements have been considered necessary since the beginning of the 19th century. To improve navigation, the water level was raised by means of dams and by storage reservoirs in the basin of the Yonne River. Lake Settons (1858), originally designed for the flotation of wood, and Crescent (1932) and Chaumeçon (1934) reservoirs have proved useful in reducing floods as well as in ensuring a constant water supply in summer. Upstream from the basin four large storage reservoirs have been built since 1950 on the Yonne, Marne, and Aube, as well as on the Seine itself. These relatively shallow impoundments (averaging about 25 feet in depth) cover large areas. The Seine Reservoir, for example, covers some 6,175 acres (2,500 hectares), while the Marne Reservoir, with an area of about 11,900 acres, is the largest artificial lake in western Europe. Surrounded by woodland and countryside, these reservoirs have become bird sanctuaries and tourist attractions in a new nature reserve.
Students save 67%! Learn more about our special academic rate today.
May 22, 2024 · Safety. The River Seine is going to be a centerpiece of the Paris Olympics this summer. Authorities are in an urgent rush to make sure it’s swimmable for athletes and secured for attendees. With ...
Apr 21, 2024 · By Keir Simmons and Alex Holmes. PARIS — Meandering down the Seine R iver, the light breeze, gentle current and the sun’s glistening rays weren’t the only things the three kayakers were ...
Apr 23, 2024 · A historic postcard shows the great flood of the Seine in Paris, 1910 known as the “Crue de la Seine”. Public domain Throughout Parisian history, the Seine has periodically flooded, in part due to natural precipitation and rain patterns that have led to unusually high water levels downstream.
May 23, 2024 · One major problem is that heavy rainfall can overwhelm Paris' 19th-Century sewage system, which collects both sewage and rainwater, and spill wastewater into the Seine. Last year, a test event...
May 12, 2023 · The answer is no,” said Pierre Rabadan, the deputy mayor heading up the city’s Olympic plans, including the cleanup of the Seine in time for it to host two long-distance races and the swimming ...
