Skerry facts for kids
A skerry is a small, rocky island. It is usually too small for people to live on. Sometimes, a skerry is just a rocky reef sticking out of the water. You can also think of it as a low sea stack.
Even though they are small, skerries can have some plant life. You might see moss or tough grasses growing on them. Many animals use skerries as a place to rest. Seals and seabirds often stop there to relax.
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Where Does the Word "Skerry" Come From?
The word skerry comes from an old language called Old Norse. In Old Norse, the word was sker, which meant "a rock in the sea."
This word traveled into the English language through the Scots language. You can find similar words for skerry in many Scandinavian languages. For example, in Icelandic it's sker, and in Swedish it's skär.
How Are Skerries Formed?
Skerries are usually formed in places where fjords meet the sea. Fjords are long, narrow inlets of the sea, often with steep sides. They were carved out by glaciers.
Imagine huge glaciers moving across the land. As they moved, they dug deep valleys. When these valleys filled with water, they became fjords. Near the coast, these icy channels were so many that they broke the rocky land into thousands of pieces. Some pieces became large islands, while others became small rocky points or reefs – skerries!
These ice-carved channels can be very complex. They create a coast with many islands and skerries. This makes it tricky for ships to navigate.
Places with Skerries
Many places around the world have skerries. They are often found in areas that were once covered by glaciers.
- Norway: The coast of Norway has many skerries. They form a "skjærgård," which means archipelago. These skerries create a protected path for boats. You can travel almost the entire 1,600 km (1,000 miles) along the Norwegian coast in a protected channel. The Blindleia is one such skerry-protected waterway in southern Norway.
- North America: The Inside Passage in North America is similar. It offers a protected route from Seattle, Washington to Skagway, Alaska.
- South America: A skerry-protected passage also runs for about 800 km (500 miles) along the west coast of South America. It starts near the Straits of Magellan.
- Sweden: The Swedish coast, especially along Bohuslän, is also guarded by skerries. Even the east coast of Sweden, in the Baltic Sea, has many large archipelagos. A famous one is the Stockholm archipelago.
- Finland: The southwestern coast of Finland has a huge number of skerries. They form an archipelago that is still changing. The land here is slowly rising after the ice age. This means new islands are appearing as they break through the sea level.
- Russia: In Russia, good examples include the Minina Skerries in the Kara Sea. The Sumsky Skerries are another example, found in the White Sea.
- United Kingdom: The United Kingdom has many skerries. These include Staple Island in England and rocky outcrops near Fowlsheugh in Scotland. There are also many reefs in the Hebrides, like Dubh Artach. The Skerries are off the coast of Northern Ireland.
- Ireland: Skerries is also the name of a coastal area in Dublin, Ireland. It has many skerries offshore, such as Shenick Island and St Patrick's Island.
- Southernmost Skerries: The Skrap Skerries off South Georgia are some of the most southerly skerries known.
See also
In Spanish: Escollo para niños
