Gat (landform)

Map of the East Frisian Islands, showing the gats between the islands

A gat (Dutch: zeegat, gat; German: Seegatt, Seegat or diminutive Gatje) is an inshore channel or strait connecting coastal waters with the open sea or dividing two landmasses, such as two islands or an island and a peninsula.[1][2] Gats are usually relatively narrow but deep and are in many instances constantly eroded by currents flowing back and forth, such as tidal currents. The term is mostly used for features on the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts.

According to Whittow a gat is either a strait dividing offshore islands from the mainland e.g. the Frisian Islands, or it is an opening in a line of sea cliffs allowing access to the coast from inland.[1] The term sometimes also refers to a shallower passage on lagoon coasts, including those without any tidal range, and can also refer to shallow bars in an area of mudflats.

It is similar, but not identical, to a gut, which is a narrow river channel or strait prior to joining an open ocean or estuary. Leser restricts its use to deep, but relatively narrow inlets in the Wadden Sea that are scoured out by currents, giving the example of the gap between the Frisian islands of Juist and Nordeney.[3]

In Dutch the term can be interpreted quite broadly, as it can refer to an entrance to the open sea formed by the mouth of an inlet, an inland sea or even a river; and also to an opening between coastal islands or coasts in general.[2]

  1. ^ a b Whittow, John (1984). Dictionary of Physical Geography. London: Penguin, 1984, pp. 214 and 240. ISBN 0-14-051094-X.
  2. ^ a b Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek, "Zeegat" (in Dutch). Accessed on July 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Leser, Hartmut, ed. (2005). Wörterbuch Allgemeine Geographie, 13th ed., dtv, Munich, p. 828. ISBN 978-3-423-03422-7.