North Sea at a glance
- 78 maverage depth
- 63 mmedian depth
- 858 mmaximum depth
- 492,936 km²water area
North Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 492,936 km² of water, with an average depth of about 78 m (the middle value is 63 m) and a maximum of 858 m, found at 60.33° N, 6.24° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the North Sea?
The bar splits the North Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 93.6%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 6.5%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 0%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Viking-Bergen Banks (247 km), Devil's Hole (523 km), Landsort Deep (703 km), Outer Silver Pit (741 km).
The North Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the North Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 14,140 km² | 2.9% |
| 20 m | 37,383 km² | 7.6% |
| 50 m | 208,292 km² | 42.3% |
| 80 m | 322,098 km² | 65.3% |
| 120 m | 416,596 km² | 84.5% |
| 200 m | 461,134 km² | 93.5% |
| 500 m | 492,772 km² | 100% |
| 1,000 m | 492,936 km² | 100% |
| 2,000 m | 492,936 km² | 100% |
| 3,000 m | 492,936 km² | 100% |
| 4,000 m | 492,936 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 492,936 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Kattegat average depth about 27 m
- Irish Sea average depth about 52 m
- Inner Seas average depth about 80 m
- Baltic Sea average depth about 66 m
- Bay of Biscay average depth about 1,919 m
- Gulf of Bothnia average depth about 55 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the North Sea?
On average about 78 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 63 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 858 m, at 60.33° N, 6.24° E.
How big is the North Sea?
About 492,936 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the North Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 14,140 km² (2.9%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.