Somme River
Encyclopedia
The Somme is a river in Picardy
, northern France
. The name Somme comes from a Celtic
word meaning tranquility. The department Somme
was named after this river.
The river is 245 km long, from its source in the high ground of the former Forest of Arrouaise at Fonsommes
near Saint-Quentin
, to the Bay of the Somme, in the English Channel
. It lies in the geological
syncline
which also forms the Solent
. This gives it a fairly constant and gentle gradient.
s and pools. These characteristics of steady flow and flooded valley bottom arise from the river's being fed by the ground water in the chalk
basin in which it lies. At earlier, colder times, from the Günz to the Würm (Beestonian or Nebraskan to Devensian or Wisconsinian) the river has cut down into the Cretaceous
geology
to a level below the modern water table
. The valley bottom has now therefore, filled with water which, in turn, has filled with fen
. This picture, of the source of the Somme in 1986, shows it when the water table had fallen below the surface of the chalk in which the aquifer
lies. Here, the flow of water had been sufficient to keep fen from forming.
This satellite photograph shows the fenny valley crossing the chalk to the sea on the left. The sinuous length at the centre of the picture lies downstream from Péronne
.
One of the fens, the Marais de l'Île is a nature reserve in the town of St.Quentin. The traditional market gardens of Amiens
, the Hortillonages are on this sort of land but drained. Once exploited for peat cutting, the fen is now used for fishing and shooting
The construction of the Canal de la Somme
began in 1770 and reached completion in 1843. It is 156 km long, beginning at St.Simon and opening into the Bay of the Somme. From St.Simon to Froissy (near Bray sur Somme, south of Albert), the canal is alongside the river. Thence to the sea, the river is partly river and partly navigation. From Abbeville
, it is diverted through the silt
ed, former estuary
, to Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme
, where the maritime canal, once called the canal du Duc d'Angoulême enters the English Channel.
The St Quentin Canal
, famous for the 1918 battle, links the Somme to northern France and Belgium
and southward to the Oise. The Canal du Nord
also links the Somme to the Oise, at Noyon, thence to Paris.
In 2001, the Somme valley was affected by particularly high floods, which were in large part due to a rise in the water table
of the surrounding land.
1993.1994.
1995.
1996.
1997.
1998.
1999.
2000.2001.2002.2003.2004.2005.
1986.1987.1988.1989.1990.1991.1992.1993.1994.1995.1996.1997.1998.1999.2000.2001.2002.2003.2004.2005.
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
, northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The name Somme comes from a Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
word meaning tranquility. The department Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
was named after this river.
The river is 245 km long, from its source in the high ground of the former Forest of Arrouaise at Fonsommes
Fonsommes
Fonsomme is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.It is the source of the river Somme.-See also:*Communes of the Aisne department...
near Saint-Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
, to the Bay of the Somme, in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. It lies in the geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
syncline
Syncline
In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger layers closer to the center of the structure. A synclinorium is a large syncline with superimposed smaller folds. Synclines are typically a downward fold, termed a synformal syncline In structural geology, a syncline is a fold, with younger...
which also forms the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. This gives it a fairly constant and gentle gradient.
Historical events
- The river is perhaps most famous as a result of the World War I Battle of the Somme (July to November 1916).
- The Invasion Fleet of William the ConquerorWilliam I of EnglandWilliam I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
assembled in the Bay of the Somme at Saint-Valery-sur-SommeSaint-Valery-sur-SommeSaint-Valery-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department. The village is a popular tourist destination because of its medieval character and ramparts, Gothic church and long waterside boardwalk.-Geography:...
, in 1066. - The river featured in the 1346 withdrawal of Edward III'sEdward III of EnglandEdward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
army, which forded the river at the battle of BlanchetaqueBattle of BlanchetaqueThe Battle of Blanchetaque in 1346 was the second of the three battles which made up what became the Crecy campaign of King Edward III of England during the early stages of the Hundred Years War...
during the campaign which culminated in the Battle of CrécyBattle of CrécyThe Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...
. - Crossing the river also featured prominently in the campaign which led to the Battle of AgincourtBattle of AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
some 501 years before the 1916 battles. - The great battles which finally stopped the German advance in the Spring OffensiveSpring OffensiveThe 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
of 1918 were fought around the valley of the Somme in places like Villers Bretonneux, which marked the beginning of the end of the war.
Départements and towns along the river
- AisneAisneAisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
: Saint-QuentinSaint-Quentin, AisneSaint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century.... - SommeSommeSomme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
: HamHam, SommeHam is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Ham is situated on the D930 and D937 crossroads, some southwest of Saint-Quentin, in the far southeast of the department, near the border with the department of the Aisne....
, PéronnePéronne, SommePéronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
, CorbieCorbieCorbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
, AmiensAmiensAmiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, AbbevilleAbbevilleAbbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
, Saint-Valery-sur-SommeSaint-Valery-sur-SommeSaint-Valery-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department. The village is a popular tourist destination because of its medieval character and ramparts, Gothic church and long waterside boardwalk.-Geography:...
, Le CrotoyLe CrotoyLe Crotoy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. The inhabitants are known as Crotellois-Geography:Le Crotoy is situated on the D143 and D71 crossroads, on the estuary of the river Somme, some northwest of Abbeville....
Main tributaries
|
Avre (Somme) The Avre is a river in Picardie and is the principal tributary, from the left side, of the Somme. At 66 kilometres long, it drains a relatively important basin of 1,150 km² but only flows at best 5,1 m³/s near its confluence at Longueau.... Selle For the composer, see Thomas SelleThe Selle is a river of Picardie, France. Rising at Catheux, just north of Crèvecœur-le-Grand, Oise, it flows past Conty, Saleux, Salouël and Pont-de-Metz before joining the Somme River at Amiens.In many places along its course, the river widens to form or fill... Ancre The Ancre is a river of Picardy, France. Rising at Miraumont, a hamlet near the town of Albert, it flows into the Somme at Corbie. It crosses no départements other than the Somme.-See also:* Battle of the Ancre Heights... |
Hydrology
The river is characterized by a very gentle gradient and a steady flow. The valley is more or less steep-sided but its bottom is flat with fenFen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s and pools. These characteristics of steady flow and flooded valley bottom arise from the river's being fed by the ground water in the chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
basin in which it lies. At earlier, colder times, from the Günz to the Würm (Beestonian or Nebraskan to Devensian or Wisconsinian) the river has cut down into the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
to a level below the modern water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
. The valley bottom has now therefore, filled with water which, in turn, has filled with fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
. This picture, of the source of the Somme in 1986, shows it when the water table had fallen below the surface of the chalk in which the aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
lies. Here, the flow of water had been sufficient to keep fen from forming.
This satellite photograph shows the fenny valley crossing the chalk to the sea on the left. The sinuous length at the centre of the picture lies downstream from Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
.
One of the fens, the Marais de l'Île is a nature reserve in the town of St.Quentin. The traditional market gardens of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, the Hortillonages are on this sort of land but drained. Once exploited for peat cutting, the fen is now used for fishing and shooting
The construction of the Canal de la Somme
Canal de la Somme
The Canal de la Somme is a canal in northern France. Until 2005, it joined the English Channel at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme to the Canal de Saint-Quentin at St. Simon. The Somme River was canalized beginning in 1770. The 54 km section from St...
began in 1770 and reached completion in 1843. It is 156 km long, beginning at St.Simon and opening into the Bay of the Somme. From St.Simon to Froissy (near Bray sur Somme, south of Albert), the canal is alongside the river. Thence to the sea, the river is partly river and partly navigation. From Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
, it is diverted through the silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
ed, former estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
, to Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme
Saint-Valery-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department. The village is a popular tourist destination because of its medieval character and ramparts, Gothic church and long waterside boardwalk.-Geography:...
, where the maritime canal, once called the canal du Duc d'Angoulême enters the English Channel.
Canal de Saint-Quentin
The Canal de Saint-Quentin is a canal in northern France connecting the canalised Escaut River in Cambrai to the Canal latéral à l'Oise and Canal de l'Oise à l'Aisne in Chauny-History:...
, famous for the 1918 battle, links the Somme to northern France and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and southward to the Oise. The Canal du Nord
Canal du Nord
The Canal du Nord is a long canal in northern France. The canal connects the Canal latéral à l'Oise at Pont-l'Évêque to the Sensée Canal at Arleux. The French government, in partnership with coal-mining companies in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments, developed the canal to help French coal...
also links the Somme to the Oise, at Noyon, thence to Paris.
In 2001, the Somme valley was affected by particularly high floods, which were in large part due to a rise in the water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
of the surrounding land.
Monthly flow rates (mean over 43 years)
Catchment area 5560 km².Daily flow rates compared with mean rates for the time of year at Hangest-sur-Somme (m³/s)
Catchment area 4835 km².- for the year -
1993.1994.
1995.
1996.
1997.
1998.
1999.
2000.2001.2002.2003.2004.2005.
Mean flow rates monthly and daily at Péronne (m³/s)
Catchment area 1294 km².- for the year -
1986.1987.1988.1989.1990.1991.1992.1993.1994.1995.1996.1997.1998.1999.2000.2001.2002.2003.2004.2005.