En la foto: La construcción del muelle de hierro permitió la entrada y salida en cualquier marea de buques de alto porte. Aún no se habían iniciado las obras del rompeolas de Santurtzi y del contramuelle de Algorta. A la derecha se pueden apreciar los restos de un barco hundido. (1891)
In 1835 the mathematician Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis formulated the «Coriolis Effect», which determines that the force of the Earth’s rotation causes ocean currents to deviate to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere, which also happens with the general circulation of the winds.
Thus, at the mouth of the northern hemisphere rivers, the sands are deposited on the right bank and leave the deepest part of the port on the left, whereas, in the Southern Hemisphere, they do it in the opposite direction.
Evaristo Churruca designed an 800-meter pier, that would start on the old one and, being familiar with Coriolis’ formula, he made it curve, with a 3000-meter radius that, in three years’ time, ended with the problem of the sand settlings.
