The cataract is as wide as the Denmark Strait, roughly 300 miles (480 kilometers) across, and the seabed drops off over a length of 310 to 370 miles (500 to 600 km).

The Denmark Strait cataract is a sloping portion of the seafloor between Iceland and Greenland that funnels cold water from the Nordic Seas into the Irminger Sea, fueling Atlantic Ocean currents.