The marginal sea is a body of water belonging to the mainland, but not separated or partially separated from the ocean by islands. As a rule, these are water bodies located on the slope of the mainland or on its shelf. All sea regimes, including climatic and hydrological and bottom sediments, are influenced not only by the ocean itself, but also by the mainland. Often, water bodies do not differ in depth and relief of the bottom.
The marginal seas include such as the Barents, Kara, East Siberian, Laptev Sea and others. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Russian seas: marginal and inland
The Russian Federation owns a fairly large area on which rivers, lakes and seas are located.
Many historical figures of our country, after whom water streams are named, are included in the book of world geographical history.
RF is washed by 12 seas. They belong to the Caspian Sea as well as 3 oceans.
All water bodies of the state can be divided into two types: marginal and internal.
Marginal seas (the list will be presented below) are mainly located near the borders of Russia. They wash the northern and eastern coasts of the country and are separated from the oceans by archipelagos, islands and island arcs.
Domestic - located on the territory of the country to which they belong. Relating to certain basins, they are located at a great distance from the oceans, while being connected to them by straits.
Russian marginal seas (list):
- Pacific Ocean: Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk and Bering Sea.
- The Arctic Ocean. Its basin includes the Laptev, Barents, Kara, East Siberian and Chukchi Seas.
Barents Sea
Refers to the Arctic Ocean. On its shores is the Russian Federation and the Kingdom of Norway. The marginal sea has an area of more than 1 thousand km2. Its depth is 600 m. Due to the strong current from the ocean, the southwest of the reservoir does not freeze.
Besides this, the sea plays a big role for the state, mainly in the field of trade, catching fish and other seafood.
Kara Sea
The second marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean is the Kara Sea. It has several islands. It is located on the shelf. The depth varies from 50 to 100 m. In some areas, this figure increases to 620 m. The area of the reservoir is more than 883 thousand hectares.km2.
The Ob and Yenisei, two full-flowing streams, flow into the Kara Sea. Because of this, the salinity level in it varies.
The reservoir is known for its uncomfortable climate. Here, the temperature rarely rises above 1 degree, it is constantly foggy and storms often occur. Almost all the time the reservoir is under the ice.
Laptev Sea
Examples of the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean would be incomplete without the Laptev Sea. It brings great benefits to the state and has a sufficient number of islands.
The name comes from the names of two Russian explorers (the Laptev brothers).
Climatic conditions here are quite severe. The temperature drops below zero degrees. The salinity of the water is minimal, the animal and plant world does not shine with diversity. A small number of people live on the coast. Ice here is all year round, except for August and September.
On some islands, the remains of mammoths are still found, which are well preserved.
East Siberian Sea
There is a bay and a port on the sea. It belongs to Yakutia. Thanks to some straits, it connects with the Chukchi Sea and the Laptev Sea. The minimum depth is 50 m, the maximum is 155 m. The salinity is kept at around 5 ppm, in some northern regions it increases to 30.
The sea is the mouth of the Kolyma and Indigirka rivers. It has several large islands.
The ice is permanent. In the center of the reservoir you can see large boulders that have been here for several years. The temperature for the whole year varies from -10С to +50С.
Chukchi Sea
The last marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean is Chukchi. Here you can often observe sharp storms and high tides. Ice comes here from the western and northern sides. The southern part of the sea is free from glaciation only in the summer season. Due to climatic conditions, in particular strong winds, waves up to 7 m can rise. In summer, in some areas, the temperature rises to 10-120С.
Bering Sea
Some marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean, such as the Bering Sea, wash not only the Russian Federation, but also the United States of America.
The area of the reservoir is more than 2 million km2. The maximum depth of the sea is 4 thousand meters. Thanks to this reservoir, the North American and Asian continents are divided into parts.
The sea is located in the North Pacific Ocean. The southern coast resembles an arc. It has several bays, capes and islands. The latter are mainly located near the USA. There are only 4 islands on the territory of Russia. Yukon and Anadyr, major rivers of the world, flow into the Bering Sea.
The air temperature is +100C in summer and -230C in winter. Salinity is kept within 34 ppm.
Ice begins to cover the surface of the water in September. The opening takes place in July. The Gulf of Laurentia is practically not freed from ice. Beringovthe strait is also completely covered most of the time, even in the summer. The sea itself is under ice for no more than 10 months.
The terrain is different in different areas. For example, in the northeastern part, the bottom is shallow, and in the southwestern zone, it is deep. The depth rarely exceeds 4 km. The bottom is covered with sand, shells, silt or gravel.
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk is separated from the Pacific Ocean by Kamchatka, Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands. Washes the Russian Federation and Japan. The area is 1500 km2, the depth is 4 thousand m. Due to the fact that the west of the reservoir is gentle, it does not deepen much. To the east is a basin. Here the depth reaches the maximum mark.
The sea is covered with ice from October to June. The southeast does not freeze due to the climate.
Coastline indented. Some areas have bays. Most of them are in the northeast and west.
Fishing is booming. Salmon, herring, navaga, capelin and others live here. Sometimes there are crabs.
The sea is rich in raw materials that the state produces on Sakhalin.
The Amur flows into the Okhotsk basin. There are also several main ports of Russia.
The temperature in winter ranges from -10C to 20C. In summer - from 100С to 180С.
Often only the surface of the water gets warm. At a depth of 50 m there is a layer that does not receive sunlight. Its temperature does not change throughout the year.
From the Pacific herewaters come with temperatures up to 30C. Near the coast, as a rule, the sea warms up to 150C.
The salinity is 33 ppm. In coastal areas, this figure is halved.
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan has a temperate climate. Unlike the north and west, the south and east of the reservoir are quite warm. The temperature in winter in the north is -200С, in the south at the same time it is +50С. Due to the summer monsoon, the air is quite warm and humid. If in the east the sea warms up to +250С, then in the west only up to +150С.
In the autumn season, the number of typhoons, which are caused by strong winds, reaches a maximum. The highest waves reach 10 m, in emergency situations their height is more than 12 m.
The Sea of Japan is divided into three parts. Two of them periodically freeze, the third does not. Tides often occur, especially in the southern and eastern parts. Salinity almost reaches the level of the World Ocean - 34 ppm.
