The northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean is surrounded by glaciers on one side and the western coast of Antarctica on the other. The entire surface of the reservoir is covered with secular ice.
Next to it, the pointed cape Dart crashes into the permafrost. To the east is Thurston Island. Landmark - Mary Byrd Lands. As you can see, one should not deceive oneself, once asking the question, where is the Amundsen Sea in the Pacific Ocean? The Hawaiian Islands are in a completely different part of it, like all popular tourist destinations for beach and sightseeing holidays.
Geological features
The basin borders on other northern parts of the ocean, such as the Bellingshausen and Ross Seas. Its area exceeds 98,000 km², the average depth is just over 250 meters. The relief resembles a shell, which has a slight slope towards the mainland coast. On the approaches to land, heaps of glaciers rise.
The outer tip of the Amundsen Sea shelf in the Pacific Ocean lies at a depth of five hundred meters. The descent into the water is steep, but the landscape is even, without cracks and steps. Its length reaches fourkilometers.
The salinity of the water area changes regularly. The maximum concentration of sodium chloride is reached in winter and is 33 ppm. In July, when glacier melt is in full swing, fresh water reduces NaCl levels.
Research and discovery
The name of the reservoir was given by the famous discoverer and scientist Roald Amundsen. The Norwegian has been studying the Nordic and polar regions of Antarctica for a long period of time. And it was here, in the edge of the dead wasteland, that his last journey ended.
An attempt to get close to the shore was also made by James Cook, who visited these places in the second half of the 18th century. The North American icebreaker Palmer managed to swim closest to the mainland as part of the Antarctic expedition in 1993.
To this day, information about the Amundsen Sea is scarce and contradictory. Despite the development of technology, no one has managed to get to the opposite shore so far. Its pool is considered the most severe and impregnable.
The coastline is a collection of huge ice blocks. They are now and then replaced by bottomless cliffs. The water area of the Amundsen Sea serves as a natural shield for the Antarctic lands. He is directly involved in the formation of the movement of icebergs. This region produces 250 cubic kilometers of ice annually.
Weather conditions
The reservoir is locatedin the possessions of the Antarctic climate. The airspace is formed by masses coming from the mainland. Its water area has intensive communication with ocean currents. The minimum temperature is observed in the summer months. The coldest months are July and August. In the southern part of the region at this time of the year, the thermometer is at -18 ° C. In the north it drops below -28 °C.
It's even colder on the shore. Readings of -50 °C are not uncommon. Warming is brought to these latitudes by Nordic winds. The thaw occurs in the winter season, which lasts from December to February. At this time, the temperature fluctuates in the range of -8 … -16 ° C. Ocean currents can heat water up to -1.5 °C.
Navigation season falls on these months. The surface of the Amundsen Sea is covered with drifting icebergs, between which polynyas form. There are three in total:
- one in Russell Bay;
- two near Thwaites Glacier.
The maximum area available for vessel traffic is 55,000 square kilometers. The water in it warms up to 0 ° C. However, it cools down quickly. This is due to the fact that drifting ice floes cover the opened zone of melt water.
Inhabitants of the North
Frost-covered ice, sheer cliffs, protruding above the frozen abyss, seem lifeless. But it's not. In the waters of the Amundsen Sea, fish of the Nototheniaceae family are found. Northern penguins and albatrosses live. Seals have been spotted basking in the cold sun on ice floes.
There are leopard seals, whales, seals, killer whales and dolphins in these places, whicheat flesh. An eight-meter killer whale comes closest to the coastline.
Environmental Issues
Over the past decade, scientists have been sounding the alarm, claiming extreme melting of Antarctic ice. According to information received from space satellites, the ground line, which marks the boundary between the water and land parts of the reservoir, is regularly reduced. This is how the Amundsen Sea looks today in the photo.
In just ten years, she retreated thirty kilometers into Antarctica. If we compare the rate of reduction of this zone with the readings of 1973, then it has increased by almost 80%. The pattern of movement of glacial masses has also changed for the worse. Current measurements show that over the course of twelve months, the Nordic latitudes lose up to 160 billion tons of frozen liquid. This is a third more than in 2011.
