Not every person can, without hesitation, answer the question of where the Pechora Sea is located. The fact is that you can not find it on all maps. It is a small area located in the southwestern part of the Barents Sea, which belongs to the waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Geographic location
The boundaries within which the Pechora Sea is located, start from Cape Kostin Nos, which is part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, and pass along the eastern coast of Kolguev Island. To the east, from the mentioned cape, they extend to the Yugra Peninsula and Vaigach Island along the Timan coast. At the same time, it should be noted that the composition of this reservoir does not include such straits as the Kara Gates and Yugorsky Shar, connecting the Pechora and Kara Seas.
General Description
Many centuries ago, there was dry land at its current location. The sea itself was formed as a result of the melting of the glacier. This can explain the fact that the level of the bottom decreases with distance from the mainland. The Pechora Sea got its name fromthe name of the largest of the rivers flowing into it. The greatest indicator of the depth of the reservoir is within 210 meters. Its area is about 81 square kilometers, while the total volume is about 4.38 thousand cubic meters.
Nenets, Komi and Khanty have lived on its banks since ancient times. From the very beginning of the existence of these peoples, their main occupation was the fishing of beluga and seal. Some time later, Russian Pomors also appeared here. Active exploration of the region by scientists started at the end of the sixteenth century.
Climate and natural conditions
The climate of the region is greatly influenced by its location outside the Arctic Circle. There are long nights here from November to January. The water freezes in October, after which the ice remains until the end of June. The maximum water temperature is typical for August, when it reaches twelve degrees. In May it is the coldest. As for the salinity of water, it averages 35 ppm. The average daily tide is within 1.1 meters.
Compared to the neighboring Barents Sea, the Pechora Sea has completely different natural and climatic conditions. The local meteorological regime is formed under the influence of seasonal features of the circulation of atmospheric air masses. The activation of cyclonic activity is typical for autumn and winter. This explains the western transport of air at this time. In summer, an anticyclone forms over the territory of the sea, as a resultwhich becomes the dominance of a weak northeast wind. At this time, cloudy and cool weather prevails over the water area. At the end of autumn, southwest winds blow predominantly, the speed of which often reaches storm levels.
Formation of ice
Approximately at the end of November, the process of glacier formation begins in the Pechora Sea, which continues until April. Their edge in winter spreads in the direction from east to west. It is for the middle of spring that the greatest accumulation of ice is characteristic. After that, gradual melting begins. The sea completely thaws only in July. It should be noted that the cases when the reservoir freezes completely are extremely rare. As a rule, about one quarter of its territory remains free of ice. Warm Atlantic waters become a barrier to the glacier, which is advancing from the north.
Bottom relief
The shelf of the Pechora Sea is a clear evidence of its formation during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Underwater terraces became one of the main morphological elements of its bottom topography. The most pronounced of them is the one that is located at a depth of 118 meters. In general, the bottom can be characterized as an underwater plain, which is slightly inclined towards the Southern Novaya Zemlya Trench, which is of tectonic origin and was formed under the influence of hydrodynamic processes.
Mineral resources
One of the main characteristics of the basin are gas fieldsPechora Sea. The largest of them is called Shtokman and was discovered in the eighties of the last century. A number of studies have shown that the total local gas reserves are about 3.7 trillion cubic meters. At the same time, one cannot fail to note the fact that, in terms of the degree of complexity of development, Arctic deposits can be compared with space exploration. At the same time, we must not forget about the increased risk to nature. Which is associated with the active development of subsoil.
Be that as it may, as of today, the Pechora Sea boasts more than 25 oil and gas fields. Their active development and operation began in 2009. According to scientists, all the environmental problems that arise in the region are connected with this.
