The Arctic is the geographic region of the Earth adjacent to the North Pole. The territorial waters of the region include part of the water area of all oceans, except for the Indian. Also, this physiographic zone includes the outskirts of the continents of North America and Eurasia. The area of the Arctic is about 27 million square kilometers. km. The southern part of the region is covered by impenetrable tundra.
Fauna and flora
The Arctic climate is known for its harshness. That is why in this area the flora is represented only by mosses, grasses, lichens and weed cereals. Temperatures are low here even in summer. This causes such a meager diversity of flora. There are no trees or spruces in the Arctic zone, only dwarf shrubs. Most of the land is occupied by a lifeless desert. The only flowering plant is the polar poppy.
The animal world is a little more rich in species. White hares, wild deer, and polar bears live here. The rarest representatives of the fauna are the bighorn sheep and the musk ox, as well as the small fluffy lemming hamster. Of the carnivores, wolves and arctic foxes can be distinguished. Polar bears prefer marine fish to animal meat. In addition, in the polar region livestoats, wolverines and long-tailed ground squirrels.
Most birds nest in the tundra. Most often these are migratory species. The waters of the Arctic are home to walruses and seals, as well as narwhals, beluga whales, killer whales and baleen whales.
Temperature readings
The Arctic is one of the coldest and snowiest parts of the world. In summer, the temperature here rarely rises above zero degrees. There is a low balance of radiation in this area. Glaciers, snowy deserts, tundra vegetation predominate.
In winter, the warmest month is January. The average temperature in the Arctic at this time ranges from -2 to -5 degrees. The adjacent water area is much colder than the air. In the Barents Sea, the temperature is -25 degrees C, in Greenland and Chukchi - up to -36 degrees C, in the Canadian and Siberian basins - up to -50 degrees C. The lowest rates are observed in the northern zone of the water area. The temperature there often reaches -60 degrees.
The climate of the Arctic can change at any moment due to breakthroughs of deep warm cyclones. In this case, the temperature rises by 7-10 degrees C. In summer, the highest rates are +2…+3 degrees C.
Climatic anomalies
Meteorological indicators of the glacial zone have experienced serious fluctuations over the past few hundred years. We can say that the climate of the Arctic is gradually changing. This is a global problem with no solution.
In the last 600 years, there have been half a dozen significantwarming, which directly affect the entire planet. Such meteorological fluctuations can be followed by global cataclysms that can harm all life on Earth.
It is worth noting that the climate of the Arctic affects the rate of rotation of the planet and the general atmospheric circulation. According to scientists, a serious meteorological jump in the glacial zone should occur in 2030. Even the most minimal impact will be significant for the planet. The fact is that the temperature indicators in the Arctic are inexorably rising every year. Moreover, the dynamics of changes over the past century has doubled. A sharp warming will lead to the extinction of all types of vegetation and many representatives of the fauna in the region.
Nature of the Arctic
The relief of the water area is uneven, curved. The most significant is the shelf with continental islands, located along such seas as the Barents, Chukchi, Laptev, Kara and Siberian. The deepest depression is located in the central part of the Arctic basin - more than 5.5 km. As for the land relief, it is predominantly flat.
The nature of the Arctic is rich in natural resources. First of all, it is gas and oil. There is a disproportionate amount of these undeveloped energy resources in the Arctic. According to preliminary forecasts of experts, more than 90 billion barrels of oil are located here.
However, the extraction of resources in this region is extremely difficult. In addition, this process is dangerous from the point of view of global ecology. In the event of a spilloil to eliminate the accident will be almost impossible due to high waves, numerous icebergs and thick fog.
Arctic ice
As you know, the water area of the region is literally filled with icebergs of various sizes. However, in the waters of the Arctic there is also the so-called ice cap, which reflects most of the sun's rays. That is why the planet does not warm up to critical temperatures.
It can be stated with confidence that the ice of the Arctic plays a crucial role in the existence of all life on Earth. In addition, they control the circulation of water in the oceans.
It is worth noting that over the past 25 years, the level of Arctic ice has decreased by three-quarters of the total mass. Today, the cap covers only 5100 thousand square meters. km. However, this is not enough to prevent the Earth from warming up more and faster every year.
Dead zone conquered
For many centuries, the Arctic was considered a lifeless territory where people could not survive for even a few days. However, over time, this myth was dispelled. In the 16th century, as a result of a long expedition carried out by Russian navigators, the first map of the Arctic Ocean was compiled. In 1937, the crews of Baidukov and Chkalov flew over the Arctic.
Today, several drifting stations installed on ice floes operate in this region at once. The complexes will include small houses for polar explorers and special research equipment.
