The Arctic Ocean has the smallest area among all the other basins of the Earth - 14.75 million square meters. km. Located between the American and Eurasian continents. It is entirely in the northern hemisphere. The greatest depth of the basin is represented in the Greenland Sea - 5527 meters. The total volume of water is about 18 million cubic meters. km.
The main features of the Arctic Ocean are its topography and currents. The bottom of the water area is represented by the margins of the continents and a huge shelf, which extends almost along the entire basin. Due to the cold climate and polar location, the central region of the ocean is always covered in ice. At present, it is customary to conditionally divide the water area into the following basins: Arctic, Canadian and European.
Reference information
Description of the Arctic Ocean should begin with its geographical characteristics. The boundaries of the water area pass through the Danish, Hudson and Davis straits, along the coast of Greenland and the Faroe Islands up to the Scandinavian Peninsula. The main capes of the ocean are Brewster, Gerpyr,Reidinupure, Dezhneva. In addition, the basin washes countries such as Iceland, Norway, Russia, Canada, and the USA. It borders the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait. Alaska is the farthest coastline.
The Arctic Ocean (photo below) occupies only 4% of the total area of world waters. On rare occasions, it is regarded as a sea of the Atlantic Basin. The fact is that the Arctic Ocean for the most part is a relative shallow water. Only in a few areas does the depth reach 1.5 km. One of the reasons is the length of the coastline - more than 45 thousand km.
The water area includes more than a dozen seas. The largest of them are the Barents, Chukchi, Kara, Norwegian, Beaufort, Siberian, Laptev, White, Greenland. The seas in the ocean basin occupy more than 50%. Hudson is considered the largest bay.
There are a lot of island states in the Arctic Ocean. Of the largest archipelagos, it is worth highlighting the Canadian. It also includes such islands as Ellesmere, King William, Svalbard, Prince Patrick, Novaya Zemlya, Kong, Wrangel, Victoria, Kolguev, Banks and others.
Internal water circulation
Multi-year ice cover hides the surface of the ocean from the direct effects of the atmosphere and solar radiation. That is why the main hydrological factor influencing the movement of waters remains a powerful influx of North Atlantic masses. Such a current is warm, and it determines the general distribution patternwaters in the European basin. The circulation in the Arctic region is influenced by the tide of glacial and Pacific masses.
The balance of the water surface is achieved due to the runoff to the eastern and northern parts of the Atlantic. Such a movement of masses is the main current of the Arctic Ocean. Other water flows include the straits of the Canadian Archipelago.
The Arctic Ocean (see photo on the right) is largely formed by river circulation. The largest rivers that affect the course of the ocean are located in Asia. That is why there is a constant movement of ice in the Alaska region.
Uniformity of water area
In the Arctic Ocean there are several water layers: surface, intermediate and deep. The first is a mass with a reduced level of s alt. Its depth is 50 meters. The average temperature of the Arctic Ocean here is -2 degrees. The hydrological properties of the layer are determined by the action of melted ice, evaporation and river runoff. The warmest area of the water area is the Norwegian Sea. Its surface temperature is up to +8 degrees.
The intermediate layer of the pool is water masses extending to a depth of 800 meters. Here the temperature of the Arctic Ocean varies within +1 degree. This is due to the circulation of warm currents from the Greenland Sea. The salinity of the water is at around 37‰ or more.
The deep layer is formed by vertical convection and spreads from the strait between Svalbard and Greenland. It is worth noting that the current near the bottom of the ocean is determined by the movements of the waters of the largest seas. The temperature of the water area at maximum depths is about -1 degrees.
Tides
Such hydrological anomalies in the Arctic Ocean are commonplace. The tides are determined by the Atlantic waters. The largest are observed in the Barents, Siberian, Kara and Chukchi seas. Here the tides are semi-diurnal. The reason lies in the two-phase period of the lunar inequality (minimum and maximum).
The European basin of the Arctic Ocean differs from others in the height of the tide. Here the water level rises to record levels - up to 10 meters. The maximum is noted in the Mezen Bay. The minimum is off the coast of Canada and Siberia (less than 0.5 m). In most of the basin, waves from 2 to 11 meters high are observed. The maximum of the phenomenon was recorded in the Norwegian Sea - 12 m.
What is flow
These are flows in the water column that are intermittent or continuous. The currents of the oceans (on the map, see below) can also be surface or deep, cold or warm. Periodic, regular and mixed flows are distinguished by frequency and cyclicity. The unit of measurement of current in the ocean is called sverdrups.
Water flows are classified by stability, depth, physical and chemical properties, by the nature and direction of movement, by acting forces, etc. However, ontoday there are 3 main groups of currents:
1. Tidal. Caused by the influx of large masses of water. They are observed in shallow water and near the coast. They differ in strength of influence. A separate type of such a current in the ocean is considered to be a fender.
2. Gradient. Caused by horizontal hydrostatic pressure between layers of water. There are density, barogradient, stock, compensation and seiche.
3. Windmills. Caused by strong airflow.
Gulf Stream Features
Gulf stream is a warm current that is typical for the Atlantic waters. Nevertheless, it is this flow that plays an important role in the formation and circulation of the waters of the Arctic Ocean. It comes from the coast of North America. It extends from the Newfoundland bank to the Straits of Florida. The Gulf Stream belongs to the underwater systems of the Barents Sea and Svalbard.
This current of the Arctic Ocean is enough to significantly increase the overall temperature of the water area. The width of the Gulf Stream is 90 kilometers. It moves at a speed of 2-3 m / s. This makes it one of the most powerful warm currents in the oceans. In some areas, the flow reaches a depth of 1.5 km.
The dynamics of the Gulf Stream changes throughout the year. For the most part, its temperature is around +25 C. The maximum deviations are observed in the northern regions of the Norwegian Sea, where the indicators fall immediately by 10 degrees.
Gulf Stream Dynamics
The current is accelerated by tropical trade winds and excess waters of the Caribbeanpool. The force of motion is determined by the rotation of the planet. In a more local sense, the Gulf Stream is determined by coastal flows, salinity distribution and temperature regime.
The Gulf of Mexico from Cuba has a significant influence on the current. In this area, the water area has a cyclical character. Water gradually leaves in a powerful stream into the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Florida. Near the Bahamas, the stream meets with other masses. The totality of currents is reduced to the formation of rings, that is, large eddies. Here the Gulf Stream gains its strength.
In the future, like all other currents of the Arctic Ocean, the stream loses some of its energy due to the high level of evaporation off the coast of Europe. As a result, a mild climate is formed. There are multiple branches of the current in the northern part of the Arctic Ocean.
What threatens the Gulf Stream
In recent decades, the current is unstable. First of all, it concerns the index cycle. Approximately every two years there are significant quasi-periodic oscillations of the Gulf Stream. Such a deviation of the current of the Arctic Ocean entails serious changes in the climate. Some scientists believe that in the near future this threatens the planet with a meteorological catastrophe.
Rapid desalination as a result of global warming may lead to the fact that the European part of the land ceases to be heated. The result could be a new ice age. There have been similar cataclysms before in history. Scientists made such conclusions according to the analysis of the deep ice of Greenland.
If the desalination of the Gulf Stream really exceeds the norm, then numerous oil drilling rigs will be the first to suffer. The consequence will be an ecological disaster.
Features of the East Greenland Current
This stream is considered the second largest in the Arctic Ocean. It brings cold masses of water. Its main role in the global basin is the runoff and removal of ice from the Arctic waters. The beginning of the current of the Arctic Ocean is observed off the coast of Asia. The stream bifurcates towards the north. The first branch goes towards Greenland, the second - towards North America. Movement occurs mainly near the border with the mainland.
The width of the East Greenland Current in some places exceeds 200 km. The water temperature is at 0 degrees. At Cape Farewell, the stream joins the Irminger Current. As a result of the collision of warm and cold masses, cycling occurs. That is why such a rapid melting of floating ice and icebergs is observed in this part of the water area.
Other Currents of the Arctic Ocean
The Transarctic Stream ensures the movement of ice from the coast of Alaska to Greenland. The main force of the current is the flow of rivers. As a result of such a warm effect, large glaciers break off from the mainland, are picked up by the transarctic flow and rush to the Bering Strait. There, movement is supported by the Pacific tributary.
The Svalbard Current is an offshoot of the Gulf Stream. It continues in the Norwegian Sea.
North Cape current reaches water temperature up to +8 degrees. Passes along the surface of the ocean near the coast of the Kola and Scandinavian peninsulas. Its average speed is 1.4 km/h.
The Norwegian Current is considered to be a branch of the Atlantic Current. Here the salinity of the water is kept at around 35%. The temperature of the masses is from +5 to +12 degrees.
Climatic characteristics
Features of the Arctic Ocean also lie in severe meteorological indicators. It is thanks to such a cold climate that huge glaciers have been preserved in the water area for millions of years. In the polar region, there is a severe lack of solar heat.
Precipitation is minimal in most of the ocean. In winter, the water area plunges into the months-long polar night.
Over the past one and a half thousand years, the climate in the ocean has changed for the worse beyond recognition.
