Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Bering Sea: geographical location, description Message on the Bering Sea

The former inland sea of the Russian Empire is now the easternmost possessions of our state. The northeastern territories are still waiting for their conquerors. One of the storerooms natural resources this part of the planet is the Bering Sea, geographical position which not only plays a significant role in the development of local regions, but also opens up enormous prospects for Russia’s expanding economic activity in the Arctic latitudes.

Bering Sea. Description

The northern edge of the Pacific Basin is the most extensive of all the seas washing the shores of Russia. Its area is 2,315 thousand km 2. For comparison: the surface of the Black Sea is five and a half times smaller. The Bering Sea is the deepest of the coastal seas and one of the deepest in the world. The lowest elevation is at a depth of 4,151 m, and the average depth is 1,640 m. Deep-water areas are located on the southern side of the water area and are called the Aleutian and Commander basins. It is surprising that with such indicators, about half of the seabed is only half a kilometer away from the sea surface. The relative shallowness of the sea allows us to classify the sea as a continental-oceanic type. The northern Far Eastern reservoir holds 3.8 million km 3 of water. Most scientists origin Bering Sea explained by cutting off from the rest of the ocean by the Komandor-Aleutian ridge, which arose as a result of global tectonic processes in the distant past.

History of discovery and development

The modern hydronym comes from the name of the first European explorer Vitus Bering. The Dane, in Russian service, organized two expeditions in 1723-1943. The purpose of his travels was to search for the border between Eurasia and America. Although the strait between the continents was discovered by topographers Fedorov, Gvozdev and Mashkov, it was later named after the hired navigator. During Bering's second expedition, the territories of the North Pacific Ocean were explored and Alaska was discovered. On old Russian maps, the northern body of water is called the Bobrov Sea, or the Kamchatka Sea. The coast has been explored by Russian explorers since the beginning of the 18th century. Thus, Timofey Perevalov in the 30s compiled a map of some territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Thirty years later, D. Cook visited these places. The tsarist government sent expeditions here under the leadership of Sarychev, Bellinghausen and Kotzebue. Modern name was proposed by the Frenchman Fliorier. This term came into wide use thanks to the Russian navigator Admiral Golovnin.

Description of the geographical location of the Bering Sea

Geomorphological characteristics are determined by the natural boundaries of the coastline in the east and west, a group of islands in the south and a speculative boundary in the north. The northern border adjoins the waters of the strait of the same name, connecting with the Chukchi Sea. The demarcation runs from Cape Novosilsky on Chukotka to Cape York on the Seward Peninsula. From east to west the sea stretches for 2,400 km, and from north to south - 1,600 km. The southern border is marked by the archipelagos of the Commander and Aleutian Islands. Pieces of land in the ocean outline a kind of giant arc. Beyond it is the Pacific Ocean. The northernmost edge of the largest body of water on the planet is the Bering Sea. The geometric pattern of the water area is characterized by a narrowing of the water space towards the Arctic Circle. The Bering Strait separates two continents: Eurasia and North America - and two oceans: the Pacific and the Arctic. The northwestern waters of the sea wash the shores of Chukotka and the Koryak Upland, the northeastern waters wash the west of Alaska. The flow of continental waters is negligible. From the side of Eurasia, Anadyr flows into the sea, and on the shores of Alaska the legendary Yukon has its mouth. The Kuskokuim River flows into the sea in the bay of the same name.

Coast and islands

Numerous bays, bays and peninsulas form the rugged coastal pattern that characterizes the Bering Sea. The Olyutorsky, Karaginsky and Anadyrsky bays are the largest on the Siberian shores. The vast bays of Bristol, Norton and Kuskokwim are located on the shores of Alaska. The few islands are different in origin: continental islands are small areas of land within the boundaries of the continental plateaus, islands of volcanic origin make up the inner, and folded ones make up the outer belt of the Commander-Aleutian arc. The ridge itself stretches 2,260 km from Kamchatka to Alaska. The total area of the islands is 37,840 km2. The Commander Islands belong to Russia, all the rest are USA: Pribylova, St. Larentia, St. Matvey, Karaginsky, Nunivak and, of course, the Aleuts.

Climate

Significant fluctuations in average daily temperatures, more typical of continental landmasses, characterize the Bering Sea. Geographical location is a determining factor in the formation of the region's climate. Most of the sea's territory is in the subarctic zone. The northern side belongs to the Arctic zone, and the southern side to temperate latitudes. The western side is cooling more strongly. And due to the fact that the Siberian territories adjacent to the sea warm up less, this part of the water area is much colder than the eastern one. Over the central part of the sea in the warm season, the air warms up to +10 °C. In winter, despite the penetration of Arctic air masses, it does not fall below - 23 °C.

Hydrosphere

In the upper horizons, the water temperature decreases towards northern latitudes. The waters washing the Eurasian coast are colder than the North American zone. In the coldest time of the year off the coast of Kamchatka, the sea surface temperature is +1...+3 °C. Off the coast of Alaska it is one or two degrees higher. In summer, the upper layers warm up to +9 °C. The significant depth of the straits of the Aleutian ridge (up to 4,500 m) promotes active water exchange with Pacific Ocean on all horizons. The influence of the waters of the Chukchi Sea is minimal due to the shallow depth of the Bering Strait (42 m).

In terms of the degree of wave formation, the Bering Sea also occupies first place among the seas of Russia. Which ocean is the higher water area is reflected in the characteristics of the degree of storminess of the periphery. Significant depths and storm activity are the result of strong waves. For most of the year, waves with a height of water crests of up to 2 m are observed. In winter, there are a number of storms with wave heights of up to 8 m. Over the last hundred years of observations, cases of waves with a height of up to 21 m have been recorded in ship log books.

Ice conditions

The ice cover is local in origin: the massif forms and melts in the water area itself. The Bering Sea in the northern part becomes covered with ice at the end of September. First of all, the ice shell binds closed bays, bays and the coastal zone, and the range reaches its greatest distribution in April. Melting ends only in mid-summer. Thus, the surface in the high latitude zone is covered with ice for more than nine months a year. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Chukotka, in some seasons the ice does not melt at all. The southern side, on the contrary, does not freeze throughout the year. Warm masses from the ocean enter through the Aleutian straits, which push the edge of the ice closer to the north. The sea strait between the continents is clogged with pack ice most of the year. Some ice fields reach a thickness of six meters. Off the coast of Kamchatka, drifting massifs are found even in August. Wiring sea vessels traveling along the Northern Sea Route requires the participation of icebreakers.

Animal and plant life

Gulls, guillemots, puffins and other feathered inhabitants of the polar latitudes establish their colonies on the coastal rocks. Along the gently sloping shores you can find rookeries of walruses and sea lions. These real monsters of the Bering Sea reach a length of more than three meters. Sea otters are found in large numbers. Marine flora is represented by five dozen coastal plants. In the south the vegetation is more diverse. Phytoalgae promote the development of zooplankton, which in turn attracts many marine mammals. Humpback whales, representatives of the gray and toothed species of cetaceans - killer whales and sperm whales - come here to feed. The Bering Sea is exceptionally rich in fish: the underwater fauna is represented by almost three hundred species. Sharks also live in northern waters. The polar fish lives at great depths, and the dangerous predator - the salmon - does not show aggression towards people. Without a doubt, the depths of the sea have not yet revealed all their secrets.

Between Asia and America

Small groups of fur traders began to develop the northeastern waters in the 40s of the 18th century. The islands of the Aleutian archipelago, like a huge natural bridge, allowed traders to reach the shores of Alaska. The position of the Bering Sea, namely its ice-free part, contributed to the establishment of busy shipping between Petropavlovsk on Kamchatka and the newly built strongholds on the American mainland. True, Russian expansion in America did not last long, only about eighty years.

Territorial disputes

During the reign of M.S. Gorbachev, an agreement was concluded on concessions in favor of the United States of a significant part of the sea and continental shelf with a total area of almost 78 thousand km 2. In June 1990, USSR Foreign Minister E. Shevardnadze and Secretary of State D. Baker signed a corresponding agreement. The domestic trawl fleet has lost the opportunity to catch fish in the middle part of the sea. In addition, Russia has lost a significant segment of the promising oil-bearing province on the shelf. The bill was approved by the US Congress that same year. In Russia, the agreement is constantly criticized and has not yet been ratified by parliament. The dividing line was named Shevardnadze - Baker.

Economic activity

The region's economy consists of two components: fishing and maritime transport. Inexhaustible fish resources contribute to the active activities of Russian fishing companies. Many processing plants have been built on the coast of Kamchatka. Herring, salmon, cod and flounder species are fished on an industrial scale. On a small scale, mainly in the interests of the indigenous population, hunting of marine animals and cetaceans is allowed. In recent years, scientific interest in this Far Eastern region has increased. This is mainly caused by the search for hydrocarbon deposits on the shelf. Three small oil basins have been discovered off the coast of Chukotka.

Klondike at the bottom of the ocean

Comprehensive research has not yet been carried out at the sea depths, the purpose of which would be to search for minerals or collect geological data for further promising searches. Within the boundaries of the water area, mineral deposits are unknown. And in coastal areas, deposits of tin and semi-precious stones have been discovered. Hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered in the Anadyr Basin. But on the opposite coast, they have been plowing up the bottom in search of yellow metal for several years. A hundred years ago, the impetus for the development of the region was gold found on the shores of the Yukon and the subsequent gold rush. The Bering Sea at the beginning of the 21st century gives new hope. The thirst for profit gives rise to ingenious technical devices. An ordinary excavator, a screen for sifting inert materials and an improvised room resembling a construction trailer in which an electric generator is placed are installed on an old barge. Such technical “monsters” of the Bering Sea are becoming increasingly widespread.

Discovery Channel Original Project

For the fifth season in a row, the American popular science television channel Discovery has been monitoring the fate of those seeking easy money. As soon as the water area is freed from ice, prospectors from all over the world gather on the coast of Alaska, and the gold rush resumes in the northern latitudes. The Bering Sea off the coast has shallow depth. This will allow you to use available tools. An improvised fleet defies the elements. The treacherous sea tests everyone's strength and courage, and the seabed is reluctant to share its treasures. Only a few lucky people were enriched by the gold rush. The ice of the Bering Sea allows some enthusiasts to continue work in winter. Over the course of several episodes of the documentary, you can watch three teams of gold miners risking their lives for the treasured handful of yellow metal.

The Bering Sea is the largest of the Far Eastern seas washing the shores of Russia, located between two continents - Asia and North America - and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian Arc.

The Bering Sea is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 2315 thousand km2, volume - 3796 thousand km3, average depth - 1640 m, greatest depth - 5500 m. The area with depths less than 500 m occupies about half of the entire area of the Bering Sea, which belongs to the marginal seas of the mixed continental-oceanic type.

There are few islands in the vast expanses of the Bering Sea. Not counting the border Aleutian island arc and, in the sea there are: the large Karaginsky Island in the west and several islands (St. Matthew, Nunivak, Pribilof) in the east.

The coastline of the Bering Sea is highly indented. It forms many bays, bays, capes and straits. For the formation of many natural processes of this sea, straits are especially important, providing water exchange with. The waters of the Chukchi Sea have virtually no effect on the Bering Sea, but the Bering Sea waters play a very significant role in.

The continental flow into the sea is approximately 400 km3 per year. Most of the river water flows into its northernmost part, where the largest rivers flow: Yukon (176 km3), Kuskokwim (50 km3 per year). About 85% of the total annual flow occurs in the summer months. Influence river waters on the sea is felt mainly in the coastal zone on the northern edge of the sea in summer time.

In the Bering Sea, the main morphological zones are clearly distinguished: the shelf and island shoals, the continental slope, etc. The shelf zone with depths of up to 200 m is mainly located in the northern and eastern parts of the sea and occupies more than 40% of its area. The bottom in this area is a vast, very flat underwater plain 600–1000 km wide, within which there are several islands, troughs and small rises in the bottom. The continental shelf off the coast of Kamchatka and the islands of the Komandorsko-Aleutian ridge is narrow, and its relief is very complex. It borders the shores of geologically young and very mobile land areas, within which there are usually intense and frequent manifestations of seismic activity.

The continental slope extends from northwest to southeast approximately along a line from Cape Navarin to Unimak Island. Together with the island slope zone, it occupies approximately 13% of the sea area and is characterized by a complex bottom. The continental slope zone is dissected by underwater valleys, many of which are typical underwater canyons, deeply cut into the seabed and having steep and even steep slopes.

The deep-water zone (3000–4000 m) is located in the southwestern and central parts of the sea and is bordered by a relatively narrow strip of coastal shallows. Its area exceeds 40% of the sea area. It is characterized by an almost complete absence of isolated depressions. Among the positive forms, the Shirshov and Bowers ridges stand out. The bottom topography determines the possibility of water exchange between individual parts of the sea.

Different areas of the Bering Sea coast belong to different geomorphological types of shores. Mostly the banks are abrasive, but there are also. The sea is surrounded mainly by high and steep shores, only in the middle part of the western and east coast it is approached by wide strips of flat, low-lying tundra. Narrower strips of low-lying coastline are located near the mouths in the form of a deltaic alluvial valley or border the tops of bays and bays.

Geographical location and large spaces determine the main features of the climate of the Bering Sea. It is almost entirely located in the subarctic climate zone, only the northernmost part belongs to the arctic zone, and the southernmost part belongs to the zone. North of 55–56° N. w. In the seas, the features of continentality are noticeably expressed, but in areas far from the coast they are much less pronounced. To the south of these parallels the climate is mild, typically maritime. Throughout the year, the Bering Sea is under the influence of permanent centers of action - the Polar and Hawaiian maxima. It is no less influenced by seasonal large-scale pressure formations: the Aleutian minimum, the Siberian maximum, the Asian depression.

In the cold season, northwest, north and northeast winds predominate. Wind speeds in the coastal zone average 6–8 m/s, and in open areas it varies from 6 to 12 m/s. Above the sea, predominantly the masses of continental Arctic and marine polar air interact, at the border of which they form, along which cyclones move to the northeast. The western part of the sea is characterized by storms with wind speeds of up to 30–40 m/s and lasting more than a day.

The average monthly temperature of the coldest months - January and February - is –1…–4°С in the southwestern and southern parts of the sea and - –15…–20°С in the northern and northern parts eastern regions. In the open sea it is higher than in the coastal zone.

In the warm season, southwestern, southern and southeastern winds predominate, the speed of which in the western part of the open sea is 4–6 m/s, and in the eastern regions - 4–7 m/s. In summer, the frequency of storms and wind speeds are lower than in winter. Tropical cyclones () penetrate into the southern part of the sea, causing severe storms with hurricane force. Average monthly temperatures the air of the warmest months - July and August - within the sea varies from 4 ° C in the north to 13 ° C in the south, and they are higher near the coast than in the open sea.

Water exchange is critical to the water balance of the Bering Sea. Very large quantities of surface and deep ocean water flow through the Aleutian Straits and flow out through the waters into the Chukchi Sea. Water exchange between sea and ocean affects the distribution of temperature, the formation of the structure and waters of the Bering Sea.

The bulk of the waters of the Bering Sea are characterized by a subarctic structure, main feature which is the existence of a cold intermediate layer in summer, as well as a warm intermediate layer located underneath it.

The water temperature on the sea surface generally decreases from south to north, with water in the western part of the sea being somewhat colder than in the eastern part. In coastal shallow areas, surface water temperatures are slightly higher than in open areas of the Bering Sea.

In winter, the surface temperature, equal to approximately 2°C, extends to horizons of 140–150 m, below it rises to approximately 3.5°C at 200–250 m, then its value remains almost unchanged with depth. In summer, the surface water temperature reaches 7–8°C, but drops very sharply (up to 2.5°C) with depth to a horizon of 50 m.

The salinity of the surface waters of the sea varies from 33–33.5‰ in the south to 31‰ in the east and northeast and up to 28.6‰ in the Bering Strait. Water is desalinated most significantly in spring and summer in the areas where the Anadyr, Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers confluence. However, the direction of the main currents along the coasts limits the influence on the deep sea areas. The vertical distribution of salinity is almost the same in all seasons of the year. From the surface to a horizon of 100–125 m, it is approximately equal to 33.2–33.3‰. Salinity increases slightly from horizons of 125–150 m to 200–250 m; deeper it remains almost unchanged to the bottom. In accordance with small spatiotemporal changes in temperature and salinity, the density of water also changes slightly.

The distribution of oceanological characteristics by depth indicates a relatively weak vertical stratification of the waters of the Bering Sea. In combination with strong winds, this creates favorable conditions for the development of wind mixing. In the cold season, it covers the upper layers to horizons of 100–125 m; in the warm season, when the waters are stratified more sharply and the winds are weaker than in autumn and winter, wind mixing penetrates to horizons of 75–100 m in deep areas and up to 50–60 m in coastal areas.

The speeds of constant currents in the sea are low. The highest values (up to 25–50 cm/s) are observed in the areas of the straits, and in the open sea they are equal to 6 cm/s, and the speeds are especially low in the zone of the central cyclonic circulation.

Tides in the Bering Sea are mainly caused by the propagation of tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean. Tidal currents in the open sea are circular in nature, and their speed is 15–60 cm/s. Near the coast and in the straits, the currents are reversible, and their speed reaches 1–2 m/s.

For most of the year, much of the Bering Sea is covered in ice. Ice in the sea is of local origin, that is, it is formed, destroyed and melted in the sea itself. The process of ice formation begins first in the northwestern part of the Bering Sea, where ice appears in October and gradually moves south. Ice appears in the Bering Strait in September. In winter, the strait is filled with solid broken ice, drifting north. However, even during the peak of ice formation, the open part of the Bering Sea is never covered with ice. In the open sea, under the influence of winds and currents, ice is in constant motion, and strong compression often occurs. This leads to the formation of hummocks, the maximum height of which can reach up to 20 m. Fixed ice, which forms in closed bays and bays in winter, can be broken up and carried out to sea during stormy winds. The ice from the eastern part of the sea is carried north into the Chukchi Sea. During July and August the sea is completely clear of ice, but even during these months ice can be found in the Bering Strait. Strong winds contribute to the destruction of the ice cover and the clearing of ice from the sea in summer.

The nature of the distribution of nutrients in the sea is associated with the biological system (product consumption, destruction) and therefore has a pronounced seasonal pattern.

The horizontal and vertical distribution of all forms of nutrients is significantly affected by numerous mesocycles of water, which are associated with patchiness in the distribution of nutrients.

For the Bering Sea, with its highly developed shelf, large and very intense water dynamics, the average annual primary production is estimated at 340 gC/m2.

The annual production of the main groups of aquatic organisms that are components of the Bering Sea ecosystem is (in million tons of wet weight): phytoplankton - 21,735; bacteria - 7607; protozoa - 3105; peaceful zooplankton - 3090; predatory zooplankton - 720; peaceful zoobenthos - 259; predatory zoobenthos - 17.2; fish - 25; squid - 12; bottom commercial invertebrates - 1.42; seabirds and marine mammals - 0.4.

No deposits have yet been discovered on the Russian shelf of the Bering Sea. Within the Eastern coast of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the area of the village. Three small oil fields were discovered in Khatyrka: Verkhne-Echinskoye, Verkhne-Telekaiskoye and Uglovoye; A small Zapadno-Ozernoye gas field was discovered in the Anadyr River basin. However, the Bering Sea shelf is assessed as promising for the search for hydrocarbon deposits in Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene deposits, and within the Gulf of Anadyr - as a promising placer-bearing area Far East.

The coastal parts of the sea are subject to the most intense anthropogenic load: the Anadyr Estuary, Ugolnaya Bay, as well as the shelf of the peninsula (Kamchatka Bay).

The Anadyr Estuary and Ugolnaya Bay are polluted mostly with wastewater from housing and communal services enterprises. Petroleum hydrocarbons and organochlorines enter the Kamchatka Gulf with the runoff of the Kamchatka River.

Coastal and open sea areas experience minor heavy metal pollution.

The former inland sea of the Russian Empire is now the easternmost possessions of our state. The northeastern territories are still waiting for their conquerors. One of the storehouses of natural resources of this part of the planet is the Bering Sea, the geographical location of which not only plays a significant role in the development of local regions, but also opens up enormous prospects for Russia’s expanding economic activity in the Arctic latitudes.

Bering Sea. Description

The northern edge of the Pacific Basin is the most extensive of all the seas washing the shores of Russia. Its area is 2,315 thousand km 2. For comparison: the surface of the Black Sea is five and a half times smaller. The Bering Sea is the deepest of the coastal seas and one of the deepest in the world. The lowest elevation is at a depth of 4,151 m, and the average depth is 1,640 m. Deep-water areas are located on the southern side of the water area and are called the Aleutian and Commander basins. It is surprising that with such indicators, about half of the seabed is only half a kilometer away from the sea surface. The relative shallowness of the sea allows us to classify the sea as a continental-oceanic type. The northern Far Eastern reservoir holds 3.8 million km 3 of water. Most scientists explain the origin of the Bering Sea by being cut off from the rest of the ocean by the Commander-Aleutian ridge, which arose as a result of global tectonic processes in the distant past.

History of discovery and development

The modern hydronym comes from the name of the first European explorer Vitus Bering. The Dane, in Russian service, organized two expeditions in 1723-1943. The purpose of his travels was to search for the border between Eurasia and America. Although the strait between the continents was discovered by topographers Fedorov, Gvozdev and Mashkov, it was later named after the hired navigator. During Bering's second expedition, the territories of the North Pacific Ocean were explored and Alaska was discovered. On old Russian maps, the northern body of water is called the Bobrov Sea, or the Kamchatka Sea. The coast has been explored by Russian explorers since the beginning of the 18th century. Thus, Timofey Perevalov in the 30s compiled a map of some territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Thirty years later, D. Cook visited these places. The tsarist government sent expeditions here under the leadership of Sarychev, Bellinghausen and Kotzebue. The modern name was proposed by the Frenchman Fliorier. This term came into wide use thanks to the Russian navigator Admiral Golovnin.

Description of the geographical location of the Bering Sea

Coast and islands

Climate

Hydrosphere

In the upper horizons, the water temperature decreases towards northern latitudes. The waters washing the Eurasian coast are colder than the North American zone. In the coldest time of the year off the coast of Kamchatka, the sea surface temperature is +1...+3 °C. Off the coast of Alaska it is one or two degrees higher. In summer, the upper layers warm up to +9 °C. The significant depth of the straits of the Aleutian ridge (up to 4,500 m) promotes active water exchange with the Pacific Ocean at all levels. The influence of the waters of the Chukchi Sea is minimal due to the shallow depth of the Bering Strait (42 m).

Ice conditions

The ice cover is local in origin: the massif forms and melts in the water area itself. The Bering Sea in the northern part becomes covered with ice at the end of September. First of all, the ice shell binds closed bays, bays and the coastal zone, and the range reaches its greatest distribution in April. Melting ends only in mid-summer. Thus, the surface in the high latitude zone is covered with ice for more than nine months a year. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Chukotka, in some seasons the ice does not melt at all. The southern side, on the contrary, does not freeze throughout the year. Warm masses from the ocean enter through the Aleutian straits, which push the edge of the ice closer to the north. The sea strait between the continents is clogged with pack ice most of the year. Some ice fields reach a thickness of six meters. Off the coast of Kamchatka, drifting massifs are found even in August. Piloting ships traveling along the Northern Sea Route requires the participation of icebreakers.

Animal and plant life

Between Asia and America

Territorial disputes

Economic activity

Klondike at the bottom of the ocean

Discovery Channel Original Project

The Bering Sea is a sea that washes the shores of the United States and Russia, located in the north of the largest ocean in the world - the Pacific.

The Bering Strait connects the Bering Sea with the Arctic Ocean, as well as the Chukchi Sea.

Historical events

The Bering Sea was first mapped only in the 18th century, when it was called the Beaver Sea or Kamchatka Sea.

In 1725, the navigator and officer of the Russian fleet Victor Bering, who had Danish roots, equipped his expedition to explore the then Beaver Sea. Bering passed through the strait, which was named after him, and explored the sea, but did not discover the coast of North America.

Bering was convinced that the shores of North America were not too far from the shores of Kamchatka, which, if the theory was confirmed, would provide the opportunity to trade with American tribes. In 1741, he finally reached the shores of North America, thereby crossing the Kamchatka Sea.

Later, the sea changed its name in honor of the great navigator and geographer - it began to be called the Bering Strait, also as the strait that separates the continents of Eurasia and North America. The sea received its current name only in 1818 - this idea was proposed by French researchers who appreciated Bering's discoveries. However, on maps dating back to the thirties of the 19th century, it was still called Bobrovoye.

Characteristic

The total area of the Bering Sea reaches 2,315,000 square kilometers, and its volume is 3,800,000 cubic kilometers. The most deep point The Bering Sea is located at a depth of 4150 meters, and the average depth does not exceed 1600 meters. Seas like the Bering Sea are usually called marginal, because it is located on the very edge of the Pacific Ocean. It is this sea that separates two large continents: North America and Asia.

Quite impressive coastline It consists mainly of capes and small bays - the coast is simply indented by them. Only a couple flow into the Bering Sea big rivers: the North American Yukon River, whose length reaches more than three thousand kilometers, and the Russian Anadyr River, which is much shorter - only 1150 km.

The climate is influenced by arctic air masses that collide with southern warm ones coming from tropical and temperate latitudes. As a result, a cold climate is formed - the weather is unstable, there are prolonged (about a week) storms. The wave height reaches 7 - 12 meters.

Since the Bering Sea is located in the northern latitudes, from the beginning of September the temperature here drops to minus and the surface of the water is covered with a layer of ice. Ice in the Bering Sea melts only in July, which means that it is only ice-free for two months. The Bering Strait is not covered with ice due to the current. The salt level in the water fluctuates from 33 to 34.7%.

Bering Sea. sunset photo

In summer, the water surface temperature reaches approximately 7-10 degrees Celsius. However, in winter the temperature drops seriously and reaches -3 degrees Celsius. The intermediate layer of water is constantly cold - its temperature never rises above -1.7 degrees - this applies to the layer from 50 to 200 meters. And water at a depth of 1000 meters reaches approximately -3 degrees.

Relief

The bottom topography is very heterogeneous, often transitioning into deep depressions. In the south is the deepest point of the sea at more than four thousand meters. There are also several underwater ridges at the bottom. The seabed is mainly covered with shell rock, sand, diatomaceous earth and gravel.

Cities

There are few cities on the shores of the Bering Sea, and certainly none of them are large due to the very remote location from civilization and the harsh weather throughout the year. However, attention should be paid to the following cities:

Provideniya is a small port settlement that was founded in the middle of the 17th century as a bay for fishing - mainly whaling ships stood here. Only in the middle of the 20th century did construction of a port begin here, which led to the construction of a town around it. The official founding date of Providence is 1946. Now the population of the town is only slightly more than 2 thousand people;
Nome is an American town in the state of Alaska, where, according to the latest census, almost four thousand people live. Nome was founded as a settlement of gold miners in 1898, and the next year its population was about 10 thousand - everyone fell ill with the “gold rush”. Already in the thirties of the 20th century, the boom of the “gold rush” came to naught and a little more than a thousand residents remained in the city;

Anadyr photo

Anadyr is one of the largest cities on the coast, whose population exceeds 14 thousand inhabitants and is constantly growing. The city is located in a zone of almost permafrost. There is a large port of the same name and a fish factory here. In addition, gold and coal are mined in the vicinity of the city. The population also breeds deer, engages in fishing and, of course, hunting.

Animal world

Despite the fact that the Bering Sea is quite cold, this does not in the least prevent it from being home to many species of fish, the number of species of which reaches more than four hundred and all of them are widespread, with a few exceptions. These four hundred hundred species of fish include seven species of salmon, about nine species of gobies, five species of eelpout, and four species of flounder.

Birds over the Bering Sea photo

Of the four hundred species, 50 of them are industrial fish. Also objects for industrial production are four species of crabs, two species of cephalopods and four species of shrimp.

Among the mammals, one can note a large population of seals, including ringed seals, bearded seals, harbor seals, Pacific walruses and lionfish. Walruses and seals form huge rookeries on the coast of Chukotka.

Bereng Sea. Walruses photo

In addition to pinnipeds, cetaceans are also found in the Bering Sea, including quite rare species such as narwhals, humpback whales, bowhead whales, southern or Japanese whales, incredibly rare northern blue whales and no less rare fin whales.

The Gulf of Lawrence, which in the Bering Sea sometimes does not clear ice on its surface for years at all;
The city of Nome on the Bering Sea coast hosts the most prestigious husky races and is also where the real story, which formed the basis for the cartoon Balto, where a dog saved children from diphtheria.

Posted Sun, 09/11/2014 - 07:55 by Cap

The Bering Sea is the northernmost of our Far Eastern seas. It is, as it were, wedged between two huge continents of Asia and America and separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian arc.
It has predominantly natural boundaries, but in some places its limits are delineated by conventional lines. The northern border of the sea coincides with the southern and runs along the line of Cape Novosilsky () - Cape York (Seward Peninsula), the eastern - along the coast of the American continent, the southern - from Cape Khabuch (Alaska) through the Aleutian Islands to Cape Kamchatsky, while western - along the coast of the Asian continent. Within these boundaries, the Bering Sea occupies the space between parallels 66°30 and 51°22′ N. w. and meridians 162°20′ E. Longitude and 157°W d. Its general pattern is characterized by a narrowing contour from south to north.

The Bering Sea is the largest and deepest among the seas of the USSR and one of the largest and deepest on Earth.
Its area is 2315 thousand km2, volume 3796 thousand km3, average depth 1640 m, maximum depth 4151 m. With such large average and maximum depths, the area with depths less than 500 m occupies about half of all spaces of the Bering Sea, therefore it belongs to the marginal seas mixed continental-oceanic type.

There are few islands in the vast expanses of the Bering Sea. Not counting its boundary Aleutian island arc and the Commander Islands, in the sea itself there are large islands Karaginsky in the west and several big islands(St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nelson, Nunivak, St. Paul, St. George) in the east.

The sea is named after the navigator Vitus Bering, under whose leadership it was explored in 1725-1743.
On Russian maps In the 18th century, the sea was called the Kamchatka, or Beaver Sea. The name Bering Sea was first proposed by the French geographer Sh.
On June 1, 1990, in Washington, Eduard Shevardnadze, then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, together with US Secretary of State James Baker, signed an agreement on the transfer of the Bering Sea waters to the United States along the Shevardnadze-Baker dividing line.

Physiographic location
Area 2.315 million sq. km. The average depth is 1600 meters, the maximum is 4,151 meters. The length of the sea from north to south is 1,600 km, from east to west – 2,400 km. Water volume - 3,795 thousand cubic meters. km.
The Bering Sea is marginal. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean and separates the Asian and North American continents. In the northwest it is limited by the coasts of Northern Kamchatka, the Koryak Highlands and Chukotka; in the northeast - the coast of Western Alaska.

The southern border of the sea is drawn along the chain of the Commander and Aleutian Islands, forming a giant arc curved to the south and separating it from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. in the north it connects with the Arctic Ocean and numerous straits in the Komandor-Aleutian ridge chain in the south with the Pacific Ocean.
The seashore is indented with bays and capes. Large bays on the Russian coast: Anadyrsky, Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Korfa, Cresta; on the American coast: Norton, Bristol, Kuskokwim.

The islands are mainly located on the edge of the sea:
US territory (Alaska):
Pribilof Islands, Aleutian Islands, Diomede Islands (eastern - Krusenstern Island), St. Lawrence Island, Nunivak, King Island, St. Matthews Island.
territory of Russia.

Kamchatka Territory: Commander Islands, Karaginsky Island.
The large rivers Yukon and Anadyr flow into the sea.

The air temperature over the water area is up to +7, +10 °C in summer and −1, −23 °C in winter. Salinity 33-34.7‰.
Every year, from the end of September, ice forms and melts in July. The surface of the sea (except for the Bering Strait) is covered with ice for about ten months annually (about five months, half of the sea, about seven months, from November to May, the northern third of the sea). The Gulf of Lawrence is not clear of ice at all in some years. In the western part of the Bering Strait, ice brought by currents can occur even in August.

whale hunting Bering Sea

Bottom relief
The topography of the seabed varies greatly in the northeastern part, shallow (see Beringia), located on a shelf more than 700 km long, and the southwestern, deep-water, with depths of up to 4 km. Conventionally, these zones are divided along an isobath of 200 meters. The transition from the shelf to the ocean floor occurs along a steep continental slope. The maximum sea depth (4151 meters) was recorded at a point with coordinates - 54° N. w. 171° W d. (G) (O) in the south of the sea.
The seabed is covered with terrigenous sediments - sand, gravel, shell rock in the shelf zone and gray or green diatomaceous silt in deep-sea areas.

Temperature and salinity
The surface water mass (up to a depth of 25-50 meters) throughout the sea has a temperature of 7-10 °C in summer; In winter, temperatures drop to −1.7-3 °C. The salinity of this layer is 22-32 ppm.

The intermediate water mass (layer from 50 to 150-200 m) is colder: the temperature, which varies little by season, is approximately −1.7 °C, salinity is 33.7-34.0‰.
Below, at depths of up to 1000 m, there is a warmer water mass with temperatures of 2.5-4.0 °C and salinity of 33.7-34.3 ‰.
The deep water mass occupies all bottom areas of the sea with depths of more than 1000 m and has a temperature of 1.5-3.0 °C and a salinity of 34.3-34.8 ‰.

Ichthyofauna
The Bering Sea is home to 402 species of fish from 65 families, including 9 species of gobies, 7 species of salmon, 5 species of eelpout, 4 species of flounder and others. Of these, 50 species and 14 families are commercial fish. Fishing objects also include 4 types of crabs, 4 types of shrimp, 2 types of cephalopods.
The main marine mammals of the Bering Sea are animals from the order Pinnipeds: ringed seal (akiba), common seal (larga), seal hare (bearded seal), lionfish and Pacific walrus. Among the cetaceans - narwhal, gray whale, bowhead whale, humpback whale, fin whale, Japanese (southern) whale, sei whale, northern blue whale. Walruses and seals form rookeries along the coast of Chukotka.

Ports:
Provideniya, Anadyr (Russia), Nome (USA).

There is no permanent population on the island, but a base of Russian border guards is located here.
The highest point is Mount Roof, 505 meters.

It is located slightly south of the geographical center of the island.

KRUZENSHTERN ISLAND
Krusenstern Island (English: Little Diomede, translated as “Small Diomede”, Eskimo name Ingalik, or Ignaluk (Inuit Ignaluk) - “opposite”) - east island(7.3 km²) of the Diomede Islands. It belongs to the USA. State - Alaska.

village on Krusenstern Island, USA, Alaska

Located 3.76 km from the island, it belongs to Russia. The state maritime border of Russia and the United States runs through the center of the strait between the islands. From Ratmanov Island to 35.68 km. Bering Sea

The lowest point (316 m below sea level) is the bottom of Kuril Lake.

Climate
The climate is generally humid and cool. Abnormally colder and windier on the low-lying coasts (especially on the western) than in the center, in the valley of the Kamchatka River, fenced off by mountain ranges from the prevailing winds.

Winter - the first snow usually falls in early November, and the last melts only in August. Mountain peaks are covered with new snow already in August-September. Throughout the coastal area, winter is warm, mild, with a lot of snow; in the continental part and in the mountains it is cold, frosty with long, dark nights and very short days.

Calendar spring (March-April) is best time for skiing: the snow is dense, the weather is sunny, the day is long.

The actual spring (May, June) is short and quick. Vegetation quickly takes over the areas freed from snow and covers all available space.

Summer, in the generally accepted concept, in Kamchatka occurs only in the continental part of the peninsula. From June to August the weather is mostly cold, damp, cloudy with rain, fog and low dense clouds.

Autumn (September, October) is usually partly cloudy, dry, and warm. Sometimes warmer than summer.

Large islands:

Bering
Copper
Small islands and rocks:

around Bering Island:
Toporkov
Arius Stone
Aleut stone
Stone Nadvodny (Emelyanovsky)
Half Stone (Half)
Stone Steller
around Medny Island:
Beaver stones
Waxmuth Stone
Kekur Ship Pillar
Steller's Stone
Steller's Stone East

as well as a number of unnamed rocks.

(Chuk. Chukotkaken autonomous district) - subject Russian Federation in the Far East.
It borders on the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Magadan region and the Kamchatka Territory. In the east it has a maritime border with the United States.
The entire territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug belongs to the regions of the Far North.
The administrative center is the city of Anadyr.

It was formed by the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of December 10, 1930 “On the organization of national associations in areas of settlement of small nationalities of the North” as part of the Far Eastern Territory. Included the following areas: Anadyrsky (center Novo-Mariinsk, also known as Anadyr), Eastern tundra (center Ostrovnoye), Western tundra (center Nizhne-Kolymsk), Markovsky (center Markovo), Chaunsky (center in the Chaunskaya Bay area) and Chukotsky (center in the Chukotka cultural base - the Bay of St. Lawrence), transferred a) from the Far Eastern region of the Anadyr and Chukotka regions in full; b) from the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic the territory of the Eastern tundra with the border along the right bank of the Alazeya River and the Western tundra, areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Omolon River.

When the region was zoned in October-November 1932, it was left “within its previous borders as an independent national district, directly subordinate to the region.”
On July 22, 1934, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to include the Chukotka and Koryak national districts into the Kamchatka region. However, such subordination was of a rather formal nature, since from 1939-1940 the territory of the district was under the jurisdiction of Dalstroy, which exercised full administrative and economic management in the territories subordinate to it.

On May 28, 1951, by decision of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, the district was allocated to direct subordination to the Khabarovsk Territory.
Since December 3, 1953 it was part of the Magadan region.
In 1980, after the adoption of the RSFSR Law “On Autonomous Okrugs of the RSFSR”, in accordance with the 1977 Constitution of the USSR, the Chukotka National Okrug became autonomous.

July 16, 1992 Chukotka autonomous region left the Magadan region and received the status of a subject of the Russian Federation.
Currently, it is the only autonomous district of the four that is not part of another subject of the Russian Federation.

village Egvekinot Bering Sea

Border Mode
The Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is a territory subject to a border regime.
The entry of citizens of the Russian Federation and for foreign citizens into the part of the territory of the district adjacent to the sea coast and the islands is regulated, that is, permission from the border service of the Russian Federation or documents allowing stay in the border zone are required.
Specific sections of the border zone on the territory of the district are determined by Order of the FSB of the Russian Federation dated April 14, 2006 N 155 “On the limits of the border zone on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.” In addition, the entry of foreign citizens into the entire territory of the district is regulated in accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 4, 1992 N 470 “On approval of the List of territories of the Russian Federation with regulated visits for foreign citizens,” that is, for them to visit the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug it is necessary FSB permission.

WHERE IS
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located in the extreme northeast of Russia. It occupies the entire Chukotka Peninsula, part of the mainland and a number of islands (Wrangel, Ayon, Ratmanova, etc.).
It is washed by the East Siberian and Chukchi seas of the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea of the Pacific Ocean.

On the territory of the district there are extreme points Russia: eastern point - , eastern continental point - Cape Dezhnev. Here are located: the northernmost city of Russia - Pevek and the easternmost - Anadyr, as well as the easternmost permanent settlement - Uelen.

BERINGIA - A LEGENDARY PALEO-COUNTRY
Beringia is a biogeographic region and paleogeographic country that links together northeast Asia and northwestern North America (the Beringian sector of the Holarctic). Currently spreading to the areas surrounding the Bering Strait, Chukchi and Bering Seas. Includes parts of Chukotka and Kamchatka in Russia, as well as Alaska in the USA. In a historical context, it also included the Bering land or Beringian Isthmus, which repeatedly connected Eurasia and North America into a single supercontinent.
A study of ancient sediments on the seabed and on both sides of the Bering Strait has shown that Beringia has risen and sank again at least six times over the past 3 million years. Every time two continents connected, there was a migration of animals from the Old World to the New and back.

Bering Strait

Strictly speaking, this piece of land was not an isthmus in the traditional sense of the term, since it was a vast area of the continental shelf with a width of up to 2000 km from north to south, protruding above the sea surface or hiding under it due to cyclical changes in the level of the World Ocean. The term Beringia for the isthmus was proposed in 1937 by Swedish botanist and geographer Erik Hulten.
The last time the continents separated was 10-11 thousand years ago, but before that the isthmus existed for 15-18 thousand years.
Modern research shows that during this period the route from Asia to America did not remain open all the time. Two thousand years after the emergence of the last Beringia in Alaska, two giant glaciers merged, erecting an insurmountable barrier.
It is assumed that those primitive people who managed to move from Asia to America became the ancestors of some of the current peoples living on the American continent, in particular the Tlingit and Fuegians.

Shortly before the collapse of Beringia, global climate changes made it possible for the ancestors of today's Indians to penetrate the isthmus.
Then, on the site of the isthmus, the modern Bering Strait was formed, and the inhabitants of America were isolated for a long time. However, the settlement of America occurred later, but by sea or by ice (Eskimos, Aleuts).

Cape Navarin, Bering Sea

DETAILED GEOGRAPHY OF THE BERING SEA
Main physical and geographical features.
The coastline of the Bering Sea is complex and highly indented. It forms many bays, bays, coves, peninsulas, capes and straits. The straits connecting it to the Pacific Ocean are especially important for the nature of this sea. The total cross-sectional area is approximately 730 km2, and the depths in some of them reach 1000-2000 m, and in Kamchatka - 4000-4500 m, which determines the water exchange through them not only in the surface, but also in the deep horizons and determines the significant influence Pacific Ocean to this sea. The cross-sectional area of the Bering Strait is 3.4 km2, and the depth is only 42 m, so the waters of the Chukchi Sea have virtually no impact on the Bering Sea.

The coast of the Bering Sea, which is different in external shape and structure in different areas, belongs to different geomorphological types of coasts. From Fig. 34 it can be seen that they mainly belong to the type of abrasive shores, but accumulative ones are also found. The sea is surrounded mainly by high and steep shores; only in the middle part of the western and eastern coasts do wide strips of flat, low-lying tundra approach the sea. Narrower strips of low-lying coastline are located near the mouths of small rivers in the form of a deltaic alluvial plain or border the tops of bays and bays.

In the bottom topography of the Bering Sea, the main morphological zones are clearly distinguished: the shelf and island shoals, the continental slope and the deep-sea basin. The relief of each of them has its own characteristic features. The shelf zone with depths of up to 200 m is mainly located in the northern and eastern parts of the sea, occupying more than 40% of its area. Here it adjoins the geologically ancient regions of Chukotka and Alaska. The bottom in this area of the sea is a vast, very flat underwater plain about 600-1000 km wide, within which there are several islands, hollows and small rises in the bottom. The mainland shelf off the coast of Kamchatka and the islands of the Komandorsko-Aleutian ridge looks different. Here it is narrow and its relief is very complex. It borders the shores of geologically young and very mobile land areas, within which intense and frequent manifestations of volcanism and seismicity are common. The continental slope stretches from northwest to southeast approximately along the line from Cape Navarin to the island. Unimak. Together with the island slope zone, it occupies approximately 13% of the sea area, has depths from 200 to 3000 m and is characterized by a large distance from the coast and complex bottom topography. The angles of inclination are large and often vary from 1-3 to several tens of degrees. The continental slope zone is dissected by underwater valleys, many of which are typical underwater canyons, deeply cut into the seabed and having steep and even steep slopes. Some canyons, especially near the Pribilof Islands, have a complex structure.

The deep-water zone (3000-4000 m) is located in the southwestern and central parts of the sea and is bordered by a relatively narrow strip of coastal shallows. Its area exceeds 40% of the sea area: The bottom topography is very calm. It is characterized by an almost complete absence of isolated depressions. Several existing depressions differ very little from the depth of the bed; their slopes are very gentle, i.e., the isolation of these bottom depressions is weakly expressed. At the bottom of the bed there are no ridges blocking the sea from shore to shore. Although the Shirshov Ridge approaches this type, it has a relatively small depth on the ridge (mostly 500-600 m with a saddle of 2500 m) and does not come close to the base of the island arc: it is limited in front of the narrow but deep (about 3500 m) Ratmanov Trench. The greatest depths of the Bering Sea (more than 4000 m) are located in the Kamchatka Strait and near the Aleutian Islands, but they occupy a small area. Thus, the bottom topography makes it possible for water exchange between individual parts of the sea: without any restrictions within the depths of 2000-2500 m, with some limitation determined by the cross-section of the Ratmanov Trench, up to depths of 3500 m and with an even greater limitation at greater depths. However, the weak isolation of the depressions does not allow the formation of waters in them that differ significantly in their properties from the main mass.

Geographical location and large spaces determine the main features of the climate of the Bering Sea. It is almost entirely located in the subarctic climate zone, and only its extreme northern part (north of 64° N) belongs to the Arctic zone, and the southernmost part (south of 55° N) belongs to the temperate latitude zone. In accordance with this, there are certain climatic differences between different areas of the sea. North of 55-56° N. w. in the climate of the sea, especially its coastal areas, continental features are noticeably expressed, but in areas far from the coast they are much less pronounced. To the south of these parallels (55-56° N) the climate is mild, typically maritime. It is characterized by small daily and annual air temperature amplitudes, large clouds and significant amounts of precipitation. As you approach the coast, the influence of the ocean on the climate decreases. Due to stronger cooling and less significant heating of the part of the Asian continent adjacent to the sea than the American one, the western areas of the sea are colder than the eastern ones. Throughout the year, the Bering Sea is under the influence of constant centers of atmospheric action - the Polar and Honolulu maxima, the position and intensity of which are variable from season to season and the degree of their influence on the sea changes accordingly. In addition, it is influenced by seasonal large-scale pressure formations: the Aleutian minimum, the Siberian maximum, the Asian and Low American depressions. Their complex interaction determines certain seasonal characteristics of atmospheric processes.

In the cold season, especially in winter, the sea is influenced mainly by the Aleutian minimum, as well as the Polar maximum and the Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone. The influence of the Honolulu High, which occupies the extreme southeastern position at this time of year, is sometimes felt. This synoptic situation leads to a wide variety of winds over the sea. At this time, winds of almost all directions are observed here with greater or lesser frequency. However, northwest, north and northeast winds predominate. Their total repeatability is 50-70%. Only in the eastern part of the sea south of 50° N. w. quite often (30-50% of cases) southern and southwestern winds are observed, and in some places even southeastern. Wind speed in the coastal zone averages 6-8 m/s, and in open areas it varies from 6 to 12 m/s, and increases from north to south.

Winds from the northern, western and eastern directions carry with them cold sea arctic air from the Arctic Ocean, and cold and dry continental polar and continental arctic air from the Asian and American continents. With the winds southern directions here comes the foggy polar, and at times, tropical sea air. Over the sea, masses of continental Arctic and marine polar air predominantly interact, at the junction of which an Arctic front is formed. It is located slightly north of the Aleutian arc and generally stretches from southwest to northeast. At the frontal section of these air masses, cyclones are formed, moving approximately from southwest to northeast. The movement of these cyclones increases northern winds in the west and their weakening or even change to the southern and eastern seas.

Large pressure gradients caused by the Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone and the Aleutian low cause very strong winds in the western part of the sea. During storms, wind speeds often reach 30-40 m/s. Usually storms last about a day, but sometimes they last 7-9 days with some weakening. The number of days with storms in the cold season is 5-10, in some places up to 15-20 per month.
Air temperature in winter decreases from south to north. Its average monthly values for the coldest months (January and February) are equal to +1 −4° in the southwestern and southern parts of the sea and −15–20° in its northern and northeastern regions, and in the open sea the air temperature is higher than in the coastal zone, where it (off the coast of Alaska) can reach −40–48°. In open spaces, temperatures below −24° are not observed.

In the warm season, a restructuring of pressure systems occurs. Starting in spring, the intensity of the Aleutian minimum decreases; in summer it is very weakly expressed. The Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone disappears, the Polar Maximum shifts to the north, and the Honolulu Maximum takes its extreme northwestern position. As a result of the current synoptic situation in warm seasons, southwestern, southern and southeastern winds predominate, the frequency of which is 30-60%. Their speed in the western part of the open sea is 4-5 m/s, and in its eastern regions - 4-7 m/s. In the coastal zone, wind speed is lower. The decrease in wind speed compared to winter values is explained by a decrease in atmospheric pressure gradients over the sea. In summer, the Arctic front is located slightly south of the Aleutian Islands. Cyclones originate here, the passage of which is associated with a significant increase in winds. In summer, the frequency of storms and wind speeds is lower than in winter. Only in the southern part of the sea, where tropical cyclones penetrate ( local name typhoons), they cause severe storms with hurricane-force winds. Typhoons in the Bering Sea are most likely from June to October, usually occurring no more than once a month and lasting several days.

The air temperature in summer generally decreases from south to north and is slightly higher in the eastern part of the sea than in the western. Average monthly air temperatures in the warmest months (July and August) within the sea vary from approximately 4 to 13°, and they are higher near the coast than in the open sea. Relatively mild winters in the south and cold winters in the north and cool, cloudy summers everywhere are the main seasonal weather features in the Bering Sea.
Given the enormous volume of water in the Bering Sea, the continental flow into it is small and equal to approximately 400 km3 per year. The vast majority of river water flows into its northernmost part, where the largest rivers flow: Yukon (176 km3), Kuskokwim (50 km3) and Anadyr (41 km3). About 85% of the total annual flow occurs in the summer months. The influence of river waters on sea waters is felt mainly in the coastal zone on the northern edge of the sea in the summer.

Geographical location, vast spaces, relatively good communication with the Pacific Ocean through the straits of the Aleutian ridge in the south and extremely limited communication with the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait in the north are the determining factors in the formation of the hydrological conditions of the Bering Sea. The components of its heat budget depend mainly on climatic indicators and, to a much lesser extent, on the inflow and outflow of heat by currents. In this regard, different climatic conditions in the northern and southern parts of the sea entail differences in the thermal balance of each of them, which accordingly affects the water temperature in the sea.
Crucial to its water balance is water exchange through the Aleutian Straits, through which very large quantities of surface and deep Pacific waters enter and water flows out of the Bering Sea. Precipitation (about 0.1% of the sea volume) and river runoff (about 0.02%) are small in relation to the huge area of the sea, so they are significantly less significant in the inflow and outflow of moisture than water exchange through the Aleutian Straits.
However, water exchange through these straits has not yet been sufficiently studied. It is known that large masses of surface water exit the sea into the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. The overwhelming amount of deep ocean water enters the sea in three areas: through the eastern half of the Near Strait, through almost all the straits of the Fox Islands, through the Amchitka, Tanaga and others straits between the Rat and Andrean Islands. It is possible that deeper waters penetrate into the sea through the Kamchatka Strait, if not constantly, then periodically or sporadically. Water exchange between the sea and the ocean affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, formation of the structure and general circulation of the waters of the Bering Sea.

Cape Lesovsky

Hydrological characteristics.
The surface water temperature generally decreases from south to north, with water in the western part of the sea being somewhat colder than in the eastern part. In winter, in the south of the western part of the sea the surface water temperature is usually 1-3°, and in the eastern part it is 2-3°. In the north throughout the sea, water temperatures range from 0° to −1.5°. In spring, the waters begin to warm up and the ice begins to melt, while the increase in water temperature is relatively small. In summer, the surface water temperature is 9-11° in the south of the western part and 8-10° in the south of the eastern part. In the northern regions of the sea it is 4-8° in the west and 4-6° in the east. In coastal shallow areas, the surface water temperature is slightly higher than the given values typical for open areas of the Bering Sea (Fig. 35).

The vertical distribution of water temperature in the open part of the sea is characterized by its seasonal changes up to horizons of 250-300 m, deeper than which they are practically absent. In winter, the surface temperature, equal to approximately 2°, extends to horizons of 140–150 m, from which it rises to approximately 3.5° at horizons of 200–250 m, then its value remains almost unchanged with depth. Spring warming increases the surface water temperature to approximately 3.8°. This value is maintained up to horizons of 40-50 m, from which it initially (to horizons of 75-80 m) sharply, and then (up to 150 m) very smoothly decreases with depth, then (up to 200 m) the temperature noticeably (up to 3° ), and deeper it rises slightly towards the bottom.

In summer, the surface water temperature reaches 7-8°, but it drops very sharply (to +2.5°) with depth to a horizon of 50 m, from where its vertical course is almost the same as in spring. Autumn cooling lowers surface water temperatures. However, the general nature of its distribution at the beginning of the season resembles spring and summer, and towards the end it turns to winter view. In general, water temperature in the open part of the Bering Sea is characterized by a relative homogeneity of spatial distribution in the surface and deep layers and relatively small amplitudes of seasonal fluctuations, which appear only to horizons of 200-300 m.

The salinity of the surface waters of the sea varies from 33.0–33.5‰ in the south to 31.0‰ in the east and northeast and 28.6‰ in the Bering Strait (Fig. 36). The most significant desalination occurs in spring and summer in the confluence areas of the Anadyr, Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. However, the direction of the main currents along the coasts limits the influence of continental runoff on the deep sea areas. The vertical distribution of salinity is almost the same in all seasons of the year. From the surface to horizons of 100–125 m, it is approximately equal to 33.2–33.3‰. Its slight increase occurs from horizons of 125-150 to 200-250 m; deeper it remains almost unchanged to the bottom.

walrus rookery on the Chukchi coast

In accordance with the small spatiotemporal changes in temperature and salinity, the variation in density is also small. The distribution of oceanological characteristics by depth indicates a relatively weak vertical stratification of the waters of the Bering Sea. In combination with strong winds, this creates favorable conditions for the development of wind mixing in it. In the cold season, it covers the upper layers up to horizons of 100-125 m; in the warm season, when the waters are stratified more sharply and the winds are weaker than in autumn and winter, wind mixing penetrates to horizons of 75-100 m in the deep and up to 50-60 m in coastal areas.
Significant cooling of waters, and in the northern regions, intensive ice formation, contribute to the good development of autumn-winter convection in the sea. During October - November it captures a surface layer of 35-50 m and continues to penetrate deeper; In this case, heat is transferred to the atmosphere by the sea. The temperature of the entire layer captured by convection at this time of year decreases, as calculations show, by 0.08-0.10° per day. Further, due to a decrease in the temperature differences between water and air and an increase in the thickness of the convection layer, the water temperature drops somewhat more slowly. Thus, in December - January, when a completely homogeneous surface layer of considerable thickness (up to a depth of 120-180 m) is created in the Bering Sea, cooled (in the open sea) to approximately 2.5 °, the temperature of the entire layer captured by convection decreases per day by 0 .04—0.06°.
The penetration boundary of winter convection deepens as it approaches the coast, due to increased cooling near the continental slope and shallows. In the southwestern part of the sea this decrease is especially large. This is associated with the observed lowering of cold waters along the coastal slope. Due to the low air temperature due to the high latitude of the northwestern region, winter convection develops here very intensively and, probably, already in mid-January due to the shallowness of the region reaches the bottom.

The bulk of the waters of the Bering Sea are characterized by a subarctic structure, the main feature of which is the existence of a cold intermediate layer in summer, as well as a warm intermediate layer located below it. Only in the southernmost part of the sea, in areas immediately adjacent to the Aleutian ridge, waters of a different structure were discovered, where both intermediate layers are absent.
The bulk of the waters of the sea, which occupies its deep-sea part, is clearly divided into four layers in summer: surface, cold intermediate, warm intermediate and deep. This stratification is determined mainly by differences in temperature, and the change in salinity with depth is small.

The surface water mass in summer is the most heated upper layer from the surface to a depth of 25-50 m, characterized by a temperature of 7-10° at the surface and 4-6° at the lower boundary and a salinity of about 33.0‰. The greatest thickness of this water mass is observed in the open part of the sea. The lower boundary of the surface water mass is the temperature jump layer. The cold intermediate layer is formed as a result of winter convective mixing and subsequent summer heating of the upper layer of water. This layer has insignificant thickness in the southeastern part of the sea, but as it approaches the western shores it reaches 200 m or more. There is a noticeable minimum temperature, located on average at horizons of about 150-170 m. In the eastern part, the minimum temperature is 2.5-3.5 °, and in the western part of the sea it drops to 2 ° in the area of the Koryak coast and to 1 ° and lower in the Karaginsky Bay area. The salinity of the cold intermediate layer is 33.2–33.5‰. At the lower boundary of the layer, salinity quickly increases to 34‰. In warm years in the south of the deep-sea part of the sea, the cold intermediate layer in summer may be absent, then the vertical distribution of temperature is characterized by a relatively smooth decrease in temperature with depth with a general warming of the entire water column. The origin of the warm intermediate layer is associated with the transformation of Pacific water. Relatively warm water comes from the Pacific Ocean, which is cooled from above as a result of winter convection. Convection here reaches horizons of the order of 150–250 m, and under its lower boundary an increased temperature is observed—a warm intermediate layer. The maximum temperature varies from 3.4-3.5 to 3.7-3.9°. The depth of the core of the warm intermediate layer in central regions sea approximately 300 m; to the south it decreases to approximately 200 m, and to the north and west it increases to 400 m or more. The lower boundary of the warm intermediate layer is blurred; it is approximately visible in the 650–900 m layer.

The deep water mass, which occupies most of the volume of the sea, both in depth and from area to area, does not show significant differences in its characteristics. Over a depth of more than 3000 m, the temperature varies from approximately 2.7-3.0 to 1.5-1.8° at the bottom. Salinity is 34.3-34.8‰.

As we move south and approach the straits of the Aleutian ridge, the stratification of waters is gradually erased, and the temperature of the core of the cold intermediate layer, increasing in value, approaches the temperature of the warm intermediate layer. The waters gradually transform into a qualitatively different structure of Pacific water.
In some areas, especially in shallow waters, some modifications of the main water masses are observed and new masses of local significance appear. For example, in the Gulf of Anadyr, in the western part, a desalinated water mass is formed under the influence of large continental runoff, and in the northern and eastern parts, a cold water mass of the Arctic type is formed. There is no warm intermediate layer here. In some shallow areas of the sea in the summer, “cold spots” of water characteristic of the sea are observed, which owe their existence to eddy water cycles. In these areas, cold waters are observed in the bottom layer and persist throughout the summer. The temperature in this layer of water is −0.5–3.0°.

Due to autumn-winter cooling, summer warming and mixing, the surface water mass, as well as the cold intermediate layer, is most strongly transformed in the Bering Sea, which is manifested in the annual course of hydrological characteristics. Intermediate Pacific water changes its characteristics very slightly throughout the year and only in a thin upper layer. Deep waters do not change their characteristics noticeably throughout the year. The complex interaction of winds, the influx of water through the straits of the Aleutian ridge, tides and other factors create the basic picture of constant currents in the sea (Fig. 37).

The predominant mass of water from the ocean enters the Bering Sea through the eastern part of the Blizhny Strait, as well as through other significant straits of the Aleutian ridge. The waters entering through the Blizhny Strait and spreading first in an easterly direction, then turn to the north. At a latitude of about 55° they merge with the waters coming from the Amchitka Strait, forming the main flow of the central part of the sea. This flow supports the existence of two stable gyres here - a large, cyclonic one, covering the deep-water part of the sea, and a smaller, anticyclonic one. The waters of the main flow are directed to the northwest and reach almost the Asian shores. Here most of The water turns along the coast to the south, giving rise to the cold Kamchatka Current, and enters the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. Some of this water is discharged into the ocean through the western part of the Near Strait and very little is included in the main circulation.

The waters entering through the eastern straits of the Aleutian ridge also cross the central basin and move to the north-northwest. At approximately latitude 60° these waters split into two branches: the northwest, moving toward Anadyr Bay and then northeast into the Bering Strait, and the northeast, moving toward Norton Bay and then north into the Bering Strait. It should be noted that in Bering Sea currents there can be both significant changes in water transport throughout the year and noticeable deviations from the average annual pattern in individual years. The speeds of constant currents in the sea are generally low. The highest values (up to 25-51 cm/s) relate to the strait areas. Most often, a speed of 10 cm/s is observed, and in the open sea 6 cm/s, and the speeds are especially low in the zone of the central cyclonic circulation.
Tides in the Bering Sea are mainly caused by the propagation of tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean. The Arctic tide has almost no significance. The area where the Pacific and Arctic tidal waves merge is located north of the island. St. Lawrence. There are several types of tides in the Bering Sea. In the Aleutian Straits, the tides have irregular diurnal and irregular semidiurnal patterns. Off the coast of Kamchatka, during intermediate phases of the Moon, the tide changes from semidiurnal to daily; at high declinations of the Moon it becomes almost purely diurnal, and at low declinations it becomes semidiurnal. On the Koryak coast, from Olyutorsky Bay to the mouth of the river. Anadyr, the tide is irregularly semidiurnal, but off the coast of Chukotka it takes on a regular semidiurnal nature. In the area of Provideniya Bay, the tide again becomes irregularly semidiurnal. In the eastern part of the sea, from Cape Prince of Wales to Cape Nome, the tides have both regular and irregular semidiurnal character. South of the mouth of the Yukon, the tide becomes irregularly semidiurnal. Tidal currents in the open sea have a rotating nature, their speed is 15-60 cm/s. Near the coast and in the straits, tidal currents are reversible and their speed reaches 1-2 m/s.

Cyclonic activity developing over the Bering Sea causes the occurrence of very strong and sometimes prolonged storms. Particularly strong excitement develops in winter time- from November to May. At this time of year, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice and therefore the strongest waves are observed in the southern part. Here in May the frequency of waves of more than 5 points reaches 20-30%, but in the northern part of the sea it is absent. In August, due to the predominance of southwestern winds, swell waves of over 5 points reach their greatest development in the eastern half of the sea, where the frequency of such waves reaches 20%. IN autumn time in the southeastern part of the sea, the frequency of strong waves increases to 40%.
With prolonged winds of average strength and significant acceleration of waves, their height reaches 6.8 m, with winds of 20-30 m/s or more - 10 m, and in some cases 12 and even 14 m. Storm periods are 9-11 s , and with moderate waves - 5-7 s. In addition to wind waves, a swell is observed in the Bering Sea, the greatest frequency of which (40%) occurs in autumn. In the coastal zone, the nature and parameters of waves are very different depending on the physical and geographical conditions of the area.

For most of the year, much of the Bering Sea is covered in ice. Almost the entire mass of ice in the Bering Sea is of local origin, that is, it is formed, as well as destroyed and melted, in the sea itself. A small amount of ice from the Arctic basin, which usually does not penetrate south of the island, is brought into the northern part of the sea through the Bering Strait by winds and currents. St. Lawrence.

In terms of ice conditions, the northern and southern parts of the sea differ markedly from each other. The approximate boundary between them is the extreme southern position of the ice edge in April. This month it goes from Bristol Bay through the Pribilof Islands and further west along 57-58° N. sh., and then descends to the south, to the Commander Islands and runs along the coast to the southern tip of Kamchatka. South part the sea doesn't freeze all year round. Warm Pacific waters entering the Bering Sea through the Aleutian Straits push floating ice to the north, and the edge of the ice in the central part of the sea is always curved to the north. The process of ice formation in the Bering Sea begins first in its northwestern part, where ice appears in October, after which it gradually moves south. Ice appears in the Bering Strait in September; In winter, the strait is filled with solid broken ice, drifting north.
In Anadyrsky and Norton bays, ice can be found as early as September. In early November, ice appears in the area of Cape Navarin, and in mid-November it spreads to Cape Olyutorsky. Near the Kamchatsky Peninsula and the Commander Islands, floating ice usually appears in December and only as an exception in November. During winter, the entire northern part of the sea, up to approximately 60° N. sh., is filled with heavy, impassable ice, the thickness of which reaches 6 m. To the south of the parallel of the Pribilof Islands there are broken ice and isolated ice fields.

However, even during the peak of ice formation, the open part of the Bering Sea is never covered with ice. In the open sea, under the influence of winds and currents, ice is in constant motion, and strong compression often occurs. This leads to the formation of hummocks, the maximum height of which can be about 20 m. Periodic compression and rarefaction of the ice causes tides, resulting in the formation of piles of ice, numerous polynyas and clearings.
Fixed ice, which forms in closed bays and bays in winter, can be broken up and carried out to sea during stormy winds. In the eastern part of the sea, under the influence of the North Pacific Current, ice is carried north into the Chukchi Sea. In April the border floating ice reaches its greatest distribution to the south. In May, the process of gradual destruction of the ice and the retreat of its edge to the north begins. During July and August the sea is completely clear of ice and during these months ice can only be found in the Bering Strait. Strong winds contribute to the destruction of the ice cover and the clearing of ice from the sea in summer.
In bays and bays, where the desalinating influence of river runoff occurs, conditions for ice formation are more favorable than in the open sea. Winds have a great influence on the location of ice. Surge winds often clog individual bays, bays and straits with heavy ice brought from the open sea. On the contrary, driving winds carry ice out to sea, at times clearing the entire coastal area.

Hydrochemical conditions.
The peculiarities of the hydrochemical conditions of the sea are largely determined by its close connection with the Pacific Ocean and the characteristics of the hydrological and biological processes occurring in the sea itself. Due to the large influx of Pacific waters, the salt composition of the waters of the Bering Sea is practically no different from the oceanic one.
The amount and distribution of dissolved oxygen and nutrients varies across seasons and sea area. In general, the water of the Bering Sea is rich in oxygen. In winter, its distribution is characterized by uniformity. During this season, in the shallow part of the sea its content averages 8.0 ml/l from surface to bottom. Approximately the same content is observed in deep areas of the sea up to horizons of 200 m. In the warm season, the distribution of oxygen varies from place to place. Due to an increase in water temperature and the development of phytoplankton, its amount decreases in the upper (20-30 m) horizons and is approximately 6.7-7.6 ml/l. Near the continental slope, there is a slight increase in the oxygen content in the surface layer. The vertical distribution of the content of this gas in deep areas of the sea is characterized by its largest amount in surface water and the smallest in intermediate water. In subsurface water, the amount of oxygen is transitional, that is, it decreases with depth, and in deep water it increases towards the bottom. Seasonal changes in oxygen content can be traced up to 800–1000 m near the continental slope, up to 600–800 m at the peripheries of cyclonic gyres, and up to 500 m in the central parts of these gyres.

The Bering Sea is typically characterized by high concentrations of nutrients in the upper layer. The development of phytoplankton does not reduce their number to a minimum.
The distribution of phosphates in winter is quite uniform. Their amount in the surface layers at this time, depending on the region, varies from 58 to 72 μg/l. In summer, the lowest amount of phosphates is observed in the most productive areas of the sea: Anadyr and Olyutorsky bays, in the eastern part of the Kamchatka Strait, in the Bering Strait area. The vertical distribution of phosphates is characterized by their lowest content in the photosynthetic layer, a sharp increase in their concentration in subsurface water, a maximum amount in intermediate water and a slight decrease towards the bottom.
The distribution of nitrites in the upper layers in winter is quite uniform throughout the sea. Their content is 0.2-0.4 N µg/l in shallow waters and 0.8-1.7 N µg/l in deep areas. In summer, the distribution of nitrites is quite diverse in space. The vertical variation of nitrite content is characterized by a rather uniform content in the upper layers in winter. In summer, two maxima are observed: one in the density jump layer, the second at the bottom. In some areas, only a bottom maximum is observed.

Economic use. Located in the extreme northeast of our country, the Bering Sea is exploited very intensively. Its economy is represented by two important sectors: marine fisheries and maritime transport. Currently, a significant amount of fish is caught in the sea, including the most valuable species - salmon. In addition, fishing for cod, pollock, herring, and flounder is carried out here. There is fishing for whales and sea animals. However, the latter is of local importance. The Bering Sea is the area where the Northern Sea Route and the Far Eastern sea basin meet. The Eastern sector of the Soviet Arctic is supplied through this sea. In addition, inland transport is developed within the sea, in which supply cargo predominates. Mainly fish and fish products are produced.
Over the past 30 years, the Bering Sea has been systematically studied and continues to be studied. The main features of its nature became known. However, there are still important problems in its research. The most important of them include the following: the study of quantitative characteristics [of water exchange] through the straits of the Aleutian Arc; clarification of the details of currents, in particular the origin and duration of existence of small gyres in different areas of the sea; clarification of the characteristics of currents in the area of the Anadyr Bay and in the bay itself; research into applied issues related to fishing and navigation. Solving these and other problems will increase the efficiency of economic use of the sea.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://tapemark.narod.ru/more/18.html
Melnikov A.V. Geographical names of the Russian Far East: Toponymic Dictionary. — Blagoveshchensk: Interra-Plus (Interra+), 2009. — 55 p.
Shlyamin B. A. Bering Sea. - M.: Gosgeografgiz, 1958. - 96 p.: ill.
Shamraev Yu. I., Shishkina L. A. Oceanology. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980.
Bering Sea in the book: A. D. Dobrovolsky, B. S. Zalogin. Seas of the USSR. Publishing house Moscow. University, 1982.
Leontyev V.V., Novikova K.A. Toponymic dictionary of the north-east of the USSR. - Magadan: Magadan Book Publishing House, 1989, page 86
Leonov A.K. Regional oceanography. - Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1960. - T. 1. - P. 164.
Wikipedia website.
Magidovich I. P., Magidovich V. I. Essays on history geographical discoveries. - Enlightenment, 1985. - T. 4.
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo: A. Kutsky, V. Lisovsky, A. Gill, E. Gusev.

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Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Bering Sea: geographical location, description Message on the Bering Sea

Bering Sea. Description

History of discovery and development

Description of the geographical location of the Bering Sea

Coast and islands

Climate

Hydrosphere

Ice conditions

Animal and plant life

Between Asia and America

Territorial disputes

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Bering Sea. Description

History of discovery and development

Description of the geographical location of the Bering Sea

Coast and islands

Climate

Hydrosphere

Ice conditions

Animal and plant life

Between Asia and America

Territorial disputes

Economic activity

Klondike at the bottom of the ocean

Discovery Channel Original Project

Historical events

Characteristic

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