This is the Arctic sea, part of the. Located near Eastern Siberia. Entirely located above the Arctic Circle. Its boundaries are almost everywhere conditional lines. Only in the south is the sea limited to the mainland. It is connected through straits to the Chukchi Sea.
The area of the sea is 913 thousand sq. km. The depth is small and averages 54 meters, the maximum is 915 meters.
The shores are indented by bays (Kolyma Bay, Omulyakhskaya and Chaunskaya Bay). West Coast The mainland is flat, the eastern part is mountainous with cliffs.
A few islands form groups: the New Siberian Islands, the Bear Islands, and the Shalaurov Islands. Some islands are being destroyed because they are made entirely of sand and ice.
Rivers flowing into the sea: Lapcha, Khroma, Kolyma, Alazeya, etc. 
This sea is completely located on the shelf, as a result of which its bottom is a plain, gradually descending to the north. There are no significant elevations or depressions; the depth almost everywhere does not exceed fifty meters.
Climate on the East Siberian Sea Arctic, influenced by air masses of two oceans: and. Winter is characterized by clear weather with temperatures down to -30 degrees. Summer is gloomy, cold and windy, with precipitation in the form of sleet and rain quite often. In winter, almost the entire sea is covered with ice, in summer the coastal part in the west is free of ice, and in the east there are floating ice floes.
In the expanses of water East Siberian Sea
There are whitefish (such as omul, muksun). Mammals are represented by seal, walrus, and polar bear.
The famous Northern Sea Route passes through the East Siberian Sea. The most important ports are Pavek and Ambarchik.
The Greenland Sea is one of the marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean.
The sea, with an area of 1205 thousand sq. km, is located between the islands of Bear, Spitsbergen, Iceland, Greenland and Jan Mayen. The average depth of this sea is 1641m, while the maximum reaches 5527m.
The bed of the Greenland Sea is a large basin, which is limited in the east by the Mon and Knipovich ridges, and in the south by the Greenland-Iceland threshold.
The climate of Greenland [...]
1. NORTH ARCTIC OCEAN…………………………………………………………….3
2. EAST SIBERIAN SEA……………………………………………………………4
2.1. Shores…………………………………………………………………………………5
2.2. Bottom structure………………………………………………………………………………6
2.3. Characteristic climate………………………………………………………7
2.4. Hydrological regime……………………………………………………..9
2.5. Ice regime………………………………………………………………13
2.6. Biology………………………………………………………………………………14
REFERENCES……………………………………………………….15
1. NORTH ARCTIC OCEAN.
The Arctic Ocean is small compared to other parts of the World Ocean: its area is about 13.1 million km 2 (3.6% of the area of the World Ocean). However, practical and scientific significance Research of the Arctic Ocean is very large. The shortest, but also one of the most difficult sea route in terms of ice conditions runs through it. In addition, it serves as the only sea route to supply the rapidly developing industry of Siberia.
Due to its remote location, harsh climate, and permanent ice cover, the Arctic Ocean has proven to be the least studied of the oceans. By the end of the 19th century. Almost all of its coastline was mapped in some detail, but most of the ocean itself remained unexplored. The northern tip of Greenland and the group of islands of the Canadian Arctic archipelago were completely unexplored. Geographers did not have a common point of view regarding the distribution of land and sea. Some scientists, including the German geographer Petermann, believed that Greenland stretched across the North Pole to Wrangel Land (now Wrangel Island); others believed that the central polar region was made up of numerous islands separated by shallow areas.
During the expedition on the ship "Zhannetta" (1879-1881), it was found that Fr. Wrangel is not adjacent to Greenland. In 1893-1896. Nansen's ship "Fram" drifted with multi-year ice through the Arctic Basin (A.B.) from the New Siberian Islands to Spitsbergen. Analysis of data from eleven depth measurements made during this drift showed that the depth of A. b. in this area it ranges from 3400 to 4000 m. This was the first time it was established that at least part of A. b. occupies a deep-sea depression.
The Arctic Ocean is also interesting from a hydrometeorological point of view. In the North European basin there is the most powerful center on Earth of “isanomalous overheating” of the atmosphere due to the heat of the ocean, the influence of which on atmospheric processes and climatic conditions appear all the way to Lake Baikal. The Arctic Ocean, especially its Arctic basin, plays the role of one of the planetary “sinks” of heat in both the atmosphere and the ocean.
2. EAST SIBERIAN SEA
The East Siberian Sea is located between the New Siberian Islands and. Wrangel. Its western border is the eastern border of the Laptev Sea, it runs from the point of intersection of the meridian of the northern tip of the island. Kotelny with the edge of the mainland shallows (79° N, 139° E) to the northern tip of this island (Cape Anisiy), then along the eastern shores of the New Siberian Islands to Cape Svyatoy Nos (Dmitry Laptev Strait). The northern border runs along the edge of the continental shelf from the point with coordinates 79° N. latitude, 139° east. to a point with coordinates 76° N. la., 180° east. d., and the eastern border - from the point with these coordinates along the meridian 180° to the island. Wrangel, then along its northwestern shore to Cape Blossom and further to Cape Yakan on the mainland. The southern border runs along the mainland coast from Cape Yakan to Cape Svyatoy Nos.
The East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Its area is 913 thousand km 2, its volume is 49 thousand km 3, its average depth is 54 m, its greatest depth is 915 m, i.e. this sea lies entirely on the continental shallows.
2.1. Shores.
The coastline of the East Siberian Sea forms quite large bends, in some places extending into land, in others protruding into the sea, but there are also areas with a flat coastline. Small meanders are usually confined to the mouths of small rivers.
The landscapes of the western part of the coast of the East Siberian Sea differ sharply from the eastern. In the area from the New Siberian Islands to the mouth of the Kolyma, the banks are very low-lying and monotonous. Here the swampy tundra approaches the sea. East of the mouth of the Kolyma, beyond Cape Bolshoi Baranov, the coast becomes mountainous. From the mouth of Kolyma to about. Ayon, low hills approach the water directly, and in some places they drop steeply. Chaunskaya Bay is framed by low but steep, flat banks. The sea coast, which differs in relief and structure in different areas, belongs to different morphological types of coasts.
Suspended sediment carried by rivers causes changes in depths in coastal areas and the formation of bars at river mouths. The Indigirka River carries out 16.7 million tons of suspended sediment per year, the Kolyma - 8.3 million tons. The liquid runoff of the Kolyma is 132 * 10 3 m 3 /year.
As a result of the heating effect river waters Intense thermal abrasion of the estuary sections of the coast occurs in the adjacent coastal areas. According to available data, the rate of abrasion ranges from 1-5 to 10-15 m/year.
Where the coast is composed of bedrock (the region of Cape Baranov and Cape Shelagsky, the western coast of Wrangel Island, etc.), a denudation type of coast is usually developed, since the impact of waves is weakened and physical weathering processes predominate. Accumulative shores with wide sand and pebble bars separating chains of lagoons are found on the southern shore of the Longa Strait.
2.2. Bottom structure.
The underwater relief of the shelf forming the sea bed in general outline It is a plain, very slightly inclined from southwest to northeast. The seabed has no noticeable depressions or hills. The predominant depths are up to 20-25 m. The area of shallow depths in the western part of the sea forms the Novosibirsk Shoal. The greatest depths are concentrated in the northeastern part of the sea. A noticeable increase in depth occurs in the horizon from 100 to 200 m.
Most of The seabed is covered with a thin sedimentary cover. In the Tertiary period and at the beginning of the Quaternary, the bottom surface was an almost flat plain, composed of alluvium of the ancient river systems of the paleo-Indigirka and paleo-Kolyma, traces of which are on seabed can still be distinguished. Most of the archipelagos and individual islands found in the shelf area are composed of rocks of this basement (Bear, Rautan, Shalaurov Islands, part of Aion Island, etc.). In the area of the De Long Islands and in the northern part of the sea there is the so-called Hyperborean platform (according to Shatsky). Aeromagnetic surveys confirm the presence in this area of a solid crystalline basement, covered and bordered by Mesozoic rocks, in places folded.
Bottom sediments of the shelf consist mainly of sandy silt containing crushed boulders and pebbles; some of them are fragments of rocks from the island. Wrangel or other islands brought by ice.
2.3. Characteristic climate.
Located in high latitudes, the East Siberian Sea is in the zone of atmospheric influences of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Cyclones of Atlantic origin penetrate into the western part of the sea (albeit rarely), and cyclones of Pacific origin penetrate into the eastern regions. The climate of the East Siberian Sea is polar marine, but with signs of continentality.
In winter, the main influence on the sea is exerted by the spur of the Siberian High, which extends to the coast, and the crest of the polar anticyclone is weakly expressed. In this regard, southwestern and southern winds prevail over the sea at a speed of 6-7 m/s. They bring cold air from the continent, so the average monthly air temperature in January is about -28-30°. In winter there is calm, clear weather, which on some days is disrupted by cyclonic incursions. Atlantic cyclones in the west of the sea cause increased wind and some warming, and Pacific cyclones, which have cold continental air in the rear, only increase wind speed, cloudiness and cause snowstorms in the southeastern part of the sea. On mountainous areas of the coast, the passage of Pacific cyclones is associated with the formation of a local wind - a foehn. It usually reaches storm force, causing a slight increase in temperature and a decrease in air humidity.
In summer, the pressure over the mainland of Asia is reduced, and over the sea it is increased, so winds from the northern directions predominate. At the beginning of the season they are very weak, but during the summer their speed gradually increases, reaching an average of 6-7 m/s. By the end of summer, the western part of the East Siberian Sea becomes one of the most stormy sections of the Northern Sea Route. The wind often blows at a speed of 10-15 m/s. The increase in wind here is due to hair dryers. The southeastern part of the sea is much calmer. Steady northern and northeastern winds cause low air temperatures. The average July temperature is 0-1°C in the north of the sea and 2-3°C in coastal areas. IN summer time over the East Siberian Sea the weather is mostly cloudy with light drizzling rain, and sometimes there is sleet.
In autumn there is almost no return of heat, which is explained by the remoteness of the sea from the oceanic centers of atmospheric action and their weak influence on atmospheric processes. Relatively cold summers throughout the sea, stormy weather at the end of summer and especially in autumn in the outlying areas of the sea, and calm in the central part are characteristic climatic features of the sea. The speed of northwestern and northeastern winds often reaches 20-25 m/s. They cause waves up to 4-5 m high. Western winds contribute to the formation of a warm current flowing eastward from the Kolyma region. Exactly this warm current clears the Long Strait of ice. At a distance from the coast, storm wind speeds often reach 40-45 m/s.
Most of the year the sea is covered with ice. In its eastern part floating ice often remain near the coast even in summer. Observations carried out at high-latitude stations showed that the direction of ice drift depends on the distribution of atmospheric pressure. In winter, when an area of high pressure develops near the pole, the anticyclonic (clockwise) circulation of water intensifies, which forces the ice to drift in a northwesterly direction. The average daily speed of ice drift is 3-8 km.
When the polar anticyclone weakens, the area of cyclonic water circulation expands, which prevents the removal of ice from the area and, conversely, favors the influx of multi-year ice from high latitudes and the accumulation of ice in the Long Strait.
2.4. Hydrological regime.
The annual precipitation is 100-200 mm, and the river flow, unlike the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea, is not very large. Several significant rivers flow into the East Siberian Sea, the largest of which is the river. Kolyma. Its annual flow is 132 km 3 . The second largest river flow. Indigirka brings 59 km 3 of water. The total continental flow into the East Siberian Sea is about 250 km 3 /year, which is only 10% of the total river flow into all Arctic seas. All river water flows into the southern part of the sea, and approximately 90% of the flow occurs, as in other Arctic seas, in the summer months.
Given the very vast size of the East Siberian Sea, coastal runoff does not significantly affect its general hydrological regime, but only determines some hydrological features of coastal areas in the summer. High latitudes, free communication with the Central Arctic Basin, large ice cover and low river flow determine the main features of the hydrological conditions of the East Siberian Sea.
The current system of the East Siberian Sea has been poorly studied. The general circulation of sea waters is cyclonic in nature. From the Sannikov and Dmitry Laptev straits, water moves along the coast to the east. Near Fr. Wrangel, part of the current turns north, continuing to move counterclockwise, and the other part passes east through the strait. Long (between Wrangel Island and the continental coast). The northward current is drawn into the Trans-Arctic Current, turning northwest. Along the eastern shores of the New Siberian Islands, there appears to be a current directed to the south and closing the cyclonic gyre.
Due to the shallowness and absence of deep trenches extending beyond the northern limits of the East Siberian Sea, the vast majority of its spaces from surface to bottom are occupied by surface Arctic waters. Only in relatively limited estuarine areas is there a type of water that is formed as a result of the mixing of river and sea waters. It is characterized by high temperature and low salinity.
Constant currents on the surface of the East Siberian Sea form a weakly expressed cyclonic circulation. Along the continental coast there is a steady transport of water from west to east. At Cape Billinga, part of the water is directed to the north and northwest and is carried to the northern outskirts of the sea, where it is included in the flows going to the west. Under different weather conditions, the movement of water also changes. Part of the water from the East Siberian Sea is carried through the Long Strait into the Chukchi Sea. Constant currents are often disturbed by wind currents, which are often stronger than constant ones. The influence of tidal currents is relatively small.
Tides. Regular semidiurnal tides are observed in the East Siberian Sea. They are caused by a tidal wave that enters the sea from the north and moves towards the coast of the mainland. Its front extends from the north-northwest to the east-southeast from the New Siberian Islands to the island. Wrangel.
The tides are most pronounced in the north and northwest. As they move south, they weaken as the ocean tidal wave is largely damped in the vast shallow waters. Thus, in the area from Indigirka to Cape Shelagskoye, tidal level fluctuations are almost not noticeable. To the west and east of this area, the tide is also small - 5-7 cm. At the mouth of the Indigirka, the configuration of the banks and the bottom topography contribute to an increase in tides to 20-25 cm. Level changes caused by meteorological reasons are much more developed on the continental coast.
The annual variation of the level is characterized by its highest position in June - July, when there is an abundant influx of river water. A reduction in continental runoff in August leads to a drop in level by 50-70 cm. As a result of the predominance of surge winds in the fall, in October, the level rises.
In winter the level decreases and in March - April reaches its lowest position.
In the summer season, surge phenomena are very pronounced, during which level fluctuations are often 60-70 cm. At the mouth of the Kolyma and in the Dmitry Laptev Strait they reach the maximum values for the entire sea - 2.5 m. Rapid and sharp changes in level positions - one of the characteristic features of coastal areas of the sea.
Significant waves develop in ice-free areas of the sea. It is strongest during stormy northwestern and southeastern winds, which have the highest accelerations above the surface clean water. Maximum wave heights reach 5 m, usually their height is 3-4 m. Strong waves are observed mainly in late summer - early autumn (September), when the ice edge retreats to the north. The western part of the sea is rougher than the eastern. Its central areas are relatively calm.
Water temperature on the surface in all seasons it generally decreases from south to north. In winter it is close to the freezing point and near river mouths it is -0.2-0.6°, and at the northern borders of the sea it is 1.7-1.8°. In summer, the distribution of surface temperature is determined by ice conditions. The water temperature in bays and bays reaches 7-8°, in open, ice-free areas 2-3°, and at the ice edge it is close to 0°.
The change in water temperature with depth in winter and spring is little noticeable. Only near the mouths of large rivers does it drop to -0.5° in subglacial horizons and to -1.5° at the bottom. In summer, in the free spaces of the Otold, the water temperature drops slightly from the surface to the bottom in the coastal zone in the west of the sea. In its eastern part, the surface temperature is observed in a layer of 3-5 m, from where it drops sharply to horizons of 5-7 m and then gradually decreases towards the bottom. In zones of influence of coastal runoff, a uniform temperature covers a layer of up to 7-10 m; between horizons of 10-20 m it sharply, and then gradually decreases to the bottom. The shallow, weakly warmed East Siberian Sea is one of the coldest Arctic seas.
Salinity on the surface generally increases from southwest to northeast. In winter and spring it is equal 4 -5°/00 near the mouths of Kolyma and Indigirka, reaches values of 24-26°/00 near the Bear Islands, increases to 28-30°/00 in central regions sea and rises to 31-32°/00 on its northern outskirts. In summer, as a result of the influx of river water and melting ice, surface salinity values decrease to 18-22°/00 in the coastal zone, 20-22°/00 near the Bear Islands, to 24 - 26°/00 in the north, at the edge of the melting ice.
In winter, over most of the sea, salinity increases slightly from the surface to the bottom. Only in the northwestern region, where ocean waters penetrate from the north, does salinity increase from 23°/00 in the upper layer 10-15 m thick to 30°/00 at the bottom. Near the mouth areas, the upper desalinated layer to horizons of 10-15 m is underlain by more saline waters. From the end of spring and during the summer, a desalinated layer 20-25 m thick forms in ice-free areas, under which the salinity increases with depth. Consequently, in shallow areas (down to depths of 10-20 and even 25 m), desalination covers the entire water column. In deeper areas in the north and east of the sea, at horizons of 5-10 m, and in places 10-15 m, the salinity increases sharply, and then gradually and slightly rises to the bottom.
In the autumn-winter season, the density of water is higher than in spring and summer. The density is greater in the north and east than in the west of the sea, where desalinated waters from the Laptev Sea penetrate. However, these differences are small. Typically, density increases with depth. Its vertical distribution is similar to the course of salinity.
Different degrees of interlayering of waters create different conditions for the development of mixing in different areas of the East Siberian Sea. In relatively weakly stratified and ice-free areas, strong winds in summer mix water to horizons of 20-25 m. Consequently, in areas limited to a depth of 25 m, wind mixing extends to the bottom. In places where waters are sharply stratified by density, wind mixing penetrates only to horizons of 10-15 m, where it is limited by significant vertical density gradients.
Autumn-winter convection in the East Siberian Sea at depths of 40-50 m, which occupy more than 70% of its total area, penetrates to the bottom. By the end of the cold season, winter vertical circulation extends to horizons of 70-80 m, where it is limited by the greater vertical stability of the waters.
2.5. Ice regime
The East Siberian Sea is the most arctic of the seas of the Soviet Arctic. From October - November to June - July it is completely covered with ice. At this time, the transport of ice from the Arctic basin to the sea predominates, in contrast to other Arctic seas, where outflow ice drift prevails. A characteristic feature of the ice of the East Siberian Sea is the significant development of fast ice in winter. Moreover, it is most widely distributed in the western, shallow part of the sea and occupies a narrow coastal strip in the east of the sea. In the west of the sea, the width of fast ice reaches 400-500 km. Here it connects with the fast ice of the Laptev Sea. In the central regions its width is 250-300 km and east of Cape Shelagsky - 30-40 km. The fast ice boundary approximately coincides with the 25 km isobath, which runs 50 km north of the New Siberian Islands, then turns to the southeast, approaching the coast of the mainland at Cape Shelagsky. By the end of winter, the thickness of the fast ice reaches 2 m. From west to east, the thickness of the fast ice decreases. Behind the fast ice there is drifting ice. Usually this is one-year and two-year ice 2-3 m thick. In the very north of the sea, multi-year Arctic ice is found. The prevailing winds from the south in winter often carry drifting ice away from the northern edge of the fast ice. As a result, significant expanses of clean water and young ice appear, forming the Novosibirsk stationary french polynyas in the west and Zavrangelevskaya in the east.
At the beginning of summer, after the opening and destruction of fast ice, the position of the ice edge is determined by the action of winds and currents. However, ice is always found north of the island. Wrangel - New Siberian Islands. In the western part of the sea, on the site of extensive fast ice, the Novosibirsk ice massif is formed. It consists mainly of first-year ice and usually collapses by the end of summer. The overwhelming majority of the space in the east of the sea is occupied by a spur of the Aion oceanic ice massif, which largely forms heavy multi-year ice. Its southern periphery is almost adjacent to the coast of the mainland throughout the year, determining the ice situation in the sea.
2.6. Biology.
The flora and fauna of the East Siberian Sea is qualitatively poor compared to neighboring seas, mainly due to harsh ice conditions. However, in the areas of river mouths, in addition to omul, whitefish and grayling, there are large schools of white fish (Coregonidae). Other species of fish were also found there, which include polar smelt, navaga, polar cod, polar flounder and salmonids: arctic char and nelma. Mammals are represented by walruses, seals and polar bears, birds - guillemots, sea gulls, cormorants. Cold-loving brackish-water forms are found in the central regions. Fishing is of local importance.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Bogdanov D.V. Oceans and seas on the eve of the 21st century. – M.: Nauka, 1991. – 128 p.
2. Sukhovey F. S. Seas of the world's oceans. – L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1986. – 288 p.
3. Oceanographic Encyclopedia.– L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1974. – 632 p.
4. Zalogin B. S., Kosarev A. N. Seas. – M.: Mysl, 1999. – 400 p.
5. Nikiforov E. G., Speicher A. O. Patterns of formation of large-scale fluctuations in the hydrological regime of the Arctic Ocean. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980. - 270 p.
Already from the name it is clear that this sea is located at north coast. Borders East Siberian Sea Mostly there are conventional lines, and only in some parts is it limited by land. From the west, the sea border runs along Kotelny and further along the eastern border. The northern boundary coincides with the edge of the continental shelf. From the east, the border of the sea runs along the meridian of 1800 east longitude before, after - along the northwestern coast of this island to Cape Blossom and Cape Yakan, located on the mainland. From the southern part it is limited by the coastline of the mainland (from Cape Yakan to Cape Svyatoy Nos).
The waters of this sea communicate well with the waters of the Arctic Ocean, therefore the East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Within the boundaries outlined, the area of this sea is 913 thousand km2. The volume of water is approximately 49 thousand km 3. The average sea depth is 54 m, the maximum depth is 915 m.
There are very few islands in the waters of the East Siberian Sea. The sea coastline has large bends. Thus, in some places the sea pushes the boundaries of the land inland, and in some places the land protrudes into the sea. There are also areas with an almost flat coastline. Small meanders are formed mainly at river mouths. Western and east coasts The East Siberian Sea varies greatly. The coast, which is washed by the sea from the mouth of the Kolyma, is quite monotonous. Here the sea borders on swampy areas. These places are characterized by low and gentle banks. The coast located east of Kalyma has a more varied landscape, mainly dominated by mountains. As far as the island of Aion, the sea is bordered by small hills, which sometimes have steep slopes. In the area of Chaunskaya Bay there are low but steep banks.
The underwater relief of the space occupied by the East Siberian Sea represents. This plain slopes slightly from southwest to northeast. The seabed is mostly flat, without significant depressions or hills. Most of the water expanses of the East Siberian Sea have a depth of up to 20 - 25 m. The deepest ones are located on the bottom of the sea in the northeastern part from the mouths of the Indigira and Kolyma rivers. There is an assumption that these trenches used to be areas of river valleys. But later these rivers were flooded by the sea. The western part of the sea is characterized by shallow depth; this area is called the Novosibirsk Shoal. In the northeast the seas are quite deep places. But even here the depth does not exceed 100 m.
East-Siberian Sea
The East Siberian Sea is located at high latitudes, close to permanent ice. The sea also borders a wide part of the mainland. Due to this location, the East Siberian Sea has a distinctive feature: the sea is under the influence of the Atlantic and. Cyclones formed above sometimes enter the western part of the sea. The eastern regions of the sea are accessible to Pacific origin. Thus, the climate of the East Siberian Sea can be characterized as polar marine, which is greatly influenced by the continent. The peculiarities of the continental climate are significantly manifested in winter and summer. During transition seasons they do not significantly influence, since during these periods the processes are not constant.
IN winter time has a great influence on the climate of the East Siberian Sea Siberian Maximum. This determines the predominance of southwestern and southern ones, the speed of which reaches 6 - 7 m/s. These winds move from the continent and therefore contribute to the spread of cold air. The average temperature in January is approximately – 28 – 30°C. In winter, the weather is mostly clear. Only sometimes cyclones disrupt the established calm weather for several days. Atlantic cyclones, which prevail in the western part of the sea, contribute to stronger winds and higher temperatures. Pacific cyclones, which prevail in the southeastern part of the sea, bring strong winds and cloudy weather. On coasts with mountainous terrain, the Pacific cyclone contributes to the formation of strong winds - a foehn. As a result of this storm wind, temperatures rise and there is less air.
In summer, low temperatures are formed over the sea, and low levels over land. In this regard, winds blow predominantly from the north. At the beginning of the warm season, the winds do not yet gain sufficient strength, but by mid-summer their speed averages 6 - 7 m/s. By the end of summer, the western part of the sea turns into areas of strong storms. At this time, this section becomes the most dangerous along the entire Northern Sea Route. Very often the wind speed reaches 10 - 15 m/s. In the southeastern part of the sea such strong winds are not observed. The wind speed here can only increase due to hair dryers. Constant winds from the north and northeast help maintain low air temperatures. In the northern part of the sea, the average July temperature is about 0 - +1°C, in coastal areas the temperature is slightly higher than +2 - 3°C. The decrease in temperature in the northern part of the sea is affected by the influence of ice. In the southern part of the sea, proximity to the warm continent contributes to an increase in temperature. The East Siberian Sea is characterized by cloudy weather in the summer. Very often there is light rain, and occasionally even sleet.
East-Siberian Sea
In autumn the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans weakens, which affects the decrease. Thus, the East Siberian Sea is characterized by cold summers; unstable windy weather in western and eastern regions seas in the summer-autumn period and calm in the central territories.
A small amount of river water enters the East Siberian Sea. During the year the volume is approximately 250 km 3 . (most big river, flowing into this sea) brings about 132 km 3 per year. Another Indigirka gives 59 km 3. The remaining rivers flowing into the East Siberian Sea are small, and therefore discharge small volumes of water. The largest amount of fresh water flows into the southern part of the sea. Maximum flow occurs in summer. Due to the small amount, fresh water does not flow far into the sea, but mainly spreads near river mouths. Due to the fact that the East Siberian Sea has big sizes, river flow does not have a significant impact on it.
The waters of the East Siberian Sea are relatively clean. Only in Pevek Bay there has been slight water pollution, but recently the environmental situation here has been improving. The waters of Chaunskaya Bay are slightly polluted with hydrocarbons.
The East Siberian Sea belongs to the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the New Siberian Islands, and on the east by Wrangel Island. This body of water is the least studied compared to other northern seas. These places are characterized by a cold climate with poor flora and fauna and low salinity of sea water.
Sea currents are slow, tides reach no more than 25 cm. In summer there is frequent fog, the ice remains almost all year round, it retreats only in August-September. The sea coast was inhabited thousands of years ago by the Chukchi and Yukagirs, and then by the Evenks and Evens. These peoples were engaged in hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. Later the Yakuts appeared, and then the Russians.
East Siberian Sea on the map
Geography
The water surface area of the East Siberian Sea is 942 thousand square meters. km. The volume of water reaches 60.7 thousand cubic meters. km. The average depth is 45 meters, and the maximum is 155 meters. Length coastline equal to 3016 km. The western border of the reservoir passes through the New Siberian Islands. The northernmost of them is Henrietta Island, part of the De Long Islands group.
The eastern border passes through Wrangel Island and Long Strait. In the north of the northern point Wrangel to Henrietta, Zhannetta Island and further to the northern point of Kotelny Island. The southern border runs along the coast of the mainland from Cape Svyatoy Nos in the west to Cape Yakan in the east. The reservoir is connected to the Laptev Sea through the Sannikov, Eterikan and Dmitry Laptev straits. And the connection with the Chukchi Sea is through the Long Strait.
Rivers and bays
The most important rivers flowing into the reservoir are Indigirka with a length of 1726 km, Kolyma with a length of 2129 km, Chaun with a length of 205 km, Pegtymel with a length of 345 km, Bolshaya Chukochia with a length of 758 km, Alazeya with a length of 1590 km.
On the coast there are such bays as Chaunskaya Bay, Omulyakhskaya Bay, Gusinaya Bay, Khromskaya Bay, Kolyma Bay. All these bays flow deep into the land. There is also the Kolyma Bay, bounded from the north by the Bear Islands: Krestovsky, Pushkareva, Leontiev, Lysova, Andreeva and Chetyrekhstolbovaya.
The river flow is small and amounts to 250 cubic meters. km per year. Of these, the Kolyma River produces 132 cubic meters. km of water. Indigirka discharges 59 cubic meters into the East Siberian Sea. km of water. 90% of the total runoff occurs in the summer. Fresh water is concentrated near the shore due to the weak current and does not have a significant effect on the hydrology of the reservoir. But there is water exchange with neighboring seas and the Arctic Ocean.
The water surface temperature decreases from south to north. In winter, in river deltas it is -0.2 and -0.6 degrees Celsius. And in the northern part of the sea it drops to -1.8 degrees Celsius. In summer, the water in the bays warms up to 7-8 degrees Celsius, and in ice-free sea areas it is 2-3 degrees Celsius.
The salinity of surface waters increases from southwest to northeast. In the area of river deltas in winter and spring it is 4-5 ppm. In open waters it reaches 28-30 ppm, and in the north up to 31-32 ppm. In summer, salinity decreases by 5% due to snow melting.
The annual fluctuation in the level of the East Siberian Sea is 70 cm due to summer river flows. The winds bring storms with waves 3-5 meters high in the western part of the sea region, while in the east it is relatively calm. Storms usually last 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter.
The ice thickness reaches 2 meters by the end of winter and decreases from west to east. In addition, there are drifting ice floes with a thickness of 2-3 meters. Ice melting begins in May from the Kolyma River delta. And the reservoir completely freezes in October-November.
Climate
The climate is arctic. In winter, southwestern and southern winds blow, carrying cold air from Siberia, so average temperature in winter it is -30 degrees Celsius. The weather is cloudy with storms and snowstorms.
They blow in summer north winds, and the air temperature is 0-1 degrees Celsius in the open sea and 2-3 degrees Celsius on the coast. The sky is cloudy with frequent rain and sleet. The shores are covered in fog; it can last up to 70 days. The annual precipitation is 200 mm.
Flora and fauna are sparse due to the harsh climate. There is a lot of plankton and crustaceans in the water. Ringed seals, bearded seals, walruses, and polar bears live in coastal areas. Birds include seagulls and cormorants. The East Siberian Sea is frequently visited by bowhead and gray whales. There are belugas and narwhals. Among the fish there are grayling, muksun, whitefish, smelt, cod, arctic char, navaga, and flounder.
Shipping
Shipping is practiced to transport goods along the northern coast of Russia in the month of August-September. At the same time, navigation is difficult even in summer due to floating ice floes that are carried to the shores by the wind. Fishing and hunting of marine animals is local in nature.
The main port is Pevek with a population of about 5 thousand people. It is the northernmost city in Russia and is located in Chaunskaya Bay. The seaport's cargo turnover is 190 thousand tons with a throughput capacity of 330 thousand tons. There are 3 berths with a length of 500 meters. Cargo transportation is carried out mainly between Pevek and Vladivostok.
The reservoir received its modern name in June 1935 in accordance with the decree of the Soviet government. Before that, it was called either the Indigirsky Sea, or the Northern Sea, or the Kolyma Sea, or the Siberian Sea, or the Arctic Sea.
General climatic description of the regionThe East Siberian Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located between the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island. The name was assigned at the suggestion of Yu.M. Shokalsky by the Russian Geographical Society, approved by a resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on June 27, 1935. The eastern border of the sea passes through Wrangel Island and Long Strait. In the north from the northernmost point of Wrangel to Henrietta, Zhannetta Island and further to the northern point of Kotelny Island. The southern border runs along the coast of the mainland from Cape Svyatoy Nos in the west to Cape Yakan in the east. The sea is connected through straits to the Chukchi Sea and the Laptev Sea. It is connected to the Laptev Sea through the Sannikov, Eterikan and Dmitry Laptev straits. It is connected to the Chukchi Sea through the Long Strait. The area of the sea is about 940 thousand sq. km. This sea is completely located on the shelf, as a result of which its bottom is a plain, gradually descending to the north. The depth is small and averages about 55 m. The shores are indented by bays (Kolyma Bay, Omulyakhskaya and Chaunskaya Bay). The western coast of the mainland is flat, the eastern coast is mountainous with cliffs. A few islands form groups: the New Siberian Islands, the Bear Islands, and the Shalaurov Islands. Some islands are being destroyed because they are made entirely of sand and ice. Rivers flowing into the sea: Indigirka, Lapcha, Khroma, Kolyma, Alazeya, etc.
Climate of the East Siberian Sea
The climate is arctic, influenced by the air masses of two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. In winter, southwestern and southern winds blow, carrying cold air from Siberia, so the average temperature in winter is -30 degrees Celsius. In summer, northerly winds blow, and the air temperature is 0-1 degrees Celsius in the open sea and 2-3 degrees Celsius on the coast. The sky is cloudy with frequent rain and sleet. The shores are covered in fog; it can last up to 70 days. The annual precipitation is 200 mm.
Wind mode
In winter, the Siberian Maximum causes the predominance of southwestern and southern winds, the speed of which reaches 6 - 7 m/s. These winds move from the continent and therefore contribute to the spread of cold air. The winds bring storms with waves 3-5 meters high in the western part of the sea region, while in the east it is relatively calm. Storms usually last 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter.
Atlantic cyclones, which prevail in the western part of the sea, contribute to stronger winds and higher temperatures. Pacific cyclones, which prevail in the southeastern part of the sea, bring strong winds, snowstorms and cloudy weather. On coasts with mountainous terrain, the Pacific cyclone contributes to the formation of a strong wind - a foehn. As a result of this storm wind, the temperature rises, while the air humidity becomes less. In summer, zones of high pressure form over the sea, and low pressure zones over land. In this regard, winds blow predominantly from the north. At the beginning of the warm season, the winds do not yet gain sufficient strength, but by mid-summer their speed averages 6 - 7 m/s. By the end of summer, the western part of the sea turns into areas of strong storms. At this time, this section becomes the most dangerous along the entire Northern Sea Route. Very often the wind speed reaches 10 - 15 m/s. In the southeastern part of the sea such strong winds are not observed. The wind speed here can only increase due to hair dryers.
Air temperature
The average temperature in January is approximately - 28 - 30°C. In winter, the weather is mostly clear. Constant winds from the north and northeast help maintain low air temperatures.
In summer in the northern part of the sea the average July temperature is about 0 - +1°C, in coastal areas the temperature is slightly higher than +2 - 3°C. The decrease in temperature in the northern part of the sea is affected by the influence of Arctic ice. In the southern part of the sea, proximity to the warm continent contributes to an increase in temperature. In autumn, the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans weakens, which affects the decrease in air temperature. Thus, the East Siberian Sea is characterized by cold summers; unstable windy weather in the western and eastern regions of the sea in the summer-autumn period.
Water temperature
Sea water temperatures are low; in the north they are close to -1.8°C in both winter and summer. To the south, in summer the temperature rises in the upper layers to 5 C. At the edge of the ice fields, the temperature is 1-2 C. The maximum water temperature reaches the end of summer at the mouths of rivers. In general, water surface temperatures decrease from south to north. In winter, in river deltas it is -0.2 and -0.6 degrees Celsius. And in the northern part of the sea it drops to -1.8 degrees Celsius. In summer, the water in the bays warms up to 7-8 degrees Celsius, and in ice-free sea areas it is 2-3 degrees Celsius.
The change in water temperature with depth in winter and spring is little noticeable. Only near the mouths of large rivers does it drop to -0.5° in subglacial horizons and to -1.5° at the bottom. In summer, in ice-free areas, the water temperature decreases slightly from the surface to the bottom in the coastal zone in the west of the sea. In its eastern part, the surface temperature is observed in a layer of 3-5 m, from where it drops sharply to horizons of 5-7 m and then gradually decreases towards the bottom. In zones of influence of coastal runoff, a uniform temperature covers a layer of up to 7-10 m; between horizons of 10-20 m it sharply, and then gradually decreases to the bottom.
In general, the shallow, weakly warmed East Siberian Sea is one of the coldest Arctic seas.
Salinity of water
The salinity of water is different in the western and eastern parts of the sea. In the eastern part of the sea at the surface it is usually about 30 ppm. River flow in the eastern part of the sea leads to a decrease in salinity to 10-15 ppm, and at the mouths of large rivers to almost zero. Near ice fields, salinity increases to 30 ppm. With depth, salinity increases to 32 ppm.
In surface waters, salinity increases from southwest to northeast. In the area of river deltas in winter and spring it is 4-5 ppm. In open waters it reaches 28-30 ppm, and in the north up to 31-32 ppm. In summer, salinity decreases by 5% due to snow melting.
Ice regime
The sea is covered with ice almost all year round. The ice thickness reaches 2 meters by the end of winter and decreases from west to east.
In the eastern part of the sea, even in summer, floating perennial ice (up to 2-3 meters thick) remains. From the coast they can be driven north by winds from the mainland.
The ice drifts in a northwesterly direction as a result of water circulation under the influence of anticyclones at the pole. After the anticyclone weakens, the area of the cyclonic gyre increases and multi-year ice enters the sea.
Ice melting begins in May from the Kolyma River delta. In summer, the coastal part in the west is free of ice; in the east there are floating ice floes.
The sea freezes completely in October-November.
Hydrochemical conditions
The characteristic features of the hydrochemical conditions of the East Siberian Sea illustrate the content and distribution of oxygen and phosphates in it. In autumn and winter, the waters of the East Siberian Sea are well aerated. Relative oxygen content over time
