This is the smallest and small ocean of land. It differs from other oceans not only a peculiar geographical position and a large isolation, but also harsh, the presence of ice cover and extensive shelves.
Nature features
Contains about 3% of water volume. It is located around the North Pole between and. It is connected to via narrow and small, and C - through. The coastline of the ocean is strongly disseminated by the seas and bays. In terms of the number of islands and archipelago, the Arctic Ocean ranks second in the world after the quiet. For rare exceptions, located on the shelf and have a continental origin. Among them are the largest island of the world - K (2.18 million km2).
The temperature of the surface waters of the ocean is so low (from 0 to -2 ° C) that in winter 9/10, and in summer 2/3 of its area is embedded with ice. Only the Norwegian Sea and part of the Greenland and Barents Seas are not freezing, where the warm water of the north-Atlantic flow comes.
The Arctic formed a special system of flows, ensuring the exchange of waters with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The major rivers of Eurasia and North America, flowing into the Northern Arctic Ocean, annually bring about 5000 km3 of fresh water into it. Freshwater is formed and at the expense of the summer melting of marine ice. Therefore, surface water by the end of the summer acquire the smallest saline - 30-31% about.
A distinctive feature - its formation in the harsh natural conditions. In areas of warm flows, animals are represented by whales, a variety of fish (herring, cod, sea bass, pikes, halibut, seara), bottom invertebrates (crabs, mollusks, rainfall). In the very cold seas and fishes are not so diverse. Liston-related (walrui, seals, nerves), as well as Beluhi, Whales, Narvals are common here. The largest predator of the northern hemisphere lives on the islands and floating ice - the polar bear. The life of fishing birds (seagulls, gaggs, cayers, deadlocks) is closely connected with the seas, in a variety of nesting on coastal rocks and forming bird bazaars.
Natural Wealth and Economic Learning
Washing Eurasia Arctic seas and the sea of \u200b\u200bBuffin - traditional areas of fisheries and whaling fishing. Over 12 million tons of herring, cod, halotus, perch and other fish are killed in them every year. Indigenous inhabitants of the North in. . Greenland is engaged in sealing seals, walrus.
Sea transportation is carried out mainly along the Northern Sea Path from Murmansk to, USA and the Canal in the North-West Passage. Ice greatly make it difficult to navigation, which is possible using icebreakers only for 2-4 months of summer.
- The smallest of the oceans of the Earth. Its area is almost 15 million km2. There is an ocean in.
and it takes extensive spaces around the North Pole.
The study of the Arctic Ocean is a chain of the heroic feats of many generations of navigators. In the distant times, Russian pomaries on the journey were launched on the duck wooden croches and delicates. They led fish fishery, hunted and well knew the swimming conditions in polar latitudes. One of the most accurate maps of the western part of the ocean was drawn up on the basis of the villem of the Barents Villem in the XVI century, which attempted to find the shortest path from the countries of the East. The beginning of a systematic study of the coast of the ocean is associated with the names of many navigators and travelers: S.I. Schelskina, who revealed the northern tip describing the part; Lapteva D.Ya. and Lapteva H.P., examined the ocean coast to the East and the West from the mouth of the river; I.D. Papanina, who made the heroic drift on the ice from the North Pole to the development of new methods of research on the ocean, and others. The names of many of them remained in the names on the map.
The maximum depth of the ocean is 5527 meters. A characteristic feature is a large shelf, whose width reaches 1300-1500 km. The central part is crossed by mountain ranges and deep faults, between which the brand lies.
The presence of ice is the most characteristic feature of this ocean. Their formation is associated with low temperatures and low salinity of the ocean water. And the flows cause the movement of ice, which form huge jets - torosa - due to severe side compression. There are cases when vessels that fell into ice capture were crushed or squeezed up.
The bulk of organisms in the ocean form algae capable of living in cold water and even on ice. Life is rich only in the indental area and on the shelf near the mouth of the rivers. Fish here: Cod, Navaga, Haltus. Whale, seals, walruses live in the ocean. The main mass of the plankton of the ocean is formed. It attracts here in summer many birds forming on the rocks of the birds "bazers".
The Arctic Ocean is extremely important for many: Russia, Canada and others. Save nature makes it difficult to find there. But already explored deposits and on the shelf and seas, off the coast of Alaska and. At the bottom discovered deposits rich in various ores.
Biological riches are small. In the ingredical latitudes, fish and produce algae, hunt for seals. Aisberg, drifting up to 6 or more years.
The Northern Arctic Ocean is recognized as smaller in the area and depth compared to the rest of the planet's oceans. It is located in the northern hemisphere, between North America and Eurasia. It has a large amount of ice.
He received his name in the middle of the nineteenth century, before that he was called hyperborean. Located in the Arctic belt. It has a harsh climate, it affects the location of the sushi, which surrounds around.
The rugged coastline of the Arctic Ocean gave the appearance of a set of seas. Appearance The shores are different. They can be rocky, high, low, smooth, fiorda and others.
Also, the ocean is rich in the island. The islands of Greenland, Wrangel, Novosibirsk are considered the largest. The large archipelago is considered to be Canadian Arctic.
Examine the Arctic Ocean is very difficult. Expeditions participate scientists from different countries - Russia, USA, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. Schmidt O.Yu., Naobil U., Amudsen R., Nansen F. and others are recognized as outstanding scientists for the study of the Northern Ocean. Now conducting active studies of the ice ocean for navigation, natural flora and the fauna of the ocean, animal and fisheries, the use of the shelf and receiving weather forecast.
The territory washed by the Arctic Ocean, have international natives. Large ports are located in Murmansk, Kandalaksha, Belomorsk;, Dudinka, Norilsk, Helsinki, Trondheim. The number of transportation is significantly lower than through other oceans.
Russian scientists for the first time studied the bottom of the ocean. And it was found that the shelf is located for the most part and has a complex structure. It is due to the underwater shelf, the ocean is isolated from the quiet and atlantic oceans.
The organic world is quite poor, it is associated with cold climatic conditions. But despite this, in some areas, in particular, the Barents and the White Sea, the European pool is a rich world of flora and fauna. There are about 150 species of fish. Due to low temperature regimes, the ocean fish is "longevity". Birds live in the coastal zone and have a colonial lifestyle. The mammal world is presented mainly by seals, walrows, whales, lemmings, sands, reindeer and others. Most fauna representatives have white color and dense fur cover, which provides protection against harsh climates.
North Arctic Ocean and his story
Until 1845, the Arctic Ocean was called the Gir Perperborean Ocean, given a given name to him by Dutch geographer B. Warenius. According to myths and legends Ancient Greece In the northern lands existed a country of hyperborea, inhabited by poets, brave soldiers, skilled speakers.
Russian cartographic sources called this reservoir by the North Sea, the Arctic Sea, the Northern Ocean, the Northern Polar Sea.
Previously, a very long period, the ocean was considered a shallow sea with cold waters. As a result of research, Forma Nansen in the 19th century it was proved that this ocean was revealed.
Because of the ice research ice, it was difficult to conquer the Northern Arctic Ocean for a long time for a long time.
At the beginning of the 20th century, R. Amundsen and R. Berd were held research from the air. As a result, it was found that north of Greenland there is no sushi.
The fifth expedition of Rasmussen, which began in 1920, paved the way from Greenland to Alaska.
The icebreaker entitled "Joseph Stalin" mastered the legendary passage from Murmansk to Greenland.
The first hydrometeorological station, which allowed to study the nature of the local waters and the relief of the ocean, began its work in 1937.
In 1968-1969, the British in order to study the flora and fauna conducted a unique expedition - on foot.
The modern Arctic Ocean was given to the Northern Arctic Ocean in 1845.
The Northern Arctic Ocean is the smallest area - about 15 million square kilometers, and depth, as well as the coldest. In addition, they are less salted, in contrast to the water of other oceans: numerous Siberia Rivers fall into it, which reduce the salinity of the ocean, the waters are despicably.
The number of islands in the ocean is large, according to this indicator, the northern ice ocean is inferior to the silent ocean.
The two ridges - Mendeleev and Lomonosov - the Arctic swimming pool is divided into three brands: the hollow of Nansen, Makarova and Canadian brand. Depth in the range of ridges 1-2 thousand meters. In the Nansen, the deepest point of the ocean -5527m is located.
The Arctic Ocean is almost completely covered with drifting ice. Geographical position The ocean causes it to obtain a smaller volume of solar energy than other oceans are obtained, those that are located in low latitudes. Therefore, the temperature of the Arctic waters is very low. BUT low temperatures In turn, the poverty of the fauna and the flora are determined. Large mammals are dominated here: white bears, walruses and seals. In the ingredic waters a lot of diverse fish: herring, cod, pike, sea bass, sideways, and greenland whales and prestituts live here.
Plant world is represented by unpretentious algae. There are only about two hundred types of phytoplankton species.
Ocean zooplankton is also poor: in the Arctic pool, this is only about 70-80 species, in the seas - no more than 200 species.
The life expectancy of representatives of the Fauna of the Arctic Ocean is higher than that of their relatives in the warm regions, and their development takes place slower. Also for them are characterized by gigantic sizes.
Through the sea of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean lies the shortest path from Siberia and Northern Europe To Asia, the so-called northern seaway. In order to find this way, the expedition of V.G. Chichagov was organized, and the idea itself belonged to M.V. Lomonosov. In 1878-1879. Expedition A.Nordenchelda was able to make the first end-to-end swimming on the northern way and reached the banks of Chukotka. And B1914-1915. The icebreakers "Taimyr" and "Vaigach" were held in Arkhangelsk from Vladivostok. Since 1932, after the icebreaker "A. Sibiryakov "went through the way with Arkhangelsk to Bering Strait, and the main development of the Sea Muputi was created a thorough development of this marine highway.
In the post-war years, 7 atomic icebreakers were built in the USSR, which regularly delivered goods to the Arctic regions of the country. Ports are built in the Arctic - the main links connecting the Arctic with a big land.
The value of the Arctic Ocean is Veliko. Despite the scarcity of species, however, the mining of fish and algae is developed, hunting for seals. Also, oil and gas reserves are concentrated on the shelf, some heavy metals. The ocean contains many mineral resources and ore fossils as, for example, gold, coal, titanium, tungsten, beryllium and others.
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Area 14.75 million square meters. km, the middle depth of 1225 m, the highest depth of 5527 m in the Greenland Sea. The volume of water is 18.07 million km³.
The shores in the west of Eurasia are predominantly high, fourt-old, in the east - deltoid and lagoon, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - mostly low, even. Eurasia shores are washed by the sea: Norwegian, Barents, White, Karsky, Laptev, East Siberian and Chukotka; North America - Greenland, Befort, Buffin, Goodzonov Bay, Bay and Straits of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
By the number of islands, the Arctic Ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. The largest islands and archipelagoes of mainland: Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Land Franz Joseph, New Earth, Northern Earth, Novosibirsk Islands, Wrangel Island.
Northern Arctic Ocean It is customary to divide on 3 extensive water area: the Arctic pool, which includes the deep-water central part of the ocean, the North European Pool (Sea Greenland, Norwegian, Barents and White) and the sea, located within the mainland, (Karoskaya, Laptev Sea, East Siberian , Chukotka, Beaufort, Buffin), occupying more than 1/3 of the Ocean Square.
The width of the mainland shallows in the Barents Sea reaches 1300 km. For mainland, the bottom of the bottom drops sharply, forming a step with a depth of the foot to 2000-2800 m, the boring central deep-water part of the ocean - the Arctic pool, which underwater ridges of Gakkel, Lomonosov and Mendeleev shared on a row of deep-water Kotlovin: Nansen, Amundsen, Makarova, Canadian, Submariners and others.
The Frama Strait between the Islands of Greenland and Spitsbergen Arctic Basin connects to the North European Pool, which in the Norwegian and Greenland seas intersects from the north to the south underwater ridges Icelandic, Mona and Knipovich, constituting together with the Gakkel Range, the most northern segment of the world-oceanic ridges.
In the winter of 9/10, the area of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean is covered with drifting ice, mainly by perennial (thickness of about 4.5 m), and we solder (in the coastal zone). The total volume of ice is about 26 thousand km3. In the seas of Buffin and the Greenland of the Aisbergs. In the Arctic basin drift (6 or more) the so-called ice islands generated from the shelf glaciers of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Their thickness reaches 30-35 m, as a result of which they are convenient to use for the work of perennial drifting stations.
The vegetable and animal world of the Arctic Ocean is represented by the Arctic and Atlantic forms. The number of types and individuals of organisms decreases towards the pole. However, phytoplankton, including among the ice of the Arctic basin, is intensively developing in the entire Northern Arctic Ocean. Animal world More diverse in the North European Basin, mainly fish: herring, cod, sea bass, pike; In the Arctic pool - a polar bear, a walrus, a seal, narrowing, beluga, etc.
Within 3-5 months, the North Arctic Ocean is used for maritime transport, which are carried out by Russia in the Northern Sea Route, USA and Canada in the North-Western Passage.
Major ports: Churchill (Canada); Tromso, Trondheim (Norway); Arkhangelsk, Belomorsk, Dixon, Murmansk, Pevek, Tiksi (Russia).
The Arctic Ocean - the smallest among the oceans - is connected to Atlantic Ocean Siberias Davis, Danish and Faroezo-Icelandic, and with the Pacific Ocean - Bering Strait. The coastline of the Northern Ocean Ocean is diverse: the shores of White, Barents, Kara and East Siberian seas are low and wetlands; Raught by the fjords of the shores of Scandinavia and Greenland are high and rocks, the banks of the Islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, which have no less winding pattern, are also low.
By the abundance of the islands, the North Arctic Ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. According to the largest islands of this ocean, Iceland and Greenland, the border is carried out separating the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic. The Islands of Wrangel and Herald, located on the border of the East Siberian and Chukotka seas form a conservation zone. Here is the only white goose nesting area in Russia, focusing frying walrles, and the sheer cliffs, barking islands - the places of bird bazaars.
The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1130 m, the maximum is 5449 m. Distinctive trait The bottom relief of the Arctic Ocean is a large mainland shallow, or a shelf that makes up more than a third of the entire ocean area. Its width reaches 1300-1500 km. The shelf is the majority of the seas of the Northern Ocean - Barents, Greenland, Karoskaya, Laptev, Norwegian, East Siberian, Chukotka. Unlike them, the White Sea and Goodzons of the Bay of the Northern Ocean - Inland Sea, having only a narrow access to the main ocean. For the Arctic seas, significant fluctuations in tides and sings are characteristic; Tides reach a considerable height, especially in the mesensky lip of the White Sea, where, during the tide, water comes to a ten meter.
Structure of the bottom of the Northern Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is made to divide on three so-called pools. First of all - the Arctic pool, covering the entire extensive water area around the North Pole. The mainstream slope of the Barents Sea This pool is separated from the North-European; The border between them and the Atlantic Ocean is carried out by parallels 80 degrees of northern latitude on the segment between the Islands of Greenland and Svalbard. Also, the North Arctic Ocean includes the straits of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the sea of \u200b\u200bBuffin and Hudzonov Bay; The whole area is called the Canadian Basin.
Canadian pool.
Its most of the sparies of the same name archipelago. The relief of their bottom is characterized by large depths for sheds: the bottom of the bottom in most of the strathers of the archipelago showed values \u200b\u200bexceeding 500 m. In addition to this feature, the archipelago is notable for complex, bizarre outlines of the islands and straits. From the point of view of scientists, this indicates a relatively recent glaciation. Many Islands of the Canadian archipelago are partially or fully covered with glaciers.
The ice relief is also characteristic of the Gudsonian Bay, crashed into the Canadian Coast of North America. However, unlike the straits of the Canadian archipelago, the bay of shallow water. Great depth is a sea of \u200b\u200bBuffin; The maximum mark shown by the precursors is 2414 m. The sea of \u200b\u200bBuffin occupies an extensive basin bounded by a wide shelf and a clearly pronounced mainland slope; These features are generally characteristic of the bottom relief of the Arctic Ocean. Most of the bugfin sea shelf lies at a considerable depth - from 200 to 500 m.
North European Pool
The basis of the North European Basin bottom forms the system of underwater ridges. Researchers consider it a continuation of the Mid-Atlantic Submarine Ridge. The Reykianes ridge is located in the area of \u200b\u200bancient faults caused by the constant movement of the plates of the earth's crust - rifts; This area is called the "rift zone of Iceland", because it begins to a little south of this island, continuing from him to the northeast, and then north. Here it is quite high seismic activity, hot springs are often found on the islands.
The continuation of this zone looks like Ridge Colbeins; Jan-Mayen Flaking Strip crosses it almost exactly 72nd parallels. With this band, increased volcanic activity and - in the relatively late past - the formation of the island, which is the same name as the whole area: Jan Mayen. Another north, slightly away from the main mass of mountain structures, is located a small ridge, named after the Norwegian meteorologist Henric Mona. Once this underwater mountain region experienced an impact of a series of eruptions, which caused a rather noticeable displacement of part of its structures. Until the 74th parallel, the ridge goes to the northeast, and then sharply changes the direction to the meridional. This link of the mining system is called the Knipovich Range. The western part of the ridge is a monolithic comb, the Eastern has a noticeably smaller height and is practically merged with the mainland fit, which is almost buried under sediment.
From the island of Jan-Mayen to the south, Jan-Mayensky Ridge, reaching almost the Faroerage-Icelandic threshold, which is often considered a border area with the Atlantic. This ridge is attributed to the most ancient origin in the entire bottom system of the North European Basin. Between this ridge and the Colbeinsen Ridge is located comparatively (under the oceanic standards) shading - up to 2 thousand m - the basin. The bottom of it is composed by basalts - traces of the former fissure eruptions. Thanks to Basaltam, this section of the bottom, called the Icelandic plateau, is aligned and raised compared to the ocean-adjacent oct.
Far to the West stands to the Forest Plateau - the underwater continuation of the Scandinavian Peninsula. This plateau shares the eastern part of the North European Basin, called the Norwegian Sea usually, for two basins - Norwegian and Lofoten. These basins are deeper, their maximal depths are 3970 and 3717 m, respectively. The bottom of the Norwegian hillside, almost half of it shares it stretching from the Faroe Islands to the plateau Thoring chain of low mountains - the Norwegian ridge. Almost half of the bottom of the Lofoten basin occupies a flat plain, the top layer of which is complicated by petrified meal. On the western outskirts of the North European Basin there is a Greenland Basil, the maximum depth of which is at the same time the maximum depth of the entire ocean.
Arctic pool
However, the main part of the Arctic Ocean is the Arctic pool. By area, it is 4 times higher than North European. More than half of the day of the Arctic Basin presents the mainland shelf, especially extensive along the Eurasian coast.
On the outskirts of the Barents Sea, the bottom of the ocean is formed by ancient folded formations resembling mountains. These folds of the earth's crust have a different age: the Kola Peninsula and northeast of the island of Svalbard, they have billions of years, and at the coast of the new land - no more than 30 million years. Among the depression and deflection of the bottom of the Barents Sea should be noted the Medvezhinsky gutter in the west of the sea, Holy Anne's gutter and Franz Victoria in the north, as well as located almost in the center of Samoilov's chute. Between them are raised by the Medvezhinskaya plateau, the central plateau, the elevation of Perseus and some others. By the way, the well-known white sea is good, in fact, there is nothing but a deeply poppy sea bay of the Barents Sea.
The geological structure of the shelf of the Kara Sea is heterogeneous. Its southern part of it mainly represents a continuation of a relatively young West Siberian slab. In the northern part, the shelf crosses the thickness of the lowest folds of the earth's crust - the immersed link of an ancient, smoothed by the time of the ridge, which stretches from the northern tip of the Urals to the new land. His structures continue on the North Taimyr and in the Archipelago of the Northern Earth. The noticeable proportion of the surface of the Kara Sea bottom falls on the Novoemel chute with a maximum depth of 433 m, the chute of Voronin is located in the north. Unlike the Barents Sea, most of the shelf within the Kara Sea has "normal" for this type of bottom bottom - no more than 200 m. Extensive shallow water with depths less than 50 m adjoins the southeast coast of the Kara Sea. The bottom of the Kara Sea crosses clearly expressed flooded continuations of Ob and Yenisei Valley; The latter receives a number of "tributaries", walking from the Central Circar underwater elevation. In the terrain of the bottom near the New Earth, Northern Earth and Taimyr, the consequences of glaciation are still well noticeable.
In the bottom relief of Laptev, the prevailing type of relief is aligned plain. This equalized relief continues at the bottom of the East Siberian Sea; In some places at the bottom of the sea near the Novosibirsk islands, and north-west of the bearish islands is clearly expressed, the GC Relief, formed, probably, as a result of the natural preparation of solid rock outlets, shrouded in subsequently with the cover of precipitation. The shelf stretch stretched along the north shore of Alaska, relatively non-sequirs and is a plain aligned to a large degree of temperature fluctuations due to close underwater eruptions. The northern outskirts of the Canadian archipelago and Greenland, the shelf again becomes ovelasty, again appear signs of glacial relief.
Underwater outskirts of North America, Greenland and Eurasia from all sides overtake the aligned part of the Arctic basin, which is occupied by the Mid-Ocean Gakkel Ridge and the Ocean Lodge. The gakkel ridge begins from the valley by rocks typical of the oceanic Lena - a narrow depressure, the origin of the spikels associated with the spitsbagegen zone, which limits the Knipovich Ridge from the north. Next, the Gakkel ridge is pulled in parallel to the Eurasian underwater outskirts and adjoins the mainland slope in the sea of \u200b\u200bLaptev in the area of \u200b\u200bcrossing the ridge with the 80th parallel. Nods gakkel ridge; It is the mainly well-pronounced zone of faults and intersects with a large number of parallel to each other oceanic glacier depressions. Some of them are dedicated depths of more than 4 thousand m - it is a very large depth for the Arctic Ocean, if you remember that the maximum depth of this ocean is 5527 m. Along the zone of faults dedicated to the Gakkel ridge, numerous epicenters of earthquakes are located. There are separate instructions on the manifestations of underwater volcanism.
Another large orographic structure of the Arctic basin is the lifting of Lomonosov. Unlike the Gakkel Ridge, this monolithic mountain structure, stretching in the form of a solid shaft from the underwater edge of Northern Greenland to the mainland slope of the sea of \u200b\u200bLaptev, north of the Novosibirsk Islands. Under the lift of Lomonosov, as they suggest, the earth bark of the continental type lies.
Another lift is to raise Mendeleev - stretches from the underwater outskirts of the Island of Wrangel to Elsmir Island in the Canadian Archipelago. It has a lump structure and, in all likelihood, is complex for sea bark typical. Also, two outskirts of the Plateau should also be mentioned - the Ermak Plateau and the Chukotka Plateau north of the Chukotka Sea. Both of them are formed earth Kore mainland type.
The ridges and raising divide the flat part of the Arctic basin on the Kotlovin row. Between the underwater outskirts of Eurasia and the Gakkel ridge lies the hill of Nansen with a hilly bottom and a maximum depth of 3975 m. Between the Gakkel ridge and the lifting of Lomonosov is the face of Amundsen. The bottom of the basin is an extensive flat plain. The North Pole is located in this basin. Here in 1938 Expedition I.D. Papanina measured the depth: 4485 m - the maximum depth of the Amundsen basin. Between the lifts of Lomonosov and Mendeleev is a brand Makarov.
The maximum depth of it is more than 4510 m. Southern, relatively shallow portion of the hollow with a maximum depth of 2793 m are considered as a separate base of submariners. The largest possible Canadian Basin is located south of the Raising Mendeleev and east of the Chukotka Plateau. Its maximum depth is 3909 m, and the bottom of it is occupied mainly by a flat plain, with which the inclined accumulative plain of the mainland fit is gradually merged.
Ice and currents
Warm waters of the north-Atlantic current come from the west to the Arctic seas. This stream, which is driven by Western wind along the shores of Eurasia, is noticeably different from the surrounding Arctic waters: salinity and density of its water above. As a result, warm waters of one of the branches of the north-Atlantic flow - the Nordskap the flow - when driving to the east in Kara and the Barents seas, deep into the deployment. Cold Arctic flows remain on the surface of the ocean, while the atlantic waters are transferred to slow underwater flows far to the east, reaching the East Siberian Sea. Along with this, from Bering Strait and to Greenland from the east to the west through all seas moving the cold counterchange.
The average thickness of the Arctic sea ice It is 2 m, which noticeably exceeds the same parameters of the Antarctic ice. In the fall of the coast of the Arctic seas, it is formed relatively thin, firmly linked with the shore of still ice - coastal duties. Behind his strip, in the open sea, perennial drifting ice can be seen, which in a collision form disorderly jets - torosa; The height of them reaches 20 m. In addition to sea ice in the seas of high northern latitudes there are and fragments of mainland ice - Icebergs. They are derived from glaciers sliding from the shores of Northern Earth and the land of Franz Joseph. Arctic icebergs are relatively small and inferior in the size of the Aisbergham Antarctic.
The formation of sea ice - the process is not instant. At air temperature from minus 1.6 ° C to plus, crystals begin to grow on the surface of the water. In quiet weather over the water, fog rises, about which sailors say: "Sea is cray". The crystals grow, connecting with each other, and form clots, which in time begin to resemble porridge from snow and ice; Porridge This name is called "Snezhura". The sea seems to be covered by a layer of snow, which, depending on the lighting, it seems either a gray-steel or lead gray and resembles a freezing liquid lubricant; This is the so-called "Ice Salo". As the cold is enhanced, this porridge is fatal, and the space of fixed water is tightened with a thin crust of the ice. Of course, freezing cannot be uniform. Ice disks with raised edges appear from ice bass and snow, a diameter of several centimeters to 3-4-m and up to 10 cm thick. Such an ice is called a pancake. When the wind blows and the sea is worried, the ice fat is going to whitish lumps - this is a loose ice.
The ice floes thicken and increase in size; Solid ice is formed - what any extensive formation of sea ice is called. With strong wind and excitement of solid ice breaks more or less large parts - ice fields area up to 2 km². Pack ice is called long-term, mainly cohesive and peasy sea ice, which is an extensive fields with a thickness of 3-4 m, which can drift, removing from the place of their formation.
With strong wind, tremendous ice fields face; Their edges rise and enclosed on each other, forming chaotic clusters of torosa. From these formations, large oral ice floes are numbered, having a large sediment, which are often confused with consistent fresh ice Icebergs. No less often, polar navigaters meet rounded medium-sized ice floes, broken from icebergs and major nonyesakov, which they call barrels. These medium ice floes are very dangerous because they have a very small visible surface. Small floating floors of sea ice wear swans, and very small icebergs - ice heads.
It used to be believed that all the ice of the central Arctic under the influence of currents and wind drift in the direction of the Greenland Sea. Studies made it possible to establish that with a certain combination of atmospheric and hydrological conditions, the ice floes does not carry into the Greenland Sea, they continue to move around the Arctic on a giant closed curve. For the first time, it was found randomly: the ice-2 ice drifted by the SP-2 station, in the spring of 1951, was left by polar explorers, and in 1954 this ice camp took a picture of the pilot. For three years, Ltin made a way around the North Pole.
