Surface water temperature distribution in the Barents Sea. Northern Seas of Russia

Posted Mon, 20/04/2015 - 06:55 by Cap

The wealth of Russia will grow not only in Siberia, but also in the Arctic! This is a very important territory for Russia, according to many estimates, almost a quarter of the planet's hydrocarbons are concentrated here (even if less, still a lot!). By the way, this is proved by the fact that earlier there were warm seas, tropical greenery, moist forests grew, because without this there is no coal, oil and gas! The legends about Hyperborea and Arctida are quite justified. And on ancient maps, Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya formed an arc, inside which the current Barents Sea was located, probably it was still warm then! Maybe on these mysterious lands an ancient civilization was hiding, after which there were mines, caves, stone sanctuaries and pyramids.

Hydrography
The largest rivers flowing into the Barents Sea are the Indiga.

currents
The surface currents of the sea form a counterclockwise circulation. Along the southern and eastern periphery, the Atlantic waters of the warm North Cape current (a branch of the Gulf Stream system) move east and north, the influence of which can be traced to the northern shores of Novaya Zemlya. The northern and western parts of the gyre are formed by local and arctic waters entering the Arctic Ocean. In the central part of the sea there is a system of intracircular currents. The circulation of sea waters changes under the influence of changes in winds and water exchange with adjacent seas. Of great importance, especially near the coast, are tidal currents. The tides are semi-diurnal, their greatest value is 6.1 m near the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in other places 0.6-4.7 m.

The size of the Pechora Sea: in the latitudinal direction - from Kolguev Island to the Kara Gate Strait - about 300 km and in the meridional direction - from Cape Russkiy Zavorot to Novaya Zemlya - about 180 km. The area of ​​the sea is 81,263 km², the volume of water is 4380 km³.

There are several bays (bays) within the Pechora Sea: Ramenka, Kolokolkova, Pakhancheskaya, Bolvanskaya, Khaipudyrskaya, Pechorskaya (the largest). The coast from the village of Varandey to Cape Medynsky Zavorot near the Pomors was called "Burlovy".
The sea is shallow with gradually increasing depths in the meridional direction from the mainland coast. Along there is a deep-water trench with depths of more than 150 m.
The polar night here lasts from the end of November to the middle of January, and the polar day - from the middle of May to the end of July.

The ice cover, which has a seasonal character here, forms in September-October and remains until July.
The maximum heating of waters in the surface layers is observed in August (10-12 °C), and in the deep layers - in September-October. In the coldest month - May - the water temperature values ​​are negative from the surface to the bottom.

Characteristics
The salinity of the water in the Pechora Sea varies throughout the year and in different parts of the water area. During the ice period, salty sea waters are observed (salinity 32–35 ‰). In the summer-autumn period, the freshening effect of the continental freshwater runoff (primarily the Pechora River) is strongly pronounced in the region. In the 0–10 m layer, zones of brackish (salinity up to 25‰), desalinated marine (salinity 25–30‰) and saline marine (salinity over 30‰) are formed. The maximum development of these zones is noted in July. The reduction of zones of brackish and desalinated sea waters occurs in August-October and ends in November by the beginning of ice formation with the complete disappearance of brackish waters in the Pechora Sea.
Branches of the warm Kolguyevo-Pechora current, the cold Litke current and the runoff (warm in summer and cold in winter) White Sea and Pechora currents pass into the sea.

The tides in the Pechora Sea are semidiurnal shallow, only at its top and at its top they are irregular semidiurnal. The average spring tide (Varandey village) is 1.1 m.
Fishing for cod, beluga whales, and seals is carried out in the sea.

Industrial development
First Arctic Oil
The Pechora Sea is one of the most explored hydrocarbon reserves on the Russian shelf. It was at the Prirazlomnoye field, located on the shelf of the Pechora Sea, that the first Arctic oil was produced in 2013.
The Prirazlomnoye field is currently the only field on the Russian Arctic shelf where oil production has already begun. Oil of the new Russian grade was named ARCO (Arctic oil) and was first shipped from Prirazlomnoye in April 2014. The field is located 55 km north of the village of Varandey and 320 km northeast of the city of Naryan-Mar. The sea depth in the area of ​​the deposit is 19-20 meters. Prirazlomnoye was discovered in 1989 and contains more than 70 million tons of recoverable oil reserves. The development license is held by Gazprom Neft Shelf (a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft).
Prirazlomnoye is a unique Russian hydrocarbon production project on the Arctic shelf. For the first time, hydrocarbon production on the Arctic shelf is carried out from a fixed platform — the offshore ice-resistant fixed platform (OIRFP) Prirazlomnaya. The platform allows you to perform all technological operations - drilling, production, storage, offloading oil to tankers, etc.

rainbow in Liinahamare Bay Barents Sea

Cape Svyatoy Nos, border of the White and Barents Seas

- an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean between the Barents and; part of the Arkhangelsk region of Russia in the rank of the municipality "Novaya Zemlya".
The archipelago consists of two large islands, the North and the South, separated by a narrow strait (2–3 km) Matochkin Shar and many relatively small islands, the largest of which is Mezhdusharsky. The northeastern tip of the North Island - Cape Flissing - is the easternmost point of Europe.

on the left - the Barents Sea,

It stretches from the southwest to the northeast for 925 km. The northernmost is the eastern island of the Greater Orange Islands, the southernmost is the Pynina Islands of the Petukhovsky archipelago, the western is an unnamed cape on the Gusinaya Zemlya peninsula of the South Island, and the eastern is Cape Flissingsky of the Severny Islands. The area of ​​all the islands is more than 83 thousand km²; the width of the North Island is up to 123 km,
South - up to 143 km.

In the south, the Karskie Vorota strait (50 km wide) is separated from Vaygach Island.

The climate is arctic and harsh. The winter is long and cold, with strong winds (the speed of katabatic (katabatic) winds reaches 40–50 m/s) and snowstorms, which is why Novaya Zemlya is sometimes referred to in the literature as the “Land of Winds”. Frosts reach -40 °C.
The average temperature of the warmest month - August - is from 2.5 ° C in the north to 6.5 ° C in the south. In winter, the difference reaches 4.6°. The difference in temperature conditions between the coasts of the Barents exceeds 5°. Such a temperature asymmetry is due to the difference in the ice regime of these seas. There are many small lakes on the archipelago itself; under the rays of the sun, the water temperature in the southern regions can reach 18 ° C.

About half of the area of ​​the North Island is occupied by glaciers. On the territory of about 20,000 km² there is a continuous ice cover, extending almost 400 km in length and up to 70-75 km in width. The thickness of the ice is over 300 m. In a number of places, the ice descends into the fjords or breaks off into the open sea, forming ice barriers and giving rise to icebergs. The total glaciation area of ​​Novaya Zemlya is 29,767 km², of which about 92% is ice cover and 7.9% is mountain glaciers. On the South Island there are patches of arctic tundra.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE BARENTS AND PECHORA SEA
Basic physical and geographical features. Among the Arctic seas of our country, it occupies the most westerly position. This sea has natural boundaries in the south and partly in the east; in other parts, its boundaries are conditional lines drawn in accordance with hydrometeorological and geological signs. The boundaries of the sea are fixed by a special resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of June 27, 1935. Its western border is the line of Cape Yuzhny (Svalbard Island) - about. Bear - m. North Cape. The southern limit of the sea is the coast of the mainland and the line of Cape Svyatoy Nos - Cape Kanin Nos, which separates it from Bely. From the east, the sea is limited by the western coast of the Vaigach and Novaya Zemlya islands and further by the line of Cape Zhelaniya - Cape Kolzat.
In the north, the boundary of the sea runs along the northern margin of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago further from Cape Mary Harmsworth (Alexandra Land Island) through the Victoria and White Islands to Cape Lee Smith, which is located on about. North-Eastern Land (Spitsbergen archipelago). Within these boundaries, the sea is located between the parallels 81°52′ and 66°44′ N. sh. and between meridians 16°30′ and 68°32′ E. d.

Located mainly on the North European shelf, open to the central Arctic basin and to the Norwegian and Greenland seas, the Barents Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. This is one of the largest seas in the USSR. Its area is 1 million 424 thousand km2, the volume is 316 thousand km3, the average depth is 222 m, and the maximum depth is 600 m.

There are many islands in the Barents Sea. Among them are the largest polar archipelagos - Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, as well as the islands of Novaya Zemlya, Kolguev, Medvezhiy, etc. Small islands are mainly grouped into archipelagos located near the mainland or larger islands, for example, Krestovye, Gorbov, Gulyaev Koshki and etc. A large number of islands and their marked location is one of the geographical features of the sea. Its complex dissected coastline forms numerous capes, fjords, bays, bays. Due to the diversity of the Barents Sea coast, its individual sections are assigned to different morphological types of coasts. They are shown on the map (Fig. 29), which shows that abrasion shores prevail in the Barents Sea, but there are accumulative and icy ones. The northern shores of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula are mountainous and steeply cut to the sea, indented by numerous fjords. The southeastern part of the sea is characterized by low, gently sloping shores. The western coast of Novaya Zemlya is low and hilly; in its northern part, glaciers come close to the sea. Some of them flow directly into the sea. Similar shores are found on Franz Josef Land and on the northeastern island of the Svalbard archipelago.

The bottom of the Barents Sea is a complexly dissected underwater plain with a wavy surface, somewhat sloping to the west and northeast (see Fig. 29). The deepest regions, including the maximum depth of the sea, are located in its western part. The topography of the sea bottom as a whole is characterized by the alternation of large structural elements—submarine elevations and trenches—crossing it in different directions, as well as the existence of numerous small (3–5 m) irregularities at depths of less than 200 m and terrace-like ledges on the slopes. Thus, this sea is distinguished by a very uneven distribution of depths. With its average depth of 186 m, the difference in depths in the open part reaches 400 m. The rugged bottom relief significantly affects the hydrological conditions of the sea. N. N. Zubov rightly considered the Barents Sea a classic example of the influence of the bottom topography and hydrological processes occurring in the sea.

The position of the Barents Sea at high latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle, direct connection with the Atlantic Ocean and the Central Arctic Basin determine the main features of the sea's climate. In general, it has a polar maritime climate, which is characterized by long winters, short cold summers, low annual air temperature amplitude, and high relative humidity. At the same time, the large meridional extent of the sea, the influx of large masses of warm Atlantic waters in the southwest, and the influx of cold waters from the Arctic basin create climatic differences from place to place.

In the northern part of the sea, arctic air masses dominate, and in the south, air from temperate latitudes. At the boundary of these two main streams, an atmospheric Arctic front is formed, generally directed from the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya through the Bear Islands, Jan Mayen to Iceland. Cyclones and anticyclones often form here, the passage of which is associated with the nature of the weather in the Barents Sea and its stability in different seasons.

In the Barents Sea, inflows of cold Arctic air or the intrusion of warm air masses from the Atlantic Ocean are often observed. This entails either a sharp cooling or thaw. In summer, the Icelandic low becomes less deep, and the Siberian anticyclone collapses. A stable anticyclone is forming over the Barents Sea. As a result, relatively stable, cool and cloudy weather is established here with weak, predominantly northeasterly winds.

In the warmest months (July and August) in the western and central parts of the sea, the average monthly air temperature is 8–9°, in the southeastern region it is slightly lower (about 7°), and in the north its value drops to 4–6 °. The usual summer weather is disturbed by the intrusion of air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, the wind changes direction to the southwest and increases to 6 points, short-term clearings occur. Such intrusions are characteristic mainly of the western and central parts of the sea, while relatively stable weather continues to persist in the north.

In the transitional seasons, in spring and autumn, large-scale baric fields are restructured, so unstable cloudy weather with strong and variable winds prevails over the Barents Sea. In the spring, precipitation is not uncommon, falling out in “charges”, the air temperature rises rapidly. In autumn, the temperature drops slowly. Mild winters, cool summers, unstable weather are the main features of the climate of the Barents Sea.

The river runoff is small in relation to the area of ​​the sea and averages about 163 km3/year. It is 90% concentrated in the southeastern part of the sea. The largest rivers of the Barents Sea basin carry their waters to this region. about 130 km3 of water per year, which is approximately 70% of the total coastal runoff into the sea per year. Smaller rivers also flow here. The northern coast of Norway and the coast of the Kola Peninsula account for only about 10% of the runoff. Here, small mountain-type rivers flow into the sea, for example, Tuloma, Pechenga, Zapadnaya Litsa, Kola, Teriberka, Voronya, Rynda, Iokanga, etc.

The continental runoff is very unevenly distributed throughout the year. Its maximum is observed in spring and is associated with the melting of river ice and snow in the river basin. The minimum flow is observed in autumn and winter, when the rivers are fed only by rain and groundwater. River runoff significantly affects the hydrological conditions only in the southeastern part of the sea, which is therefore sometimes called the "Pechora Sea".
Hydrological characteristic. The decisive influence on the nature of the Barents Sea is exerted by water exchange with neighboring seas, mainly the inflow of warm Atlantic waters, the annual inflow of which is approximately 74 thousand km3. Of the large amount of heat they bring, only 12% is spent in the process of exchanging the waters of the Barents Sea with other seas. The rest of the heat warms the Barents Sea, so it is one of the warmest seas in the Arctic Ocean. In large areas of this sea from the European coast to 75 ° N. sh. All year round there is a positive water temperature on the surface and this area does not freeze. In general, the distribution of surface water temperature is characterized by its decrease from the southwest to the northeast.

In winter, in the south and southwest, the temperature on the water surface is + 4-5 °, in the central regions + 3-0 ° and in the northern and north-eastern parts it is negative and close to freezing at a given salinity. In summer, water and air temperatures are close in magnitude (Fig. 30). In the south of the sea it is 8–9°, in the central part it is 3–5°, and in the north it decreases to negative values. In transitional seasons, especially in spring, the distribution and magnitude of water temperature on the surface differ little from winter, and in autumn from summer.

The vertical temperature distribution largely depends on the spread of warm Atlantic waters, on winter cooling, which extends to a considerable depth, and on the bottom topography (see Fig. 30, b). In this regard, the change in water temperature with depth occurs differently in different areas of the sea. In the southwestern part, which is most subject to the influence of Atlantic waters, the temperature gradually and within small limits decreases with depth to the bottom.

Atlantic waters spread to the east along the deepenings of the bottom, so in them the water temperature drops from the surface to a horizon of 100-150 m, and then rises again towards the bottom. In the northeast of the sea, in winter, the negative temperature extends to a horizon of 100–200 m; deeper, it rises to +1°. In summer, the low surface temperature drops to 25–50 m, where its lowest (−1.5°) winter values ​​are preserved. Deeper in the 50-100 m layer, which is not affected by the winter vertical circulation, the temperature rises somewhat and is about −1°. Atlantic waters pass through the underlying horizons and the temperature here rises to +1°. Thus, between 50-100 m a cold intermediate layer is observed. In depressions where warm waters do not penetrate and strong cooling occurs, for example, the Novaya Zemlya Trench, the Central Basin, etc., the water temperature is quite uniform throughout the thickness in winter, and in summer it drops from small positive values ​​on the surface to about −1.7 ° at the bottom.

Underwater heights serve as natural obstacles to the movement of deep Atlantic waters, so the latter flow around them. In this regard, above the bottom elevations, low water temperature is observed at horizons close to the surface. In addition, longer and more intensive cooling occurs above the hills and on their slopes than in deep regions. As a result, “cold water caps” are formed here, which are typical for the banks of the Barents Sea. In the Central Highlands in winter, very low water temperatures can be traced from the surface to the bottom. In summer it decreases with depth and reaches its minimum values ​​in the 50–100 m layer, and slightly rises again deeper. Consequently, in this season, a cold intermediate layer is observed here, the lower boundary of which is formed not by warm Atlantic, but by local Barents Sea waters.

In autumn, cooling begins to equalize the water temperature vertically, and over time it acquires the features of a winter distribution. Thus, in this area, the temperature distribution with depth follows the pattern of isolated seas of temperate latitudes, while in most of the Barents Sea, the vertical temperature distribution is oceanic, which is explained by its good connection with the ocean.

port city of Murmansk

SALINITY OF THE SEA
Due to the small continental runoff and good connection with the ocean, the salinity values ​​of the Barents Sea differ little from the average salinity of the ocean, although there are noticeable deviations in some areas of the sea. The distribution of salinity in the Barents Sea is determined by the inflow of Atlantic waters, the system of currents, the topography of the bottom, the processes of ice formation and melting, river runoff, and water mixing.

The highest salinity on the sea surface (35‰) is observed in the southwestern part in the region of the North Cape Trench, where saline Atlantic waters pass, and ice does not form or melt. To the north and south, salinity drops to 34.5‰ due to the melting of ice. The waters are even more freshened (32–33‰) in the southeastern part of the sea, where the melting of ice is combined with a powerful influx of fresh water from land. The change in salinity at the sea surface occurs from season to season. In winter, salinity is quite high throughout the sea (about 35‰), and in the southeastern part it is 32.5‰-33.0‰, since at this time of the year the influx of Atlantic waters increases and intensive ice formation occurs.

In spring, high salinity values ​​remain almost everywhere. Only a narrow coastal strip near the Murmansk coast and in the Kaninsko-Kolguevsky region has low salinity, where desalination is caused by gradually increasing continental runoff. In summer, the inflow of Atlantic waters is reduced, ice melts, river water spreads far into the sea, so salinity decreases everywhere. In the second half of the season, it falls below 35‰ everywhere. In the southwestern part, salinity is 34.5‰, and in the southeastern part it is 29‰, and sometimes even 25‰ (Fig. 31, a). In autumn, at the beginning of the season, salinity remains low throughout the sea, but later, due to a decrease in continental runoff and the onset of ice formation, it increases and reaches winter values.

The change in salinity along the vertical occurs unequally in different areas of the sea, which is associated with the relief of the bottom and with the influx of Atlantic and river waters. In its greater part, it increases from 34.0‰ at the surface to 35.10‰ at the bottom. To a lesser extent, salinity changes vertically above the underwater heights.

Seasonal changes in the vertical course of salinity in most of the sea are rather weakly expressed. In summer, the surface layer is desalinated, and from the horizons of 25-30 m, a sharp increase in salinity begins with depth. In winter, the jump in salinity at these horizons is somewhat smoothed out, but continues to exist. The salinity values ​​change more noticeably with depth in the southeastern part of the sea. The difference in salinity at the surface and at the bottom can reach several ppm. Seasonal changes in the vertical distribution of salinity are also well manifested in this region. In winter, salinity almost evens out throughout the entire water column.

In spring, river waters begin to desalinate the surface layer. In summer, its freshening is enhanced by melted ice, so a sharp jump in salinity is formed between the horizons of 10 and 25 m (see Fig. 31, b). In autumn, a decrease in runoff and ice formation lead to an increase in salinity and its leveling in depth.

CURRENTS IN THE SEA
On the bottom uplifts located to the south (Central Upland, Gusina Bank, etc.), the winter vertical circulation reaches the bottom, since in these areas the density is quite high and uniform throughout the entire water column. As a result, very cold and heavy waters form above the Central Upland, from where they gradually slide down the slopes into the depressions surrounding the Upland, in particular, into the Central Basin, forming its cold bottom waters.

River runoff and ice melting hinder the development of convection in the southeastern part of the sea. However, due to intense spring-winter cooling and ice formation, the winter vertical circulation covers layers of 75-100 m, extending to the bottom in coastal areas. Thus, intense mixing of the waters of the Barents Sea is one of the characteristic features of its hydrological conditions.

Climatic features, the flow of water from neighboring seas and continental runoff determine the formation and distribution of various water masses in the Barents Sea. It has four water masses.

1. Atlantic waters coming from the west in the form of surface currents and coming at depths from the north and northeast from the Arctic Basin. These are warm and salty waters.

2. Arctic waters entering as surface currents from the north. They have a negative temperature and low salinity.

3. Coastal waters come with continental runoff, flow in from the White Sea and the Norwegian Sea with coastal currents along the coast of Norway. In summer, these waters are characterized by high temperature and low salinity, and in winter - low temperature and salinity. The characteristics of winter coastal waters are close to those of the Arctic.

4. The Barents Sea waters are formed in the sea itself as a result of mixing of these waters and transformation under the influence of local conditions. These waters are characterized by low temperature and high salinity. In winter, the entire northeastern part of the sea is filled from the surface to the bottom with Barents Sea waters, and the southwestern part is filled with Atlantic waters. Traces of coastal waters are found only in surface horizons. Arctic waters are completely absent. Under the influence of intense mixing, the waters entering the sea quickly transform into Barents Sea water.

In summer, the entire northern part of the Barents Sea is filled with arctic waters, the central part is Atlantic, and the southern part is coastal. At the same time, arctic and coastal waters occupy surface horizons. At the depths in the northern part of the sea, there are Barents Sea waters, and in the southern part, Atlantic waters. Such a structure determines the stable state of the waters along the vertical and hinders the development of wind mixing.

The general circulation of the waters of the Barents Sea is formed under the combined influence of the wind situation, the inflow of water from neighboring basins, tides, bottom topography and other factors, so it is complex and variable over time. As in other seas of the Northern Hemisphere, here there is a general movement of surface waters counterclockwise, complicated by currents of different directions and speeds (Fig. 32).

The most powerful and stable flow, which largely determines the hydrological conditions of the sea, forms the warm North Cape Current. It enters the sea from the west and moves eastward in the coastal zone at a speed of 25–26 cm/s; seaward, its speed decreases to 5–10 cm/s. Approximately 25° E. e. this current is divided into the Coastal Murmansk and Murmansk currents. The first of them, 20–30 miles wide, spreads to the southeast along the coast of the Kola Peninsula, penetrates into the Throat of the White Sea, where it is intensified by the outlet White Sea Current and moves eastward at a speed of about 15–20 cm/s. Kolguev Island divides the Coastal Murmansk Current into the Kanin Current, which flows into the southeastern part of the sea and further to the Kara Gates and Yugorsky Shar straits, and the Kolguev Current, which flows first to the east and then to the northeast off the coast of Novaya Zemlya. The Murmansk Current, about 60 miles wide and with a speed of up to 5 cm/s, spreads much more seaward than the Coastal Murmansk Current. In the region of the meridian 40 ° E. d., having met the rise of the bottom, it turns to the northeast and gives rise to the West Novaya Zemlya current. Together with a part of the Kolguev Current and the cold Litke Current entering through the Kara Gates, it forms the eastern periphery of the cyclonic gyre common to the Barents Sea. In addition to the branched system of the warm North Cape current, cold currents are clearly expressed in the Barents Sea. Along the Perseus upland, the Perseus current passes from east to west, merging with the cold waters at about. Nadezhda, it forms the Medvezhinsky current, the speed of which is approximately 51 cm / s. In the northeast, the Makarov Current enters the sea.

Tides
The tides in the Barents Sea are mainly caused by the Atlantic tidal wave, which enters the sea from the west between the North Cape and Svalbard and moves east to Novaya Zemlya. To the west of Matochkin Shara, it turns partly to the northeast, and partly to the southeast.

The northern margins of the sea are influenced by a tidal wave coming from the Arctic Ocean. As a result, near the northeastern coast of Svalbard and near Franz Josef Land, the interference of the Atlantic and northern waves occurs. The tides of the Barents Sea almost everywhere have a regular semidiurnal character, therefore the currents they cause have the same character, but the change in the direction of tidal currents in different areas of the sea occurs differently.

Along the Murmansk coast, in the Cheshskaya Bay, in the west of the Pechora Sea, tidal currents are close to reversible. In the open parts of the sea, the direction of currents in most cases changes clockwise, and on some banks against it. The change in the direction of tidal currents occurs simultaneously throughout the entire layer of water from the surface to the bottom.

The velocities of tidal currents, as a rule, exceed the speeds of permanent ones. Their greatest value (about 154 cm/s) is noted in the surface layer. High velocities are characteristic of tidal currents along the Murmansk coast, at the entrance to the White Sea Funnel, in the Kanin-Kolguevsky region and in the South Spitsbergen shallow water, which is associated with the peculiarities of the movement of the tidal wave. In addition to strong currents, tides cause significant changes in the level of the Barents Sea. The height of the level rise at high tide near the Murmansk coast reaches 3 m. In the north and northeast, the height of the tides. decreases and off the coast of Svalbard is 1-2 m, and off the southern coast of Franz Josef Land is only 40-50 cm. increase, and in others reduce the magnitude of the tide.

In addition to tidal fluctuations in the Barents Sea, seasonal changes in the level are also traced, mainly caused by the combined effect of atmospheric pressure and winds, as well as the intra-annual variation in temperature and salinity of the water. According to A. I. Duvanin’s classification, a zonal regime of the seasonal level variation is observed here. It is characterized by a shift of the maximum position of the level to winter (November–December), and the minimum to spring (May–June), which, according to the concept of the static effect of atmospheric pressure on the water surface, is explained by an increase in the level at reduced pressure, and vice versa. Such baric conditions and the corresponding level position are observed in the Barents Sea in winter and spring. The difference between the maximum and minimum position of the average level in Murmansk can reach 40–50 cm.

ICE MOVEMENT
The Barents Sea is one of the Arctic Seas, but it is the only one of the Arctic seas that never completely freezes over (Fig. 33). Every year, about 1/4 of its surface is not covered with ice throughout the year. This is due to the influx of warm Atlantic waters into its southwestern part, which do not allow water to cool to freezing temperature and serve as a kind of barrier for ice advancing from the north. Due to weak currents in the Barents Sea, the ice supply from there is negligible. Thus, ice of local origin is observed in the Barents Sea. In the central part and in the southeast of the sea, this is first-year ice, which forms in autumn and winter, and melts in spring and summer. Only in the extreme north and northeast, where the spurs of the oceanic ice mass descend, do old ice occur, including the arctic pack.

Ice formation in the sea begins in September in the north, in October in the central regions and in November in the southeast. The sea is dominated by floating ice, among which there are icebergs. Usually they are found near Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard, as icebergs form from glaciers descending to the sea from these islands. Occasionally, icebergs are carried by currents far to the south, up to the Murmansk coast. Usually icebergs do not exceed 25 m in height and 600 m in length.

Fast ice in the Barents Sea is poorly developed. It occupies relatively small areas in the Kanin-Pechora region and near Novaya Zemlya, and near the Murmansk coast it is found only in the bays. In the southeastern part of the sea and off the western shores of Novaya Zemlya, ice polynyas persist throughout the winter. The greatest distribution of ice in the sea is observed in April. This month they cover up to 75% of its area. The thickness of even sea ice of local origin in most areas does not exceed 0.7-1.0 m. The thickest ice (up to 150 cm) is found in the northeast, in the area of ​​Cape Zhelaniya.

In spring and summer, first-year ice melts quickly. In May, the southern and southeastern regions are freed from ice, and by the end of summer, almost the entire sea is cleared of ice, with the exception of areas adjacent to Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and the eastern shores of Svalbard. The ice coverage of the Barents Sea varies from year to year, which is associated with the different intensity of the North Cape current, the nature of large-scale atmospheric circulation, the general warming or cooling of the Arctic as a whole.

hydrochemical conditions.
The good connection of the Barents Sea with the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, with a relatively small and localized river flow, makes the chemical composition of the Barents Sea water extremely close to oceanic waters. The general hydrochemical conditions of the Barents Sea are largely determined by its marginal position and features of hydrological processes, in particular, good mixing of water layers. It is closely related to the content and distribution of gases and nutrients dissolved in water. The waters of the sea are well aerated. The oxygen content in the water column over the entire area of ​​the sea is close to saturation. The maximum values ​​in the upper 25 m reach 130% during the summer. The minimum value of 70–75% was found in the deep parts of the Medvezhinskaya depression and in the north of the Pechora Sea. A reduced oxygen content is observed at the 50 m horizon, above which there is usually a layer of water with developed phytoplankton. The amount of nitrates dissolved in water increases from the mainland to the north and from the surface to the bottom. In summer, the amount of nitrates in the surface (0–25 m) layer decreases, and by the end of the season they are almost completely consumed by phytoplankton. In autumn, with the development of vertical circulation, the content of nitrates on the surface begins to increase due to the inflow from the underlying layers.

Phosphates show the same annual course of stratification as nitrates. It should be noted that in the areas of distribution of the cold intermediate layer, the latter slows down the exchange of gases and nutrient salts between the surface and deep layers. The stock of biogenic substances in the surface layer is replenished in summer due to the water formed during the melting of ice. This explains the outbreak of phytoplankton development near the ice edge.

Economic use.
The geographical position and natural conditions of the Barents Sea predetermine the main directions of its economic use. Fishing has been developed here for a long time, and it is based mainly on the extraction of bottom fish (cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass), herring is caught in smaller sizes. Currently, due to the depletion of the stocks of these fish, capelin predominates in catches, and traditional fish species are caught in smaller quantities.

The country's first pilot tidal power plant with a capacity of 450 kW operates in Kisloya Bay (near Murmansk).
The Barents Sea is an important transport route with the country's only non-freezing polar port - Murmansk, through which sea communications are carried out with different countries and cargo is sent along the Northern Sea Route.

Further economic development of the Barents Sea is connected with the development of research in it. Among the various problems, it should be noted the study of the quantitative characteristics of water exchange with neighboring basins depending on atmospheric influences, spatiotemporal variability of thermohaline indicators and currents, internal waves, small-scale structure of waters, fluctuations in ice coverage, natural features of the shelf zone, etc. the efforts of explorers of this sea.

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
Barents Sea // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Vize V. Yu., Seas of the Soviet Arctic, 3rd ed., Vol. 1, [M.-L.], 1948;
Esipov V.K., Commercial fish of the Barents Sea, L.-M., 1937;
Tantsgora A.I., On the currents of the Barents Sea, in the book: Hydrological research in the Barents Sea. Norwegian and Greenland Seas, M., 1959.
I. S. Zonn, A. G. Kostyanoy. Barents Sea: Encyclopedia / Ed. G. G. Matishova. - M .: International relations, 2011. - 272 p., ill.,
http://tapemark.narod.ru/more/12.html
Maps of the Murmansk Coast of the Barents Sea
The Barents Sea in the book: A. D. Dobrovolsky, B. S. Zalogin. Seas of the USSR. Moscow publishing house. un-ta, 1982.
Key to the algae of the Barents Sea Shoshina E.V.
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo A. Fetisov, L. Trifonova, S. Kruglikov,

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The Barents Sea is located in the westernmost part of the Eurasian shelf. The area of ​​the Barents Sea is 1,300,000 km2. According to the International Hydrographic Bureau, the Barents Sea is separated from the Arctic basin by the Svalbard archipelago, Bely Island, Victoria Island and the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

In the east, its border with the Kara Sea runs from Graham Bell Island to Cape Zhelaniya and along the straits of Matochkin Shar (Novaya Zemlya Island), Kara Gates (between the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Vaigach) and Yugorsky Shar (between the Vaigach Islands and the mainland).
In the south, the Barents Sea is bounded by the coast of Norway, the Kola Peninsula and the Kanin Peninsula. To the east is the Czech Bay. To the west of the Kanin Peninsula is the Gorlo Strait of the White Sea.

In the southeast, the Barents Sea is bounded by the Pechora Lowland and the northern tip of the Pai-Khoi Ridge (an offshoot of the Ural Ridge in the north). To the west, the Barents Sea opens wide into the Norwegian Sea and hence into the Atlantic Ocean.

Temperature and salinity of the Barents Sea

The location of the Barents Sea between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic basin determines its hydrological features. From the west, between Bear Island and Cape North Cape, a branch of the Gulf Stream passes - the North Cape Current. Heading east, it gives a number of branches, following the bottom topography.

The temperature of the Atlantic waters is 4-12°C, the salinity is about 35 ppm. When moving to the north and east, the Atlantic waters cool and mix with the local ones. The salinity of the surface layer drops to 32-33 ppm, and the temperature at the bottom to -1.9 ° C. Small streams of Atlantic waters through deep straits between the islands enter the Barents Sea from the Arctic basin at a depth of 150-200 m. Cold surface waters from the Arctic The pools are brought by polar waters. The waters of the Barents Sea are carried out by a cold current going south from Bear Island.

Ice conditions in the Barents Sea

Good isolation from the ice masses of the Arctic Basin and the Kara Sea is of particular importance for the hydrological conditions of the Barents Sea. Its southern part does not freeze, with the exception of some fjords of the Murmansk coast. The edge of floating ice runs 400-500 km from the coast. In winter, it adjoins the southern coast of the Barents Sea to the east of the Kola Peninsula.

In summer, floating ice usually melts and remains only in the coldest years in the middle and northern parts of the sea and near Novaya Zemlya.

Chemical composition of the waters of the Barents Sea

The waters of the Barents Sea are well aerated as a result of intense vertical mixing caused by temperature changes. In summer, surface waters are supersaturated with oxygen due to the abundance of phytoplankton. Even in winter, in the most stagnant areas near the bottom, oxygen saturation is not lower than 70-78%.

Due to the low temperature, the deep layers are enriched with carbon dioxide. In the Barents Sea, at the junction of cold Arctic and warm Atlantic waters, the so-called "polar front" is located. It is characterized by the rise of deep waters with a high content of biogenic elements (phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.), which causes an abundance of phytoplankton and, in general, organic life.

Tides in the Barents Sea

The maximum tides are noted near the North Cape (up to 4 m), in the Gorlo of the White Sea (up to 7 m) and in the fjords of the Murmansk coast; further north and east, the tides decrease to 1.5 m near Svalbard and to 0.8 m near Novaya Zemlya.

Climate of the Barents Sea

The climate of the Barents Sea is very variable. The Barents Sea is one of the most stormy seas in the world. Warm cyclones from the North Atlantic and cold anticyclones from the Arctic pass through it, which is the reason for a slightly higher air temperature compared to other Arctic seas, moderate winters and heavy precipitation. An active wind regime and a vast open water area near the southern coast create conditions for maximum storm waves up to 3.5–3.7 m high.

Bottom relief and geological structure

The Barents Sea has a slight slope from east to west. The depth is mostly 100-350 m, and only near the border with the Norwegian Sea increases to 600 m. The bottom relief is complex. Many gently sloping seamounts and depressions cause a complex distribution of water masses and bottom sediments. As in other sea basins, the relief of the bottom of the Barents Sea is determined by the geological structure associated with the structure of the adjacent land. The Kola Peninsula (Murmansk Coast) is part of the Precambrian Fenno-Scandnavian crystalline shield, consisting of metamorphic rocks, mainly of Archean granite-gneisses. A Proterozoic folded zone stretches along the northeastern margin of the shield, composed of dolomites, sandstones, shales, and tillites. The remnants of this folded zone are located on the Varanger and Rybachy peninsulas, Kildin Island and in a number of underwater elevations (banks) located along the coast. Proterozoic folds are also known to the east, on the Kanin Peninsula and the Timan Ridge. Submarine uplifts in the southern part of the Barents Sea, the Pai-Khoi ridge, the northern tip of the Ural Mountains, and the southern part of the Novaya Zemlya fold system extend in the same northwesterly direction. The extensive Pechora depression between the Timan Ridge and Pai-Khoi is covered with a thick layer of sediments up to Quaternary; to the north, it passes into the flat bottom of the southeastern part of the Barents Sea (Pechora Sea).

The flat Kolguev Island, located northeast of the Kanin Peninsula, consists of horizontally deposited Quaternary deposits. in the west, in the area of ​​Cape Mordkap, the Proterozoic deposits are cut off by the Caledonian structures of Norway. They stretch to the NNE along the western edge of the Fenno-Scandian shield. The Caledonides of the same submeridional strike form the western part of Svalbard. The Medvezhino-Spitsbergen shallow water, the Central Upland, as well as the Novaya Zemlya folded system and adjoining banks can be traced in the same direction.

Novaya Zemlya is composed of folds of Paleozoic rocks: phyllites, clay shales, limestones, sandstones. Manifestations of Caledonian movements are found along the western coast, and it can be assumed that here the Caledonian structures are partially buried by young deposits and hidden under the seabed. The Vaigach–Novaya Zemlya fold system of the Hercynian age is S-curved and probably envelops ancient rock massifs or crystalline basement. The Central Trench, the Northeast Trench, the Franz Victoria Trench west of Franz Josef Land, and the St. Anna Trench (Gulf of the Arctic Basin) to the east have the same submeridional strike with an S-shaped bend. The same direction is inherent in the deep straits of Franz Josef Land and submarine valleys, located on their continuation to the north into the Arctic basin and south to the north of the Barents Sea plateau.

The islands in the northern part of the Barents Sea have a platform character and are composed mainly of sedimentary rocks, which lie slightly obliquely or almost horizontally. On Bear Island, this is the Upper Paleozoic and Triassic; on Franz Josef Land, the Jurassic and Cretaceous; in the eastern part of Western Svalbard, the Mesozoic and Tertiary. The rocks are detrital, sometimes weakly carbonate; in the late Mesozoic, basalts intruded into them.

The Barents Sea - washes the northern coast of the Scandinavian and Kola Peninsulas, Norway and Russia. It is a marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean.

From the north it is bounded by the archipelagos and Franz Josef Land, from the east by the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

The area of ​​the Barents Sea is 1424 thousand sq. km. Volume - 282 thousand cubic meters. km. Depth: average - 220 m. maximum - 600 m. Borders: in the west with the Norwegian Sea, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with.

Silver Baren... Oil from the bottom... Diving in Bar...

The northern seas have long attracted Russian people with their riches. The abundance of fish, marine animals and birds, despite the icy water, long and cold winter, made this region quite suitable for a well-fed living. And when a person is full, then he does not care about the cold.

In ancient times, the Barents Sea was called the Arctic, then Siver or Northern, sometimes it was called Pechora, Russian, Moscow, but more often Murmansk, after the ancient name of the Pomeranian (Murmansk) edge of the earth. It is believed that the first Russian boats sailed in the waters of the Barents Sea as early as the 11th century. Around the same time, Viking boats also began to swim here. And then trading settlements began to appear in the north of Russia, and fishing began to develop.

Before Russia acquired a full-fledged fleet capable of overcoming the expanses of the northern seas, Arkhangelsk was the northernmost Russian city. Founded by decree of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1583-1584 near the Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Monastery, the small town became the main Russian port where foreign ships began to call. An English colony even settled there.

This city, located at the mouth of the Northern Dvina, which flows into Peter I, took a good look at it, and over time it became the Northern Gates of Russia. It was Arkhangelsk that had the honor to play a leading role in the creation of the Russian merchant and navy. In 1693, Peter founded the Admiralty in the city, and on the island of Solombala laid the foundation of a shipyard.

Already in 1694, the St. Pavel ship, the first merchant ship of the Russian Northern Fleet, launched from this shipyard. "Saint Pavel" had 24 guns on board, which Peter personally cast at the factory in Olonets. To rig the first ship, Peter himself machined the rigging blocks. The launching of the "St. Paul" was carried out under the direct supervision of Peter. "St. Paul" was issued a "travel charter" for the right to trade abroad. The ship "Saint Paul" was the first of six three-deck merchant ships launched from the sovereign's shipyard from 1694 to 1701. Since then, Arkhangelsk has become the center of all foreign trade activities of the Russian state. It was from here that the Russian North began to develop.

Of course, even before the time of Peter the Great, there were sailing directions for the mouth of the Northern Dvina, the White Sea and the coastal part of the Siver Sea, which were inherited by local pilots. But under Peter, these maps were refined and allowed fairly large ships to navigate without fear of running aground or a reef, of which there are a great many in these waters.

These places were very attractive for navigation because of their peculiarity, because the sea did not freeze here, thanks to the Gulf Stream, whose warm waters reached these northern shores. This made it possible for ships to pass west into the waters of the Atlantic and further south to the shores of America, Africa, and India. But the absence of sea ships, and a short navigation time prevented the development of the waters of the North Sea. Only rare ships of brave sailors reached the shores of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, which separated the North Sea from the vast expanses of the Arctic Ocean.

The beginning of the study of the Barents Sea took place in the 16th-17th centuries, during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Looking for trade routes, European navigators tried to go east to go around Asia to get to China, but they could not go far due to the fact that most of them were covered with ice hummocks that did not melt even during the short northern summer. The Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz scouted the waters of the North Sea very carefully in search of northern trade routes.

He discovered the Orange Islands, Bear Island, explored Svalbard. And in 1597 his ship was frozen in the ice for a long time. Barents and his crew left the ship frozen in the ice and began to make their way to the shore on two boats. And although the expedition reached the shores, Willem Barents himself died. Since 1853, this harsh North Sea has been called the Barents Sea in his honor, although before that it was officially listed on the maps as Murmansk.

Scientific exploration of the Barents Sea began much later. 1821-1824 Several sea expeditions were undertaken to study the Barents Sea. They were headed by the future president of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, an honorary member of many Russian and foreign scientific institutions, a tireless navigator, Admiral Fyodor Petrovich Litke. On the sixteen-gun brig Novaya Zemlya, he went 4 times to the shores of Novaya Zemlya, explored and described it in detail.

He investigated the depths of the fairway and the dangerous shallows of the White and Barents Seas, as well as the geographical definitions of the islands. His book "Four-fold trip to the Arctic Ocean on the military brig" Novaya Zemlya "in 1821-1824" published in 1828 brought him worldwide scientific fame and recognition. A complete thorough study and hydrological characteristics of the Barents Sea were compiled during a scientific expedition in 1898-1901. headed by the Russian scientific hydrologist Nikolai Mikhailovich Knipovich.

The efforts of these expeditions were not in vain, as a result, the rapid development of navigation in the northern seas began. In 1910-1915. a hydrographic expedition of the Arctic Ocean was organized. The purpose of the expedition was to develop the Northern Sea Route, which would allow Russian ships to pass by the shortest route along the northern coast of Asia to the Pacific Ocean to the eastern shores of the Russian Empire. The expedition consisting of two icebreaking ships - "Vaigach" and "Taimyr" under the leadership of Boris Andreevich Vilkitsky passed the entire northern route from Chukotka to the Barents Sea, wintering near the Taimyr Peninsula.

This expedition collected data on sea currents and climate, on the ice conditions and magnetic phenomena of these regions. A. V. Kolchak and F. A. Matisen took an active part in the development of the expedition plan. The ships were manned by combat naval officers and sailors. As a result of the expedition, a sea route was opened connecting the European part of Russia with the Far East.

At the beginning of the 20th century, measures were taken to equip the first port beyond the Arctic Circle. Murmansk became such a port. A very good place was chosen for the future port on the right bank of the Kola Bay. In 1915, during the First World War, Murmansk was upset and received the status of a city. The creation of this port city made it possible for the Russian fleet to get access to the Arctic Ocean through an ice-free bay. Russia was able to receive military supplies from the allies, despite the blockade of the Baltic and Black Seas.

In Soviet times, Murmansk became the main base of the Northern Navy, which played a huge role in the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The ships and submarines of the Northern Fleet became the only force that managed in the most difficult conditions to ensure the passage of convoys delivering military supplies and food for the Soviet Union from the allies.

During the war, the Severomorstsy destroyed more than 200 warships and auxiliary vessels, more than 400 transports and 1300 aircraft of Nazi Germany. They provided escort for 76 allied convoys, including 1463 transports and 1152 escort ships.

And now the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy is based on bases located in the bays of the Barents Sea. The main one is Severomorsk, located 25 km from Murmansk. Severomorsk arose on the site of the tiny village of Vaenga, in which only 13 people lived in 1917. Now Severomorsk with a population of about 50 thousand people is the main stronghold of the northern borders of Russia.

The best ships of the Russian Navy serve in the Northern Fleet. Such as the aircraft-carrying anti-submarine cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov"

Nuclear submarines capable of floating right at the North Pole

The water area of ​​the Barents Sea also served to develop the military potential of the USSR. An atomic test site was created on Novaya Zemlya, and in 1961 a super-powerful 50-megaton hydrogen bomb was tested there. Of course, the whole of Novaya Zemlya and the territory adjacent to it suffered greatly and for many years, but the Soviet Union received priority in atomic weapons for many years, which is preserved even now.

For a long time, the entire water area of ​​the Arctic Ocean was controlled by the Soviet Navy. But after the collapse of the Union, most of the bases were abandoned. All and sundry have reached out to the Arctic. And after the discovery of the largest oil fields on the Arctic shelf, the question arose of protecting the Russian northern possessions, which have strategic raw materials. Therefore, since 2014, Russia has been resuming its military presence in the Arctic. For this, bases are now being defrosted on Novaya Zemlya, on Kotelny Island, which is part of the New Siberian Islands, on the land of Franz Josef and. Modern military camps are being built, airfields are being restored.

Since time immemorial, a lot of all kinds of fish have been caught in the Barents Sea. It was almost the main food of the Pomors. Yes, and carts with fish were constantly going to the mainland. There are still quite a few of them in these northern waters, about 114 species. But mainly the types of commercial fish are cod, flounder, sea bass, herring and haddock. The population of the rest is falling.

This is the result of an ownerless attitude to fish stocks. Recently, fish have been caught more than it was reproduced. Moreover, the artificial breeding of Far Eastern crabs in the Barents Sea had a negative impact on the restoration of the fish mass. Crabs began to multiply so quickly that there was a threat of disruption of the natural biosystem of this region.

But nevertheless, in the waters of the Barents Sea, you can still find both a variety of fish and marine animals such as seals, seals, whales, dolphins, and sometimes.

In pursuit of new oil and gas fields, oil-producing countries began to strenuously move north. So the waters of the Barents Sea became the site of the conflict between Russia and Norway. And although in 2010 Norway and Russia signed an agreement on the division of borders in the Barents Sea, disputes still do not subside. This year, the Russian "Gazprom" began commercial oil production on the Arctic shelf. About 300,000 tons of oil will be produced per year. By 2020, it is planned to reach the production level of 6 million tons of oil per year.

The return of the Russian Armed Forces to the Arctic can serve as a settlement of these disputes. The Russian Arctic is the property of our people and it should be fully used for the benefit of the people and well protected from those who like to profit at someone else's expense.

Despite the fact that the Barents Sea is the polar region, in recent years this region has become increasingly popular for tourists, especially those who are fond of diving, fishing and hunting. Such an extreme type of recreation as ice diving is very interesting. The beauty of the under-ice world can surprise even experienced swimmers. For example, the range of claws of king crabs that have bred in the local waters sometimes exceeds 2 meters. But you need to keep in mind that diving under the ice is an activity for experienced scuba divers.

And hunting on the islands of the Barents Sea for seals, seals or birds, which are apparently not visible here, will not leave indifferent any seasoned hunter.

Any diver, fisherman, hunter or just a tourist who has ever visited the Barents Sea will still strive to get here to see these northern beauties that are impossible to forget.

Video: Barents Sea:...

located on the North European shelf, almost open to the Central Arctic basin and open to the Norwegian and Greenland seas, it belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. This is one of the largest seas in terms of area. Its area is 1424 thousand km2, volume - 316 thousand km3, average depth - 222 m, maximum depth - 513 m.

There are many islands in the Barents Sea. Among them are the archipelagos of Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, the islands of Nadezhda, Kolguev and others. Small islands are mainly grouped into archipelagos located near the mainland or larger islands. The complex dissected coastline forms numerous capes, fjords, bays, bays. Separate sections of the Barents Sea coast belong to different morphological types of coasts. Similar shores are found on Franz Josef Land and on the island of North-Eastern Land of the Svalbard archipelago.

The bottom of the Barents Sea is a complexly dissected underwater plain, somewhat inclined to the west and northeast. The deepest areas, including the maximum depth, are located in the western part of the sea. The bottom relief, in general, is characterized by the alternation of large structural elements - underwater hills and trenches, which have different directions, as well as the existence of numerous small (3-5 m) irregularities at depths of less than 200 m and terrace-like ledges on the slopes. The difference in depths in the open part of the sea reaches 400 m. The rugged bottom relief significantly affects the hydrological conditions of the sea.
The position of the Barents Sea at high latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle, direct connection with the Atlantic Ocean and the Central Arctic Basin determine the main features of the climate. In general, the climate of the sea is polar maritime, characterized by long winters, short cold summers, small annual changes in air temperature, and high relative humidity.

In the northern part of the sea, arctic air dominates, in the south - air of temperate latitudes. At the border of these two main streams, there is an atmospheric Arctic front, directed, in general, from Iceland through Bear Island to the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya. Cyclones and anticyclones often form here, affecting the nature of the weather in the Barents Sea.

River runoff in relation to the area and volume of the sea is small and equals an average of 163 km3 per year. 90% of it is concentrated in the southeastern part of the sea. The largest rivers of the Barents Sea basin carry their waters to this region. The Pechora River discharges about 130 km3 of water in an average year, which is approximately 70% of the total coastal runoff into the sea per year. Several small rivers also flow here. The northern coast of Norway and the coast of the Kola Peninsula account for only about 10% of the runoff. Here, small mountain-type rivers flow into the sea. The maximum continental runoff is observed in spring, the minimum - in autumn and winter.

The determining influence on the nature of the Barents Sea is exerted by water exchange with neighboring seas and, mainly, with warm Atlantic waters. The annual inflow of these waters is approximately 74 thousand km3. They bring about 177.1012 kcal of heat to the sea. Of this amount, only 12% is absorbed during the exchange of the waters of the Barents Sea with other seas. The rest of the heat is spent in the Barents Sea, so it is one of the warmest seas in the Arctic Ocean.

Four water masses are distinguished in the structure of the waters of the Barents Sea:

1. Atlantic waters (from the surface to the bottom), coming from the southwest, north and northeast from the Arctic basin (from 100 - 150 m to the bottom). These are warm and salty waters.

2. Arctic waters entering in the form of surface currents from the north. They have a negative temperature and low salinity.

3. Coastal waters coming with the continental runoff from the White Sea and with the coastal current along the coasts of Norway and the Norwegian Sea.

4. Barents Sea waters, formed in the sea itself as a result of the transformation of Atlantic waters and under the influence of local conditions.

Surface water temperatures generally decrease from the southwest to the northeast. Due to good communication with the ocean and low continental runoff, the salinity of the Barents Sea differs little from the average salinity of the ocean. The general circulation of the waters of the Barents Sea is formed under the influence of the inflow of water from neighboring basins, the bottom topography, and other factors. As in the neighboring seas of the northern hemisphere, the general movement of surface waters counterclockwise prevails here. The currents of the Barents Sea are significantly affected by large-scale baric fields and local cyclonic and anticyclonic gyres. The highest speed of tidal currents (about 150 cm/s) is noted in the surface layer. High velocities are characteristic of tidal currents along the Murmansk coast, at the entrance to the White Sea Funnel, in the Kanin-Kolguevsky region and in the South Spitsbergen shallow water. Strong and prolonged winds cause surge fluctuations in the level. They are most significant (up to 3 m) near the Kola coast and near Svalbard (about 1 m), smaller values ​​(up to 0.5 m) are observed off the coast of Novaya Zemlya and in the southeastern part of the sea. The Barents Sea is one of the Arctic Seas, but it is the only one of the Arctic seas that, due to the influx of warm Atlantic waters into its southwestern part, never completely freezes. Ice formation in the sea begins in September in the north, in October in the central regions, and in November in the southeast. The sea is dominated by floating ice, among which there are icebergs. They usually concentrate near Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard.

Do you know where the Barents Sea is? It is located on the outskirts of the Arctic Ocean. Until 1853, it had a different name - the Murmansk Sea. It washes the coast of Norway and Russia. Speaking about where the Barents Sea is located, it should be noted that it is limited by the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard, as well as the northern coast of Europe. Its area is 1424 thousand square meters. km. Coordinates: 71° N sh., 41 ° in. e. In some places, the depth of the Barents Sea reaches 600 m.

The reservoir of interest to us is located on the In winter, its southwestern part does not freeze, as this is prevented by the North Atlantic current. The Pechora Sea is its southeastern part. The Barents Sea is very important for fishing and transport. Here are the major ports - Varde (Norway) and Murmansk. Before the Second World War, Finland also had access to this sea: the only ice-free port in winter was Petsamo.

Today, the places where the Barents Sea is located are heavily polluted. A serious problem is the radioactive waste that gets into it. An important role in this is played by the activities of the nuclear fleet of our country, as well as the factories of Norway involved in the processing of radioactive waste in such a reservoir as the Barents Sea. The boundaries of its belonging to individual states (sea shelf) have recently been the subject of territorial disputes between Norway and Russia, as well as some other countries.

History of the study of the sea

Let us now tell in more detail about the reservoir of interest to us. Let's start with historical information about him. Since ancient times, people have known where the Barents Sea is located, although its name used to be different. The Saami (Lapps) - Finno-Ugric tribes - lived near its shores. The first visits by Europeans (first the Vikings, and then the Novgorodians) date back to the end of the 11th century. Gradually they became more and more frequent. The map shown in the photo below was drawn in 1614.

In 1853, the Barents Sea received its modern name in honor of the Dutch navigator. The beginning of its scientific study was laid by the expedition of 1821-24, led by F.P. Litke. And at the beginning of the 20th century, N. M. Knipovich compiled the first reliable and complete hydrological description of it.

Geographical position

Let's tell you more about where the Barents Sea is located on the map. It is located on the border of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic. It is the outlying water area of ​​the first. The Barents Sea on the map is located between the islands of Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya and Vaygach in the east, in the south it is bounded by the northern coast of Europe, and in the west by Bear Island and Svalbard. The body of interest to us is bordered in the west by the Norwegian Sea, in the east by the Kara Sea, in the south by the White Sea, and in the north it is bounded by the Arctic Ocean. The Pechora Sea is its area, located to the east of about. Kolguev.

Coastline

Basically, the shores of the Barents Sea are fjords. They are rocky, high and heavily indented. The largest bays are the Barents Bay (also known as the Kola Bay, Motovsky Bay, etc. The coastal relief to the east of Nos changes dramatically. Its shores become low and mostly slightly indented. There are 3 large shallow bays: Khaipudyrskaya, Pechora and Cheskaya Bay. In addition , there are several small bays.

Islands, archipelagos, rivers

The islands of the Barents Sea are not numerous. The largest of them is Kolguev. The sea is bounded from the east, north and west by the Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard archipelagos. The largest rivers that flow into it are the Indiga and the Pechora.

currents

The circulation formed by surface currents is carried out counterclockwise. The Atlantic waters of the North Cape current move to the north and east along the eastern and southern periphery. It is warm because it is one of the branches of the Gulf Stream system. Its influence can be traced all the way to Novaya Zemlya and its northern shores. The western and northern parts of the gyre are formed by arctic and local waters that come from the Arctic Ocean and the Kara Sea. In the central part of the Barents Sea there is a system of intracircular currents. Under the influence of changes in wind directions, as well as water exchange with nearby water bodies, water circulation changes. Tidal currents are of great importance. It is especially large near the coast. The tides of the Barents Sea are semidiurnal. Their largest value is 6.1 m and is observed off the coast of the Kola Peninsula. As for the rest of the places, the magnitude of the tides in them is from 0.6 m to 4.7 m.

Water exchange

Of great importance in maintaining the water balance of this sea is water exchange, which is carried out with neighboring seas. About 76 thousand cubic meters of water enter the reservoir through the straits during the year. km of water (the same amount comes out of it). This is about a quarter of the total volume of water. The largest amount of it (about 59 thousand cubic km per year) is brought by the North Cape Current. It is warm and strongly influences the hydrometeorological parameters of the Barents Sea. About 200 cu. km per year is the total river flow.

Salinity

During the year in the open sea, the salinity of the surface layer ranges from 34.7 to 35% in the southwest, from 33 to 34% in the east and from 32 to 33% in the north. In summer and spring, in the coastal strip, it drops to 30-32%. And towards the end of winter, salinity increases to 34-34.5%.

Geological data

The sea of ​​interest to us is located on the Barents Sea Plate. Its age is determined as Proterozoic-Early Cambrian. Syneclises are depressions of the bottom, anteclises are its elevations. As for the shallower landforms, at a depth of about 70 and 200 meters are the remains of ancient coastlines. In addition, there are glacial-accumulative and glacial-denudation forms, as well as sandy ridges formed by large tidal currents.

Bottom of the Barents Sea

This sea is located within the boundaries of the continental shelf. However, unlike similar water bodies, in a fairly large part the depth of the Barents Sea is about 300-400 meters. The maximum is 600 meters, and the average is 229. As for the bottom topography, there are elevations (Perseus with a minimum depth of about 63 meters and Central), plains (Central Plateau), trenches (Western, the greatest depth of which is 600 meters, and Franz Victoria (about 430 meters), etc.), depressions (the maximum depth of the Central depression is 386 meters). If we talk about the southern part of the bottom, its depth rarely exceeds 200 meters. It has a fairly even topography.

Soil composition

In the southern part of the sea of ​​interest to us, sand predominates in the cover of bottom sediments. Sometimes rubble and pebbles are found. On the uplands of the northern and central parts there is sandy silt, silty sand, and silt is found in depressions. Everywhere there is coarse clastic admixture. This is due to the spread of ice, as well as the large distribution of glacial relict deposits. In the middle and northern parts, the thickness of the sediments is less than 0.5 m. Because of this, the ancient glacial deposits on individual hills are located almost on the surface. Sedimentation occurs at a slow pace (less than 30 mm per thousand years). This is explained by the fact that terrigenous material comes in insignificant amounts. The fact is that due to the peculiarities of the coast relief, large rivers do not flow into the Barents Sea, with the exception of the Pechora, which leaves almost all of the alluvium in the Pechora Estuary. In addition, the shores of the land consist mainly of crystalline rocks, which are quite durable.

Climate

Now let's talk about the climate of such a reservoir as the Barents Sea. The Atlantic (warm) and Arctic (cold) oceans influence its formation. The fact that weather conditions are very changeable is explained by the frequent invasion of Arctic cold air and Atlantic warm cyclones. Over the sea in winter, mainly south-western winds blow, and in summer and spring - north-east. Storms are frequent here. In February, the air temperature averages from -25 °C (in the northern regions) to -4 °C in the southwestern regions. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea during the year. The amount of precipitation per year in the northern regions is 250 mm, and in the southwestern - up to 500 mm.

ice coverage

In the east and north of the Barents Sea, the climatic conditions are quite severe. This determines its significant ice cover. Only the southwestern part of the sea of ​​interest to us remains without ice all year round. Its cover reaches its largest distribution in April. This month, about 75% of the entire surface of the Barents Sea is occupied by floating ice. At the end of winter, in especially unfavorable years, floating ice reaches the shores of the Kola Peninsula. Their smallest number is observed at the end of August. The ice boundary these days is moving beyond 78 ° north latitude. In the northeast and northwest of the sea, ice usually persists throughout the year. However, sometimes the sea is completely free of them.

Temperature of the Barents Sea

The relatively high salinity and temperature in the southwestern part of this reservoir determines the influx of warm Atlantic waters here. From February to March in these areas, the surface water temperature ranges from 3 °C to 5 °C. It can reach up to 7-9 °C in August. During the winter months, in the southeastern part, as well as north of 74°N, the surface temperature of the Barents Sea drops below -1°C. In the southeast in summer it is 4-7 °C, and in the north - about 4 °C. In the coastal zone, during the summer months, the surface layer of water can warm up at a depth of 5 to 8 meters to 11-12 °C.

Fauna and flora

The Barents Sea is home to many species of fish (there are 114 species). There is a rich animal and plant plankton and benthos. Seaweeds are common off the south coast. The most important species of fish in commercial terms are herring, haddock, cod, catfish, sea bass, halibut, flounder, etc. Mammals are represented here by seals, polar bears, beluga whales, etc. Currently, seals are fished. On the coasts there are many bird colonies (gulls, guillemots, guillemots). In the 20th century, they were brought to these territories. He managed to adapt and begin to actively breed. Many sea urchins, various echinoderms, different types of starfish are distributed along the bottom of the water area of ​​interest to us.

Economic importance, industry and shipping

The Barents Sea is very important both for the Russian Federation and for Norway and a number of other countries. Russia is actively using its resources. It is rich in various fish species, animal and plant plankton, as well as benthos. Thanks to this, Russia is actively working in the Barents Sea, also extracting hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf. Prirazlomnoye is a unique project in our country. For the first time, hydrocarbon production is carried out from a stationary platform in this area. The platform (OIRFP "Prirazlomnaya") allows carrying out all the necessary technological operations right on the spot. This greatly simplifies the mining process.

The sea route is also very important, connecting the European part of our country with the ports of the eastern (from the 19th century) and western countries (from the 16th century), as well as Siberia (from the 15th century). The largest and main port in Russia is Murmansk (pictured below).

Among others, the following stand out: Indiga, Teriberka, Naryan-Mar. Norwegian ports - Kirkenes, Vadse and Varde. In the Barents Sea there is not only the merchant fleet of our country, but also the navy, including nuclear submarines.