The meaning of the arctic basin in the large encyclopedic dictionary. Arctic Basin (Geology and Morphology) What is the Arctic Basin

Arctic basin (geology and morphology). SPb .: VNIIOkeangeologiya, 2017 .-- 291 p.

The geological and geophysical uniqueness of the Arctic Ocean became evident back in the 20th century after regional studies were carried out. Nowhere else on Earth is there such a variety of structures of different ages and characteristics, concentrated in such a small area. Only one well has been drilled in the deep-water area of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean. Until recently, geological and geophysical materials have been represented by maps of potential fields anomalies, bathymetric data and point seismic soundings. The situation changed radically at the beginning of the 21st century, when the states surrounding the ocean - Russia, Canada, the USA, Denmark and Norway - conducted a number of complex geological and geophysical expeditions in the Arctic basin. The first results of these works have been published. However, a complete seismostratigraphic correlation of the sections of the Arctic basin has not yet been carried out, there is no recognized classification of the geotectonic structures of the region, and the evolutionary history of the formation of these structures has not been worked out. The book offered to readers reflects the progress achieved in solving the problems of the geology of the Arctic basin.

Geological and geophysical uniqueness of the Arctic Ocean became obvious in XX century after reconnaissance studies. Nowhere in the world does one meet such a variety of ages and diverse pattern of structure and all of this focuses on such a small area. Only one hole for seabed mapping has been drilled so far in the deep-water area of \u200b\u200bthe Arctic Ocean. Geological and geophysical data until recently were presented mainly by potential field anomalies, bathymetric data and seismic sounding points. The situation changed dramatically at the beginning of the XXI century, when the coastal states of the Arctic Ocean - Russia, Canada, the United States, Denmark and Norway - conducted complex geological and geophysical expeditions in the central part of the Arctic Ocean. The results of this work are published in the world press. However, to date, there is no correlation of regional seismic-stratigraphic schemes for the Arctic Ocean. There is no universally accepted classification of geotectonic structures of the region and the evolutionary history of their formation has not been developed. Progress in solving the problems of the Arctic Basin geology is presented in this book to readers.

A. L. Piskarev, V. A. Poselov, G. P. Avetisov, V. V. Butsenko, V. Yu. Glebovsky, E. A. Gusev, S. M. Zholondz, V. D. Kaminsky, A. A. Kireev, O. E. Smirnov, Yu. G. Firsov, A. G. Zinchenko, A. D. Pavlenkin, L. G. Poselova, V. A. Savin, A. A. Chernykh, D. V. Elkin.

Ch. editor: corresponding member RAS V. D. Kaminsky.

Editors: Corresponding Member RANS, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University A.L. Piskarev and Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences V.A. Poselov.

Introduction - page 5

List of abbreviations - p. 6

1. Modern exploration of the bottom of the Arctic basin - p.7

1.1. The relief of the bottom of the Arctic basin - with. 7

1.2. Morphological elements of the seabed - p. 17

1.3. Study of gravitational and magnetic anomalies - p. 22

1.3.1. Russian studies - p. 22

1.3.2. Foreign research - p. 28

1.3.3. International projects - p. 31

1.4. Seismic survey of MOU - p. 36

1.5. Seismic surveys of MPV DSS - p. 44

1.6. Seismicity of the Arctic - p. 47

1.7. Geological sampling and drilling - p. 53

2. Seismic stratigraphy of the sedimentary cover - p.61

2.1. Amundsen and Nansen basins of the Eurasian basin - v. 61

2.2. The complex of the Central Arctic uplifts of the Amerasian basin (the Lomonosov ridge, the Mendeleev-Alpha system of the Mendeleev uplifts, the Podvodnikov basin, the Makarov basin, the Chukotka depression and the Chukotka plateau) and the adjacent shelf of northeastern Eurasia - v. 69

3. Eurasian Basin - with. 87

3.1. Formation and evolution of the Eurasian Basin according to the traditional interpretation of the data - p. 87

3.2. Gakkel ridge - with. 94

3.3. Nansen Basin - s. 98

3.4. Amundsen Basin - s. 106

3.5. Continental outskirts in the Laptev Sea - with. 106

3.6. Alternative hypotheses of the evolution of the Eurasian basin - p. 120

4. Lomonosov Ridge - p.126

4.1. Morphology - p. 129

4.2. Potential fields - p. 132

4.3. Sedimentary cover - s. 133

4.4. Acoustic foundation - p. 142

4.5. The structure of the earth's crust - p. 142

5. Basin of Submariners - p. 148

5.1. Morphology - p. 148

5.2. Potential fields - p. 152

5.3. Acoustic foundation - p. 154

5.4. Sedimentary cover - s. 157

5.5. The structure of the earth's crust - p. 171

6. The Makarov Basin - p. 180

6.1. Morphology - p. 180

6.2. Potential fields - p. 182

6.3. Sedimentary cover - s. 182

6.4. Earth's crust - with. 185

7. Raising Mendeleev - p. 188

7.1. Morphology - p. 188

7.2. Potential fields - p. 190

7.3. Sedimentary cover - s. 191

7.4. Acoustic foundation - p. 209

7.5. The structure of the earth's crust - p. 210

8. Chukotka plateau and Chukotka depression - with. 219

8.1. Morphology - p. 219

8.2. Potential fields - p. 221

8.3. Sedimentary deposits - with. 222

8.4. Geological sampling. Acoustic foundation - p. 231

9. Structures of extension on the continental margin of Eurasia - p. 233

10. Canadian Basin - p. 238

11. Pliocene-Quaternary sedimentation - p. 250

12. A brief overview of geological and bathymetric data used to justify the boundaries of the legal shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean - p. 269

12.1. The thickness of the earth's crust in the deep-water region of the Arctic Ocean - p.269

12.2. Analysis of data on the thickness of the sedimentary cover - p. 271

12.3. Bathymetric data - p. 275

Conclusion - p. 276

References - p. 278

The main part of the Arctic Ocean is the Arctic Basin. More than half of the basin is on the shelf. According to the names of the marginal Arctic seas, it is divided into the Barents Sea, Kara, Laptev and East Siberian-Chukotka (a significant part is adjacent to the shores of North America) [ 5 ] .

The Barents Sea shelf in structural and geological terms is precambrian platform with a powerful case made of sedimentary breeds paleozoic and mesozoic... On the outskirts Barents seas bedded by ancient folded complexes of various ages (in Kolsky peninsula and northwest of Spitsbergen - archean-proterozoic, off the coast New Earth - Hercynian and Caledonian) The most significant depressions and troughs of the sea: Medvezhinsky trench in the west, Franz Victoria troughs and Saint Anna in the north, the Samoilov Trench in the central part of the Barents Sea, large uplands - the Medvezhinskoye plateau, the Nordka and Demidov banks, the Central Plateau, the Perseus Upland, the Admiralty Upland. Bottom White seas stacked in the northern and western parts Baltic shield, in the east - Russian platform... The bottom of the Barents Sea is characterized by dense dissection by flooded seas glacial and river valleys [ 5 ] .

Southern part of the shelf Karsky seas is mostly a continuation West-Siberian herzen platform... In the northern part, the shelf is crossed by the submerged link of the Ural-Novaya Zemlya megantiklinorium, the structures of which continue in the northern Taimyr and the archipelago North EarthTo the north are the Novaya Zemlyniy Trench, the Voronin Trough and the Central Karskaya Upland. The bottom of the Kara Sea is crossed by clearly defined continuation of the valleys Obi and Yenisei... Near Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, Taimyr, exaration and accumulative relict glacial relief forms are widespread at the bottom [ 5 ] .

Prevailing type of relief on the shelf seas Laptev - marine accumulative plain, along the coasts, and on some banks - abrasive-accumulative plains. The same leveled relief continues at the bottom East-Siberian seas, in some places at the bottom of the sea (about Novosibirsk islands and northwest of Bearish islands) the ridge relief is clearly expressed. At the bottom Chukotka seasflooded denudation plains predominate. The southern part of the sea is a deep structural depression filled with loose sediments and Meso-Cenozoic effusive rocks [ 5 ] .

The continental slope of the Arctic basin is dissected by large wide submarine canyons... The discharge cones of turbidity flows form the accumulative shelf - the continental foot. A large alluvial cone forms the Mackenzie Submarine Canyon at the southern end The Canadian hollows. Abyssal partThe Arctic basin is busy midway-oceanic ridge Gakkel and the ocean bed. The Gakkel ridge starts from the Lena Valley, then stretches parallel to the Eurasian submarine margin and adjoins the continental slope in the Laptev Sea. Along the rift zone of the ridge, there are numerous epicenters earthquakes... From the underwater edge of northern Greenland to the continental slope of the Laptev Sea ridge Lomonosov is a monolithic mountain structure in the form of a solid shaft. Under the Lomonosov ridge, it is believed that lies earthly bark continental type.From the submarine margin of the East Siberian Sea north of Wrangel Island to Ellesmere Island in the Canadian archipelago ridge Mendeleev... It has a blocky structure and is composed of rocks typical of oceanic crust. In the Arctic basin, there are also two marginal plateaus - Ermak to the north of Svalbard and Chukotka north of the Chukchi Sea. Both of them are formed by the terrestrial crust of the continental type [ 5 ] .

Between the underwater part of Eurasia and ridge Gakkel lies hollow Nansen with a maximum depth of 3975 m. Its bottom is occupied by flat abyssal plains. Between the Haeckel and Lomonosov ridges hollow Amundsen... The bottom of the basin is a vast flat abyssal plain with a maximum depth of 4485 m. Northern pole located in this basin. Between the Lomonosov and Mendeleev ridges is located hollow Makarova with maximum depths of more than 4510 m. The southern, relatively shallow (with a maximum depth of 2793 m) part of the basin is distinguished as a separate hollow Submariners... The bottom of the Makarov basin is formed by flat and undulating abyssal plains, the bottom of the Podvodnikov basin is a sloping accumulative plain. Canadian hollowlocated south of the Mendeleev Ridge and east of the Chukotka Plateau, is the largest basin in terms of area with a maximum depth of 3909 m. Its bottom is mainly a flat abyssal plain. Under all the basins, the earth's crust has no granite layer. The thickness of the crust here is up to 10 km due to a significant increase in the thickness of the sedimentary layer [ 5 ] .

Bottom sediments The Arctic basin is of exclusively terrigenous origin. Prevailing sediments of fine texture. In the south of the Barents Sea and in the coastal strip of the White and Karskogomorey, sandy sediments... Widespread iron-manganese nodules, but mainly on the shelf of the Barents and Kara Seas. The thickness of bottom sediments in the Arctic Ocean reaches 2-4 km, which is explained by the wide distribution of flat abyssal plains. The large thickness of bottom sediments is determined by the high amount of sedimentary material entering the ocean, annually about 2 billion tons, or about 8% of the total amount entering the World ocean [ 5 ] .

Arctic basin

Polar basin, Central Arctic basin, deep-water part of the Arctic Ocean, limited to the south by the edge of the continental shelf of Eurasia and North. America. Area approx. 5.3 million km 2. A. b. dissected by 3 underwater ridges - Gakkel (minimum depth 400 m), Lomonosov (954 m), Mendeleev and uplifts (Alpha and Chukotka) to underwater basins: Nansen (maximum depth 5449 m), Amundsen (4321 m), Makarova (3940 m), Submariners (3285 m), Toll (2780 l1), Canadian (3838 m) and "North Pole" (2288 m). The bottom is covered with a layer of silt with a thickness of 0.5 to 2.5 km... The climate is harsh. The average January temperature is from -30 to -34 ° С, in July approx. 0 ° C. Thus, A. b. all year round it is covered with dense drifting ice, mostly perennial ("pack"). Surface water temperature approx. -1.8 ° С, salinity is reduced by river runoff and summer ice melting to 30-32 ‰. This layer is underlain by denser, warm Atlantic waters, which plunge northward from Spitsbergen and spread throughout the Atlantic. at depths from 150-200 m up to 800 m... Their temperature is approx. 1 ° С, salinity 34.5 ‰ and more. In the eastern part of A. b. at depths from 50 to 100 m the Pacific waters, which come from the Bering Sea and are traced to the Lomonosov ridge, are distributed. Their temperature is about -1.4 ° С, salinity is approx. 33 ‰. Below 800 m A. b. occupied by bottom water with a temperature of approx. -1 ° С and salinity more than 34.5 ‰. The circulation of water and ice is determined by wind and water exchange with the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the Canadian region A. b. stable anticyclonic circulation of ice and surface waters develops. In the rest of A. b. dominates the flow of ice and waters of the Transarctic Current, directed from the Bering Sea to Greenland. Average drift velocities of ice and constant currents A. b. are 2-4 km / day... In the waters of A. b. found 70 species of phytoplankton, among them diatoms predominate, approx. 80 different forms of zooplankton. The fauna - walruses, seals, polar bears live mainly in the peripheral parts of the A. b.

Lit:Treshnikov AF [et al.], Geographical names of the main parts of the bottom relief of the Arctic basin, "Problems of the Arctic and Antarctic", 1967, No. 27.

E. G. Nikiforov, V. V. Panov, A. O. Shpeikher.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M .: Soviet encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what the "Arctic Basin" is in other dictionaries:

Swimming pool - get a valid OBI promo code on Akademika or buy a pool at a discount at the OBI sale

- (Polar basin) deep-water part of the North. Arctic ok., Bounded from the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North. America. 5.3 million km & sup2. It is dissected by the underwater ridges of Gakkel, Lomonosov and Mendeleev into the basins of Nansen, Amundsen, Makarov, ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Polar Basin), the deep-water part of the Arctic Ocean, bounded in the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North America. 5.3 million km2. It is dissected by the underwater ridges of Gakkel, Lomonosov and Mendeleev into the basins of Nansen, Amundsen, ... ... Russian history

Polar Basin, the deep-water part of the Arctic Ocean, bounded in the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North America. 5.3 million km2. It is dissected by the underwater ridges of Gakkel, Lomonosov and Mendeleev into the basins of Nansen, Amundsen, Makarov ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Arctic basin - Arctic Basin, Polar Basin, deep-water part of the Arctic Ocean, bounded in the south by the edge of the continental shelf of Eurasia and North America and the Nansen Rapids. The area is about 5.3 million km2, the maximum depth is 5527 m ... Dictionary "Geography of Russia"

See the Arctic Basin ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Arctic shelf: structure, study - The Arctic (from the Greek arktikos - northern), the northern polar region of the Earth, including the outskirts of the continents of Eurasia and North America, almost the entire Arctic Ocean with islands (except for the coastal islands of Norway), as well as adjacent ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

ARCTIC BASIN

(Polar basin)

deep-water part of the North. Arctic ok., Bounded from the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North. America. 5.3 million km2. It is dissected by the underwater ridges of Gakkel, Lomonosov and Mendeleev into the basins of Nansen, Amundsen, Makarov, Canada and others. Drifting ice is characteristic. It is studied mainly by the North Pole drifting stations.

Big encyclopedic dictionary. 2012

See also the interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what the ARCTIC BASIN is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

ARCTIC BASIN in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, TSB:
basin, Polar basin, Central Arctic basin, deep-water part of the Arctic Ocean, limited to the south by the edge of the continental shelf of Eurasia and North. ...
ARCTIC BASIN
(Polar basin), deep-water part of the North. Arctic ok., Bounded from the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North. America. 5.3 million km2. ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Dictionary of Russian Railway Slang:
Zhivorybny ...
SWIMMING POOL in Miller's dream book, dream book and interpretation of dreams:
If a young lady swims in a pool in a dream, this is a good dream: her dignity and decency will help her find the true ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Big Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARCTIC in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
This word means in astronomy everything that refers to the constellation Bear (Greek Arktos) located high in the northern sky, therefore - ...
SWIMMING POOL
[French bassin] 1) artificial reservoir; 2) river basin - the land area from which underground and surface flows into a given river ...
ARCTIC in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
[see arctic] northern, ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
a, m. 1. An artificial reservoir specially built for swimming, bathing, for decorative purposes. Swimming b. 2. A set of tributaries of a river, lake ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Encyclopedic Dictionary:
, -a, m. 1. Artificial reservoir, built for swimming, bathing, for decorative purposes. Winter b. for swimming. 2. The totality of tributaries ...
SWIMMING POOL
SPORTS POOL, includes bathtubs for swimming and water polo (50x21 m, depth 1.8-2.3 m), ski jumping and a tower (18-20x14-21 ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
RIVER BASIN, part of the earth's surface, with a cut of water flow enters the river system ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
MINERAL RESOURCE BASIN, a closed area of \u200b\u200bcontinuous or almost continuous distribution of stratal sedimentary minerals (for example, oil and gas basins, coal, salt, ore ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
POOL, in Myanmar, in the delta of the river. Irrawaddy, adm. c. region Irrawaddy. 144 th. (1985). Mor. and a river port. Rice purifier, ...
ARCTIC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARCTIC BELT, natural belt of the Earth, including b. h. Arctic. On land in A. p. includes the arctic zone. deserts. The seas are stable ...
ARCTIC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARCTIC AND ANTARCTIC INSTITUTE n.-i., St. Petersburg. Main in 1920 as North. exp. Scientific and technical Department of the Supreme Economic Council; since 1925 Institute for the Study ...
ARCTIC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARCTIC GEOSINCLINAL BELT, surrounds the North. Arctic approx. Includes Paleozoic and Mesozoic folded structures North. Greenland, Canada, S.-V. ...
ARCTIC in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
ARCTIC BASIN (Polar basin), deep-water part of the North. Arctic Ok., Limited from the south by the edge of the shelf of Eurasia and North. America. 5.3 million ...
ARCTIC in the Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron:
- This word means in astronomy everything that refers to the constellation Bear (Greek Arktos), located high in the northern sky, ...
SWIMMING POOL
bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, bass yn, ...
ARCTIC in the Complete Accentuated Paradigm by Zaliznyak:
arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, arctic, ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Dictionary of the Great Russian Language of Business Communication:
railroad live fish wagon. (Railway ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Popular Explanatory and Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Russian Language:
-a, m. 1) An open or indoor artificial reservoir, built for swimming, bathing, decorative purposes, etc., usually ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Thesaurus of Russian Business Vocabulary:
Syn: reservoir, ...
SWIMMING POOL in the New Dictionary of Foreign Words:
(fr. bassin) 1) artificial reservoir; 2) a natural or artificial body of water specially equipped for classes and competitions in swimming, jumping ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Dictionary of Foreign Expressions:
[fr. bassin] 1. artificial reservoir; 2. natural or artificial body of water specially equipped for training and competition in swimming, jumping in ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Thesaurus of the Russian language:
Syn: reservoir, ...
SWIMMING POOL in Abramov's Dictionary of Synonyms:
pond, reservoir, receptacle, reservoir, aquarium. Wed ... Cm. …
SWIMMING POOL
Syn: reservoir, ...
ARCTIC in the dictionary of Russian Synonyms:
boreal, ...
SWIMMING POOL
m. 1) a) An open or indoor artificial reservoir for swimming, diving, etc. b) Construction ...
ARCTIC in the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
adj. 1) Related to the Arctic, associated with it. 2) Performed within the Arctic, associated with the study of the Arctic. 3) Inhabited, growing ...
SWIMMING POOL
pool`ain, ...
ARCTIC in the Dictionary of the Russian language Lopatin:
arctic (from ...
SWIMMING POOL
swimming pool, …
ARCTIC in the Complete Russian Spelling Dictionary:
arctic (from ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Spelling Dictionary:
pool`ain, ...
ARCTIC in the Spelling Dictionary:
arctic (from ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Ozhegov Russian Language Dictionary:
a set of tributaries of a river, a lake, as well as the area of \u200b\u200brunoff of surface and ground waters into the B. Volga reservoir. pool area of \u200b\u200boccurrence of useful ...
POOL in Dahl Dictionary:
husband. a body of water, a reservoir in all meanings, a ravine, a den, a depression in the ground, as if from a sediment, with sloping edges, enclosing the sea, ...
SWIMMING POOL in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
city \u200b\u200bin Myanmar, in the river delta. Irrawaddy, adm. c. region Irrawaddy. 144 thousand inhabitants (1985). Sea and river port. Rice cleaning, ...
SWIMMING POOL
(ace; ase wrong.), pool, m. (fr. bassin). 1. Large artificial reservoir with an open water surface. There was a pool in the park with ...
ARCTIC in the Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language by Ushakov:
arctic, arctic. 1. App. to the arctic; against. Antarctic. Arctic peoples. Arctic countries. 2. Serving or exploring the Arctic. Arctic ...
SWIMMING POOL
swimming pool m. 1) a) An open or indoor artificial reservoir for swimming, diving, etc. b) ...
ARCTIC in the Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova:
arctic adj. 1) Related to the Arctic, associated with it. 2) Performed within the Arctic, associated with the study of the Arctic. 3) Inhabited, ...
SWIMMING POOL
m. 1. An open or indoor artificial reservoir for swimming, diving, etc. Ott. Construction with ...
ARCTIC in the New Dictionary of the Russian Language by Efremova:
SWIMMING POOL
I m. 1. An open or indoor artificial reservoir for swimming, diving, etc. 2. Construction ...
ARCTIC in the Big Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language:
adj. 1. Related to the Arctic, associated with it. 2. Performed within the Arctic, associated with the study of the Arctic. 3. Inhabited, growing ...

The Arctic Ocean - stretched between Eurasia and North America, and is the smallest ocean on our planet. Its area is 14.75 million square meters. km. with an average depth of 1225 meters. The greatest depth is 5.5 km. be in the Greenland Sea.

In terms of the number of islands and archipelagos, the Arctic Ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. In this ocean there are such largest islands and archipelagos as Greenland, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, Wrangel Island, New Siberian Islands, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

The Arctic Ocean is divided into three 3 large water areas:

Arctic basin; The center of the ocean, its deepest part reaches 4 km.
North European Basin; It includes the Greenland Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea and the White Sea.
Continental shelf; It includes the seas washing the continents: the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea, the Chukchi Sea, the Beaufort Sea and the Baffin Sea. These seas account for more than 1/3 of the entire ocean area.

Simplified to represent the topography of the ocean floor is quite simple. The continental shelf (maximum width 1300 km.) Ends with a sharp decrease in depth to 2-3 km, forming a kind of step that surrounds the central deep-water part of the ocean.

This natural bowl with a center depth of over 4 km. dotted with many underwater ridges. In the 50s of the 20th century, echolocation of the bottom showed that the Arctic Ocean was dissected by three trans-oceanic ridges: Mendeleev, Lomonosov and Gakkel.

The waters of the Arctic Ocean are fresher than other oceans. This is due to the fact that large rivers of Siberia flow into it, thereby freshening it.

CLIMATE

From January to April, there is a high-pressure area in the center of the ocean, better known as the Arctic Anticyclone. On the contrary, in the summer months, lower pressure prevails in the Arctic basin. The pressure difference constantly brings cyclones, precipitation and wind up to 20 m / s to the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic. On their way to the center of the ocean, a huge number of cyclones pass through the North European Basin, causing sudden changes in weather, heavy rainfall and fog.

The air temperature ranges from -20 to -40 degrees. In winter, when 9/10 of the ocean area is covered with drifting ice, the water temperature does not rise above 0 degrees Celsius, dropping to -4. The thickness of the drifting ice floes is 4-5 meters. In the seas surrounding Greenland (Baffin Sea and Greenland Sea), icebergs are constantly found. By the end of winter, the ice area reaches 11 million square meters. km. Only the Norvazh, Barents and Greenlad Seas remain ice-free. The warm waters of the North Atlantic Current flow into these seas.

Ice islands drift in the Arctic basin, the ice thickness of which is 30-35 meters. The "life time" of such islands exceeds 6 years and they are often used for the operation of drifting stations.

By the way, Russia is the first and only country that uses drifting polar stations. Such a station consists of several buildings where the expedition members live, and a set of necessary equipment is located. For the first time such a station appeared in 1937 and was called " North Pole". The scientist who proposed this way of exploring the Arctic - Vladimir Vize .

ANIMAL WORLD

Until the 20th century, the Arctic Ocean was a "dead zone", research was not carried out there due to very harsh conditions. Therefore, knowledge about the animal world is very scarce.

The number of species decreases when approaching the center of the ocean in the Arctic basin, but phytoplankton develops everywhere, including under drifting ice. It is here that the feeding fields for various minke whales are located. The colder parts of the Arctic Ocean are favored by animals that perfectly endure harsh climatic conditions: narwhal, beluga whale, polar bear, walrus, and seal.

In the more favorable waters of the North European Basin, the animal world is more diverse due to fish: herring, cod, sea bass. There is also the habitat of the now almost exterminated bowhead whale.

The fauna of the ocean is distinguished by gigantism. Here live giant mussels, giant jellyfish-cyania, sea spider. The slow course of life processes endowed the inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean with longevity. Recall that the bowhead whale is the longest-living vertebrate on Earth.

The flora of the Arctic Ocean is unusually scarce, because drifting ice blocks the sun's rays. With the exception of the Barents and White Seas, the organic world is represented by unpretentious algae that prevail in the continental shelf. But in terms of the amount of phytoplankton, the seas of the Arctic Ocean can well compete with more southern seas. There are more than 200 species of phytoplactone in the ocean, almost half of them are diatoms. Some of them have adapted to live on the very surface of the ice and during the flowering period cover it with a brownish-yellow film, which absorbs more light and makes the ice melt faster.