Description of the Barents Sea on the map. Northern seas of Russia

Barencevo sea.

Barents Sea (Norwegian Barentshavet), until 1853 Murmansk Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Norway. The sea is limited north coast Europe and the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and New Earth. The sea area is 1424 thousand km2, depth is up to 600 m. The sea is located on the continental shelf. The southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current. The southeastern part of the sea is called the Pechora Sea. The Barents Sea has great importance for transport and fishing - large ports are located here - Murmansk and Vardø (Norway). Before World War II, Finland also had access to the Barents Sea: Petsamo was its only ice-free port. Serious problem is Nuclear pollution seas due to the activities of the Soviet/Russian nuclear fleet and Norwegian reprocessing plants radioactive waste. IN Lately The sea shelf of the Barents Sea towards Spitsbergen becomes the object of territorial disputes between the Russian Federation and Norway (as well as other states).

History of research.

Since ancient times, Finno-Ugric tribes - the Sami (Lapps) - have lived along the shores of the Barents Sea. The first visits of non-autochonous Europeans (Vikings, then Novgorodians) probably began at the end of the 11th century, and then intensified. The Barents Sea was named in 1853 in honor of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents. The scientific study of the sea began with the expedition of F. P. Litke of 1821-1824, and the first complete and reliable hydrological characteristics of the sea were compiled by N. M. Knipovich at the beginning of the 20th century.

Geographical position.

The Barents Sea is a marginal water area of the Arctic Ocean on the border with the Atlantic Ocean, between the northern coast of Europe in the south and the islands of Vaygach, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land in the east, Spitsbergen and Bear Island in the west.

Maritime borders.

In the west it borders with the Norwegian Sea basin, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with the Kara Sea, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. The area of the Barents Sea located east of Kolguev Island is called the Pechora Sea.

Coastline.

The shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly fjord, high, rocky, and heavily indented. Most large bays: Porsanger Fjord, Varangian Bay (also known as Varanger Fjord), Motovsky Bay, Kola Bay, etc. East of the Kanin Nos Peninsula, the coastal topography changes dramatically - the shores are mostly low and slightly indented. There are 3 large shallow bays: (Czechskaya Bay, Pechora Bay, Khaypudyrskaya Bay), as well as several small bays.

Archipelagos and islands.

There are few islands within the Barents Sea. The largest of them is Kolguev Island. From the west, north and east, the sea is limited by the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.

Hydrography.

Most large rivers, flowing into the Barents Sea - Pechora and Indiga.

Currents.

Surface sea currents 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 coming from Kara Sea and 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. Tidal currents are of great importance, especially near the coast. The tides are semidiurnal, their greatest value is 6.1 m off the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in other places 0.6-4.7 m.

Water exchange.

Water exchange with neighboring seas is of great importance in the water balance of the Barents Sea. During the year, about 76,000 km3 of water enters the sea through the straits (and the same amount leaves it), which is approximately 1/4 of the total volume of sea water. Largest quantity water (59,000 km3 per year) is carried by the warm North Cape Current, which has an extremely large influence on the hydrometeorological regime of the sea. The total river flow into the sea averages 200 km3 per year.

Salinity.

The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0% in the southwest, 33.0-34.0% in the east, and 32.0-33.0% in the north. IN coastal strip sea salinity in spring and summer decreases to 30-32%, by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5%.

Geology.

The Barents Sea occupies the Barents Sea plate of Proterozoic-Early Cambrian age; elevations of the bottom of the anteclise, depressions - syneclise. From smaller relief forms, the remains of ancient coastlines, at a depth of about 200 and 70 m, glacial-denudation and glacial-accumulative forms and sand ridges formed by strong tidal currents.

Bottom relief.

The Barents Sea is located within the continental shallows, but, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of 300-400 m, the average depth is 229 m and the maximum is 600 m. There are plains (Central Plateau), hills (Central, Perseus (minimum depth 63 m)], depressions (Central, maximum depth 386 m) and trenches (Western (maximum depth 600 m) Franz Victoria (430 m) and others). South part The bottom has a depth of mostly less than 200 m and is characterized by a leveled topography.

Soils.

The bottom sediment cover in the southern part of the Barents Sea is dominated by sand, and in some places by pebbles and crushed stone. At the heights of the central and northern parts of the sea - silty sand, sandy silt, in depressions - silt. An admixture of coarse clastic material is noticeable everywhere, which is associated with ice rafting and widespread relict glacial deposits. The thickness of sediments in the northern and middle parts is less than 0.5 m, as a result of which ancient glacial deposits are practically on the surface. The slow rate of sedimentation (less than 30 mm per 1 thousand years) is explained by the insignificant supply of terrigenous material - due to the characteristics of the coastal topography, not a single large river flows into the Barents Sea (except for the Pechora, which leaves almost all of its alluvium within the Pechora Estuary), and The shores of the land are composed mainly of durable crystalline rocks.

Climate.

The climate of the Barents Sea is influenced by the warm Atlantic Ocean and the cold Arctic Ocean. Frequent intrusions of warm Atlantic cyclones and cold Arctic air determine great variability of weather conditions. In winter, southwestern winds prevail over the sea, and in spring and summer, northeastern winds. Storms are frequent. average temperature air in February varies from -25 °C in the north to -4 °C in the southwest. The average temperature in August is 0 °C, 1 °C in the north, 10 °C in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year. Annual quantity precipitation from 250 mm in the north to 500 mm in the southwest.

Ice cover.

Severe climatic conditions in the north and east of the Barents Sea determine its high ice cover. In all seasons of the year, only the southwestern part of the sea remains ice-free. The ice cover reaches its greatest extent in April, when about 75% of the sea surface is occupied by floating ice. In exclusively not favorable years at the end of winter floating ice approach directly to the shores of the Kola Peninsula. Least quantity ice cover occurs at the end of August. At this time, the ice boundary moves beyond 78° N. w. In the northwest and northeast of the sea, ice usually remains all year round, but in some favorable years the sea is completely free of ice.

Temperature.

The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines relatively high temperature and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the surface water temperature is 3 °C, 5 °C, in August it rises to 7 °C, 9 °C. North of 74° N. w. and in the southeastern part of the sea in winter the surface water temperature is below -1 °C, and in the summer in the north 4 °C, 0 °C, in the southeast 4 °C, 7 °C. in summer coastal zone a surface layer of warm water 5-8 meters thick can warm up to 11-12 °C.

Flora and fauna.

The Barents Sea is rich various types fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos. Seaweed is common along the southern coast. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: polar bear, seal, harp seal, beluga whale, etc. Seal fishing is underway. Bird colonies abound on the coasts (guillemots, guillemots, kittiwake gulls). In the 20th century, the Kamchatka crab was introduced, which was able to adapt to new conditions and begin to reproduce intensively. There are many different echinoderms distributed along the bottom of the entire sea area, sea urchins and starfish, different types.

Barents Sea, Barents Sea on the map
Barencevo sea(Norwegian Barentshavet, before 1853 Murmansk Sea, Murman) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Norway. The sea is limited to the northern coast of Europe and the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. The sea area is 1,424 thousand km², depth is up to 600 m. The sea is located on the continental shelf. The southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current. The southeastern part of the sea is called the Pechora Sea. The Barents Sea is of great importance for transport and fishing - large ports are located here - Murmansk and Vardø (Norway). Before World War II, Finland also had access to the Barents Sea: Petsamo was its only ice-free port. A serious problem is radioactive pollution of the sea due to the activities of Norwegian radioactive waste processing plants. Recently, the sea shelf of the Barents Sea towards Spitsbergen has become the object of territorial disputes between the Russian Federation and Norway (as well as other states).

1 History of research
2 Geographical location
- 2.1 Ocean and land boundaries
- 2.2 Maritime boundaries
- 2.3 Coastline
- 2.4 Archipelagos and islands
3 Hydrography
- 3.1 Currents
- 3.2 Water exchange
- 3.3 Salinity
4 Geology
- 4.1 Bottom topography
- 4.2 Soils
5 Climate
- 5.1 Ice cover
- 5.2 Temperature
6 Flora and fauna
7 Economic importance
- 7.1 First Arctic oil
- 7.2 Food processing and shipping
- 7.3 Naval potential
8 philately
9 Notes
10 Literature
11 Links

History of research

The Murmansk Sea (above, left) on the map of Tartary compiled by N. Witsen in 1705 Willem Barents

Since ancient times, Finno-Ugric tribes - the Sami (Lapps) - have lived along the shores of the Barents Sea. The first visits of non-autochthonous Europeans (Novgorodians, then the Vikings) probably began at the end of the 11th century, and then intensified.

In the old days, sailors and cartographers called the sea Northern, Siversky, Moscow, Russian, Arctic, Pechora and most often Murmansk.

The Barents Sea was named in 1853 in honor of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents.

The scientific study of the sea began with the expedition of F. P. Litke of 1821-1824, and the first complete and reliable hydrological characteristics of the sea were compiled by N. M. Knipovich at the beginning of the 20th century.

Geographical position

Oceanic and land boundaries

Boundary of the White and Barents Seas

Maritime boundaries

In the west it borders with the Norwegian Sea basin, in the south with the White Sea (the border on the coast is Cape Svyatoy Nos), in the east with the Kara Sea, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. The area of the Barents Sea located east of Kolguev Island is called the Pechora Sea.

Coastline

The southwestern shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly fjord, high, rocky, and heavily rugged. The largest bays are: Porsanger Fjord, Varangian Bay (also known as Varanger Fjord), Motovsky Bay, Kola Bay, etc. East of the Kanin Nos Peninsula, the coastal topography changes dramatically - the shores are predominantly low and slightly indented. There are 3 large shallow bays: (Czechskaya Bay, Pechora Bay, Khaypudyrskaya Bay), as well as several small bays.

Archipelagos and islands

Hydrography

The largest rivers flowing into the Barents Sea are Pechora and Indiga.

Currents

Surface sea currents form a counterclockwise circulation. Along the southern and eastern periphery they move east and north Atlantic waters the warm North Cape Current (a branch of the Gulf Stream system), the influence of which can be traced to the northern shores of Novaya Zemlya. The northern and western parts of the cycle are formed by local and Arctic waters coming from the Kara Sea and 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. Tidal currents are of great importance, especially near the coast. The tides are semidiurnal, their greatest value 6.1 m off the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in other places 0.6-4.7 m.

Water exchange

Water exchange with neighboring seas is of great importance in the water balance of the Barents Sea. Over the course of a year, about 76,000 km³ of water enters the sea through the straits (and the same amount leaves it), which is approximately 1/4 of total volume waters of the sea. The largest amount of water (59,000 km³ per year) is carried by the warm North Cape Current, which has an extremely large influence on the hydrometeorological regime of the sea. The total river flow into the sea averages 200 km³ per year.

Salinity

The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0‰ in the southwest, 33.0-34.0‰ in the east, and 32.0-33.0‰ in the north. In the coastal strip of the sea in spring and summer, salinity drops to 30-32 ‰, and by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5 ‰.

Geology

The Barents Sea occupies the Barents Sea plate of Proterozoic-Early Cambrian age; elevations of the bottom of the anteclise, depressions - syneclise. Among the smaller landforms are the remains of ancient coastlines, at a depth of about 200 and 70 m, glacial-denudation and glacial-accumulative forms and sand ridges formed by strong tidal currents.

Bottom relief

The Barents Sea is located within the continental shelf, but, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of 300-400 m, the average depth is 222 m and the maximum is 600 m in the trench of Medvezhy Island (73°32′N 22° 38′E / 73.533°N 22.633°E / 73.533; 22.633 (G) (O)). There are plains (Central Plateau), hills (Central, Perseus (minimum depth 63 m), depressions (Central, maximum depth 386 m) and trenches (Western (maximum depth 600 m), Franz Victoria (430 m) and others). South. part of the bottom has a depth of mostly less than 200 m and is characterized by a leveled relief.

Soils

The bottom sediment cover in the southern part of the Barents Sea is dominated by sand, and in some places by pebbles and crushed stone. At the elevations of the central and northern parts of the sea - silty sand, sandy silt, in depressions - silt. An admixture of coarse clastic material is noticeable everywhere, which is associated with ice rafting and the wide distribution of relict glacial deposits. The thickness of sediments in the northern and middle parts is less than 0.5 m, as a result of which ancient glacial deposits are practically on the surface at some elevations. The slow rate of sedimentation (less than 30 mm per 1 thousand years) is explained by the insignificant supply of terrigenous material - due to the characteristics of the coastal topography, not a single large river flows into the Barents Sea (except for the Pechora, which leaves almost all of its alluvium within the Pechora Estuary), and The shores of the land are composed mainly of durable crystalline rocks.

Climate

The climate of the Barents Sea is influenced by warm Atlantic Ocean and the cold Arctic Ocean. Frequent intrusions of warm Atlantic cyclones and cold Arctic air determine great variability of weather conditions. In winter, southwestern winds prevail over the sea, and in spring and summer, northeastern winds. Storms are frequent. The average air temperature in February varies from −25 °C in the north to −4 °C in the southwest. The average temperature in August is 0 °C, 1 °C in the north, 10 °C in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year. Annual precipitation ranges from 250 mm in the north to 500 mm in the southwest.

Ice cover

The harsh climatic conditions in the north and east of the Barents Sea determine its high ice cover. In all seasons of the year, only the southwestern part of the sea remains ice-free. The ice cover reaches its greatest extent in April, when about 75% of the sea surface is occupied by floating ice. In exceptionally unfavorable years, at the end of winter, floating ice comes directly to the shores of the Kola Peninsula. The least amount of ice occurs at the end of August. At this time, the ice boundary moves beyond 78° N. w. In the northwest and northeast of the sea, ice usually remains all year round, but in some favorable years the sea is almost completely or even completely free of ice.

Temperature

The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines the relatively high temperature and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the surface water temperature is 3 °C, 5 °C, in August it rises to 7 °C, 9 °C. North of 74° N. w. and in the southeastern part of the sea in winter the water temperature on the surface is below −1 °C, and in the summer in the north 4 °C, 0 °C, in the southeast 4 °C, 7 °C. In summer, in the coastal zone, the surface layer of warm water 5-8 meters thick can warm up to 11-12 °C.

Average water temperature across horizons °C
(for a point with coordinates 73.5°N 30.5°E; data for 1893-2001):

Horizon m	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
0	3,80	3,20	3,20	3,32	3,32	4,76	6,35	8,60	7,15	5,94	4,76	4,26
10	3,82	3,27	3,22	3,22	3,28	4,71	6,25	8,56	7,11	5,86	4,78	4,24
20	3,94	3,31	3,17	3,32	3,30	4,65	6,03	8,07	7,13	5,94	4,78	4,16
50	3,95	3,34	3,20	3,25	3,22	4,19	4,48	4,87	5,99	5,82	4,78	4,19
100	3,96	3,35	3,17	3,27	3,13	3,80	3,97	4,35	4,90	5,03	4,78	4,20
200	3,83	3,30	3,14	3,10	2,78	3,30	3,31	3,61	4,30	4,15	4,47	4,13
300	3,36	2,86	2,72	2,36	2,17	2,28	2,52	2,65	3,57	3,08	3,68	3,43

Flora and fauna

The Barents Sea is rich in various species of fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos. Seaweed is common along the southern coast. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: polar bear, seal, harp seal, beluga whale, etc. Seal fishing is underway. Bird colonies abound on the coasts (guillemots, guillemots, kittiwake gulls). In the 20th century, the Kamchatka crab was introduced, which was able to adapt to new conditions and begin to reproduce intensively. Along the bottom of the entire sea area there are many different echinoderms, sea urchins and starfish of different species.

Economic importance

The Barents Sea is of great economic importance both for the Russian Federation and for Norway and other countries.

First Arctic oil

The water area of the southeastern part of the Barents Sea (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. In total, 300 thousand tons of oil were shipped from the Prirazlomnaya platform in 2014. The Prirazlomnoye field is currently the only field on the Russian Arctic shelf where oil production has already begun. The new Russian grade of oil was named ARCO (Arctic oil) and was first shipped from Prirazlomnoye in April 2014. The deposit is located 55 km north of the village of Varandey and 320 km northeast of the city of Naryan-Mar (Pechora River). The sea depth in the field area is 19-20 meters. Prirazlomnoye was discovered in 1989 and contains more than 70 million tons of recoverable oil reserves. The development license belongs to Gazprom Neft Shelf (a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft).

Main article: Prirazlomnoye field

Prirazlomnoye - unique Russian project on hydrocarbon production on the Arctic shelf. For the first time, hydrocarbon production on the Arctic shelf is carried out from a stationary platform - the Prirazlomnaya offshore ice-resistant stationary platform (OIFP). The platform allows you to perform all technological operations - drilling wells, production, storage, loading oil onto tankers, etc.

Food industry and shipping

The sea is rich in various species of fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos, therefore the Barents Sea is an area of intensive fishing. In addition, it is very important sea route, connecting the European part of Russia (especially the European North) with western ports (since the 16th century) and eastern countries(since the 19th century), as well as Siberia (since the 15th century). Main and largest port is the ice-free port of Murmansk - the capital Murmansk region. Other ports in the Russian Federation are Teriberka, Indiga, Naryan-Mar (Russia); Vardø, Vadsø and Kirkenes (Norway).

Naval potential

The Barents Sea is a region where not only the commercial fleet, but also the Russian Navy, including nuclear submarines, are deployed.

In philately

Russian postage stamps, 2006: lighthouses of the Barents Sea

Kaninsky lighthouse

Kildinsky-Northern Lighthouse

Vaydagubsky lighthouse

Notes

Assessment and conservation of marine biological diversity of the Barents Sea
ESIMO. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.
Alexey Miller: Gazprom has become a pioneer in the development of the Russian Arctic shelf. Message from the Information Department of OJSC Gazprom dated 2013-12-20.
Year in the Company
Press release "The first oil from the Russian Arctic shelf has been shipped

Literature

Barents Sea // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Wiese V. Yu., Seas Soviet Arctic, 3rd ed., vol. 1, 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 studies in the Barents. Norwegian and Greenland Seas, M., 1959.
I. S. Zonn, A. G. Kostyanoy. Barents Sea: Encyclopedia / Ed. G. G. Matishova. - M.: International relationships, 2011. - 272 pp., ill., ISBN 978-5-7133-1404-0

Links

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. Publishing house Moscow. University, 1982.
Key to algae of the Barents Sea Shoshina E.V.

Arctic Ocean
Seas and most important bays	Barentsevo Baffin White Beaufort Vandel East Siberian Greenland Hudson Bay Gustavus Adolphus Kara Laptev Lincoln Norwegian Chukotka
The most important straits	Vilkitsky Hudson Dmitry Laptev Kara Gate Longa Matochkin Shar Parry (Lancaster, Barrow, Wycount-Melville, McClure) Sannikova Hinlopen Shokalsky Yugorsky Shar
Bottom relief	Admiralty Rise Alpha Rise Amundsen Basin Voring Plateau Voronin Trench Gakkel Ridge Greenland Basin Demidov Bank Ermak Plateau Icelandic Plateau Canadian Basin Knipovich Ridge Kolbeinsey Ridge Lomonosov Ridge Lofoten Basin Makarov Basin Mackenzie Canyon Medvezhinskoe Plateau Mendeleev Ridge Mona Ridge Nansen Basin Novaya Zemlya Trench Norwegian Basin Norwegian Ridge Nordinskaya Bank Perseus Rise Podvodnikov Basin Reykjanes Ridge Samoilov Trench St. Anne's Trench Franz Victoria Trench Central Kara Upland Chukchi Plateau Jan Mayen Range
Largest islands and archipelagos	Aion Bely Bolshoi Begichev Vaygach Vesteralen Wrangel Greenland Disko Clavering Canadian Arctic Kolguev Archipelago Lofoten Islands Milna Land Novaya Zemlya New Siberian Oleniy Islands Severnaya Zemlya Senja Franz Josef Land Hinnøya Shannon Spitsbergen

Barents Sea, Barents Sea Wikipedia, Barents Sea map, Barents Sea crabs, Barents Sea ice, Barents Sea on the map, Barents Sea nature photo, Barents Sea territorial waters

Barents Sea Information About

- one of the many seas of the great. It is located in the westernmost part of the ocean and is located on the North European shelf. This is the largest sea in Russia, its area is 1424 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 228 m, the maximum does not exceed 600 m.
Waters of the Barents Sea wash the shores of Russia and Norway. In the West, the sea borders on, in the east - the Kara Sea, in the north - the Arctic Ocean, and the White Sea in the south. The sea area in the southeast is sometimes called the Pechora Sea.
Islands in the Barents Sea few, among them the largest is Kolguev Island.
The seashores are mostly rocky and high. The coastline is uneven, indented by bays and bays, the largest of which are Motovsky Bay, Varyazhsky Bay, Kola Bay, etc. Bottom of the Barents Sea has a complex topography, where hills give way to trenches and valleys.
Climate on the Barents Sea is influenced by the currents of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. In general, it corresponds to the polar maritime climate: long winter, cold summer, high humidity. But because warm current The climate is subject to sudden temperature changes.
The waters of the Barents Sea are rich in numerous species of fish (114 species), animal and plant plankton and benthos. The southern coast is rich in seaweed. Of the fish species, the most industrially important are: herring, cod, haddock, halibut, etc. Along the coast of the Barents Sea, there are polar bears, seals, beluga whales, seals, etc. The seashores are places of bird colonies. The permanent inhabitants of these places are kittiwake gulls, guillemots, and guillemots. The Kamchatka crab, which was introduced in the 20th century, has also taken root in the sea.
IN Barents Sea Fishing is widely developed, and the sea is also an important sea route between Russia and Europe.

Thunderstorms have long captured the imagination of man. Thunderstorms terrified our ancestors, who were poorly protected from the weather. Fires and death from lightning strikes have made and will continue to make a strong, stunning impression on people. The ancient Slavs honored the god Perun - the creator of lightning, the ancient Greeks - Zeus the Thunderer. There seems to be no more menacing and majestic phenomenon in the atmosphere than a thunderstorm.

Barents Sea - washes the northern coast of the Scandinavian and Kola Peninsulas, Norway and Russia. Is marginal sea Arctic Ocean.

It is bounded from the north 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...

Northern Seas have long attracted Russian people with their riches. An abundance of fish, sea animals and birds, despite ice water, long and cold winter, made this region quite suitable for a well-fed life. And when a person is full, he doesn’t mind the cold.

In ancient times, the Barents Sea was called the Arctic, then Siversky or Northern, sometimes it was called Pechora, Russian, Moscow, but more often Murmansk, according to old name Pomeranian (Murmansk) region of the earth. It is believed that the first Russian boats in the waters Barents Sea sailed back in the 11th century. Around the same time, Viking boats began to sail here. And then trading settlements began to appear in the north of Rus', and fishing began to develop.

Until Russia acquired a full-fledged fleet capable of crossing the expanses of the northern seas, the northernmost Russian city was Arkhangelsk. Founded by decree of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1583-1584 near the Archangel Michael Monastery, the small city became the main Russian port where foreigners began to enter. sea vessels. An English colony even settled there.

This city, located at the mouth of the Northern Dvina flowing into the river, was very attractive to Peter I, and over time it became the Northern Gate of Rus'. It was Arkhangelsk that had the honor of playing a leading role in the creation of the Russian merchant and navy. Peter founded the Admiralty in the city in 1693, and founded a shipyard on the island of Solombala.

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

Of course, even before Peter’s time there were sailing directions for the mouth of the Northern Dvina, White Sea and the coastal part of the Siverskoye Sea, which were inherited by local pilots. But under Peter, these maps were refined and allowed fairly large ships to sail without the 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, the warm waters of which 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 sea ships, And a short time navigation was hampered by the development of the waters of the North Sea. Only rare ships of brave sailors reached the shores of Spitsbergen 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 sailors tried to go east to go around Asia to China, but they could not go far due to the fact that most of them were covered with hummocks of ice that did not melt even during the short northern summer. The Dutch navigator Willem Barents, in search of northern trade routes, very carefully explored the waters of the North Sea.

He discovered the Orange Islands, Bear Island, and explored Spitsbergen. 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 in two boats. And although the expedition reached the shores, Willem Barents himself died. Since 1853, this harsh North Sea began to be called the Barents Sea in his honor, although before that it was officially listed on 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 led by the future president St. Petersburg Academy Sciences, honorary member of many Russian and foreign scientific institutions, tireless navigator, Admiral Fyodor Petrovich Litke. On the sixteen-gun brig "Novaya Zemlya" he went to the shores of Novaya Zemlya 4 times, explored and described it in detail.

He explored the depths of the fairway and the dangerous shallows of the White and Barents Seas, as well as geographical definitions islands. His book “Four Voyages 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 scientific expedition in 1898-1901 headed by the Russian scientist 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 goal of the expedition was to develop the Northern Sea Route, which would allow Russian ships to take the shortest route along the northern coast of Asia in Pacific Ocean to the eastern shores Russian Empire. The expedition, consisting of two icebreaking steamships - "Vaigach" and "Taimyr" under the leadership of Boris Andreevich Vilkitsky, went through the entire northern route from Chukotka to the Barents Sea, with wintering near the Taimyr Peninsula.

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

At the beginning of the twentieth century, measures were taken to develop the first port beyond the Arctic Circle. Murmansk became such a port. A very good location 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 city status. Making this port city made it possible Russian fleet gain access to the Arctic Ocean through an ice-free bay. Russia was able to receive military supplies from its allies, despite the blockade of the Baltic and Black Seas.

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

During the war, Severomorsk destroyed more than 200 warships and auxiliary vessels, more than 400 transports and 1,300 aircraft fascist Germany. They provided escort for 76 allied convoys, which included 1,463 transports and 1,152 escort ships.

And now Northern Fleet The Russian Navy is based at 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, which in 1917 was inhabited by only 13 people. Now Severomorsk, with a population of about 50 thousand people, is the main stronghold northern borders Russia.

The Northern Fleet serves with the most best ships Russian Navy. Such as the aircraft-carrying anti-submarine cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov

Nuclear submarines capable of floating directly at the North Pole

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 test was carried out there. hydrogen bomb. Of course, all of Novaya Zemlya and the adjacent territory are strongly and long years suffered, but Soviet Union for many years received priority in atomic weapons, which continues to this day.

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. Everyone and everyone is flocking to the Arctic. And after opening largest deposits oil on the Arctic shelf, the question arose of protecting the Russian northern possessions possessing strategic raw materials. Therefore, since 2014, Russia has been renewing its military presence in the Arctic. For this purpose, bases are now being unfrozen on Novaya Zemlya, on Kotelny Island, which is part of the New Siberian Islands, on the land of Franz Joseph and. Modern military camps are being built and 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 on mainland There were constant convoys of fish. There are still a lot of them in these northern waters, about 114 species. But the main types of commercial fish are cod, flounder, sea bass, herring and haddock. The population of the rest is falling.

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

But nevertheless, in the waters of the Barents Sea you can still find 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 increasingly began to move north. Thus, the Barents Sea became the site of a conflict between Russia and Norway. And although in 2010 Norway and Russia entered into an agreement on dividing borders in the Barents Sea, disputes still do not subside. This year, the Russian Gazprom began industrial oil production on the Arctic shelf. About 300 thousand tons of oil will be produced within a year. By 2020, it is planned to reach a production level of 6 million tons of oil per year.

The return of the Russian Armed Forces to the Arctic could help settle these disputes. The Russian Arctic is the property of our people and it must be fully used for the benefit of the people and well protected from those who like to profit at the expense of others.

Despite the fact that the Barents Sea is the polar region, in last years this region is becoming increasingly popular for tourists, especially those interested in diving, fishing and hunting. This one is very interesting extreme view recreation like ice diving. The beauty of the under-ice world can surprise even experienced swimmers. For example, the span of the claws of Kamchatka crabs that breed in these waters sometimes exceeds 2 meters. But you need to keep in mind that diving under 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 any seasoned hunter indifferent.

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

Video: Barents Sea:...

Do you know where the Barents Sea is? It is located on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. Until 1853, it had a different name - the Murmansk Sea. It washes the shores 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 Spitsbergen, as well as the northern coast of Europe. Its area is 1424 thousand square meters. km. Coordinates: 71° N. latitude, 41° east. d. In some places, the depth of the Barents Sea reaches 600 m.

The reservoir we are interested in is located on the In winter, its southwestern part does not freeze, as the North Atlantic Current prevents this. It is called the Pechora Sea south-eastern part. The Barents Sea is very important for fishing and transport. There are major ports here - Varde (Norway) and Murmansk. Before World War II, Finland also had access to this sea: its only port that did not freeze in winter was Petsamo.

Today, the places where the Barents Sea is located are highly polluted. A serious problem is the radioactive waste entering it. A large role in this is played by the activities of our country’s nuclear fleet, as well as Norwegian plants involved in the processing of radioactive waste in a body of water such 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 sea exploration

Let us now tell you in more detail about the body of water that interests us. Let's start with historical information about him. Since ancient times, people knew where the Barents Sea was, although its name used to be different. The Sami (Lapps) - Finno-Ugric tribes - lived along 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. Its scientific study began with 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 characteristics of it.

Geographical position

Let's tell you in more detail about where the Barents Sea is located on the map. It is located on the border of the Arctic Ocean and 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 limited by the northern coast of Europe, and in the west - Bear Island and Spitsbergen. The body of water we are interested in 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 limited by the Arctic Ocean. The Pechora Sea is the name of its area located east of the island. Kolguev.

Coastline

Mostly the shores of the Barents Sea are fjords. They are rocky, high and heavily rugged. The largest bays of the Barents (also known as the Kola Bay, Motovsky Bay, etc. The coastal topography east of Nos changes sharply. Its shores become low and mostly slightly indented. There are 3 large shallow bays here: Khaypudyrskaya, Pechora and Cheshskaya Bay. In addition , there are several small bays.

Islands, archipelagos, rivers

The islands of the Barents Sea are few in number. The largest of them is Kolguev. The sea is limited on the east, north and west by the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen. The largest rivers that flow into it are Indiga and Pechora.

Currents

The gyre formed surface currents, is carried out counterclockwise. The Atlantic waters of the North Cape Current move 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 reservoirs, 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 other places, the tides in them range from 0.6 m to 4.7 m.

Water exchange

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

Salinity

During the year in the open sea, surface salinity 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 zone it drops to 30-32%. And towards the end of winter, salinity increases to 34-34.5%.

Geological data

The sea we are interested in 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 depths of about 70 and 200 meters there are remnants of ancient coastlines. In addition, there are glacial-accumulative and glacial-denudation forms, as well as sand ridges formed by large tidal currents.

Bottom of the Barents Sea

This sea is located within the boundaries of the continental shallows. However, unlike similar reservoirs, 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 hills (Persea 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 leveled relief.

Soil composition

In the southern part of the sea of interest to us, the cover of bottom sediments is dominated by sand. Sometimes there is crushed stone and pebbles. At the heights of the northern and central parts- sandy silt, silty sand, and in depressions there is silt. There is coarse clastic admixture everywhere. 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 sediments is less than 0.5 m. Because of this, ancient glacial deposits on some hills are located almost on the surface. Sedimentation occurs at a slow rate (less than 30 mm per thousand years). This is explained by the fact that terrigenous material is supplied in small quantities. The fact is that due to the peculiarities of the coastal topography, no large rivers flow into the Barents Sea, with the exception of the Pechora, which leaves almost all alluvium in the Pechora estuary. In addition, the shores of the land consist mainly of crystalline rocks, which are quite durable.

Climate

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

Ice cover

In the east and north of the Barents Sea, climatic conditions are quite harsh. This determines its significant ice coverage. Only the southwestern part of the sea of interest to us remains ice-free all year round. Its cover reaches its greatest extent in April. This month, approximately 75% of the entire surface of the Barents Sea is occupied by floating ice. At the end of winter, in particularly 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° northern latitude. In the northeast and northwest of the sea, ice usually remains throughout the year. Nevertheless, sometimes the sea is completely free of them.

Barents Sea temperature

The relatively high salinity and temperature in the southwestern part of this reservoir determines the flow of Atlantic waters here. warm waters. From February to March, surface water temperatures in these areas range 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 latitude, 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 it is about 4 °C. In the coastal zone in 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 rich animal and plant plankton and benthos. Seaweed is common along the southern coast. The most important commercial fish species are herring, haddock, cod, catfish, sea bass, halibut, flounder, etc. Mammals here include seal, polar bear, beluga whale, etc. Currently, the fishery is for seal. On the coasts there are many bird colonies (swimming gulls, guillemots, guillemots). In the 20th century, they were brought to these territories. They managed to adapt and begin to actively reproduce. Many sea urchins, various echinoderms, different types starfish are distributed along the bottom of the water body 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 species of fish, animal and plant plankton, as well as benthos. Thanks to this, Russia is actively extracting hydrocarbons on the Arctic shelf in the Barents Sea. A unique project of our country is Prirazlomnoye. For the first time, hydrocarbon production is being carried out from a stationary platform in this area. The platform (OIRFP Prirazlomnaya) allows all necessary technological operations to be carried out directly on site. This greatly simplifies the mining process.

The sea route connecting the European part of our country with the eastern ports (since 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 are Kirkenes, Vadso and Varde. The Barents Sea contains not only merchant navy our country, but also naval, including nuclear submarines.