The relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean - what is it?

The Arctic Ocean is an ocean that is considered to be the smallest in the world. The geographical position of the Arctic Ocean is uncomplicated - it is located in the Northern Hemisphere, on the territory in the middle of the major continents of Eurasia and North America. To this severe water body adjoin territories of the countries of Denmark, Norway, Canada, the USA, Russia.

Its international status is not regulated, and throughout the year cargo ships of many countries of the world pass through it. What is the relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean?

General geological structure of the bottom

The harsh ocean has a very small depth for a pond of this scale. Approximately forty percent of its area is not deeper than two hundred meters. How is this explained? In fact, everything is simple. The relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is 45 percent occupied by the shelf, and 70 percent by the submarine outskirts of the nearby continents.

The science of our country divides the reservoir into such water areas as: the Arctic basin (the deepest central part), the North European basin (and the Barents Sea slope), the Canadian basin (with the Hudson Bay water area, the Baffin seas, etc.). The map of the Arctic Ocean allows us to consider all these details in detail.

North-European basin

The mid-oceanic ridges are the basis of the relief of the bottom of this part of the ocean. There is also a rift area of Iceland, which is glorious with increased hydrothermal activity and volcanism. The Kolbeinsei Range, the Jan Mayen area, the Mona Range characterize the bottom of the North European Basin. There is also the Voring plateau, dividing the Norwegian Sea into two large hollows. To the west of the Norwegian basin there is a basin of Greenland.

The relief of the ocean floor is more flat, but here the maximum depth of the Arctic Ocean is 5527 m.

Canadian Swimming Pool

The Northwest Passage is the main part of the Canadian basin. The depths of the straits reach a mark of 500 meters. The relief of the ocean floor in this place can be called a relic glacial relief. The outlines of the islands and straits are extremely complex and rugged. All this indicates a very recent (relatively, of course) glaciation of this region of the ocean. And many islands of the Canadian archipelago are also occupied by ice. The Hudson Bay is shallow, characterized by glacial relief forms. The sea of Baffin, on the contrary, lies in a deep basin, which has a wide shelf and a great depth reaching a mark of 2141 m.

Arctic Basin

The Arctic basin is the leading part of the Arctic Ocean, occupying most of its territory. The shelf, occupying a vast territory and having an average width of 800 m, is divided into: the Barents Sea, Laptev, Siberian-Chukchi and Kara (according to the names of the adjacent seas). Bottom sediments and their character are an important element in the analysis of the bottom relief of any ocean.

Deposits on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean have a terrigenous character. Most of all there is precipitation of fine mechanical composition. Iron-manganese and sand deposits can be found in separate water areas of the seas. Ice cover because of extremely difficult climatic conditions almost all year does not descend from ocean waters, however, at some moments it becomes particularly mobile (which helps shipping well).

The relief of the bottom of the White and Barents seas

The geographic position of the Arctic Ocean already speaks of the severity of the climate and the complexity of its survival. But what is the structure of the bottom of its large and famous seas? The White Sea is an internal reservoir, and it has a very complex bottom relief. Its depression lies at the edge of the Baltic shield and the Russian platform. 351 meters - the record depth of the White Sea. It also has a whole collection of depressions that constantly alternate with shallow areas. Has great depths and Kandalaksha Bay. The northern region of the sea is a shallow water, the depth here rarely exceeds 30 meters. The relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean in the vicinity of the Barents Sea is even more complex. Strong unevenness of the bottom is due to frequent and strong movements of tectonic plates. In the center of the sea are the hills - Central Bank, Perseus. The deep part of the salt pond is located just between the Central Bank and the peninsula of Northern Europe (Scandinavia). The depths here are more than 300 m. The southern part of the relief is more even due to the recent ice accretion. The outskirts of the reservoir are composed of folded complexes of very different ages (Caledonian, Archaean-Proterozoic, etc.).

Bottom relief of Kara and Laptev Sea

The most recognizable feature of the Kara Sea relief is its deep-sea trenches, which arose a long time ago (in pre-Quaternary times). The northern part of the sea is famous for deep-water troughs. St. Anna has a depth of 620 m, the Voronin's canyon - up to 450 m. The central Kara Upland is located just between them.

The south-east of the sea is very shallow. It has many islets. The relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean near the Laptev Sea is mostly a shelf. About half of the water area of the sea has depths of up to 50 meters. The southern area is shallow, flat, with rare elevations. Despite severe climatic conditions, the Arctic Ocean does not go unnoticed and unexplored. In a season that lasts only a short while, groups of researchers (wishing to know the features of the bottom relief) and even rich tourists are eager to come here. However, the nature of these places is considered one of the most vulnerable ecological systems of our planet. Many scientists are trying to solve the problems of the ocean.