The two main oceanic basins are further subdivided by ridges into various … It remains relatively stable, because the salinity effect on density is bigger than the temperature effect. It occupies the most northern region of Earth. The Arctic Ocean contains 1.4% of all the world’s ocean water. [1] The deepest point is in the Eurasian Basin, at 5,450 m (17,881 ft). [72][73], Other environmental concerns relate to the radioactive contamination of the Arctic Ocean from, for example, Russian radioactive waste dump sites in the Kara Sea[74] Cold War nuclear test sites such as Novaya Zemlya,[75] Camp Century's contaminants in Greenland,[76] or radioactive contamination from Fukushima. The World Ocean Database (WOD) is used to evaluate the halocline depth simulated by an ice-ocean coupled model in the Canada Basin during 1990–2008. As temperatures cool dramatically in the winter, ice forms and intense vertical convection allows the water to become dense enough to sink below the warm saline water below. In the Cenozoic Era, the tectonic history of the Arctic basin which can be considered about 65 million years ago was largely known from available geophysical data. Planet Earth. Gas burps that … [6], Human habitation in the North American polar region goes back at least 50,000–17,000 years ago, during the Wisconsin glaciation. In just 15 years, the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free in summer, study says. This outflow is about 9 Sv. The Arctic Ocean is contained in a polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges. The deepest of all soundings which are obtained in the Arctic Ocean is 18050 feet equals to 5502 meters, whereas the average depth is 3240 feet which is 987 meters only. The Arctic Ocean is unique in that nearly one-third of its total area is underlain by continental shelf, which is asymmetrically distributed around its circumference. The North Pole is near the center of the Arctic Ocean. [18] The deepest point is Molloy Hole in the Fram Strait, at about 5,550 m (18,210 ft).[19]. In the summer, the SLP contrast is smaller, producing weaker winds. ACEX drilling shed some light on the Lomonosov Ridge, which appears to be continental crust separated from the Barents-Kara Shelf in the Paleocene and then starved of sediment. The deepest point is Litke Deep in the Eurasian Basin, at 5,450 meters (17,880 feet). [39] During the winter, cold Alaskan winds blow over the Chukchi Sea, freezing the surface water and pushing this newly formed ice out to the Pacific. Between this lower salinity layer and the bulk of the ocean lies the s… Year by year the Arctic Ocean is becoming less icy, as a result of global warming. Milwaukee Deep is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean, second only to the Pacific Ocean in terms of size, encompasses around 20 percent of the planet's ocean … The deepest point is in the Eurasian Basin, at 5,450 m (17,881 ft). Note: Other Consist of Gulfs, Straits, Channels and other parts that don't have specific name and exclude EEZ. The rare narwhal, often called the ‘unicorn of the sea’ can only be found in the Arctic Ocean. The third shallowest, with an average depth of 12,740 feet, is the Indian Ocean. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 1,038 metres (3,406 feet). The Arctic Ocean is unique in that nearly one-third of its total area is underlain by continental shelf, which is asymmetrically distributed around its circumference. The crystalline basement rocks of mountains around the Arctic Ocean were recrystallized or formed during the Ellesmerian orogeny, the regional phase of the larger Caledonian orogeny in the Paleozoic. [70][71], Sea ice, and the cold conditions it sustains, serves to stabilize methane deposits on and near the shoreline,[72] preventing the clathrate breaking down and outgassing methane into the atmosphere, causing further warming. The total surface area of the Arctic Ocean is 6 million mi 2. This lack of knowledge of what lay north of the shifting barrier of ice gave rise to a number of conjectures. On the 17th and … Phytoplankton are a crucial part of the ocean. Rifting then extended northward, opening the Arctic Ocean as mafic oceanic crust material erupted out of a branch of Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Potentially severe changes in the Earth's climate might then ensue. The maximum snow cover is in March or April — about 20 to 50 cm (7.9 to 19.7 in). The deepest point on the planet with the depth of 11.03 kilometers below sea level and lies in the western Pacific Ocean, about 2,550km in length and an … Exclusive economic zones in Arctic Ocean :[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. Between Newfoundland and Ireland it is about 2,060 miles (3,320 km); farther south it widens to more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) … The summer shrinking of the ice has been quoted at 50%. The Amerasia Basin may have opened first, with the Chulkchi Borderland moved along to the northeast by transform faults. Mean surface circulation is predominately cyclonic on the Eurasian side and anticyclonic in the Canadian Basin. [1] It spans an area of approximately 14,060,000 km² and is also known as the coldest of all the oceans. The deepest sounding obtained in Arctic waters is 18,050 feet (5,502 metres), but the average depth is only 3,240 feet (987 metres). [11] The first nautical transit of the north pole was made in 1958 by the submarine USS Nautilus, and the first surface nautical transit occurred in 1977 by the icebreaker NS Arktika. According to Arctic Report Card, basin-wide sea surface temperatures across the Arctic Ocean have been warming by 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.3 degrees Celsius) per decade. The Earth's oceans range in depth from the surface to more than 36,000 feet deep. The Arctic Ocean has a volume of 18,750,000 cubic kilometers (4,500,000 cubic miles). [13][15] It is the only ocean smaller than Russia, which has a land area of 16,377,742 km2 (6,323,482 sq mi). London, 16 July 2020 – Details of a new depth map of the Arctic Ocean have been published in the Nature Journal Scientific Data.The new portrayal of the Arctic Ocean floor is in the form of a digital gridded database and comprises Version 4.0 of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean ().The gridded compilation has been … [8], The Thule Tradition lasted from about 200 BC to AD 1600 around the Bering Strait, the Thule people being the prehistoric ancestors of the Inuit who now live in Northern Labrador. Ice covers most of the Arctic Ocean. Geographical activities created deep trenches beneath the ocean that thousands of feet in depth which could part of the deepest point. [37] Arctic Bottom Water is critically important because of its outflow, which contributes to the formation of Atlantic Deep Water. Retrieved 18 November 2013. On the west, Bering Strait links it with the Pacific Ocean. Because of its relative isolation from other oceans, the Arctic Ocean has a uniquely complex system of water flow. The agreement calls for those nations to refrain from fishing there until there is better scientific knowledge about the marine resources and until a regulatory system is in place to protect those resources. The Arctic Ocean is the ocean around the North Pole. The coastline is 45,390 kilometers (28,200 miles) long. The biology there is quite special. Water in the shelf region that begins as inflow from the Pacific passes through the narrow Bering Strait at an average rate of 0.8 Sverdrups and reaches the Chukchi Sea. These primary consumers form an important link between the primary producers and higher trophic levels. It is quite deep shelf sea, with average depth of 760 feet (230 m) and maximum depth of 1,480 feet (450 m) , surrounded by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya … A new study published today in Scientific Reports by University of Delaware researchers and colleagues reveals that 100 feet below the surface of the ocean is a critical depth … Countries bordering the Arctic Ocean are: Russia, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the United States. In Norway, Kirkenes (69°43′37″N 030°02′44″E / 69.72694°N 30.04556°E / 69.72694; 30.04556 (Kirkenes)) and Vardø (70°22′14″N 031°06′27″E / 70.37056°N 31.10750°E / 70.37056; 31.10750 (Vardø)) are ports on the mainland. March 9, 2017. It has an average depth of 3,953 feet (1,205 m) and its deepest point is the Fram Basin at -15,305 feet (-4,665 m). Because of this, it is influenced by the Coriolis force, which concentrates outflow to the East Greenland Current on the western side and inflow to the Norwegian Current on the eastern side. The deepest point of this trench plunges to 8,376 meters (27,480 feet) below the surface of the ocean. The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3,890 meters (12,762 feet). Retrieved 2 November 2013. A final example of seasonal pressure system movement is the low pressure system that exists over the Nordic and Barents Seas. It has an average depth of 3,953 feet (1,205 m) and its deepest point is the Fram Basin at -15,305 feet (-4,665 m). The average depth clocks in at just over 2 miles, or about 12,100 feet. The temperature of the surface water of the Arctic Ocean is fairly constant at approximately −1.8 °C (28.8 °F), near the freezing point of seawater. It is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Bering Strait and to the Atlantic Ocean through the Greenland Sea and Labrador Sea.[1]. Cyclones are more frequent in summer and may bring rain or snow. The Arctic is the smallest of the world’s oceans . [37] The Arctic Ocean has a total volume of 18.07×106 km3, equal to about 1.3% of the World Ocean. [39] It flows slowly, at about 0.02 m/s. Because the ocean is a big place and difficult to study, if you search online to find the depth of the ocean, you may end up with a range of results. [1] The US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) uses satellite data to provide a daily record of Arctic sea ice cover and the rate of melting compared to an average period and specific past years, showing a continuous decline in sea ice extent. The coastline is 45,390 km (28,200 mi) long[2] It is surrounded by Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and by several islands. There is considerable seasonal variation in how much pack ice of the Arctic ice pack covers the Arctic Ocean. The deepest point is in the Eurasian Basin, at 5,450 m (17,881 ft). The average ocean depth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is 2.3 miles (3.7 kilometers), or about 12,100 feet. The second shallowest ocean is the Atlantic, with an average depth of 12,254 feet. The most-recent estimate of the average ocean depth of 3,682 meters (12,080 feet) was calculated in 2010 by scientists from NOAA and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution using satellite measurements. The Eurasia Basin has a depth of 17,881 feet (5,450 meters). The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 3,953 feet. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, although some oceanographers call it the Arctic Mediterranean Sea. Be one of the first aboard REV Ocean’s new 7500/3 Triton submarine. Icebergs are not sea ice but may become embedded in the pack ice. Thick pack ice and snow cover almost all of this ocean in winter, and most of it in summer. It covers almost the whole ocean in late winter and the majority of the ocean in late summer. The deepest area is just north of Svalbard at about 17,880 feet. Regional subsidence in the Jurassic and Triassic led to significant sediment deposition, creating many of the reservoir for current day oil and gas deposits. Crowning the top of the world, the frozen Arctic Ocean provides an unlikely home for a spectrum of enchanting creatures. Winters are characterized by the polar night, extreme cold, frequent low-level temperature inversions, and stable weather conditions. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 3,953 feet and 18,264 feet … He was probably describing loose sea ice known today as "growlers" or "bergy bits"; his "Thule" was probably Norway, though the Faroe Islands or Shetland have also been suggested.[10]. The seafloor began spreading from the Gakkel Ridge in the Paleocene and Eocene, causing the Lomonosov Ridge to move farther from land and subside. These variations in the Arctic all contribute to ice drift reaching its weakest point during the summer months. Additionally, this water forms the swiftest currents of the Arctic, with speed of around 0.3–0.6 m/s. The climate of the Arctic region has varied significantly in the past. With an average depth of 13,740 feet, the Pacific Ocean is the deepest. In Russia, major ports sorted by the different sea areas are: The ocean's Arctic shelf comprises a number of continental shelves, including the Canadian Arctic shelf, underlying the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the Russian continental shelf, which is sometimes simply called the "Arctic Shelf" because it is greater in extent. Hidden beneath the Fram Strait, a passage that separates Greenland and Svalbard, lies the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean, where the seafloor plunges some 18,209 feet … The recorded deepest point of Arctic Ocean is 5450 meters which is found in the Eurasian Basin. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the ocean under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 meters (656 feet). Additional spreading helped to create the "triple-junction" of the Alpha-Mendeleev Ridge in the Late Cretaceous. Endangered marine species in the Arctic Ocean include walruses and whales. The site for the lowest area of the Atlantic is found at Fram Basin at 15,305 feet deep. [39] The width of the Fram Strait is what allows for both inflow and outflow on the Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean. In fact, this water mass is actually warmer than the surface water, and remains submerged only due to the role of salinity in density. The deepest in the region is located at the Southern end of South Sandwich Trench that has a depth of 23,737 feet. The situation is more drastic in many of the Arctic’s coastal areas, where August temperatures have been rising by as much as 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) per decade. Inflow from the North Atlantic Current enters through the Fram Strait, cooling and sinking to form the deepest layer of the halocline, where it circles the Arctic Basin counter-clockwise. Surface Area of the Planet (510,066,000 sq km) Land Area on the Planet (148,647,000 sq km) 29.1% ; Ocean Area (335,258,000 sq km) … The Arctic Ocean's average depth, meanwhile, is much shallower — around 0.65 miles (1.04 kilometers), or 3,407 feet. Even quite late in the century, the eminent authority Matthew Fontaine Maury included a description of the Open Polar Sea in his textbook The Physical Geography of the Sea (1883). The South Atlantic's deepest part is located in the South Sandwich Trench at 27,651 feet. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 1,038 metes (3,406 feet). The Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are the deepest oceans that holds all 10 deepest points on earth. [16] Before the advent of modern icebreakers, ships sailing the Arctic Ocean risked being trapped or crushed by sea ice (although the Baychimo drifted through the Arctic Ocean untended for decades despite these hazards). North of Alaska and Greenland the shelf is 60 to 120 miles wide, which is the normal width of continental shelves. [38], Much of the Arctic Ocean is covered by sea ice that varies in extent and thickness seasonally. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans with an area of 5,427,000 square miles (14,056,000 sq km). It is fed by the freshwater input of the big Siberian and Canadian streams (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Mackenzie), the water of which quasi floats on the saltier, denser, deeper ocean water. [39], As noted, the process of ice formation and movement is a key driver in Arctic Ocean circulation and the formation of water masses. The Southern Ocean has an average depth of 13,100 feet to 16,400 feet. [37] Pacific water also exits along the west coast of Greenland and the Hudson Strait (1–2 Sv), providing nutrients to the Canadian Archipelago. The Barents Sea is a part of the Arctic Ocean, lies to the north of Norway and Russia. The deepest place on Earth is the Marianna Trench in the Pacific Ocean, with a depth of 36,200 feet. [54], Currently, the Arctic region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet.[55][56]. The Chukchi Sea to the … At just over 14 million square kilometres, the Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s oceans. Much of the Arctic ice pack is also covered in snow for about 10 months of the year. The final defined water mass in the Arctic Ocean is called Arctic Surface Water and is found from 150–200 metres (490–660 feet). [38] This process leaves dense, salty waters in the sea that sink over the continental shelf into the western Arctic Ocean and create a halocline.[40]. In large parts of the Arctic Ocean, the top layer (about 50 m [160 ft]) is of lower salinity and lower temperature than the rest. The Arctic region covers parts of eight countries: Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the… In England and other European nations, the myth of an "Open Polar Sea" was persistent. The fifth deepest ocean, the Arctic Ocean has an average depth of 3.407 feet (1,038 meters). Indian Ocean. Arctic ocean is the fifth deepest ocean in the world. It has an average depth (with its seas) of 10,925 feet (3,300 metres) and a maximum depth of 27,493 feet (8,380 metres) in the Puerto Rico Trench, north of the island of Puerto Rico. This is one reason why the Arctic does not experience the extreme temperatures seen on the Antarctic continent. The low shifts to center over the North Pole in the summer. Pytheas of Massilia recorded an account of a journey northward in 325 BC, to a land he called "Eschate Thule", where the Sun only set for three hours each day and the water was replaced by a congealed substance "on which one can neither walk nor sail". Arctic Ocean was covered by kilometre-thick ice shelf and filled entirely with freshwater, ‘surprising’ new evidence reveals ... which could reach 900 metres in depth. The sea ice is affected by wind and ocean currents, which can move and rotate very large areas of ice. [7], Paleo-Eskimo groups included the Pre-Dorset (c. 3200–850 BC); the Saqqaq culture of Greenland (2500–800 BC); the Independence I and Independence II cultures of northeastern Canada and Greenland (c. 2400–1800 BC and c. 800–1 BC); the Groswater of Labrador and Nunavik, and the Dorset culture (500 BC to AD 1500), which spread across Arctic North America. 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