East-Siberian Sea. Depth, islands, resources and problems of the East Siberian Sea

General climatic description of the region

The East Siberian Sea is the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, located between the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island. The name was assigned at the suggestion of YM Shokalsky by the Russian Geographical Society, approved by the decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on June 27, 1935. The eastern border of the sea passes through Wrangel Island and Long Strait. In the north, from the northernmost point of Wrangel to Henrietta, Jeannette Island and further to the northern point of Kotelny Island. The southern border runs along the coast of the mainland from Cape Svyatoy Nos in the west to Cape Yakan in the east. The straits connect the sea with the Chukchi Sea and the Laptev Sea. It connects with the Laptev Sea through the Sannikov, Eterikan and Dmitry Laptev straits. It connects with the Chukchi Sea through the Long Strait. The sea area is about 940 thousand square kilometers. This sea is completely located on the shelf, as a result of which its bottom is a plain, gradually lowering to the north. The depth is shallow and averages about 55 m. The shores are indented by bays (Kolyma Bay, Omulakhskaya and Chaunskaya bays). The western coast of the mainland is gentle, the eastern one is mountainous with cliffs. The few islands form groups: New Siberian Islands, Medvezhye, Shalaurov Islands. Some islands are crumbling as they are made entirely of sand and ice. Rivers flowing into the sea: Indigirka, Lapcha, Khroma, Kolyma, Alazeya, etc.

Climate of the East Siberian Sea

The climate is arctic, influenced by the air masses of two oceans: the Pacific and the Atlantic. In winter, southwestern and southern winds blow, carrying cold air from Siberia, so the average temperature in winter is -30 degrees Celsius. In summer, northern winds blow, and the air temperature is 0-1 degrees Celsius on the high seas and 2-3 degrees Celsius on the coast. The sky is cloudy with frequent rains and sleet. The banks are covered with fog, it can last up to 70 days. Annual precipitation is 200 mm.

Wind regime

In winter, the Siberian maximum determines the prevalence of southwestern and southern winds, the speed of which reaches 6 - 7 m / s. These winds move from the continent and therefore contribute to the spread of cold air. Winds bring storms with waves 3-5 meters high in the western part of the sea region, while in the east it is relatively calm. Storms usually last 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter.

Atlantic cyclones, which prevail in the western part of the sea, contribute to stronger winds and higher temperatures. Pacific cyclones, which prevail in the southeastern part of the sea, bring strong winds, snowstorms and cloudy weather. On the coastlines with mountainous terrain, the Pacific cyclone contributes to the formation of strong winds - a hair dryer. As a result of this stormy wind, the temperature rises, while the air humidity becomes lower. In summer, zones of increased pressure are formed over the sea, and zones of reduced pressure over land. In this regard, the winds blow mainly from the north. At the beginning of the warm season, the winds are not yet gaining sufficient strength, but by the middle of summer their speed averages 6-7 m / s. By the end of summer, the western part of the sea turns into zones of strong storms. At this time, this section becomes the most dangerous along the entire route of the Northern Sea Route. Very often the wind speed reaches 10-15 m / s. In the southeastern part of the sea, such strong winds are not observed. The wind speed here can only increase in connection with the hair dryers.

Air temperature

The average temperature in January is approximately - 28 - 30 ° С. In winter, the weather is mostly clear. Constant winds from the northern and northeastern directions contribute to the preservation of low air temperatures.

In summer, in the northern part of the sea, the average July temperature is about 0 - + 1 ° С, in the coastal areas the temperature is slightly higher than +2 - 3 ° С. The decrease in the temperature of the northern part of the sea is affected by the influence of the ice in the Arctic. In the southern part of the sea, the proximity to the warm continent contributes to an increase in temperature. In autumn, the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans is weakened, which affects the decrease in air temperature. Thus, the East Siberian Sea is characterized by a cold summer; unstable windy weather in the western and eastern regions of the sea in the summer-autumn period.

Water temperature

Sea water temperatures are low, in the north they are close to? 1.8 ° C both in winter and in summer. To the south, in summer, the temperature rises in the upper layers up to 5 C. At the edge of the ice fields, the temperature is 1-2 C. The water temperature reaches its maximum values ​​by the end of summer at river mouths. In general, the surface temperature of the water decreases from south to north. In winter, in river deltas, it is -0.2 and -0.6 degrees Celsius. And in the northern part of the sea it drops to -1.8 degrees Celsius. In summer, the water in the bays warms up to 7-8 degrees Celsius, and in the ice-free sea zones it is 2-3 degrees Celsius.

The change in water temperature with depth in winter and spring is little noticeable. Only near the mouths of large rivers does it decrease to -0.5 ° in the under-ice horizons and to -1.5 ° at the bottom. In summer, in ice-free areas, the water temperature slightly decreases from surface to bottom in the coastal zone in the west of the sea. In its eastern part, the surface temperature is observed in a layer of 3-5 m, from where it drops sharply to horizons of 5-7 m and then gradually decreases to the bottom. In the zones of influence of coastal runoff, the uniform temperature covers a layer up to 7-10 m, between 10-20 m horizons it sharply, and then gradually decreases to the bottom.

In general, the shallow, weakly warmed East Siberian Sea is one of the coldest Arctic seas.

Salinity of water

The salinity of the water is different in the western and eastern parts of the sea. In the eastern part of the sea near the surface, it is usually about 30 ppm. River runoff in the eastern part of the sea leads to a decrease in salinity to 10-15 ppm, and in the mouths of large rivers to almost zero. Near ice fields, salinity increases to 30 ppm. With depth, salinity rises to 32 ppm.

In surface waters, salinity increases from southwest to northeast. In the region of river deltas in winter and spring, it is 4-5 ppm. In open waters it reaches 28-30 ppm, and in the north up to 31-32 ppm. In the summer, the salinity decreases by 5% due to the melting of snow.

Ice regime

The sea is covered with ice for almost the whole year. The ice thickness reaches 2 meters by the end of winter and decreases from west to east.

In the eastern part of the sea, floating perennial ice (with a thickness of up to 2-3 meters) remains even in summer. From the coast, they can be driven away to the north by winds from the mainland.

Ice drifts northwestward as a result of water circulation under the influence of anticyclones at the pole. After the anticyclone weakened, the area of ​​the cyclonic circulation increases and perennial ice enters the sea.

Ice melting begins in May from the Kolyma River delta. In summer, the coastal part in the west is freed from ice, while floating ice floes are characteristic in the east.

The sea freezes completely in October-November.

Hydrochemical conditions

The characteristic features of the hydrochemical conditions of the East Siberian Sea illustrate the content and distribution of oxygen and phosphates in it. In autumn and winter, the waters of the East Siberian Sea are well aerated. Oxygen content over time

Off the coast of the East Siberian Sea

The East Siberian Sea is located between the Novosibirsk Islands and about. Wrangel. Its western border is the eastern border of the Laptev Sea, it runs from the point of intersection of the meridian of the northern tip of about. Kotelny with the edge of the continental shelf (79 ° N, 139 ° E) to the northern tip of this island (Cape Anisiy), then along the eastern shores of the New Siberian Islands to Cape Svyatoi Nos (Dmitry Laptev Strait). The northern border runs along the edge of the continental shelf from the point with coordinates 79 ° N, 139 ° E. to the point with coordinates 76 ° N, 180 ° E, and the eastern border - from the point with these coordinates along the meridian 180 ° to the island. Wrangel, then along its north-western coast to Cape Blossom and further to Cape Yakan on the mainland. The southern border runs along the mainland coast from Cape Yakan to Cape Svyatoy Nos.

The East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Its area is 913 thousand km 2, volume - 49 thousand km 3, average depth - 54 m, maximum depth - 915 m, i.e. this sea lies entirely on the continental shelf.

The coastline of the East Siberian Sea forms rather large bends, in places extending into the land, in places protruding into the sea, but there are also areas with a flat coastline. Small convolutions are usually confined to the mouths of small rivers.

The landscapes of the western part of the East Siberian Sea coast differ sharply from the eastern one. In the area from the New Siberian Islands to the mouth of the Kolyma, the shores are very low and monotonous. The swampy tundra approaches the sea here. East of the mouth of the Kolyma, beyond Cape Bolshoy Baranov, the coast becomes mountainous. From the mouth of the Kolyma to about. Aion, low hills approach the water, steeply breaking off in places. Chaunskaya Bay is framed by low, but steep, smooth banks. Different in relief and structure of the sea coast in different areas refers to different morphological types of coast.

East-Siberian Sea

Climate

Located in high latitudes, the East Siberian Sea is in the atmospheric impact zone of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Cyclones of Atlantic origin penetrate into the western part of the sea (although rarely), while cyclones of the Pacific origin penetrate into the eastern regions. The climate of the East Siberian Sea is polar sea, but with signs of continentality.

In winter, the main influence on the sea is exerted by the spur of the Siberian maximum, which goes to the coast, and the crest of the polar anticyclone is weakly expressed. In this regard, southwestern and southern winds prevail over the sea at a speed of 6-7 m / s. They bring cold air from the continent, so the average monthly air temperature in January is about –28-30 °. In winter, the weather is calm, clear, which on some days is interrupted by cyclonic invasions. Atlantic cyclones in the west of the sea cause increased wind and some warming, while Pacific cyclones, which have cold continental air in their rear, only increase wind speed, cloudiness and cause snowstorms in the southeastern part of the sea. On mountainous areas of the coast, the formation of a local wind - a phene - is associated with the passage of Pacific cyclones. It usually reaches storm strength, causing a slight increase in temperature and a decrease in air humidity.

In summer, the pressure over the mainland Asia is lowered, and over the sea it is increased, therefore, the winds of the northern points prevail. At the beginning of the season they are very weak, but during the summer their speed gradually increases, reaching an average of 6-7 m / s. By the end of summer, the western part of the East Siberian Sea becomes one of the most turbulent sections of the Northern Sea Route. The wind often blows at a speed of 10-15 m / s. The increase in the wind here is associated with hair dryers. The southeastern part of the sea is much calmer. Sustainable northerly and northeasterly winds cause low air temperatures. The average July temperature is 0-1 ° in the north of the sea and 2-3 ° in the coastal regions. In summer, over the East Siberian Sea is mostly cloudy weather with light drizzling rain, sometimes sleet.

In autumn, there are almost no returns of heat, which is explained by the remoteness of the sea from the oceanic centers of atmospheric action and their weak influence on atmospheric processes. Relatively cold summers throughout the sea, stormy weather at the end of summer and especially in autumn in the marginal regions of the sea and calmness in the central part of it are characteristic climatic features of the sea.

The continental runoff into the East Siberian Sea is relatively small - about 250 km 3 / year, which is only 10% of the total river runoff into all Arctic seas. The largest of the flowing rivers - the Kolyma - gives about 130 km 3 of water per year, and the second largest river - the Indigirka - 60 km 3 of water / year. All other rivers pour about 350 km 3 of water into the sea during the same time. All river water flows into the southern part of the sea, with about 90% of the flow, as in other Arctic seas, during the summer months.

With a very large size of the East Siberian Sea, coastal runoff does not significantly affect its general hydrological regime, but only determines some hydrological features of coastal areas in summer. High latitudes, free communication with the Central Arctic Basin, high ice coverage and low river runoff determine the main features of the hydrological conditions of the East Siberian Sea.

Water temperature and salinity

Types of vertical distribution of temperature (1), salinity (2) and density (3) of water in the Arctic seas

Due to the shallowness and the absence of deep trenches extending beyond the northern limits of the East Siberian Sea, the overwhelming part of its space from surface to bottom is occupied by surface Arctic waters. Only in relatively limited estuarine areas is a kind of water formed as a result of mixing river and sea waters. It is characterized by high temperatures and low salinity.

The surface water temperature in all seasons generally decreases from south to north. In winter, it is close to the freezing point and near river mouths is –0.2–0.6 °, and at the northern borders of the sea –1.7–1.8 °. In summer, the distribution of surface temperature is due to ice conditions. The water temperature in bays and bays reaches 7-8 °, in open, ice-free regions 2-3 °, and at the edge of the ice it is close to 0 °.

The change in water temperature with depth in winter and spring is little noticeable. Only near the mouths of large rivers does it decrease to –0.5 ° in the under-ice horizons and to –1.5 ° at the bottom. In summer, in ice-free areas, the water temperature slightly decreases from surface to bottom in the coastal zone in the west of the sea. In its eastern part, the surface temperature is observed in a layer of 3-5 m, from where it drops sharply to horizons of 5-7 m and then gradually decreases to the bottom. In the zones of influence of coastal runoff, the uniform temperature covers a layer up to 7-10 m, between 10-20 m horizons it sharply, and then gradually decreases to the bottom. The shallow, slightly warmed East Siberian Sea is one of the coldest Arctic seas.

Salinity at the surface generally increases from southwest to northeast. In winter and spring, it is 4-5 ‰ near the mouths of the Kolyma and Indigirka, reaches 24-26 ‰ near the Bear Islands, increases to 28-30 ‰ in the central regions of the sea and rises to 31-32 ‰ on its northern outskirts. In summer, as a result of the influx of river waters and melting of ice, the surface salinity decreases to 18-22 ‰ in the coastal zone, 20-22 ‰ near the Medvezhye Islands, to 24-26 ‰ in the north, at the edge of melting ice.

In winter, over most of the sea, salinity slightly increases from surface to bottom. Only in the northwestern region, where ocean waters penetrate from the north, does salinity increase from 23 ‰ in the upper layer 10-15 m thick to 30 ‰ at the bottom. Near the estuarine areas, the upper desalinated layer up to horizons of 10-15 m is underlain by more saline waters. From the end of spring and during the summer, a desalinated layer 20-25 m thick forms on ice-free spaces, under which salinity increases with depth. Consequently, in shallow areas (down to depths of 10-20 and even up to 25 m), freshening covers the entire water column. In deeper areas in the north and east of the sea, at levels of 5-10 m, and in some places 10-15 m, salinity increases sharply, and then gradually and slightly rises to the bottom.

In the autumn-winter season, the water density is higher than in the spring and summer. The density is higher in the north and east than in the west of the sea, where desalinated waters from the Laptev Sea penetrate. However, these differences are small. Typically, density increases with depth. Its vertical distribution is similar to the course of salinity.

Different degrees of water stratification create unequal conditions for the development of mixing in different regions of the East Siberian Sea. In relatively weakly stratified and ice-free areas, strong winds in summer mix the water up to 20–25 m horizons. Consequently, in areas limited by a depth of 25 m, wind mixing extends to the bottom. In places of sharp stratification of waters in terms of density, wind mixing penetrates only up to horizons of 10-15 m, where it is limited by significant vertical density gradients.

Autumn-winter convection in the East Siberian Sea at depths of 40-50 m, which occupies more than 70% of its entire area, penetrates to the bottom. Towards the end of the cold season, the winter vertical circulation extends to the level of 70-80 m, where it is limited by the high vertical stability of the waters.

Bottom relief

The underwater relief of the shelf forming the sea bed, in general terms, is a plain, very slightly inclined from the southwest to the northeast. The seabed has no noticeable depressions and elevations. Depths up to 20-25 m prevail. To the northeast of the mouths of the Indigirka and Kolyma, shallow trenches are noted on the seabed. It is believed that these are traces of ancient river valleys, flooded with the sea. The area of ​​shallow depths in the western part of the sea forms the Novosibirsk shoal. The greatest depths are concentrated in the northeastern part of the sea. A noticeable increase in depth occurs in the horizon from 100 to 200 m.

Topography of the bottom and current of the East Siberian Sea

Currents

Constant currents on the surface of the East Siberian Sea form a weakly expressed cyclonic circulation. A steady transfer of water from west to east can be traced along the mainland coast. Near Cape Billing, part of the waters is directed to the north and northwest and is carried out to the northern margins of the sea, where it is included in the flows going to the west. In different synoptic situations, the movement of waters also changes. Part of the waters from the East Siberian Sea through the Long Strait is carried out into the Chukchi Sea. Constant currents are often disturbed by wind currents, which are often stronger than constant currents. The influence of tidal currents is relatively small.

Regular semi-daily tides are observed in the East Siberian Sea. They are caused by a tidal wave that enters the sea from the north and moves towards the coast of the mainland. Its front will stretch from the north-north-west to the east-south-east from the New Siberian Islands to about. Wrangel.

The tides are most pronounced in the north and northwest. They weaken as we move south, as ocean tidal waves are largely damped in the vast shallow waters. Thus, in the area from Indigirka to Cape Shelagsky, tidal level fluctuations are almost invisible. To the west and east of this area, the tide is also small - 5-7 cm. At the mouth of the Indigirka, the configuration of the shores and bottom relief contribute to an increase in tides up to 20-25 cm. Level changes caused by meteorological reasons are much more developed on the mainland coast.

The annual variation of the level is characterized by its highest position in June-July, when there is an abundant inflow of river waters. A decrease in the continental runoff in August leads to a decrease in the level by 50-70 cm. As a result of the prevalence of surge winds in autumn, in October, the level rises.

In winter, the level decreases and in March - April it reaches its lowest position.

In the summer season, surge phenomena are very pronounced, in which level fluctuations are often 60-70 cm.At the mouth of the Kolyma and in the Dmitry Laptev Strait, they reach the maximum values ​​for the entire sea - 2.5 m.

A quick and abrupt change in level positions is one of the characteristic features of the coastal areas of the sea.

Significant waves develop in ice-free areas of the sea. It is strongest during stormy northwestern and southeastern winds, which have the greatest acceleration over the surface of clear water. The maximum wave heights reach 5 m, usually their height is 3-4 m. Strong waves are observed mainly in late summer - early autumn (September), when the ice edge retreats to the north. The western part of the sea is more stormy than the eastern one. Its central areas are relatively calm.

Ice cover

The East Siberian Sea is the most ice-covered of the seas of the Soviet Arctic. From October-November to June-July, it is completely covered with ice. At this time, the predominance of ice from the Arctic basin to the sea, in contrast to other seas of the Arctic, where ice drift prevails. A characteristic feature of the ice of the East Siberian Sea is the significant development of fast ice in winter. Moreover, it is most widely distributed in the western, shallow-water part of the sea and occupies a narrow coastal strip in the east of the sea. In the west of the sea, the fast ice width reaches 400-500 km. Here it joins the fast ice of the Laptev Sea. In the central regions its width is 250-300 km and to the east of Cape Shelagsky - 30-40 km. The fast ice boundary approximately coincides with the 25 km isobath, which runs 50 km north of the New Siberian Islands, then turns to the southeast, approaching the mainland coast near Cape Shelagsky. By the end of winter, the fast ice thickness reaches 2 m. From west to east, the fast ice thickness decreases. Drifting ice is located behind fast ice. Usually it is one-year and two-year ice with a thickness of 2-3 m. In the very north of the sea, there is a long-term arctic ice. The prevailing southern winds in winter often carry the drifting ice from the northern edge of the fast ice. As a result, significant areas of clean water and young ice appear, forming in the west Novosibirsk and in the east Zavrangel stationary ice holes.

At the beginning of summer, after the breakup and destruction of fast ice, the position of the ice edge is determined by the action of winds and currents. However, ice is always found north of the strip about. Wrangel - New Siberian Islands. In the western part of the sea, on the site of an extensive fast ice, the Novosibirsk ice massif is formed. It consists mainly of first-year ice and is usually destroyed by the end of summer. The overwhelming part of the space in the east of the sea is occupied by the spur of the Aion oceanic ice massif, which largely forms heavy perennial ice. Its southern periphery almost adjoins the coast of the mainland throughout the year, determining the ice situation in the sea.

Economic value

The East Siberian Sea is similar in natural and biological conditions to the Laptev Sea. The relative richness of life is observed in the coastal zone, in the areas where large rivers flow. Animals adapted to life in waters with low salinity are widespread here. In the central regions, cold-loving brackish-water forms are found. Fishing is of purely local importance.

East-Siberian Sea- the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, located between the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island. The surface area is 913 600 km². Already from the name it is clear that this sea is located off the northern coast of Eastern Siberia. The boundaries of the East Siberian Sea are mainly conditional lines, and only in some parts it is limited by land. The waters of this sea communicate well with the waters of the Arctic Ocean; therefore, the East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. There are very few islands in the waters of the East Siberian Sea. The coastline of the sea has big bends.

Sailing

The Cossacks who mastered the Kolyma and Indigirka in the first half of the 17th century descended along the stream, went out to sea and went to Taimyr, where they reached the Yenisei by drag, on the banks of which they hunted. The first exploratory voyage in the historical era was made by the Yakut Cossack Mikhailo Stadukhin in 1644. Stadukhin's assistant Semyon Dezhnev in June 1648 sailed the entire eastern part of the sea from the mouth of the Kolyma River on 7 kochi in June 1648 through the Long and Bering Strait to Anadyr Bay, where he founded the city of Anadyr. Thus, in 1648, the possibility of end-to-end navigation was shown along the entire coast of the East Siberian Sea.

The mainland shores of the sea and islands were described in the first half of the 18th century by the Great Northern Expedition. All these discoveries were made not on ships, but on sleds. In 1823, from the Chukchi, Wrangel heard a story about a large island in the north (not yet discovered Wrangel Island), where fishing boats were sometimes carried away by storms. Wrangel Island was discovered in 1849 by the British frigate "Herald", approaching it from the Chukchi Sea. The western coast of the island was discovered in 1867 by the American whaler Thomas Long on the schooner "Nile", whose ship passed between the mainland and the island by the strait, which is now called the Long Strait. In September 1875, Baron Adolf Erik Nordenskjold, the first navigator who managed to pass the Northern Sea Route along the entire coast of Asia, crossed the East Siberian Sea on a sailing-steam ship "Vega". Further, the De Long Islands were discovered. In 1913 the icebreaking ships "Taimyr" and "Vaygach" discovered an island named after the assistant head of the expedition, Vilkitsky. The last discovery was made by the next expedition "Taimyr" and "Vaigach" on August 27, 1914, when Lieutenant Zhokhov, the watchman of the "Vaigach", noticed an island with coordinates 76 ° 10 "N 153 ° E, which was named Zhokhov Island. After 1932 When the icebreaker "Sibiryakov" passed the Northern Sea Route in one navigation, regular voyages of ships were made to the East Siberian Sea.

Bottom relief

The sea lies on the shelf. The underwater relief of the space occupied by the East Siberian Sea is a plain. This plain has a slight slope from southwest to northeast. The bottom of the sea is mostly flat, without significant depressions and elevations. Most of the water spaces of the East Siberian Sea have a depth of up to 20 - 25 m. The deepest troughs are located at the bottom of the sea in the northeastern part of the mouths of the Indigirka and Kolyma rivers. There is an assumption that these trenches were formerly the regions of river valleys. But later, these rivers were flooded with the sea. In the northeast of the sea, there are quite deep places. The maximum depth is 915 meters.

Climate and hydrological regime

The climate of the East Siberian Sea has a distinctive feature: the sea is under the influence of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The average temperature in January is approximately - 28 - 30 0 C. In winter, the weather is mostly clear. Only sometimes cyclones disturb the well-established calm weather for several days. Atlantic cyclones, which prevail in the western part of the sea, contribute to stronger winds and higher temperatures. Pacific cyclones, which prevail in the southeastern part of the sea, bring strong winds, snowstorms and cloudy weather. The average July temperature is about 0 + 4 0 C. The decrease in the temperature of the northern part of the sea is affected by the influence of the ice in the Arctic. In the southern part of the sea, the proximity to the warm continent contributes to an increase in temperature. Cloudy weather is typical for the East Siberian Sea in summer. Very often it rains lightly, and occasionally even sleet.

Sea water temperatures are low, in the north they are close to -1.8 ° C both in winter and in summer. To the south, in summer, temperatures rise to 5 ° C in the upper layers. The salinity of the sea is different in the western and eastern parts of the sea. River runoff leads to a decrease in salinity to 10-15 ‰, and in the mouths of large rivers to almost zero. With depth, salinity rises to 32 ‰. The sea is covered with ice for almost the whole year. In the eastern part of the sea, floating perennial ice remains even in summer.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of the East Siberian Sea is poor due to the harsh ice conditions. But in areas adjacent to river mouths, omul, whitefish, grayling, polar smelt, navaga, polar cod and flounder, salmon - char and nelma are found. Among mammals there are walrus, seals, polar bear; from birds - guillemots, gulls, cormorants.

Economic value

The coastal zone is characterized as an area with low economic activity. Fishing is of local importance. The Northern Sea Route runs along the East Siberian Sea; the main port of Pevek (Chaunskaya Bay). The East Siberian Sea is a promising oil and gas region, the development of which is difficult due to the harsh natural conditions.

Ecology

The waters of the East Siberian Sea are relatively clean. Only in the Pevek Bay there is a slight pollution of waters, but recently the ecological situation has been improving here. The waters of the Chaunskaya Bay are slightly polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons.

The East Siberian Sea belongs to the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded from the west by the Novosibirsk Islands, and from the east by the Wrangel Island. This reservoir is the least studied in comparison with other northern seas. These places are characterized by a cold climate with poor flora and fauna and low salinity of sea water.

Sea currents are slow, the tides reach no more than 25 cm. In summer there are frequent fogs, ice stays almost all year round, it recedes only in August-September. The sea coast was inhabited thousands of years ago by the Chukchi and Yukaghirs, and then by the Evenks and Evens. These peoples were engaged in hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. Later, the Yakuts appeared, and then the Russians.

East Siberian Sea on the map

Geography

The water surface area of ​​the East Siberian Sea is 942 thousand square meters. km. The volume of water reaches 60.7 thousand cubic meters. km. The average depth is 45 meters, and the maximum is 155 meters. The length of the coastline is 3016 km. The western boundary of the reservoir passes through the New Siberian Islands. The northernmost of these is Henrietta Island, a member of the De Long Island group.

The eastern border passes through Wrangel Island and the Long Strait. In the north, from the northernmost point of Wrangel to Henrietta, Jeannette Island and further to the northern point of Kotelny Island. The southern border runs along the coast of the mainland from Cape Svyatoy Nos in the west to Cape Yakan in the east. The reservoir is connected to the Laptev Sea through the Sannikov, Eterikan and Dmitry Laptev straits. And communication with the Chukchi Sea is carried out through the Long Strait.

Rivers and bays

The most important rivers flowing into the reservoir are Indigirka with a length of 1726 km, Kolyma with a length of 2129 km, Chaun with a length of 205 km, Pegtymel with a length of 345 km, Bolshaya Chukochya with a length of 758 km, Alazeya with a length of 1590 km.

On the coast there are such bays as Chaunskaya Bay, Omulakhskaya Bay, Gusinaya Bay, Khromskaya Bay, Kolymskaya Bay. All these bays drain deep into the land. There is also the Kolyma Bay, bordered from the north by the Bear Islands: Krestovsky, Pushkareva, Leontyev, Lysov, Andreeva and Chetyrekhstolbova.

The river runoff is small and amounts to 250 cubic meters. km per year. Of these, the Kolyma River gives 132 cubic meters. km of water. Indigirka dumps 59 cubic meters into the East Siberian Sea. km of water. 90% of the total runoff occurs in the summer. Fresh water is concentrated near the coast due to a weak current and does not significantly affect the hydrology of the reservoir. But there is water exchange with neighboring seas and the Arctic Ocean.

The surface temperature of the water decreases from south to north. In winter, in river deltas, it is -0.2 and -0.6 degrees Celsius. And in the northern part of the sea it drops to -1.8 degrees Celsius. In summer, the water in the bays warms up to 7-8 degrees Celsius, and in the ice-free sea zones it is 2-3 degrees Celsius.

The salinity of surface waters increases from the southwest to the northeast. In the region of river deltas in winter and spring, it is 4-5 ppm. In open waters it reaches 28-30 ppm, and in the north up to 31-32 ppm. In the summer, the salinity decreases by 5% due to the melting of snow.

The annual fluctuation in the level of the East Siberian Sea is 70 cm due to summer river flows. Winds bring storms with waves 3-5 meters high in the western part of the sea region, while in the east it is relatively calm. Storms usually last 1-2 days in summer and 3-5 days in winter.

The ice thickness reaches 2 meters by the end of winter and decreases from west to east. In addition, there are drifting ice floes with a thickness of 2-3 meters. Ice melting begins in May from the Kolyma River delta. And completely the reservoir freezes in October-November.

Climate

The climate is arctic. In winter, southwestern and southern winds blow, carrying cold air from Siberia, so the average temperature in winter is -30 degrees Celsius. The weather is cloudy with storms and blizzards.

In summer, northern winds blow, and the air temperature is 0-1 degrees Celsius on the high seas and 2-3 degrees Celsius on the coast. The sky is cloudy with frequent rains and sleet. The banks are covered with fog, it can last up to 70 days. Annual precipitation is 200 mm.

Flora and fauna are scarce due to the harsh climate. There are many plankton and crustaceans in the water. Ringed seals, bearded seals, walruses, polar bears live in the coastal zones. From birds there are gulls, cormorants. The East Siberian Sea is frequently visited by bowhead and gray whales. Belugas and narwhals are found. Of the fish there are grayling, muksun, wild boil, smelt, Arctic char, Arctic char, navaga, and flounder.

Shipping

Shipping is practiced for the transport of goods along the northern coast of Russia in the month of August-September. At the same time, navigation is difficult even in summer due to floating ice floes that bring wind to the shores. Fishing and hunting for marine animals is local.

The main port is Pevek with a population of about 5 thousand people. It is the northernmost city in Russia and is located in the Chaunskaya Bay. The seaport's cargo turnover is 190 thousand tons with a throughput capacity of 330 thousand tons. There are 3 berths with a length of 500 meters. Transportation of goods is carried out mainly between Pevek and Vladivostok.

The reservoir received its modern name in June 1935 in accordance with the decree of the Soviet government. Prior to that, it was called either the Indigirsky, the Northern, the Kolymsky, the Siberian, or the Arctic Sea.

Due to the harsh climate in the East Siberian Sea, its own life has developed. Only the most persistent representatives of flora and fauna live here, which have adapted to low temperatures. Its waters contain the same microscopic phytoalgae and organisms that are found in the neighboring Laptev Sea. Mostly diatoms are found, from time to time red and brown algae appear - in the coastal region of the western part of the sea. Compared to neighboring seas, there are few bottom inhabitants here. After all, not every species can survive in low temperatures. Therefore, only some species of crustaceans, valvates, echinoderms, and coelenterates are found.

Mammals of the East Siberian Sea include seals, beluga whales, cetaceans and walruses. Along with all coastal zones of the northern seas, walruses are harvested on its territory, but only for the needs of the local population. Indeed, since 1956, walruses have been under state protection. The islands are also home to the polar bear, which is a semi-marine mammal. For the sake of food, smaller predators come to the shores of the East Siberian Sea, we are talking about sea otters and arctic foxes.

There is no information that sharks live in the waters of this sea. Possibly, here you can find a polar shark - an inhabitant of the Arctic waters. Such a six-meter shark almost never comes to the sea surface. It feeds on the smallest organisms, animal remains and small fish. The polar shark is lazy, like many other Arctic giants, so you should not expect an attack on active living creatures. Scientists say that bathers of this harsh sea need not be afraid of the teeth of man-eating sharks. Therefore, you can often meet travelers here.