Eastern Siberia seas. East Siberian Sea: description, resources and challenges

  • 23.09.2019

The East Siberian Sea is the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, located between the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island. The straits connect the sea with the Chukchi Sea and the Laptev Sea. The banks are mountainous, poorly indented. Average depth 66 meters, maximum 358 meters. The sea is covered with ice for most of the year. Salinity from 5 ‰ near river mouths to 30 ‰ in the north. The rivers flow into the sea: Indigirka, Alazeya, Kolyma, Bolshaya Chukochya. There are several bays on the sea coast: Chaunskaya Bay, Omulakhskaya Bay, Khromskaya Bay, Kolymsky Bay, Kolymskaya Bay. Major islands: Novosibirsk, Lyakhovsky, De Long islands. There are no islands in the center of the sea.

Bottom relief The sea lies on the shelf. In the eastern part, the depths reach 40 meters, in the western and central - 20 meters, in the north they reach 200 meters (this depth is taken as the isobath - the border of the sea). The maximum depth is 358 meters. The bottom is covered with sandy silt with boulders and pebbles. Temperature regime and salinity Temperatures sea ​​waters They 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. 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 (up to 7 ° C). 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 estuaries large rivers almost to zero. Near ice fields, salinity increases to 30 ppm. With depth, salinity rises to 32 ppm.

Hydrological regime 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. 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 near North Pole... After the weakening of the anticyclone, the area of ​​the cyclonic circulation increases and perennial ice from the polar latitudes enters the sea.

Already from the name it is clear that this sea is located at north coast Eastern Siberia. Borders East Siberian Sea predominantly conditional lines are, and only in some parts it is limited by land. From the west, the sea border runs along Kotelny Island and further along the eastern border of the Laptev Sea. The northern border coincides with the edge of the continental shelf. From the east, the sea border runs along the 1800E meridian to Wrangel Island, then along the northwestern coast of this island to Cape Blossom and Cape Yakan, located on the mainland. From the southern part, the East Siberian Sea is limited by the coastline of the mainland (from Cape Yakan to Cape Svyatoy Nos).

The waters of this sea are well connected with the waters of the Arctic Ocean; therefore, the East Siberian Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Within the outlined border, the area of ​​this sea is 913 thousand km2. The volume of water is approximately 49 thousand km3. The average sea depth is 54 m, the maximum depth is 915 m.

There are very few islands in the waters of the East Siberian Sea. The coastline of the sea has big bends. Thus, in some places the sea pushes the boundaries of the land inland, and in some places the land protrudes into the sea. There are also areas with an almost flat coastline. Small convolutions are formed mainly at river mouths. The relief of the western and east coasts The East Siberian Sea varies greatly. The coast, which washes the sea from the New Siberian Islands to the mouth of the Kolyma, has a rather monotonous landscape. Here the sea is bordered by areas of swampy tundra. These places are characterized by low and gentle shores. The coast, located east of Kalyma, has a more varied landscape, mainly mountains prevail here. Until the island of Ayon, the sea is bordered by small hills, which sometimes have steep slopes. In the area of ​​Chaunskaya Bay there are low but steep banks.

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 water spaces of the East Siberian Sea has 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 Indigira 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. The western part of the sea is characterized by a shallow depth; this area was called the Novosibirsk shoal. In the northeast of the sea there are quite deep places... But even here the depth does not exceed 100 m.


East-Siberian Sea

The East Siberian Sea is located in high latitudes, not far from the permanent ice of the Arctic Ocean. Also, the sea is bordered by a wide part of the mainland. In connection with this location, the climate of the East Siberian Sea has a distinctive feature: the sea is under the influence of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The western part of the sea is sometimes visited by cyclones formed over By the atlantic sea... The eastern regions of the sea are accessible to cyclones of Pacific origin. Thus, the climate of the East Siberian Sea can be characterized as a polar marine, which is affected by big influence continent. The peculiarity of the continental climate is significantly manifested in winter and summer. In the transitional seasons, they do not significantly affect, since during these periods the atmospheric processes are unstable.

In winter, the Siberian maximum has a great influence on the climate of the East Siberian Sea. This 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. average temperature in January is approximately - 28 - 300C. 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. On coastlines with mountainous terrain, the Pacific cyclone contributes to the formation of a strong wind - a hair dryer. As a result of this stormy wind, the temperature rises, while the air humidity becomes lower.

In summer, zones of high pressure are formed over the sea, and low 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. Constant winds from the north and north-east directions contribute to the preservation of low air temperatures. In the northern part of the sea, the average July temperature is about 0 - + 10C, in the coastal areas the temperature is slightly higher than +2 - 30C. The decrease in the temperature of the northern part of the sea is affected by the influence of the ice of the Arctic. In the southern part of the sea, proximity to the warm continent contributes to an increase in temperature. For the East Siberian Sea in summer time cloudy weather is typical. Very often there are light rains, and occasionally even sleet.


East-Siberian Sea

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 and calm in the central territories.

A small amount of river water flows into the East Siberian Sea. During the year, the volume of continental runoff is approximately 250 km3. Kolyma (the most big river flowing into this sea) brings about 132 km3 per year. Another large river Indigirka gives 59 km3. The rest of the rivers flowing into the East Siberian Sea are small, therefore they discharge small volumes of water. The largest amount of fresh water enters southern part seas. The maximum flow occurs in the summer. Due to the small amount fresh water does not enter far into the sea, but mainly spreads near river mouths. Due to the fact that the East Siberian Sea is large, the river runoff does not significantly affect it.

The waters of the East Siberian Sea are relatively clean. Only in the Pevek Bay there was 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.

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 dwellers here. After all, not every species can survive in low temperatures. Therefore, only some species of crustaceans, valvates, echinoderms, and coelenterates are found.

Among the mammals of the East Siberian Sea: seals, beluga whales, cetaceans and walruses. Along with all the coastal zones of the northern seas, walruses are hunted 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. Perhaps you can meet here 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 claim that the bathers of this harsh sea may not be afraid of the teeth of man-eating sharks. Therefore, you can often meet travelers here.

Already from the name of this natural reservoir it is clear that it is located in the region of the northern coast of Eastern Siberia. The boundaries of the sea are mainly represented by conventional lines. Only in some parts is it limited to dry land. Earlier, before the beginning of the 20th century, the sea had several names, including Indigir and Kolyma. Now it is called East Siberian.

After reading the article, you can find out more detailed information about this reservoir: characteristics, climatic conditions... It also describes the resources of the East Siberian Sea and the current problems.

Location

The entire sea is located beyond the Arctic Circle. His most southern point is located on the coast of the Chaunskaya Bay. All its shores belong to the territory of Russia. The sea is located in the Arctic Ocean. This is a place where almost no impact is felt. warm waters Atlantic Ocean, and the waters of the Quiet do not reach it yet.

The East Siberian Sea is marginal. Are in it New Siberian Islands(border with the Laptev Sea), Aion, Medvezhy and Shalaurova. The sea itself is located between the Novosibirsk Islands and Wrangel Island. It connects with straits with the Chukchi and the Laptev Sea.

Description and characteristics

In the central and western parts of the coast are sloping, and two lowlands adjoin the coast: Nizhne-Kolymskaya and Yano-Indigirskaya. The spurs of the Chukotka Upland approach the coast of the eastern part (east of the mouth of the Kolyma). In some places, rocky cliffs have formed here. On Wrangel Island, on its western coast, they reach up to 400 meters in height. On the site of the New Siberian Islands coastline monotonous and low-lying. The sea bed is formed by the shelf, which has a mostly flat relief, and it is inclined slightly in a northeasterly direction.

Deeper places are typical for eastern region... The sea here has a depth of up to 54 meters, in the central and western parts - up to 20 meters, and in the northern regions - up to 200 meters (the isobath is the border of the sea). The deepest depth of the East Siberian Sea is about 915 meters, and the average is 54 meters. In other words, this body of water is completely within the continental shelf.

The water surface area is 944 600 square meters. km. The waters of the sea communicate with the waters of the Arctic Ocean, in this regard, the reservoir belongs to the type of marginal continental seas. The volume is approximately 49 thousand cubic meters. km. Practically all year round the air temperature is below zero, therefore the sea waters are always covered with drifting large ice floes several meters thick.

Salinity

The East Siberian Sea in the eastern and western parts has different salinity values. Due to the river flow in the eastern part, the salt concentration decreases. This figure here is about 10-15 ppm. At the confluence of large rivers with the sea, salinity practically disappears. Closer to the ice fields, the concentration increases to 30 units. There is also an increase in salinity with depth, where it can reach 32 ppm.

Relief

The coastline has large bends. In this regard, the sea in places pushes the boundaries of the land into the interior of the mainland, and in places, on the contrary, the land protrudes far into the sea. There are also areas with an almost flat coastline. Small convolutions are mainly observed at river mouths.

Eastern and west coast have a very different relief. The coast, washed by the sea from the mouth of the Kolyma to the New Siberian Islands, has an almost monotonous landscape. The reservoir in these places is bordered by swampy tundra. The shores are gentle and low.

A more varied landscape is noted on the coast formed by east of the river Kalymy, but mountains prevail here. The sea up to the island of Ayon is bordered by shallow hills, some of which have rather steep slopes. The Chaunskaya Bay area is characterized by low steep banks.

A large area of ​​the seabed is covered with a small sedimentary cover. There are few islands in the East Siberian Sea. Most of them are formed by the foundation. Based on the results of studies (aeromagnetic surveys), it was determined that the composition of the shelf sediments mainly includes sandy silt, pebbles and crushed boulders. There are suggestions that some of them are the wreckage of the islands. They are spread throughout the entire territory by ice. To a greater extent, due to the predominance of flat relief, the depth of the East Siberian Sea is only 20-25 meters.

Hydrology

The reservoir is covered with ice for almost the whole year. In the eastern areas, even in summer, you can see perennial floating ice... They are driven away from the coast by continental winds to the north. Ice drifts in the northwest direction due to the circulation of water, which is affected by anticyclones at the North Pole.

The area of ​​the cyclonic circulation increases, and perennial ice floes from the polar latitudes enter the sea after the anticyclone has weakened. To date, the system of currents in this reservoir has not been fully studied. But we can say with confidence that the water circulation of these places is characterized by a cyclonic character.

This body of water, in comparison with other representatives of the Arctic Ocean basin, is characterized by a not very high river runoff. The rivers of the East Siberian Sea are few in number. The largest river flowing into the sea is the Kolyma. Its flow is approximately 132 cubic meters. km per year. The second in terms of the same characteristic is the Indigirka River, which brings in half the volume of water over the same period. All this influences the general hydrological situation insignificantly.

The average annual precipitation is from 100 to 200 mm. Due to the absence of troughs in the sea with great depths and due to the fact that a large area is represented by shallow water, surface waters occupy vast areas.

Climate

In winter, the East Siberian Sea is under the influence of southern and southwestern winds. Their speed is about 7 meters per second. Also, in winter, the sea climate is greatly influenced by the Siberian maximum. Pacific cyclones prevailing in the southeastern parts of the sea bring blizzards, strong winds and rather cloudy weather with constantly drizzling rain or sleet.

Flora and fauna

The fauna and flora of the East Siberian Sea is similar to the fauna and flora of the neighboring Laptev Sea, since both are typically arctic. The same mammals and birds, the same fish as in many other northern seas. Seals, narwhals, bearded seals and walruses live here. Polar bears have settled on the islands. These places are also chosen by a huge number of nesting birds. Here you can meet geese: white-fronted and bean goose. The comb eider and the rather rare black goose also live. Big bird colonies gather: kittiwakes, seagulls, guillemots.

Only locals... It should be noted that large shoals of white fish can be found here at river estuaries. The phytoplankton of the sea is represented by blue-green algae and diatoms. Pteropods and tunicates occasionally appear. The ground abounds in polychaetes, amphipod crustaceans and isopods. Representatives of mammals are beluga whales, seals, walruses and cetaceans (especially minke whales).

The resources of the East Siberian Sea in terms of flora and fauna are relatively poor. This is due primarily to the rather harsh climate conditions. Only the most frost-resistant representatives have taken root in these places.

In conclusion about the problems

The problems of the East Siberian Sea are similar to those of most of the northern seas. For several years, the biological resources of the region, especially whales, have been destroyed. To date, this has led to a significant reduction in the number of these mammals, as well as the extinction of some species.

The problem of a global nature is the melting of glaciers, which negatively affects the local fauna. Mention should also be made of the results of human activity (development of hydrocarbon deposits), which negatively affected the state of the reservoir.

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. Boiler house with the edge of the continental shelf (79 ° N, 139 ° E) to the northern tip of this island (Cape Anisiy), then along eastern shores Novosibirsk Islands to Cape Svyatoy 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, even banks. Different in relief and structure of the sea coast on different sites refers to different morphological types of shores.

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 with a speed of 6-7 m / s prevail over the sea. They bring cold air from the continent, so average monthly temperature air 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 blizzards in the southeastern part of the sea. On mountainous parts of the coast, the formation of a local wind - a fena - 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 quieter. 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, the East Siberian Sea is mostly cloudy 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 to the East Siberian Sea is relatively small - about 250 km 3 / year, which is only 10% of the total river runoff to 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, gives 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 spaces, the water temperature slightly decreases from surface to bottom in 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 zones of influence of coastal runoff, a 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, salinity increases 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 stir the water up to the horizons of 20-25 m. 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. By the end of the cold season, the winter vertical circulation extends to the 70-80 m horizons, 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 of 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 shallow area 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 water 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. Influence tidal currents 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 become weaker 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.

V 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. Maximum heights waves 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 turbulent 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 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 drifting ice from the northern edge of the fast ice. As a result, significant areas of clean water and young ice appear, forming Novosibirskaya in the west and Zavrangel'skaya stationary ice-holes in the east.

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 of confluence of large rivers. 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.