Freezing temperature of sea water in the Barents Sea. Barents Sea ~ Seas and Oceans

Hydrological regime of the Barents Sea - Temperature map of the Barents Sea

The hydrological regime of the Barents Sea is very diverse and is formed as a result of the circulation of waters of different origins and with different properties: 1. warm waters coming from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean; 2. warm waters of river origin; 3. relatively cold local waters 4. cold polar waters.

In the previous section it was shown that thermohaline conditions in the Barents Sea are influenced by both heat advection by currents and radiation factors. Some elements of this influence determine the stability of climatic characteristics of temperature and salinity, while others (for example, non-stationary currents and ice conditions) form their spatial and temporal variability.

Let us consider the structure of temperature and salinity fields in their annual course, as well as the main processes that determine their distribution.

6.1. Water temperature. In the Barents Sea, water temperature, to a much greater extent than in other Arctic seas, determines all processes associated with the density structure of water (convection, formation of a shock layer, etc.). In addition, in the Barents Sea, water temperature is the main indicator characterizing the distribution of warm Atlantic waters, which in turn determine the ice conditions and climate of the Atlantic sector of the Arctic.

The thermal regime of the Barents Sea is formed under the influence of a number of processes, the leading ones being autumn-winter convection, which equalizes the temperature from the surface to the bottom, and summer heating of the surface layer, which causes the appearance of a seasonal thermocline.

The large influx of warm Atlantic waters makes the Barents Sea one of the warmest in the Arctic Ocean. A significant part of the sea from the shores to 75°N latitude. It does not freeze all year round and has positive surface temperatures. The influence of heat advection of Atlantic waters is especially noticeable in the southwestern part of the sea and insignificant in the southeast due to the shallow depths in this area. However, it is precisely this circumstance that contributes to more intense radiation heating of this region in the summer and therefore in July-August the water temperature here it reaches 8°C.

In the surface layer, the maximum temperature is observed in the southwestern part of the sea (9°C in June-September), the minimum (0°C) is at the ice edge. From July to October, the region of maximum temperatures also extends to the southeastern part of the sea, the position of the isotherms becomes close to the latitudinal one (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Average long-term surface water temperature in summer and winter.

The seasonal change in water temperature is small everywhere; in the southwest and northern part of the sea it does not exceed 5-6°C and only in the southeast it reaches 10°C. In the Atlantic water mass in the extreme southwest of the sea, the surface water temperature in winter does not fall below 3°C and does not exceed 6°C; in summer it ranges from 7 to 13°C. In areas where ice may occur, the absolute minimum is limited to a freezing point of -1.8°C. Summer maximum temperatures in the surface layer reach 4-7°C in the northwestern part of the sea, 15°C in the southeast in the open part of the sea and 20-23 in Pechora Bay.

With depth, fluctuations in water temperature decrease. In the south-eastern part of the sea at a horizon of 50 m they are about 2/3 of their value on the surface.

The distribution of water temperature on the underlying horizons reflects the development of convection processes in the sea (in winter) and summer heating. In the summer, a seasonal thermocline is formed, which begins with the transition of the heat balance of the sea surface to positive values and continues until August-September, when the depth of the shock layer reaches such values at which mixing in the surface layer can no longer significantly affect the conditions in the thermocline layer . In most of the Barents Sea, the thickness of the quasi-homogeneous layer and the depth of the upper boundary of the thermocline by this time reach 30 m, and the greatest gradients occur in the layer of 30-50 m.

In the southwest of the sea, maximum water temperature gradients do not exceed 0.1°C/m, and in the rest of its deep-sea waters they reach 0.2°C/m; in the southeastern part of the sea and in coastal areas, the maximum gradients occur in the layer of 10-25 and 0-10 m and amount to 0.4°C/m

To a large extent, the distribution of temperature in the water column of the Barents Sea depends on the penetration of warm Atlantic waters, on winter cooling and on the bottom topography. Therefore, the vertical change in water temperature occurs unevenly.

In the southwestern part, which is most exposed to the influence of Atlantic waters, the temperature gradually and within small limits decreases with depth, remaining positive to the very bottom. In the northeast of the sea in winter, negative temperatures extend to a horizon of 100-200 m, deeper it rises to +1°C. In summer, the sea surface has a low temperature, which quickly drops to 25-50 m, where the low temperature values (-1.5°C) achieved during winter cooling are maintained. Below, in the layer of 50-100 m, not affected by winter vertical circulation, the temperature is increased to -1°C. Thus, between 50 and 100 m there is a cold intermediate layer. In those depressions where warm waters do not penetrate and strong cooling occurs, for example, the Novaya Zemlya Trench, the Central Basin, etc., the water temperature is uniform throughout the entire thickness in winter, and in summer it drops from small positive values on the surface to -1.75 ° C at the bottom .

Underwater hills serve as obstacles to the movement of Atlantic waters, so the latter flows around them. In places where highs flow around, low temperatures rise close to the surface of the water. In addition, above hills and on their slopes, the water cools more. As a result, “cold water caps” characteristic of the Barents Sea banks are formed.

In the Central Highlands region, winter water temperatures are uniformly low from surface to bottom. In summer it decreases with depth and has minimal values in the 50-100 m layer. Below, the temperature rises again, but remains negative until the very bottom. Thus, here too there is an intermediate layer of cold water, but it is not underlain by warm Atlantic waters. In the southeastern part of the sea, temperature changes with depth have a pronounced seasonal pattern.

In winter, the temperature of the entire water column is negative. In spring, the upper 10-12-meter layer is warmed up; below it, the temperature drops sharply towards the bottom. In summer, the heating of the surface layer reaches its greatest values, so the temperature decrease between horizons of 10 and 25 m occurs sharply. In autumn, cooling equalizes the temperature throughout the entire layer, which by winter becomes almost uniform vertically.

Figure 4 shows vertical profiles of water temperature in four regions (western, northern, Novaya Zemlya and northeastern Fig. 3), characterizing the period of formation and destruction of the thermocline (May-November). It is clear from them that despite significant differences in the hydrological regime of the regions, they are characterized by a number of general patterns, in particular, a delay in the annual maximum water temperature as the depth increases and a slower drop in temperature in the fall compared to the rise in spring. In real conditions, these generalized water temperature distribution profiles are complicated by the existence of daily and synoptic thermoclines, uneven heat advection, internal waves, the influence of river runoff, and ice melting. For example, in the southeastern part of the sea in July, at a horizon of 10 and 20 m, a significant decrease in water temperature is observed, due to the fact that in June-July this area is characterized by a strongly pronounced density stratification, caused by the influx of a large volume of river water.
In summer, changes in water temperature in layers different along the vertical gradient are practically unrelated. The exceptions are the wind mixing layer (0-10 m) and the seasonal thermocline layer (20-30 or 30-50 m), there is no connection between these layers.

Characteristic values of water temperature fluctuations due to tidal variability are 0.2-0.5°C per year

The Barents Sea is located on the North European shelf, almost open to the Central Arctic Basin and open to the Norwegian and Greenland seas; it belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. This is one of the largest seas in terms of area. Its area is 1424 thousand km2, volume is 316 thousand km3, average depth is 222 m, greatest depth is 513 m.

There are many islands in the Barents Sea. Among them are the archipelagos of Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, the Islands of Hope, etc. Small islands are mainly grouped into archipelagos located near the mainland or larger islands. The complex dissected coastline forms numerous capes, fjords, bays, and bays. Certain sections of the Barents Sea coast belong to different morphological types of coasts. Similar shores are found on Franz Josef Land and on the island of North-East Land in the Spitsbergen archipelago.

The bottom of the Barents Sea is a complexly dissected underwater plain, slightly inclined to the west and northeast. The deepest areas, including the maximum depth, are located in the western part of the sea. The bottom topography, in general, is characterized by the alternation of large structural elements - underwater hills and trenches with different directions, as well as the existence of numerous small (3-5 m) irregularities at depths of less than 200 m and terrace-like ledges on the slopes. The difference in depths in the open part of the sea reaches 400 m. The rugged bottom topography significantly affects the hydrological conditions of the sea.

The position of the Barents Sea in high latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle and its direct connection with the Central Arctic Basin determine the main features of the climate. In general, the climate of the sea is polar marine, characterized by long winters, short cold summers, small annual changes, and large.

Arctic air dominates in the northern part of the sea, and air of temperate latitudes dominates in the south. At the border of these two main currents there is an Arctic front, generally directed from through Bear Island to the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya. Cyclones and anticyclones often form here, affecting the weather patterns in the Barents Sea.

The river flow in relation to the area and volume of the sea is small and averages 163 km3 per year. 90% of it is concentrated in the southeastern part of the sea. The largest rivers of the Barents Sea basin carry their waters to this area. The Pechora River discharges about 130 km3 of water in an average year, which is approximately 70% of the total coastal runoff into the sea per year. Several small rivers also flow here. The north coast and shoreline account for only about 10% of the flow. Here small mountain rivers flow into the sea. The maximum continental runoff is observed in spring, the minimum in autumn and winter.

The determining influence on the nature of the Barents Sea is exerted by water exchange with neighboring seas and, mainly, with warm Atlantic waters. The annual inflow of these waters is approximately 74 thousand km3. They bring about 177.1012 kcal of heat to the sea. Of this amount, only 12% is absorbed during the exchange of waters of the Barents Sea with other seas. The rest of the heat is spent in the Barents Sea, so it is one of the warmest seas.

In the structure of the Barents Sea waters, four water masses are distinguished:

1. Atlantic waters (from the surface to the bottom), coming from the southwest, north and northeast from the Arctic basin (from 100 - 150 m to the bottom). These are warm and salty waters.

2. Arctic waters entering in the form of surface currents from the north. They have negative temperatures and low salinity.

3. Coastal waters coming with continental runoff from and with the coastal current along the coasts of Norway and the Norwegian Sea.

4. Barents Sea waters, formed in the sea itself as a result of the transformation of Atlantic waters and under the influence of local conditions.

Surface water temperatures generally decrease from southwest to northeast. Due to the good connection with the ocean and the small continental runoff, the salinity of the Barents Sea differs little from the average salinity of the ocean. The general circulation of waters in the Barents Sea is formed under the influence of the influx of water from neighboring basins, bottom topography and other factors. As in neighboring seas of the northern hemisphere, the general movement of surface waters is counterclockwise. Currents in the Barents Sea are significantly influenced by large-scale pressure fields and local cyclonic and anticyclonic gyres. The highest speed of tidal currents (about 150 cm/s) is observed in the surface layer. Tidal currents are characterized by high speeds along the Murmansk coast, at the entrance to the White Sea Funnel, in the Kanin-Kolguevsky region and in the South Spitsbergen shallow waters. Strong and prolonged winds cause surge level fluctuations. They are most significant (up to 3 m) off the Kola coast and off Spitsbergen (about 1 m), smaller values (up to 0.5 m) are observed off the coast of Novaya Zemlya and in the southeastern part of the sea. The Barents Sea is one of the Arctic seas, but it is the only Arctic sea that, due to the influx of warm Atlantic waters into its southwestern part, never completely freezes. Ice formation in the sea begins in the north in September, in the central regions in October and in the southeast in November. The sea is dominated by floating ice, among which there are icebergs. They usually concentrate near Novaya Zemlya,

It washes the northern coasts of Russia and Norway and is located on the northern continental shelf. The average depth is 220 meters. It is the westernmost of the rest of the Arctic seas. In addition, the Barents Sea is separated from the White Sea by a narrow strait. The boundaries of the sea run along the northern shores of Europe, the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. In winter, almost the entire sea freezes, with the exception of its southwestern part due to the North Atlantic Current. The sea is a strategic location for shipping and fishing.

The largest and economically important seaports are Murmansk and Norwegian - Vardø. Nowadays, a serious problem is the pollution of the sea with radioactive substances that come here from Norwegian factories.

The importance of the sea for the economies of Russia and Norway

The seas have always been the most valuable natural objects for the development of the economy, trade, and defense of any country. The Barents Sea, which is of critical strategic importance for coastal states, is no exception. Naturally, the waters of this northern sea provide an excellent platform for the development of maritime trade routes, as well as for military vessels. The Barents Sea is a real asset for Russia and Norway, as it is home to hundreds of species of fish. That is why the fishing industry is very developed in the region. If you don’t know, then read about it on our website.

The most valuable and expensive types of fish caught from this sea are considered to be: sea bass, cod, haddock and herring. Another important facility is the modern power plant in Murmansk, which generates electricity using the tides of the Barents Sea.

The only ice-free polar port in Russia is the Murmansk port. Important sea routes for many countries, along which merchant ships travel, pass through the waters of this sea. Interesting northern animals live near the Barents Sea, for example: polar bears, seals, seals, and beluga whales. Kamchatka crab was artificially imported and has taken root here well.

Holidays on the Barents Sea

It’s interesting, but lately it has become fashionable to prefer extraordinary holidays in exotic places, which at first glance seem completely unsuitable for a long-awaited vacation. Travel lovers began to wonder where else, besides places filled with tourists, they could go and still get a lot of pleasure and impressions. You might be a little surprised, but one of these places is the Barents Sea.

Of course, in order to bask in the sun and sunbathe on the beach, a trip to this northern sea, for obvious reasons, is not justified.

But there are other interesting things to do in this region. For example, diving is very popular. The water temperature, especially in July-August, is quite acceptable for diving in a wetsuit. The waters here are home to a stunning diversity of marine life. If you have never seen kelp, sea cucumbers and huge Kamchatka crabs in person (they look quite terrifying), then be sure to go to this place. You will discover many new sensations and get vivid impressions. Another favorite activity of tourists coming to these parts is yachting. You can rent a yacht right on the coast. Take care of your clothes, they should be warm and waterproof. There are various yachting routes on the Barents Sea, but the direction to the Seven Islands is especially popular. There you will see large colonies of northern birds that build their nests on the shores of the islands. By the way, they are used to people and are not afraid of them. In winter, you can see drifting blocks of ice in the distance.

Cities on the Barents Sea

There are several large cities along the coastline of the Barents Sea: Russian Murmansk and Norwegian Kirkenes and Spitsbergen. A lot of attractions are collected in Murmansk. For many, a very interesting and memorable event will be a trip to the aquarium, where you can see many species of fish and other unusual inhabitants of the seas. Be sure to visit the main square of Murmansk - Five Corners Square, as well as the monument to the defenders of the Soviet Arctic. We recommend going to the picturesque Semenovskoye Lake.

In Kirkenes, Norway, very educational and fascinating excursions are held at the Museum of the Second World War. Nearby there is a beautiful monument dedicated to the soldiers of the Red Army. Among the natural sites, visit the impressive Andersgrot Cave.

Svalbard will surprise you with magnificent nature reserves and national parks, where you can see amazing natural beauty, as well as the highest point of the archipelago - Mount Newton (height 1712 meters).

Characteristics of the Barents Sea

The Barents Sea has clear boundaries in the south and partly in the east; in other areas, the boundaries run along conventional lines drawn along the shortest distances between coastal points. The western border of the sea is the line of Cape Yuzhny (Spitsbergen) - about. Medvezhiy - m. North Cape. The southern border of the sea runs along the coast of the mainland and the line between Cape Svyatoy Nos and Cape Kanin Nos, separating it from the White Sea. From the east, the sea is limited by the western coast of the Vaygach and Novaya Zemlya islands and further by the line of Cape Zhelaniya - Cape Kolzat (Graham Bell Island). In the north, the border of the sea runs along the northern edge of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago to Cape Mary Harmsworth (Alexandra Land Island) and then through Victoria and Bely Islands to Cape Lee Smith on the island. Northeast Land (Spitsbergen).

Located on the northern European shelf, almost open to the Central Arctic Basin and open to the Norwegian and Greenland seas, the Barents Sea is a type of continental marginal sea. This is one of the largest seas in terms of area. Its area is 1,424 thousand km2, its volume is 316 thousand km3, its average depth is 222 m, its greatest depth is 600 m.

There are many islands in the Barents Sea. Among them are the archipelagos of Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, the islands of Nadezhda, King Charles, Kolguev, etc. Small islands are mainly grouped into archipelagos located near the mainland or larger islands, for example Krestovye, Gorbov, Gulyaev Koshki, etc. Its complex, dissected coastline forms numerous capes, fjords, bays, and bays. Certain sections of the Barents Sea coast belong to different morphological types of coasts. The shores of the Barents Sea are mainly abrasive, but there are accumulative and icy shores. The northern coasts of Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula are mountainous and steeply drop to the sea; they are cut by numerous fjords. The southeastern part of the sea is characterized by low, gently sloping shores. The western coast of Novaya Zemlya is low and hilly, and in its northern part glaciers come close to the sea. Some of them flow directly into the sea. Similar shores are found on Franz Josef Land and on the island. North-Eastern land of the Spitsbergen archipelago.
Climate

The position of the Barents Sea in high latitudes beyond the Arctic Circle, its direct connection with the Atlantic Ocean and the Central Arctic Basin determine the main features of the sea's climate. In general, the climate of the sea is polar marine, characterized by long winters, short cold summers, small annual changes in air temperature, and high relative humidity.

Arctic air dominates in the northern part of the sea, and air of temperate latitudes dominates in the south. At the border of these two main flows there passes an atmospheric Arctic front, generally directed from Iceland through the island. Bear to the northern tip of Novaya Zemlya. Cyclones and anticyclones often form here, affecting the weather patterns in the Barents Sea.

In winter, with the deepening of the Icelandic minimum and its interaction with the Siberian maximum, the Arctic front intensifies, which entails increased cyclonic activity over the central part of the Barents Sea. As a result, very changeable weather sets in over the sea with strong winds, large fluctuations in air temperature, and “burst” precipitation. During this season, predominantly southwestern winds blow. In the north-west of the sea, north-east winds are also often observed, and in the south-eastern part of the sea - winds from the south and south-east. Wind speed is usually 4-7 m/s, but at times increases to 12-16 m/s. The average monthly temperature of the coldest month - March - is -22° on Spitsbergen, -2° in the western part of the sea, in the east, near the island. Kolgueva, -14° and in the southeastern part -16°. This distribution of air temperature is associated with the warming effect of the Norwegian Current and the cooling effect of the Kara Sea.

In summer, the Icelandic low becomes less deep, and the Siberian anticyclone collapses. A stable anticyclone is forming over the Barents Sea. As a result, the weather here is relatively stable, cool and cloudy with weak, predominantly north-eastern winds.

In the warmest months - July and August - in the western and central parts of the sea the average monthly air temperature is 8-9°, in the south-eastern region it is slightly lower - about 7° and in the north it drops to 4-6°. The usual summer weather is disrupted by the invasion of air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, the wind changes direction to the southwest and intensifies to 10-12 m/s. Such incursions occur mainly in the western and central parts of the sea, while relatively stable weather continues to prevail in the north.

During the transition seasons (spring and autumn), a restructuring of pressure fields occurs, so unstable cloudy weather with strong and variable winds prevails over the Barents Sea. In spring, precipitation occurs in bursts, and the air temperature rises quickly. In autumn, the temperature decreases slowly.
Water temperature and salinity

The river flow in relation to the area and volume of the sea is small and averages about 163 km3/year. 90% of it is concentrated in the southeastern part of the sea. The largest rivers of the Barents Sea basin carry their waters to this area. Pechora discharges about 130 km3 of water in an average year, which is approximately 70% of the total coastal runoff into the sea per year. Several small rivers also flow here. The northern coast of Norway and the coast of the Kola Peninsula account for only about 10% of the flow. Here small mountain rivers flow into the sea.

The maximum continental runoff is observed in spring, the minimum in autumn and winter. River flow significantly affects the hydrological conditions only of the southeastern, shallowest part of the sea, which is sometimes called the Pechora Sea (more precisely, the Pechora sea basin).

The determining influence on the nature of the Barents Sea is exerted by water exchange with neighboring seas, and mainly with warm Atlantic waters. The annual inflow of these waters is approximately 74 thousand km3. They bring about 177·1012 kcal of heat to the sea. Of this amount, only 12% is absorbed during the exchange of waters of the Barents Sea with other seas. The rest of the heat is spent in the Barents Sea, so it is one of the warmest seas in the Arctic Ocean. Over large areas of this sea from the European shores to 75° N. latitude. There is a positive surface water temperature all year round, and this area does not freeze.

There are four different water masses in the structure of the Barents Sea waters.

1. Atlantic waters (from the surface to the bottom), coming from the southwest, from the north and northeast from the Arctic basin (from 100-150 m to the bottom). These are warm and salty waters.

2. Arctic waters entering in the form of surface currents from the north. They have negative temperatures and low salinity.

3. Coastal waters coming with continental runoff from the White Sea and with the coastal current along the coast of Norway from the Norwegian Sea. In summer these waters are characterized by high temperature and low salinity, in winter by low temperature and salinity. The characteristics of winter coastal waters are close to those of the Arctic.

4. The Barents Sea waters are formed in the sea itself as a result of the transformation of Atlantic waters under the influence of local conditions. These waters are characterized by low temperature and high salinity. In winter, the entire northeastern part of the sea from surface to bottom is filled with Barents Sea waters, and the southwestern part is filled with Atlantic waters. Traces of coastal waters are found only in surface horizons. There are no Arctic waters. Thanks to intensive mixing, the water entering the sea is quite quickly transformed into Barents Sea water.

In summer, the entire northern part of the Barents Sea is filled with Arctic waters, the central part with Atlantic waters, and the southern part with coastal waters. At the same time, Arctic and coastal waters occupy surface horizons. At depths in the northern part of the sea there are Barents Sea waters, and in the southern part there are Atlantic waters. Surface water temperatures generally decrease from southwest to northeast.

In winter, in the south and southwest the temperature on the water surface is 4-5°, in the central regions 0-3°, and in the northern and northeastern parts it is close to freezing temperature.

In summer, the temperature on the surface of the water and the air temperature are close. In the south of the sea, the surface temperature is 8-9°, in the central part 3-5°, and in the north it drops to negative values. In transition seasons (especially in spring), the distribution and values of water temperature on the surface differ little from winter, and in autumn - from summer.

The distribution of temperature in the water column largely depends on the distribution of warm Atlantic waters, on winter cooling, which extends to a significant depth, and on the bottom topography. In this regard, the change in water temperature with depth occurs differently in different areas of the sea.

In the southwestern part, which is most exposed to the influence of Atlantic waters, the temperature gradually and relatively weakly decreases with depth to the bottom.

Atlantic waters spread east along trenches, the water temperature in them decreases from the surface to a horizon of 100-150 m, and then slightly increases towards the bottom. In the northeast of the sea in winter the low temperature extends to a horizon of 100-200 m, deeper it rises to 1°. In summer, the low surface temperature drops to 25-50 m, where its lowest (–1.5°) winter values remain. Deeper, in the layer of 50-100 m, not affected by winter vertical circulation, the temperature rises slightly and is about –1°. Atlantic waters pass through the underlying horizons, and the temperature here rises to 1°. Thus, between 50-100 m there is a cold intermediate layer. In basins where warm waters do not penetrate, strong cooling occurs, for example in the Novaya Zemlya Trench, Central Basin, etc. The water temperature is quite uniform throughout the entire thickness in winter, and in summer it drops from small positive values on the surface to approximately -1.7 ° at the bottom.

Underwater hills impede the movement of Atlantic waters. In this regard, above the rises in the bottom, low water temperatures are observed at horizons close to the surface. In addition, longer and more intense cooling occurs over the hills and on their slopes than in deep areas. As a result, “cold water caps” are formed at the bottom of the elevation, characteristic of the banks of the Barents Sea. In the Central Highlands region in winter, very low water temperatures can be traced from the surface to the bottom. In summer it decreases with depth and reaches minimum values in the layer of 50-100 m, and deeper it rises slightly again. During this season, a cold intermediate layer is observed here, the lower boundary of which is formed not by the warm Atlantic, but by the local Barents Sea waters.

In the shallow southeastern part of the sea, seasonal changes in water temperature are well expressed from the surface to the bottom. In winter, low water temperatures are observed throughout the entire thickness. Spring heating extends to horizons of 10-12 m, from where the temperature drops sharply towards the bottom. In summer, the thickness of the upper heated layer increases to 15-18 m, and the temperature decreases with depth.

In autumn, the temperature of the upper layer of water begins to level out, and the distribution of temperature with depth follows the pattern of seas of temperate latitudes. In most of the Barents Sea, the vertical distribution of temperature is oceanic in nature.

Due to the good connection with the ocean and the small continental runoff, the salinity of the Barents Sea differs little from the average salinity of the ocean.

The highest salinity on the sea surface (35‰) is observed in the southwestern part, in the area of the North Cape Trench, where salty Atlantic waters flow and there is no ice. To the north and south, salinity drops to 34.5‰ due to melting ice. The waters are even more desalinated (up to 32-33‰) in the southeastern part of the sea, where the ice melts and where fresh water flows from the land. Salinity on the sea surface changes from season to season. In winter, throughout the sea, salinity is quite high - about 35‰, and in the southeastern part - 32.5-33‰, since at this time of year the influx of Atlantic waters increases, continental runoff decreases and intensive ice formation occurs.

In spring, high salinity values remain almost everywhere. Only in a narrow coastal strip near the Murmansk coast and in the Kanin-Kolguevsky region is salinity low.

In summer, the influx of Atlantic waters decreases, ice melts, river water spreads, so salinity decreases everywhere. In the southwestern part the salinity is 34.5‰, in the southeastern part it is 29‰, and sometimes 25‰.

In autumn, at the beginning of the season, salinity remains low throughout the sea, but later, due to a decrease in continental runoff and the onset of ice formation, it increases and reaches winter values.

The change in salinity in the water column is associated with the bottom topography and the influx of Atlantic and river waters. Mostly it increases from 34‰ at the surface to 35.1‰ at the bottom. The vertical salinity changes to a lesser extent over underwater elevations.

Seasonal changes in the vertical distribution of salinity over most of the sea are rather weakly expressed. In summer, the surface layer is desalinated, and from horizons of 25-30 m, a sharp increase in salinity with depth begins. In winter, the jump in salinity at these horizons is somewhat smoothed out. Salinity values change more noticeably with depth in the southeastern part of the sea. The difference in salinity on the surface and at the bottom here can reach several ppm.

In winter, salinity is almost equalized throughout the entire water column, and in spring, river waters desalinate the surface layer. In summer, its desalination is also enhanced by melted ice, so between the horizons of 10 and 25 m a sharp jump in salinity is formed.

In winter, the densest waters on the surface of the Barents Sea are in the northern part. In summer, increased density is observed in the central regions of the sea. In the north, its decrease is associated with the desalination of surface waters due to melting ice, in the south - with their warming.

In winter, in shallow water areas, the density from the surface to the bottom increases slightly. Density increases noticeably with depth in areas of deep Atlantic waters. In spring and especially in summer, under the influence of desalination of surface layers, the vertical density stratification of waters is quite clearly expressed throughout the sea. As a result of autumn cooling, density values equalize with depth.

Relatively weak density stratification with usually strong winds determines the intensive development of wind mixing in the Barents Sea. It covers a layer here of up to 15-20 m in the spring-summer time and penetrates to horizons of 25-30 m in the autumn-winter season. Only in the southeastern part of the sea, where the vertical interlayering of waters is pronounced, does the wind mix only the uppermost layers up to horizons of 10-12 m. In autumn and winter, convective mixing is also added to the wind mixing.

In the north of the sea, due to cooling and ice formation, convection penetrates up to 50-75 m. But it rarely extends to the bottom, since when the ice melts, which occurs here in the summer, large density gradients are created, which prevents the development of vertical circulation.

On the bottom elevations located to the south - the Central Upland, Goose Bank, etc. - the winter vertical circulation reaches the bottom, since in these areas the density is quite uniform throughout the entire water column. As a result, very cold and heavy waters form over the Central Highlands. From here they gradually slide down the slopes into the depressions surrounding the upland, in particular into the Central Basin, where cold bottom waters are formed.
Bottom relief

The bottom of the Barents Sea is a complexly dissected underwater plain, slightly inclined to the west and northeast. The deepest areas, including the maximum depth of the sea, are located in the western part of the sea. The bottom topography as a whole is characterized by the alternation of large structural elements - underwater hills and trenches with different directions, as well as the existence of numerous small (3-5 m) irregularities at depths of less than 200 m and terrace-like ledges on the slopes. The difference in depths in the open part of the sea reaches 400 m. The rugged bottom topography significantly affects the hydrological conditions of the sea.

Bottom topography and currents of the Barents Sea
Currents

The general circulation of waters in the Barents Sea is formed under the influence of the influx of water from neighboring basins, bottom topography and other factors. As in neighboring seas of the northern hemisphere, the general movement of surface waters is counterclockwise.

The most powerful and stable flow, which largely determines the hydrological conditions of the sea, forms the warm North Cape Current. It enters the sea from the southwest and moves east in the coastal zone at a speed of about 25 cm/s; further seaward its speed decreases to 5-10 cm/s. Approximately 25°E this current is divided into the Coastal Murmansk and Murmansk currents. The first of them, 40-50 km wide, spreads to the southeast along the coast of the Kola Peninsula, penetrates into the Throat of the White Sea, where it meets the outlet White Sea Current and moves east at a speed of 15-20 cm/s. Kolguev Island divides the Coastal Murmansk Current into the Kanin Current, which goes to the south-eastern part of the sea and further to the Kara Gate and Yugorsky Shar straits, and the Kolguev Current, which goes first to the east and then to the north-east, to the coast of Novaya Zemlya. The Murmansk Current, about 100 km wide, with a speed of about 5 cm/s, extends significantly more seaward than the Coastal Murmansk Current. Near the meridian 40°E, having encountered an increase in the bottom, it turns to the northeast and gives rise to the Western Novaya Zemlya Current, which, together with part of the Kolguev Current and the cold Litke Current entering through the Kara Gates, forms the eastern periphery of the cyclonic circulation common to the Barents Sea . In addition to the branched system of the warm North Cape Current, cold currents are clearly visible in the Barents Sea. Along the Perseus Upland, from northeast to southwest, along the Medvezhinsky shallow waters, the Perseus Current runs. Merging with the cold waters of the island. Hope, it forms the Medvezhinsky Current, the speed of which is approximately 50 cm/s.

Currents in the Barents Sea are significantly influenced by large-scale pressure fields. Thus, when the Polar Anticyclone is localized off the coast of Alaska and Canada and with the Icelandic Low located relatively western, the West Novaya Zemlya Current penetrates far to the north, and part of its waters goes into the Kara Sea. Another part of this current deviates to the west and is strengthened by waters coming from the Arctic Basin (east of Franz Josef Land). The influx of surface Arctic waters brought by the East Spitsbergen Current is increasing.

With the significant development of the Siberian High and at the same time the more northern location of the Icelandic Low, the outflow of water from the Barents Sea through the straits between Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land, as well as between Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen, prevails.

The general picture of currents is complicated by local cyclonic and anticyclonic gyres.

Tides in the Barents Sea are caused mainly by the Atlantic tidal wave, which enters the sea from the southwest, between the North Cape and Spitsbergen, and moves east. Near the entrance to Matochkin Shar, it turns partly to the northwest, partly to the southeast.

The northern edges of the sea are influenced by another tidal wave coming from the Arctic Ocean. As a result, interference of the Atlantic and northern waves occurs off the northeastern coast of Spitsbergen and near Franz Josef Land. The tides of the Barents Sea almost everywhere have a regular semidiurnal character, as do the currents they cause, but the change in the directions of tidal currents occurs differently in different areas of the sea.

Along the Murmansk coast, in the Czech Bay, in the west of the Pechora Sea, tidal currents are close to reversible. In open parts of the sea, the direction of currents in most cases changes clockwise, and on some banks - counterclockwise. Changes in the directions of tidal currents occur simultaneously throughout the entire layer from the surface to the bottom.

The highest speed of tidal currents (about 150 cm/s) is observed in the surface layer. Tidal currents are characterized by high speeds along the Murmansk coast, at the entrance to the White Sea Funnel, in the Kanin-Kolguevsky region and in the South Spitsbergen shallow waters. In addition to strong currents, tides cause significant changes in the level of the Barents Sea. The tide height off the coast of the Kola Peninsula reaches 3 m. In the north and northeast, the tides become smaller and off the coast of Spitsbergen it is 1-2 m, and off the southern coast of Franz Josef Land it is only 40-50 cm. This is due to the peculiarities bottom topography, coastal configuration and interference of tidal waves coming from the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.

In addition to tidal fluctuations, seasonal level changes can also be observed in the Barents Sea, caused mainly by the influence of atmospheric pressure and winds. The difference between the maximum and minimum positions of the average level in Murmansk can reach 40-50 cm.

Strong and prolonged winds cause surge level fluctuations. They are most significant (up to 3 m) off the Kola coast and off Spitsbergen (about 1 m), smaller values (up to 0.5 m) are observed off the coast of Novaya Zemlya and in the southeastern part of the sea.

Large expanses of clear water, frequent and strong stable winds favor the development of waves in the Barents Sea. Particularly strong waves are observed in winter, when, with long-term (at least 16-18 hours) western and south-western winds (up to 20-25 m/s) in the central regions of the sea, the most developed waves can reach a height of 10-11 m. In the coastal zone there are fewer waves. With prolonged northwestern storm winds, the wave height reaches 7-8 m. Starting from April, the intensity of the waves decreases. Waves with a height of 5 m or more are rare. The sea is calmest in the summer months; the frequency of storm waves with a height of 5-6 m does not exceed 1-3%. In autumn, the intensity of waves increases and in November approaches winter levels.
Ice cover

The Barents Sea is one of the Arctic seas, but it is the only Arctic sea that, due to the influx of warm Atlantic waters into its southwestern part, never completely freezes. Due to weak currents from the Kara Sea to the Barents Sea, ice practically does not flow from there.

Thus, ice of local origin is observed in the Barents Sea. In the central and southeastern parts of the sea, this is first-year ice that forms in autumn and winter, and melts in spring and summer. Only in the far north and northeast is old ice found, including sometimes arctic pack.

Ice formation in the sea begins in the north in September, in the central regions in October and in the southeast in November. The sea is dominated by floating ice, among which there are icebergs. They are usually concentrated near Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen. Icebergs are formed from glaciers descending to the sea from these islands. Occasionally, icebergs are carried by currents far to the south, right up to the coast of the Kola Peninsula. Typically, Barents Sea icebergs do not exceed 25 m in height and 600 m in length.

Fast ice in the Barents Sea is poorly developed. It occupies relatively small areas in the Kaninsko-Pechora region and near Novaya Zemlya, and off the coast of the Kola Peninsula it is found only in the bays.

In the southeastern part of the sea and off the western shores of Novaya Zemlya, french polynyas persist throughout the winter. Sea ice is most widespread in April, when it covers up to 75% of its area. The thickness of flat sea ice of local origin in most areas does not exceed 1 m. The thickest ice (up to 150 cm) is found in the north and northeast.

In spring and summer, first-year ice melts quickly. In May, the southern and southeastern regions are free of ice, and by the end of summer almost the entire sea is cleared of ice (with the exception of areas adjacent to Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and the southeastern shores of Spitsbergen).

The ice cover of the Barents Sea varies from year to year, which is due to the varying intensity of the North Cape Current, the nature of large-scale atmospheric circulation and the general warming or cooling of the Arctic as a whole.
Economic importance

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

It is bounded from the north by the archipelagos and Franz Josef Land, from the east by the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.

The area of the Barents Sea is 1424 thousand sq. km. Volume - 282 thousand cubic meters. km. Depth: average - 220 m. maximum - 600 m. Borders: in the west with the Norwegian Sea, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with.

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

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

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

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

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

Of course, even before Peter’s time, there were pilotage directions for the mouth of the Northern Dvina, the White Sea and the coastal part of the Siverskoe Sea, which were inherited by local pilots. But under Peter, these maps were refined and allowed fairly large ships to sail without the fear of running aground or a reef, of which there are a great many in these waters.

These places were very attractive for navigation because of their peculiarity, because the sea did not freeze here, thanks to the Gulf Stream, the warm waters of which reached these northern shores. This made it possible for ships to pass west into the waters of the Atlantic and further south to the shores of America, Africa, and India. But the lack of sea ships and the short navigation time prevented the development of the waters of the North Sea. Only rare ships of brave sailors reached the shores of Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land, which separated the North Sea from the vast expanses of the Arctic Ocean.

The beginning of the study of the Barents Sea took place in the 16th-17th centuries, during the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Looking for trade routes, European sailors tried to go east to go around Asia to China, but they could not go far due to the fact that most of them were covered with hummocks of ice that did not melt even during the short northern summer. The Dutch navigator Willem Barents, in search of northern trade routes, very carefully explored the waters of the North Sea.

He discovered the Orange Islands, Bear Island, and explored Spitsbergen. And in 1597, his ship was frozen in the ice for a long time. Barents and his crew left the ship frozen in the ice and began to make their way to the shore in two boats. And although the expedition reached the shores, Willem Barents himself died. Since 1853, this harsh North Sea began to be called the Barents Sea in his honor, although before that it was officially listed on maps as Murmansk.

Scientific exploration of the Barents Sea began much later. 1821-1824 Several sea expeditions were undertaken to study the Barents Sea. They were headed by the future president of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, an honorary member of many Russian and foreign scientific institutions, a tireless navigator, Admiral Fyodor Petrovich Litke. On the sixteen-gun brig "Novaya Zemlya" he went to the shores of Novaya Zemlya 4 times, explored and described it in detail.

He explored the depths of the fairway and the dangerous shallows of the White and Barents Seas, as well as the geographical definitions of the islands. His book “Four Voyages to the Arctic Ocean on the Military Brig “Novaya Zemlya” in 1821-1824,” published in 1828, brought him worldwide scientific fame and recognition. A complete thorough study and hydrological characteristics of the Barents Sea were compiled during a scientific expedition in 1898-1901. headed by the Russian scientist hydrologist Nikolai Mikhailovich Knipovich.

The efforts of these expeditions were not in vain; as a result, the rapid development of navigation in the northern seas began. In 1910-1915 A hydrographic expedition of the Arctic Ocean was organized. The goal of the expedition was to develop the Northern Sea Route, which would allow Russian ships to take the shortest route along the northern coast of Asia to the Pacific Ocean to the eastern shores of the Russian Empire. The expedition, consisting of two icebreaking ships - "Vaigach" and "Taimyr", under the leadership of Boris Andreevich Vilkitsky, covered the entire northern route from Chukotka to the Barents Sea, with a wintering place near the Taimyr Peninsula.

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

At the beginning of the twentieth century, measures were taken to develop the first port beyond the Arctic Circle. Murmansk became such a port. A very good location was chosen for the future port on the right bank of the Kola Bay. In 1915, during the First World War, Murmansk was upset and received city status. The creation of this port city made it possible for the Russian fleet to gain access to the Arctic Ocean through the ice-free gulf. Russia was able to receive military supplies from its allies, despite the blockade of the Baltic and Black Seas.

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

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

And now the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy is based at bases located in the bays of the Barents Sea. The main one is Severomorsk, located 25 km from Murmansk. Severomorsk arose on the site of the tiny village of Vaenga, which in 1917 was inhabited by only 13 people. Now Severomorsk, with a population of about 50 thousand people, is the main stronghold of the northern borders of Russia.

The best ships of the Russian Navy serve in the Northern Fleet. Such as the aircraft-carrying anti-submarine cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov

Nuclear submarines capable of floating directly at the North Pole

The Barents Sea also served to develop the military potential of the USSR. An atomic test site was created on Novaya Zemlya and in 1961 a super-powerful 50-megaton hydrogen bomb was tested there. Of course, the entire Novaya Zemlya and the adjacent territory suffered greatly and for many years, but the Soviet Union for many years received priority in atomic weapons, which continues to this day.

For a long time, the entire water area of the Arctic Ocean was controlled by the Soviet Navy. But after the collapse of the Union, most of the bases were abandoned. Everyone and everyone is flocking to the Arctic. And after the discovery of the largest oil fields on the Arctic shelf, the question of protecting the Russian northern possessions with strategic raw materials arose. Therefore, since 2014, Russia has been renewing its military presence in the Arctic. For this purpose, bases are now being unfrozen on Novaya Zemlya, on Kotelny Island, which is part of the New Siberian Islands, on the land of Franz Joseph and. Modern military camps are being built and airfields are being restored.

Since time immemorial, a lot of all kinds of fish have been caught in the Barents Sea. It was almost the main food of the Pomors. And carts with fish were constantly going to the mainland. There are still a lot of them in these northern waters, about 114 species. But the main types of commercial fish are cod, flounder, sea bass, herring and haddock. The population of the rest is falling.

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

But nevertheless, in the waters of the Barents Sea you can still find a variety of fish and marine animals such as seals, seals, whales, dolphins, and sometimes.

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

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

Despite the fact that the Barents Sea is polar, in recent years this region has become increasingly popular for tourists, especially those interested in diving, fishing and hunting. Such an extreme type of recreation as ice diving is very interesting. The beauty of the under-ice world can surprise even experienced swimmers. For example, the span of the claws of Kamchatka crabs that breed in these waters sometimes exceeds 2 meters. But you need to keep in mind that diving under ice is an activity for experienced scuba divers.

And hunting on the islands of the Barents Sea for seals, seals or birds, which are apparently not visible here, will not leave any seasoned hunter indifferent.