Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Bering Sea: geographical location, description Which ocean is the Bering Sea part of?

The BERING SEA, a marginal sea in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Eurasia and North America, washes the shores of the USA and Russia (the largest of its Far Eastern seas). It is connected in the north by the Bering Strait to the Chukchi Sea, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Aleutian chain and the Commander Islands. Area 2315 thousand km 2, volume 3796 thousand km 3. The greatest depth is 5500 m. The coastline is heavily indented, forming many bays (the largest are Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Anadyrsky - Russia; Norton, Bristol - USA), bays, peninsulas and capes. Karaginsky Islands (Russia), St. Lawrence, Nunivak, Nelson, St. Matthew, Pribilof (USA).

The shores of the Bering Sea are diverse, with predominantly high, rocky, heavily indented bay shores, as well as fjord and abrasion-accumulative shores. Leveled accumulative banks predominate in the east, where the deltas of the large Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers are located.

Relief and geological structure bottom . According to the nature of the bottom topography, the Bering Sea is clearly divided into shallow and deep-water parts approximately along the line from Cape Navarin to Unimak Island. The northern and southeastern parts lie on a shelf with depths of up to 200 m (prevailing depths are 50-80 m) and a width in the northeast of up to 750 km (46% of the sea area) - one of the widest in the World Ocean. It is a vast plain, slightly inclined to the southwest. In the Quaternary period, the shelf periodically drained and a land bridge emerged between the continents of Eurasia and North America. Within the shelf there are large depressions - Anadyr, Navarin, Khatyr and others, filled with Cenozoic terrigenous deposits. Depressions can be reservoirs of oil and natural combustible gas. A narrow continental slope with depths of 200-3000 m (13%) and with large bottom slopes almost throughout its entire length turns into a deep-sea bed with steep ledges, in many places cut by underwater valleys and canyons. The sides of the canyons are often steep and sometimes steep. In the central and southwestern parts there is a deep-water zone with depths of over 3000 m (37%), bordered in the coastal zone by a narrow shelf strip. The underwater Shirshov Ridge with depths above the ridge of 500-600 m, stretching south from the Olyutorsky Peninsula, divides the deep-water part of the sea into the Commander and Aleutian basins; it is separated from the island arc by the Ratmanov Trench (depth about 3500 m). The flat bottom of both basins is slightly inclined to the southwest. The Shirshov Ridge is a complex zone of junction of two lithospheric plates (Commander and Aleutian), along which until the mid-Miocene the oceanic crust was piled up (possibly with underthrusting). The foundation of the Aleutian Basin is of Early Cretaceous age and is a fragment of the Mesozoic oceanic lithospheric plate Kula, which separated in the Cretaceous from the Pacific plate by a large transform fault, transformed in the Paleogene into the Aleutian island arc and the deep-sea trench of the same name. The thickness of the Cretaceous-Quaternary sedimentary cover in the central part of the Aleutian Basin reaches 3.5-5 km, increasing towards the periphery to 7-9 km. The foundation of the Commander Basin is Cenozoic in age and was formed as a result of local spreading (the spreading of the bottom with the new formation of oceanic crust), which continued until the end of the Miocene. The paleospreading zone can be traced to the east of Karaginsky Island in the form of a narrow trough. The thickness of the Neogene-Quaternary sedimentary cover in the Commander Basin reaches 2 km. North of Aleutian Islands The Bowers Ridge (a former Late Cretaceous volcanic arc) extends in an arc to the north, outlining the basin of the same name. The maximum depths of the Bering Sea are located in the Kamchatka Strait and near the Aleutian Islands.

On the shelf, bottom sediments are mainly terrigenous, near the shore - coarse sediments, then sands, sandy silts and silts. The sediments of the continental slope are also predominantly terrigenous, in the area of ​​Bristol Bay - with an admixture of volcanogenic material, and there are numerous outcrops of bedrock. The thickness of sediments in deep-sea basins reaches 2500 m, the surface layer is represented by diatomaceous silt.

Climate. Most of the Bering Sea is characterized by a subarctic climate, in a small area north of 64° north latitude it is arctic, and south of 55° north latitude it is temperate maritime. Climate formation occurs under the influence of the cold masses of the Arctic Ocean in the north, the open spaces of the Pacific Ocean in the south, adjacent land and centers of atmospheric action. In the open part of the Bering Sea, far from the influence of continents, the climate is maritime, mild, with small amplitudes of air temperature fluctuations, the weather is cloudy, with fog and large amounts of precipitation. In winter, under the influence of the Aleutian Low, northwest, north and northeast winds predominate, bringing cold maritime Arctic air, as well as cold, dry continental air. Wind speed off the coast is 6-8 m/s, in the open sea - up to 12 m/s. Often, especially in the western part of the sea, stormy conditions develop with winds up to 30-40 m/s (lasting up to 9 days). average temperature air in January - February from 0. -4 °C in the south and southwest to -15. -23 °C in the north and northeast. Off the coast of Alaska, air temperatures dropped to -48 °C. In summer, the influence of the Hawaiian anticyclone increases, and winds prevail over the Bering Sea southern directions with speeds of 4-7 m/s. In the southern part, on average, tropical typhoons with hurricane-force winds penetrate once a month. The frequency of storms is lower than in winter. The air temperature in the open sea ranges from 4 °C in the north to 13 °C in the south; in coastal areas it is noticeably warmer. Annual precipitation ranges from 450 mm in the northeast to 1000 mm in the southwest.

Hydrological regime. The river flow is about 400 km 3 per year. Up to 70% of the flow comes from the Yukon (176 km 3), Anadyr (50 km 3), Kuskokwim (41 km 3) rivers, with more than 85% of the flow occurring in the spring. summer time. Compared to the volume of the sea, the amount of fresh flow is small, but river waters flow mainly into northern regions sea, leading in summer to a noticeable desalination of the surface layer. Features of the hydrological regime are determined by limited water exchange with the Arctic Ocean, relatively free connection with Pacific Ocean, continental runoff and desalination of water when ice melts. Exchange with the Chukchi Sea is difficult due to small area sections Bering Strait(3.4 km 2, average depth above the threshold 39 m). The numerous straits connecting the Bering Sea to the Pacific Ocean have a cross-section with total area 730 km 2 and depths of over 4000 m (Kamchatka Strait), which contributes to good water exchange with Pacific waters.

In the structure of the Bering Sea, four water masses are mainly distinguished in the deep-sea part: surface, subsurface intermediate cold, intermediate Pacific warm and deep. Salinity changes with depth are small. Both intermediate water masses are absent only near the Aleutian Islands. In certain parts of the Bering Sea, in particular in coastal areas, other water masses are formed depending on local conditions.

Surface currents in the Bering Sea form a counterclockwise gyre, which is significantly influenced by prevailing winds. Along the coast of Alaska to the north follows the Bering Sea branch of the warm Kuroshio currents, which partially leaves through the Bering Strait and, receiving the cold waters of the Chukchi Sea, moves along the Asian coast to the south and forms the cold Kamchatka Current, which intensifies in the summer. The speed of constant currents in the open sea is low, about 6 cm/s; in the straits the speed increases to 25-50 cm/s. In coastal areas, circulation is complicated by periodic tidal currents, reaching 100-200 cm/s in the straits. Tides in the Bering Sea are irregular semidiurnal, irregular diurnal and regular diurnal, their character and magnitude vary greatly from place to place. The average tide height is 1.5-2.0 m, the highest - 3.7 m - is observed in Bristol Bay.

The surface water temperature in February varies from -1.5 °C in the north to 3 °C in the south, in August, respectively, from 4-8 °C to 9-11 °C. The salinity of surface waters in winter is from 32.0‰ in the north to 33.5‰ in the south; in summer, under the influence of melting ice and river runoff, salinity decreases, especially in coastal areas, where it reaches 28‰, in the open part of the sea, respectively, from 31.0‰ in the north to 33‰ in the south. The northern and northeastern parts of the sea are covered with ice every year. The first ice appears in September in the Bering Strait, in the northwest - in October and gradually spreads to the south. During winter, the Bering Sea is covered with heavy ice up to 60° north latitude. All ice forms and melts in the Bering Sea. Only a small part sea ​​ice carried through the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea and by the Kamchatka Current into the northwestern region of the Pacific Ocean. The ice cover collapses and melts in May - June.

History of the study. The Bering Sea is named after the captain-commander of the Russian fleet V. Bering, whose name is associated with the discoveries of the Bering Strait, Aleutian and Commander Islands in the 1st half of the 18th century. The modern name was introduced into use in the 1820s by V. M. Golovnin. Previously called Anadyrsky, Bobrovy, Kamchatsky. The first geographical discoveries of the coasts, islands, peninsulas and straits of the Bering Sea were made by Russian explorers, fur traders and sailors at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries. Comprehensive studies of the Bering Sea were carried out especially intensively by Russian naval sailors, hydrographers and naturalists until the 1870s. Before the sale of Russian America (1867), the entire coast of the Bering Sea was part of the possession of Russian Empire.

Economic use. There are about 240 species of fish in the Bering Sea, of which at least 35 are commercial species. Fishing is carried out for cod, flounder, halibut, Pacific perch, herring, and salmon. Kamchatka crab and shrimp are caught. Inhabited by walruses, sea lions, and sea otters. On the Commander and Aleutian Islands there are fur seal rookeries. The open sea is home to baleen whales, sperm whales, beluga whales and killer whales. On the rocky shores there are bird colonies. The Bering Sea is of great transport importance as part of the Northern Sea Route. Main ports- Anadyr, Provideniya (Russia), Nome (USA).

The ecological state of the Bering Sea is consistently satisfactory. The concentration of pollutants increases in river mouths, bays, and ports, which leads to a slight reduction in the size of aquatic organisms in coastal areas.

Lit.: Dobrovolsky A.D., Zalogin B.S. Seas of the USSR. M., 1982; Bogdanov N.A. Tectonics of deep-sea basins of marginal seas. M., 1988; Zalogin B.S., Kosarev A.N. Seas. M., 1999; Dynamics of ecosystems of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. M., 2000.

The Bering Sea is the largest of the Far Eastern seas washing the shores of Russia, located between two continents - Asia and North America - and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian arc.

The Bering Sea is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 2315 thousand km2, volume - 3796 thousand km3, average depth - 1640 m, greatest depth - 5500 m. The area with depths less than 500 m occupies about half of the entire area of ​​the Bering Sea, which belongs to the marginal seas of the mixed continental-oceanic type.

There are few islands in the vast expanses of the Bering Sea. Not counting the border Aleutian island arc and, in the sea there are: the large Karaginsky Island in the west and several islands (St. Matthew, Nunivak, Pribilof) in the east.

The coastline of the Bering Sea is highly indented. It forms many bays, bays, capes and straits. For the formation of many natural processes of this sea, straits are especially important, providing water exchange with. The waters of the Chukchi Sea have virtually no effect on the Bering Sea, but the Bering Sea waters play a very significant role in.

The continental flow into the sea is approximately 400 km3 per year. Most of the river water ends up in its northernmost part, where the most large rivers: Yukon (176 km3), Kuskokwim (50 km3 per year). About 85% of the total annual flow occurs in the summer months. The influence of river waters on sea waters is felt mainly in the coastal zone on the northern edge of the sea in the summer.

In the Bering Sea, the main morphological zones are clearly distinguished: the shelf and island shoals, the continental slope, etc. The shelf zone with depths up to 200 m is mainly located in the northern and eastern parts sea ​​and occupies more than 40% of its area. The bottom in this area is a vast, very flat underwater plain 600–1000 km wide, within which there are several islands, troughs and small rises in the bottom. The continental shelf off the coast of Kamchatka and the islands of the Komandorsko-Aleutian ridge is narrow, and its relief is very complex. It borders the shores of geologically young and very mobile land areas, within which there are usually intense and frequent manifestations of seismic activity.

The continental slope extends from northwest to southeast approximately along a line from Cape Navarin to Unimak Island. Together with the island slope zone, it occupies approximately 13% of the sea area and is characterized by a complex bottom. The continental slope zone is dissected by underwater valleys, many of which are typical underwater canyons, deeply cut into the seabed and having steep and even steep slopes.

The deep-water zone (3000–4000 m) is located in the southwestern and central parts of the sea and is bordered by a relatively narrow strip of coastal shallows. Its area exceeds 40% of the sea area. It is characterized by an almost complete absence of isolated depressions. Among the positive forms, the Shirshov and Bowers ridges stand out. The bottom topography determines the possibility of water exchange between in separate parts seas.

Different areas of the Bering Sea coast belong to different geomorphological types of shores. Mostly the banks are abrasive, but there are also. The sea is surrounded mainly by high and steep shores; only in the middle part of the western and eastern coasts are wide strips of flat, low-lying tundra approaching it. Narrower strips of low-lying coastline are located near the mouths in the form of a deltaic alluvial valley or border the tops of bays and bays.

Geographical location and large spaces determine the main features of the climate of the Bering Sea. It is almost entirely located in the subarctic climate zone, only the northernmost part belongs to the arctic zone, and the southernmost part belongs to the zone. North of 55–56° N. w. In the seas, the features of continentality are noticeably expressed, but in areas far from the coast they are much less pronounced. To the south of these parallels the climate is mild, typically maritime. Throughout the year, the Bering Sea is under the influence of permanent centers of action - the Polar and Hawaiian maxima. It is no less influenced by seasonal large-scale pressure formations: the Aleutian minimum, the Siberian maximum, the Asian depression.

In the cold season, northwest, north and northeast winds predominate. Wind speeds in the coastal zone average 6–8 m/s, and in open areas it varies from 6 to 12 m/s. Above the sea, predominantly the masses of continental Arctic and marine polar air interact, at the border of which they form, along which cyclones move to the northeast. The western part of the sea is characterized by storms with wind speeds of up to 30–40 m/s and lasting more than a day.

The average monthly temperature of the coldest months - January and February - is –1…–4°С in the southwestern and southern parts of the sea and – –15…–20°С in the northern and northeastern regions. In the open sea it is higher than in the coastal zone.

IN warm time During the year, southwestern, southern and southeastern winds prevail, the speed of which in the western part of the open sea is 4–6 m/s, and in the eastern regions - 4–7 m/s. In summer, the frequency of storms and wind speeds are lower than in winter. Tropical cyclones () penetrate into the southern part of the sea, causing severe storms with hurricane force. Average monthly air temperatures in the warmest months - July and August - within the sea vary from 4°C in the north to 13°C in the south, and they are higher near the coast than in the open sea.

Water exchange is critical to the water balance of the Bering Sea. Very large quantities of surface and deep ocean water flow through the Aleutian Straits and flow out through the waters into the Chukchi Sea. Water exchange between sea and ocean affects the temperature distribution, formation of the structure and waters of the Bering Sea.

The bulk of the waters of the Bering Sea are characterized by a subarctic structure, main feature which is the existence of a cold intermediate layer in summer, as well as a warm intermediate layer located underneath it.

The water temperature on the sea surface generally decreases from south to north, with water in the western part of the sea being somewhat colder than in the eastern part. In coastal shallow areas, surface water temperatures are slightly higher than in open areas of the Bering Sea.

In winter, the surface temperature, equal to approximately 2°C, extends to horizons of 140–150 m, below it rises to approximately 3.5°C at 200–250 m, then its value remains almost unchanged with depth. In summer, the surface water temperature reaches 7–8°C, but drops very sharply (up to 2.5°C) with depth to a horizon of 50 m.

The salinity of the surface waters of the sea varies from 33–33.5‰ in the south to 31‰ in the east and northeast and up to 28.6‰ in the Bering Strait. Water is desalinated most significantly in spring and summer in the areas where the Anadyr, Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers confluence. However, the direction of the main currents along the coasts limits the influence on the deep sea areas. The vertical distribution of salinity is almost the same in all seasons of the year. From the surface to a horizon of 100–125 m, it is approximately equal to 33.2–33.3‰. Salinity increases slightly from horizons of 125–150 m to 200–250 m; deeper it remains almost unchanged to the bottom. In accordance with small spatiotemporal changes in temperature and salinity, the density of water also changes slightly.

The distribution of oceanological characteristics by depth indicates a relatively weak vertical stratification of the waters of the Bering Sea. In combination with strong winds, this creates favorable conditions for the development of wind mixing. In the cold season, it covers the upper layers to horizons of 100–125 m; in the warm season, when the waters are stratified more sharply and the winds are weaker than in autumn and winter, wind mixing penetrates to horizons of 75–100 m in deep areas and up to 50–60 m in coastal areas.

The speeds of constant currents in the sea are low. The highest values ​​(up to 25–50 cm/s) are observed in the areas of the straits, and in the open sea they are equal to 6 cm/s, and the speeds are especially low in the zone of the central cyclonic circulation.

Tides in the Bering Sea are mainly caused by the propagation of tidal waves from the Pacific Ocean. Tidal currents in the open sea are circular in nature, and their speed is 15–60 cm/s. Near the coast and in the straits, the currents are reversible, and their speed reaches 1–2 m/s.

For most of the year, much of the Bering Sea is covered in ice. Ice in the sea is of local origin, that is, it is formed, destroyed and melted in the sea itself. The process of ice formation begins first in the northwestern part of the Bering Sea, where ice appears in October and gradually moves south. Ice appears in the Bering Strait in September. In winter the strait is filled with solid broken ice, drifting north. However, even during the peak of ice formation, the open part of the Bering Sea is never covered with ice. In the open sea, under the influence of winds and currents, ice is in constant motion, and strong compression often occurs. This leads to the formation of hummocks, the maximum height of which can reach up to 20 m. Fixed ice, which forms in closed bays and bays in winter, can be broken up and carried out to sea during stormy winds. The ice from the eastern part of the sea is carried north into the Chukchi Sea. During July and August the sea is completely clear of ice, but even during these months ice can be found in the Bering Strait. Strong winds contribute to the destruction of the ice cover and the clearing of ice from the sea in summer.

The nature of the distribution of nutrients in the sea is associated with the biological system (product consumption, destruction) and therefore has a pronounced seasonal pattern.

The horizontal and vertical distribution of all forms of nutrients is significantly affected by numerous mesocycles of water, which are associated with patchiness in the distribution of nutrients.

For the Bering Sea, with its highly developed shelf, large and very intense water dynamics, the average annual primary production is estimated at 340 gC/m2.

The annual production of the main groups of aquatic organisms that are components of the Bering Sea ecosystem is (in million tons of wet weight): phytoplankton - 21,735; bacteria - 7607; protozoa - 3105; peaceful zooplankton - 3090; predatory zooplankton - 720; peaceful zoobenthos - 259; predatory zoobenthos - 17.2; fish - 25; squid - 12; bottom commercial invertebrates - 1.42; seabirds and marine mammals - 0.4.

No deposits have yet been discovered on the Russian shelf of the Bering Sea. Within East Coast Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, near the village. Three small oil fields were discovered in Khatyrka: Verkhne-Echinskoye, Verkhne-Telekaiskoye and Uglovoye; A small Zapadno-Ozernoye gas field was discovered in the Anadyr River basin. However, the Bering Sea shelf is assessed as promising for the search for hydrocarbon deposits in Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene deposits, and within the Gulf of Anadyr - as a promising placer-bearing region of the Far East.

The coastal parts of the sea are subject to the most intense anthropogenic load: the Anadyr Estuary, Ugolnaya Bay, as well as the shelf of the peninsula (Kamchatka Bay).

The Anadyr Estuary and Ugolnaya Bay are being polluted for the most part with wastewater from housing and communal services enterprises. Petroleum hydrocarbons and organochlorines enter the Kamchatka Gulf with the runoff of the Kamchatka River.

Coastal and open sea areas experience minor heavy metal pollution.

Located in its northern part. It is separated from the endless ocean waters by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. In the north, through the Bering Strait, it connects with the Chukchi Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean. The reservoir washes the shores of Alaska, Chukotka, and Kamchatka. Its area is 2.3 million square meters. km. The average depth is 1600 meters, the maximum is 4150 meters. The volume of water is 3.8 million cubic meters. km. The length of the reservoir from north to south is 1.6 thousand km, and from west to east it is 2.4 thousand km.

Historical reference

Many experts believe that during the last ice age sea ​​level was low, and therefore the Bering Strait was dry land. This is the so-called Bering Bridge, through which the inhabitants of Asia entered the territory of Northern and South America in ancient times.

This reservoir was explored by the Dane Vitus Bering, who served in the Russian fleet as captain-commander. He studied northern waters in 1725-1730 and 1733-1741. During this time, he carried out two Kamchatka expeditions and discovered part of the islands of the Aleutian chain.

In the 18th century, the reservoir was called the Kamchatka Sea. It was first named the Bering Sea on the initiative of the French navigator Charles Pierre de Fleurieu at the beginning of the 19th century. This name was fully established by the end of the second decade of the 19th century.

general description

Sea bottom

In its northern part, the reservoir is shallow, thanks to the shelf, the length of which reaches 700 km. The southwestern part is deep-sea. Here the depth in some places reaches 4 km. The transition from shallow water to the deep ocean floor is carried out along a steep underwater slope.

Water temperature and salinity

In summer, the surface layer of water warms up to 10 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures drop to -1.7 degrees Celsius. The salinity of the upper marine layer is 30-32 ppm. The middle layer at a depth of 50 to 200 meters is cold and practically does not change throughout the year. The temperature here is -1.7 degrees Celsius, and the salinity reaches 34 ppm. Below 200 meters, the water warms up, and its temperature rises to 4 degrees Celsius with a salinity of 34.5 ppm.

The Bering Sea hosts such rivers as the Yukon in Alaska with a length of 3100 km and the Anadyr with a length of 1152 km. The latter carries its waters along the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Russia.

Bering Sea on the map

Islands

The islands are concentrated on the boundaries of the reservoir. The main ones are considered Aleutian Islands, representing an archipelago. It stretches from the coast of Alaska towards Kamchatka and has 110 islands. Those, in turn, are divided into 5 groups. There are 25 volcanoes in the archipelago, and the largest is the Shishaldin volcano with a height of 2857 meters above sea level.

Commander Islands include 4 islands. They are located in the southwestern part of the reservoir in question. Pribilof Islands are located north of the Aleutian Islands. There are four of them: St. Paul's, St. George's, Otter and Walrus Island.

Diomede Islands(Russia) consist of 2 islands (Ratmanov Island and Krusenstern Island) and several small rocks. They are located in the Bering Strait at approximately the same distance from Chukotka and Alaska. The Bering Sea also contains St. Lawrence Island in the southernmost part of the Bering Strait. It is part of the state of Alaska, although it is located closer to Chukotka. Experts believe that in ancient times it was part of an isthmus connecting two continents.

Nunivak Island located off the coast of Alaska. Among all the islands belonging to the body of water in question, it is the second in area after St. Lawrence. In the southern part of the Bering Strait there is also St. Matthew's Island, owned by the USA. Karaginsky Island located near the coast of Kamchatka. Highest point on it (Mount Vysokaya) is 920 meters above sea level.

sea ​​coast

For sea ​​coast Characteristic are capes and bays. One of the bays on the Russian coast is Anadyrsky, which washes the shores of Chukotka. Its continuation is the Bay of the Cross, located to the north. Karaginsky Bay is located off the coast of Kamchatka, and Olyutorsky Bay is located to the north. The Gulf of Corfu is wedged deep into the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Off the southwest coast of Alaska is Bristol Bay. To the north there are smaller bays. This is Kuskokwim, into which the river of the same name flows, and Norton Bay.

Climate

In summer, the air temperature rises to 10 degrees Celsius. In winter it drops to -20-23 degrees Celsius. The Bering Sea is covered with ice by the beginning of October. The ice melts by July. That is, the reservoir is covered with ice for almost 10 months. In some places, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, ice may be present all year round.

The sea is home to such marine mammals as bowhead and blue whales, sei whales, fin whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales. Northern fur seals, belugas, seals, walruses, and polar bears are also present. Up to 40 species of different birds nest on the coast. Some of them are unique. In total, about 20 million birds breed in this region. 419 species of fish are registered in the reservoir. Among them, salmon, pollock, king crab, Pacific cod, halibut, and Pacific perch are of commercial value.

The further development of the ecosystem of the reservoir in question is uncertain. IN this region There has been a slight but steady increase in sea ice over the past 30 years. This provided a sharp contrast to the seas of the Arctic Ocean, where the ice surface is steadily shrinking.

The Bering Sea is located in the North Pacific Ocean. It is separated from it by the Commander and Aleutian Islands and borders the Chukchi Sea through the Bering Strait. Through the Chukchi Sea you can go from the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean. In addition, this sea washes the coasts of two countries: Russian Federation and the United States of America.

Physiographic location of the Bering Sea

The coastline of the sea is heavily indented with capes and bays. The largest bays located on the Russian coast are the Anadyrsky, Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Korfa, and Kresta bays. And on the coast of North America there are Norton, Bristol, and Kuskokwim bays.
Only two large rivers flow into the sea: Anadyr and Yukon.
The Bering Sea also has many islands. They are mainly located on the border of the sea. The Russian Federation includes the Diomede Islands (the western one is Ratmanov Island). Commander Islands, Karaginsky Island. To the territory of the United States of America - the Pribilof Islands, the Aleutian Islands, the Diomede Islands (the eastern one is Krusenstern Island), St. Lawrence Island, Nunivak, King Island, St. Matthews Island.
In summer, the air temperature over the sea waters ranges from plus 7 to plus 10 degrees Celsius. In winter it drops to minus 23 degrees. The salinity of the water varies on average from 33 to 34.7 percent.

Seabed topography

The topography of the seabed in the northeastern part is marked by the continental shelf. Its length is more than 700 kilometers. The sea is quite shallow.
The southwestern section is deep-water and has depths of up to 4 kilometers. These two zones can be divided conditionally along an isobath of 200 meters.
The transition point between the continental shelf and the ocean floor is marked by a significantly steep continental slope. The Bering Sea has its maximum depth in the southern part - 4151 meters. The bottom of the shelf is covered with a mixture of sand, shell rock and gravel. In deep-sea areas, the bottom is covered with diatomaceous silt.

Temperature and salinity

The layer at the surface of the sea, approximately 50 meters deep, throughout the entire water area warms up to 10 degrees Celsius in the summer months. In winter, the average minimum temperature is approximately minus 3 degrees. Salinity up to 50 meters in depth reaches 32 ppm.
Below 50 and up to 200 meters there is an intermediate water layer. The water here is colder, practically unchanged in temperature all year round (-1.7 degrees Celsius). Salinity reaches 34 percent.
Below 200 meters the water becomes warmer. Its temperature ranges from 2.5 to 4 degrees, and the salinity level is approximately 34 percent.

Ichthyofauna of the Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is home to approximately 402 various types fish Among these 402 species, you can find 9 species of sea goby, 7 species of salmon fish and many others. About 50 species of fish are commercially caught. Crabs, shrimp and cephalopods are also caught in the sea waters.
Among the mammals living in the Bering Sea are ringed seals, seals, bearded seals, lionfish and walruses. The list of cetaceans is also extensive. Among them you can find a gray whale, narwhal, bowhead whale, Japanese (or southern) whale, fin whale, humpback whale, sei whale, northern blue whale. There are many rookeries for walruses and seals on the Chukotka Peninsula.

The former inland sea of ​​the Russian Empire is now the easternmost possessions of our state. The northeastern territories are still waiting for their conquerors. One of the storerooms natural resources this part of the planet is the Bering Sea, geographical position which not only plays a significant role in the development of local regions, but also opens up enormous prospects for Russia’s expanding economic activity in the Arctic latitudes.

Bering Sea. Description

The northern edge of the Pacific Basin is the most extensive of all the seas washing the shores of Russia. Its area is 2,315 thousand km 2. For comparison: the surface of the Black Sea is five and a half times smaller. The Bering Sea is the deepest among coastal seas and one of the deepest in the world. The lowest elevation is at a depth of 4,151 m, and the average depth is 1,640 m. Deep-water areas are located on the southern side of the water area and are called the Aleutian and Commander basins. It is surprising that with such indicators, about half of the seabed is only half a kilometer away from the sea surface. The relative shallowness of the sea allows us to classify the sea as a continental-oceanic type. The northern Far Eastern reservoir holds 3.8 million km 3 of water. Most scientists explain the origin of the Bering Sea by being cut off from the rest of the ocean by the Commander-Aleutian ridge, which arose as a result of global tectonic processes in the distant past.

History of discovery and development

The modern hydronym comes from the name of the first European explorer Vitus Bering. The Dane, in Russian service, organized two expeditions in 1723-1943. The purpose of his travels was to search for the border between Eurasia and America. Although the strait between the continents was discovered by topographers Fedorov, Gvozdev and Mashkov, it was later named after the hired navigator. During Bering's second expedition, the territories of the North Pacific Ocean were explored and Alaska was discovered. On old Russian maps, the northern body of water is called the Bobrov Sea, or the Kamchatka Sea. The coast has been explored by Russian explorers since the beginning of the 18th century. Thus, Timofey Perevalov in the 30s compiled a map of some territories of Kamchatka and Chukotka. Thirty years later, D. Cook visited these places. The tsarist government sent expeditions here under the leadership of Sarychev, Bellinghausen and Kotzebue. The modern name was proposed by the Frenchman Fliorier. This term came into wide use thanks to the Russian navigator Admiral Golovnin.

Description of the geographical location of the Bering Sea

Geomorphological characteristics are determined by natural boundaries coastline in the east and west, a group of islands in the south and a speculative boundary in the north. The northern border adjoins the waters of the strait of the same name, connecting with the Chukchi Sea. The demarcation runs from Cape Novosilsky on Chukotka to Cape York on the Seward Peninsula. From east to west the sea stretches for 2,400 km, and from north to south - 1,600 km. The southern border is marked by the archipelagos of the Commander and Aleutian Islands. Pieces of land in the ocean outline a kind of giant arc. Beyond it is the Pacific Ocean. The northernmost edge of the largest body of water on the planet is the Bering Sea. The geometric pattern of the water area is characterized by a narrowing of the water space towards the Arctic Circle. The Bering Strait separates two continents: Eurasia and North America- and two oceans: the Pacific and the Arctic. The northwestern waters of the sea wash the shores of Chukotka and the Koryak Upland, the northeastern waters wash the west of Alaska. The flow of continental waters is negligible. From the side of Eurasia, Anadyr flows into the sea, and on the shores of Alaska the legendary Yukon has its mouth. The Kuskokuim River flows into the sea in the bay of the same name.

Coast and islands

Numerous bays, bays and peninsulas form the rugged coastal pattern that characterizes the Bering Sea. The Olyutorsky, Karaginsky and Anadyrsky bays are the largest on the Siberian shores. The vast bays of Bristol, Norton and Kuskokwim are located on the shores of Alaska. The few islands are different in origin: continental islands are small areas of land within the boundaries of the continental plateaus, islands of volcanic origin make up the inner, and folded ones make up the outer belt of the Commander-Aleutian arc. The ridge itself stretches 2,260 km from Kamchatka to Alaska. The total area of ​​the islands is 37,840 km2. The Commander Islands belong to Russia, all the rest are USA: Pribylova, St. Larentia, St. Matvey, Karaginsky, Nunivak and, of course, the Aleuts.

Climate

Significant fluctuations in average daily temperatures, more typical of continental landmasses, characterize the Bering Sea. Geographical location is a determining factor in the formation of the region's climate. Most of the sea's territory is in the subarctic zone. The northern side belongs to the Arctic zone, and the southern side to temperate latitudes. The western side is cooling more strongly. And due to the fact that the Siberian territories adjacent to the sea warm up less, this part of the water area is much colder than the eastern one. Over the central part of the sea in the warm season, the air warms up to +10 °C. In winter, despite the penetration of Arctic air masses, does not fall below - 23 °C.

Hydrosphere

In the upper horizons, the water temperature decreases towards northern latitudes. The waters washing the Eurasian coast are colder than the North American zone. In the coldest time of the year off the coast of Kamchatka, the sea surface temperature is +1…+3 °C. Off the coast of Alaska it is one or two degrees higher. In summer, the upper layers warm up to +9 °C. The significant depth of the straits of the Aleutian ridge (up to 4,500 m) promotes active water exchange with the Pacific Ocean at all levels. The influence of the waters of the Chukchi Sea is minimal due to the shallow depth of the Bering Strait (42 m).

In terms of the degree of wave formation, the Bering Sea also occupies first place among the seas of Russia. Which ocean is the higher water area is reflected in the characteristics of the degree of storminess of the periphery. Significant depths and storm activity are the result of strong waves. For most of the year, waves with a height of water crests of up to 2 m are observed. In winter, there are a number of storms with wave heights of up to 8 m. Over the last hundred years of observations, cases of waves with a height of up to 21 m have been recorded in ship log books.

Ice conditions

The ice cover is local in origin: the massif forms and melts in the water area itself. The Bering Sea in the northern part becomes covered with ice at the end of September. First of all, the ice shell binds closed bays, bays and the coastal zone, and the range reaches its greatest distribution in April. Melting ends only in mid-summer. Thus, the surface in the high latitude zone is covered with ice for more than nine months a year. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, off the coast of Chukotka, in some seasons the ice does not melt at all. The southern side, on the contrary, does not freeze throughout the year. Warm masses from the ocean enter through the Aleutian straits, which push the edge of the ice closer to the north. The sea strait between the continents is clogged with pack ice most of the year. Some ice fields reach a thickness of six meters. Off the coast of Kamchatka, drifting massifs are found even in August. Wiring sea ​​vessels, going North by sea, requires the participation of icebreakers.

Animal and plant life

Gulls, guillemots, puffins and other feathered inhabitants of the polar latitudes establish their colonies on the coastal rocks. Along the gently sloping shores you can find rookeries of walruses and sea lions. These real monsters of the Bering Sea reach a length of more than three meters. IN large quantities there are sea otters. Marine flora is represented by five dozen coastal plants. In the south the vegetation is more diverse. Phytoalgae promote the development of zooplankton, which in turn attracts many marine mammals. Humpback whales, representatives of the gray and toothed species of cetaceans - killer whales and sperm whales - come here to feed. The Bering Sea is exceptionally rich in fish: the underwater fauna is represented by almost three hundred species. Sharks also live in northern waters. The polar fish lives at great depths, and the dangerous predator - the salmon - does not show aggression towards people. Without a doubt, the depths of the sea have not yet revealed all their secrets.

Between Asia and America

Small groups of fur traders began to develop the northeastern waters in the 40s of the 18th century. The islands of the Aleutian archipelago, like a huge natural bridge, allowed traders to reach the shores of Alaska. The position of the Bering Sea, namely its ice-free part, contributed to the establishment of busy shipping between Petropavlovsk on Kamchatka and the newly built strongholds on the American mainland. True, Russian expansion in America did not last long, only about eighty years.

Territorial disputes

During the reign of M.S. Gorbachev, an agreement was concluded on concessions in favor of the United States of a significant part of the sea and continental shelf with a total area of ​​almost 78 thousand km 2. In June 1990, USSR Foreign Minister E. Shevardnadze and Secretary of State D. Baker signed a corresponding agreement. The domestic trawl fleet has lost the opportunity to catch fish in the middle part of the sea. In addition, Russia has lost a significant segment of the promising oil-bearing province on the shelf. The bill was approved by the US Congress that same year. In Russia, the agreement is constantly criticized and has not yet been ratified by parliament. The dividing line was named Shevardnadze - Baker.

Economic activity

The region's economy consists of two components: fishing and maritime transport. Inexhaustible fish resources contribute to the active activities of Russian fishing companies. Many processing plants have been built on the coast of Kamchatka. Herring, salmon, cod and flounder species are fished on an industrial scale. On a small scale, mainly in the interests of the indigenous population, hunting of marine animals and cetaceans is allowed. IN last years Scientific interest in this Far Eastern region has increased. This is mainly caused by the search for hydrocarbon deposits on the shelf. Three small oil basins have been discovered off the coast of Chukotka.

Klondike at the bottom of the ocean

On sea ​​depths Comprehensive studies have not yet been carried out, the purpose of which would be to search for minerals or collect geological data for further promising prospects. Within the boundaries of the water area, mineral deposits are unknown. And in coastal areas, deposits of tin and semi-precious stones have been discovered. Hydrocarbon deposits have been discovered in the Anadyr Basin. But on the opposite coast, they have been plowing up the bottom in search of yellow metal for several years. A hundred years ago, the impetus for the development of the region was gold found on the shores of the Yukon and the subsequent gold rush. The Bering Sea at the beginning of the 21st century gives new hope. The thirst for profit gives rise to ingenious technical devices. An ordinary excavator, a screen for sifting inert materials and an improvised room resembling a construction trailer in which an electric generator is placed are installed on an old barge. Such technical “monsters” of the Bering Sea are becoming increasingly widespread.

Discovery Channel Original Project

For the fifth season in a row, the American popular science television channel Discovery has been monitoring the fate of those seeking easy money. As soon as the water area is freed from ice, prospectors from all over the world gather on the coast of Alaska, and the gold rush resumes in the northern latitudes. The Bering Sea off the coast has shallow depth. This will allow you to use available tools. An improvised fleet defies the elements. The treacherous sea tests everyone's strength and courage, and the seabed is reluctant to share its treasures. Only a few lucky people were enriched by the gold rush. The ice of the Bering Sea allows some enthusiasts to continue work in winter. Over the course of several episodes of the documentary, you can watch three teams of gold miners risking their lives for the treasured handful of yellow metal.