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

From the north it is bounded 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, marine animals and birds, despite the icy water, long and cold winter, made this region quite suitable for a well-fed living. And when a person is full, then he does not care about the cold.

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

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

This city, located at the mouth of the Northern Dvina, which flows into Peter I, took a good look at it, and over time it became the Northern Gates of Russia. It was Arkhangelsk that had the honor to play a leading role in the creation of the Russian merchant and navy. In 1693, Peter founded the Admiralty in the city, and on the island of Solombala laid the foundation of a shipyard.

Already in 1694, the St. Pavel ship, the first merchant ship of the Russian Northern Fleet, launched from this shipyard. "Saint Pavel" had 24 guns on board, which Peter personally cast at the factory in Olonets. To rig the first ship, Peter himself machined the rigging blocks. The launching of the "St. Paul" was carried out under the direct supervision of Peter. "St. Paul" was issued a "travel charter" for the right to trade abroad. The ship "Saint Paul" was the first of six three-deck merchant ships launched from the sovereign's 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 the time of Peter the Great, there were sailing directions for the mouth of the Northern Dvina, the White Sea and the coastal part of the Siver Sea, which were inherited by local pilots. But under Peter, these maps were refined and allowed fairly large ships to navigate without 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, whose warm waters 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 absence of sea ships, and a short navigation time prevented the development of the waters of the North Sea. Only rare ships of brave sailors reached the shores of Svalbard 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 navigators tried to go east to go around Asia to get to China, but they could not go far due to the fact that most of them were covered with ice hummocks that did not melt even during the short northern summer. The Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz scouted the waters of the North Sea very carefully in search of northern trade routes.

He discovered the Orange Islands, Bear Island, explored Svalbard. 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 on two boats. And although the expedition reached the shores, Willem Barents himself died. Since 1853, this harsh North Sea has been called the Barents Sea in his honor, although before that it was officially listed on the 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 4 times to the shores of Novaya Zemlya, explored and described it in detail.

He investigated 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-fold trip 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 scientific 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 purpose of the expedition was to develop the Northern Sea Route, which would allow Russian ships to pass by 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 passed the entire northern route from Chukotka to the Barents Sea, wintering near the Taimyr Peninsula.

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

At the beginning of the 20th century, measures were taken to equip the first port beyond the Arctic Circle. Murmansk became such a port. A very good place 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 the status of a city. The creation of this port city made it possible for the Russian fleet to get access to the Arctic Ocean through an ice-free bay. Russia was able to receive military supplies from the allies, despite the blockade of the Baltic and Black Seas.

In Soviet times, Murmansk became the main base of the Northern Navy, which played a huge role in the victory of the USSR 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 in the most difficult conditions to ensure the passage of convoys delivering military supplies and food for the Soviet Union from the allies.

During the war, the Severomorstsy destroyed more than 200 warships and auxiliary vessels, more than 400 transports and 1300 aircraft of Nazi Germany. They provided escort for 76 allied convoys, including 1463 transports and 1152 escort ships.

And now the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy is based on 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, in which only 13 people lived in 1917. 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 right at the North Pole

The water area of ​​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 whole of Novaya Zemlya and the territory adjacent to it suffered greatly and for many years, but the Soviet Union received priority in atomic weapons for many years, which is preserved even now.

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. All and sundry have reached out to the Arctic. And after the discovery of the largest oil fields on the Arctic shelf, the question arose of protecting the Russian northern possessions, which have strategic raw materials. Therefore, since 2014, Russia has been resuming its military presence in the Arctic. For this, bases are now being defrosted on Novaya Zemlya, on Kotelny Island, which is part of the New Siberian Islands, on the land of Franz Josef and. Modern military camps are being built, 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. Yes, and carts with fish were constantly going to the mainland. There are still quite a few of them in these northern waters, about 114 species. But mainly the types of commercial fish are cod, flounder, sea bass, herring and haddock. The population of the rest is falling.

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

But nevertheless, in the waters of the Barents Sea, you can still find both 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 began to strenuously move north. So the waters of the Barents Sea became the site of the conflict between Russia and Norway. And although in 2010 Norway and Russia signed an agreement on the division of borders in the Barents Sea, disputes still do not subside. This year, the Russian "Gazprom" began commercial oil production on the Arctic shelf. About 300,000 tons of oil will be produced per year. By 2020, it is planned to reach the production level of 6 million tons of oil per year.

The return of the Russian Armed Forces to the Arctic can serve as a settlement of these disputes. The Russian Arctic is the property of our people and it should be fully used for the benefit of the people and well protected from those who like to profit at someone else's expense.

Despite the fact that the Barents Sea is the Arctic, in recent years this region has become increasingly popular for tourists, especially those who are fond of 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 range of claws of king crabs that have bred in the local waters sometimes exceeds 2 meters. But you need to keep in mind that diving under the 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 indifferent any seasoned hunter.

Any diver, fisherman, hunter or just a tourist who has ever visited the Barents Sea will still strive to get here to see these northern beauties that are impossible to forget.

Video: Barents Sea:...

In the Barents Sea, the 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, of which the leading ones are autumn-winter convection, which equalizes the temperature from the surface to the bottom, and summer heating of the surface layer, which causes the emergence of a seasonal thermocline.

A 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 coast to 75°N. It does not freeze all year round and has positive surface temperatures. The influence of the advection of the heat of the Atlantic waters is especially noticeable in the southwestern part of the sea and insignificant in the southeast due to shallow depths in this area. 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 area of ​​maximum temperatures also extends to the southeastern part of the sea, the position of the isotherms becomes close to the latitudinal one (see Figures 1a, 1b).

Figure 1a

Figure 1b The seasonal change in water temperature is generally small, in the southwest and in the northern part of the sea it does not exceed 5-6°C and only in the southeast does it reach 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 lies in the range from 7 to 13°C. In areas where ice is likely to 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 the Pechora Bay. With depth, fluctuations in water temperature decrease. In the southeastern part of the sea, at a 50 m horizon, 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 winter) and summer heating in the sea. In 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 water area of ​​the Barents Sea, the thickness of the quasi-homogeneous layer and the depth of the upper boundary of the thermocline reach 30 m by this time, and the largest gradients fall on the 30-50 m layer. In the southwest of the sea, the maximum water temperature gradients do not exceed 0.1°C/m, while in the rest of its deep water area they reach 0.2°C/m; in the southeastern part of the sea and in coastal areas, the maximum gradients fall on the layer 10-25 and 0-10 m and amount to 0.4°С/m To a large extent, the temperature distribution 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 change in water temperature along the vertical occurs unequally. In the southwestern part, which is most subject to the influence of Atlantic waters, the temperature gradually and within small limits decreases with depth, remaining positive to the very bottom. In the north-east of the sea in winter, the negative temperature extends to the 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 temperatures (-1.5°С) achieved during winter cooling remain. Below, in the layer of 50-100 m, not affected by the winter vertical circulation, the temperature 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 thickness in winter, and in summer it drops from small positive values ​​​​on the surface to -1.75 ° C at the bottom . Underwater heights serve as obstacles to the movement of Atlantic waters, so the latter flow around them. In places of flow around the rises, low temperatures rise close to the surface of the water. In addition, above the hills and on their slopes, the water cools more. As a result, "cold water caps" characteristic of the banks of the Barents Sea are formed. In the Central Highlands in winter, the water temperature is equally low from the surface to the bottom. In summer it decreases with depth and in the layer of 50-100 m has the minimum values. Below, the temperature rises again, but remains negative all the way to the 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 course. In winter, the temperature of the entire water column is negative. In spring, the upper 10-12-meter layer is covered with heating, below its temperature drops sharply to the bottom. In summer, the heating of the surface layer reaches its greatest values, so the decrease in temperature between the horizons of 10 and 25 m occurs with a sharp jump. In autumn, cooling equalizes the temperature throughout the layer, which becomes almost vertically uniform by winter. Figures 2a, 2b show four regions (western, northern, Novaya Zemlya, and northeastern), for which vertical water temperature profiles are constructed, respectively, in summer and winter, characterizing the period of formation and destruction of the thermocline (May-November). It can be seen from them that despite the significant differences in the hydrological regime of the regions, they are characterized by a number of common patterns, in particular, the delay in the annual maximum of water temperature with increasing depth and a slower drop in temperature in autumn compared to spring growth. Under real conditions, these generalized water temperature distribution profiles are complicated by the existence of diurnal 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 pronounced density stratification due to the inflow of a large volume of river water.

The Barents Sea is considered the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean. Its waters wash the shores of such countries as Russia and Norway. The area of ​​the reservoir is 1.42 million square meters. km. The volume is 282 thousand cubic meters. km. The average depth is 230 meters, and the maximum depth reaches 600 meters. In the west, the reservoir is bounded by the Norwegian Sea, and in the northwest by the Svalbard archipelago. In the northeast, the border runs along Franz Josef Land and along the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the east. This archipelago separates the reservoir in question from the Kara Sea.

History reference

In former times, this reservoir was called the Murmansk Sea. With this name, it was designated on maps of the 16th century, in particular on the map of the Arctic by Gerard Mercator, which was published in 1595. The southeastern part of the sea near the Pechora River was known as the Pechora Sea.

The reservoir received its modern name in 1853 in honor of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents (1550-1597). This outstanding navigator made 3 sea expeditions, searching for the northern sea route to the East Indies. During the 3rd expedition, he died near Novaya Zemlya.

Seabed mapping was completed by the Russian geologist Maria Klenova in 1933. During the Second World War, active military operations were carried out in the Barents Sea. Vessels from Great Britain to the USSR went through this reservoir. They carried food, weapons, equipment, fulfilling their allied duty. The Nazi troops tried to prevent the delivery of goods, which caused military conflicts.

During the Cold War, the Red Banner Northern Fleet of the USSR was based in the sea. It was armed with ballistic missile submarines. Today, a high concentration of radioactive contamination is observed in the reservoir, which causes environmental concern both in Russia and in other countries.

Hydrology

There are 3 types of water masses in the reservoir. This is a warm and salty North Atlantic current with water temperatures above 3 ° Celsius and salinity above 35 ppm. Cold arctic waters come from the north with water temperatures below 0 ° Celsius and salinity less than 35 ppm. There are also coastal warm and not very salty waters. Their temperature is above 3° Celsius and salinity is less than 34.7 ppm. Between the Atlantic and Arctic currents, the so-called polar front is formed.

Taking into account all these factors, the Barents Sea is completely free of ice only in September. The rest of the time there is no ice only in the southwestern part of the reservoir. The maximum ice cover is recorded in the month of April, when more than 70% of the sea surface is covered with floating ice. In the northwestern and northeastern regions, ice is present all year round.

The surface water temperature in the southwestern regions during the winter months is 3-5° Celsius. In summer it rises to 7-9 ° Celsius. In other latitudes, in summer the water temperature reaches 4° Celsius, in winter it drops to -1° Celsius. Coastal waters warm up to 10-12° Celsius in summer. The largest rivers flowing into the Barents Sea are the Pechora and the Indiga.

Climate

The climate is formed as a result of the North Atlantic Current and cold Arctic waters. Therefore, warm Atlantic cyclones alternate with cold Arctic air. In winter, mainly southwest winds blow over the sea surface, and northeast winds dominate in summer. Changeable weather conditions cause frequent storms.

The air temperature in winter in the southwestern part of the reservoir is -4 ° Celsius, and in the north it drops to -25 ° Celsius. In summer, the air temperature in the southwest rises to 10° Celsius, and to the north to 1° Celsius. The average annual rainfall is 400 mm.

Barents Sea on the map

Coastline and islands

In the southwestern part of the coast are high and rocky. They are strongly indented and form a whole system of fjords. From Cape Kanin Nos to the east, the coastline changes dramatically, as the coasts become low and weakly indented. There are 3 large bays here. These are the Czech Bay with a length of 110 km and a width of 130 km, the Pechora Bay with a length of 100 km and a width of 40 to 120 km. The last in the east is the Khaipudyr Bay, 46 km long and 15 km wide.

There are few islands in the Barents Sea. The largest of them is Kolguev island separated from the mainland by the Pomeranian Strait. Its area is 3.5 thousand square meters. km. The island is low and its relief is only slightly hilly. The maximum height is 80 meters above sea level. Belongs to the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Russia). About 450 people live on the island.

Svalbard Archipelago belongs to Norway. On the island of Western Svalbard there are settlements belonging to Russia. In total there are 3 large islands, 7 small ones and a group of small islets and skerries. The total area of ​​the archipelago is 621 sq. km. The administrative center is the city of Longyearbyen with a population of just over 2 thousand people.

Franz Josef Land belongs to Russia and is part of the Arkhangelsk region. It has 192 islands with a total area of ​​16.13 thousand square meters. km. There is no permanent population in this archipelago.

Archipelago Novaya Zemlya belongs to the Arkhangelsk region of Russia. It consists of 2 large islands of the North and South, separated by the Matochkin Shar Strait. Its width is 3 km. In addition, there are small islands. The largest of them is Mezhdusharsky Island. The total area of ​​the archipelago is 83 thousand square meters. km, and the length is 925 km. Novaya Zemlya is separated from Vaygach Island by the Kara Gate Strait. And the island is separated from the Yugorsky Peninsula by the Yugorsky Shar Strait.

Sea port in Murmansk

The Barents Sea is an area with intensive fisheries. Sea routes link Russia with Europe and Siberia along it. The main and largest port is the city of Murmansk. It does not freeze all year round. Other ports include Indiga and Naryan-Mar belonging to Russia and Kirkenes, Vardø and Vadsø belonging to Norway.

Political status

For decades there has been a dispute between Norway and Russia over the position of the borders in the Barents Sea. The Norwegians were in favor of the median line defined by the 1958 Geneva Convention. The USSR stood for the line that was determined by the decision of the Soviet government in 1926.

This led to the emergence of a neutral zone with an area of ​​175 thousand square meters. km, which accounted for 12% of the total area of ​​the reservoir. In 1974, negotiations were resumed to revise the position of the border. In 2010, Russia and Norway signed an agreement that provided for an equal border distance. The agreement was ratified and entered into force on July 7, 2011. This contributed to the fact that the previously closed neutral zone became available for hydrocarbon exploration.

The Barents Sea is located in the westernmost part of the Eurasian shelf. The area of ​​the Barents Sea is 1,300,000 km2. According to the International Hydrographic Bureau, the Barents Sea is separated from the Arctic basin by the Svalbard archipelago, Bely Island, Victoria Island and the Franz Josef Land archipelago.

In the east, its border with the Kara Sea runs from Graham Bell Island to Cape Zhelaniya and along the straits of Matochkin Shar (Novaya Zemlya Island), Kara Gates (between the islands of Novaya Zemlya and Vaigach) and Yugorsky Shar (between the Vaigach Islands and the mainland).
In the south, the Barents Sea is bounded by the coast of Norway, the Kola Peninsula and the Kanin Peninsula. To the east is the Czech Bay. To the west of the Kanin Peninsula is the Gorlo Strait of the White Sea.

In the southeast, the Barents Sea is bounded by the Pechora Lowland and the northern tip of the Pai-Khoi Ridge (an offshoot of the Ural Ridge in the north). To the west, the Barents Sea opens wide into the Norwegian Sea and hence into the Atlantic Ocean.

Temperature and salinity of the Barents Sea

The location of the Barents Sea between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic basin determines its hydrological features. From the west, between Bear Island and Cape North Cape, a branch of the Gulf Stream passes - the North Cape Current. Heading east, it gives a number of branches, following the bottom topography.

The temperature of the Atlantic waters is 4-12°C, the salinity is about 35 ppm. When moving to the north and east, the Atlantic waters cool and mix with the local ones. The salinity of the surface layer drops to 32-33 ppm, and the temperature at the bottom to -1.9 ° C. Small streams of Atlantic waters through deep straits between the islands enter the Barents Sea from the Arctic basin at a depth of 150-200 m. Cold surface waters from the Arctic The pools are brought by polar waters. The waters of the Barents Sea are carried out by a cold current going south from Bear Island.

Ice conditions in the Barents Sea

Good isolation from the ice masses of the Arctic Basin and the Kara Sea is of particular importance for the hydrological conditions of the Barents Sea. Its southern part does not freeze, with the exception of some fjords of the Murmansk coast. The edge of floating ice runs 400-500 km from the coast. In winter, it adjoins the southern coast of the Barents Sea to the east of the Kola Peninsula.

In summer, floating ice usually melts and remains only in the coldest years in the middle and northern parts of the sea and near Novaya Zemlya.

Chemical composition of the waters of the Barents Sea

The waters of the Barents Sea are well aerated as a result of intense vertical mixing caused by temperature changes. In summer, surface waters are supersaturated with oxygen due to the abundance of phytoplankton. Even in winter, in the most stagnant areas near the bottom, oxygen saturation is not lower than 70-78%.

Due to the low temperature, the deep layers are enriched with carbon dioxide. In the Barents Sea, at the junction of cold Arctic and warm Atlantic waters, the so-called "polar front" is located. It is characterized by the rise of deep waters with a high content of biogenic elements (phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.), which causes an abundance of phytoplankton and, in general, organic life.

Tides in the Barents Sea

The maximum tides are noted near the North Cape (up to 4 m), in the Gorlo of the White Sea (up to 7 m) and in the fjords of the Murmansk coast; further north and east, the tides decrease to 1.5 m near Svalbard and to 0.8 m near Novaya Zemlya.

Climate of the Barents Sea

The climate of the Barents Sea is very variable. The Barents Sea is one of the most stormy seas in the world. Warm cyclones from the North Atlantic and cold anticyclones from the Arctic pass through it, which is the reason for a slightly higher air temperature compared to other Arctic seas, moderate winters and heavy precipitation. An active wind regime and a vast open water area near the southern coast create conditions for maximum storm waves up to 3.5–3.7 m high.

Bottom relief and geological structure

The Barents Sea has a slight slope from east to west. The depth is mostly 100-350 m, and only near the border with the Norwegian Sea increases to 600 m. The bottom relief is complex. Many gently sloping seamounts and depressions cause a complex distribution of water masses and bottom sediments. As in other sea basins, the relief of the bottom of the Barents Sea is determined by the geological structure associated with the structure of the adjacent land. The Kola Peninsula (Murmansk Coast) is part of the Precambrian Fenno-Scandnavian crystalline shield, consisting of metamorphic rocks, mainly of Archean granite-gneisses. A Proterozoic folded zone stretches along the northeastern margin of the shield, composed of dolomites, sandstones, shales, and tillites. The remnants of this folded zone are located on the Varanger and Rybachy peninsulas, Kildin Island and in a number of underwater elevations (banks) located along the coast. Proterozoic folds are also known to the east, on the Kanin Peninsula and the Timan Ridge. Submarine uplifts in the southern part of the Barents Sea, the Pai-Khoi ridge, the northern tip of the Ural Mountains, and the southern part of the Novaya Zemlya fold system extend in the same northwesterly direction. The extensive Pechora depression between the Timan Ridge and Pai-Khoi is covered with a thick layer of sediments up to Quaternary; to the north, it passes into the flat bottom of the southeastern part of the Barents Sea (Pechora Sea).

The flat Kolguev Island, located northeast of the Kanin Peninsula, consists of horizontally deposited Quaternary deposits. in the west, in the area of ​​Cape Mordkap, the Proterozoic deposits are cut off by the Caledonian structures of Norway. They stretch to the NNE along the western edge of the Fenno-Scandian shield. The Caledonides of the same submeridional strike form the western part of Svalbard. The Medvezhino-Spitsbergen shallow water, the Central Upland, as well as the Novaya Zemlya folded system and adjoining banks can be traced in the same direction.

Novaya Zemlya is composed of folds of Paleozoic rocks: phyllites, clay shales, limestones, sandstones. Manifestations of Caledonian movements are found along the western coast, and it can be assumed that here the Caledonian structures are partially buried by young deposits and hidden under the seabed. The Vaigach–Novaya Zemlya fold system of the Hercynian age is S-curved and probably envelops ancient rock massifs or crystalline basement. The Central Trench, the Northeast Trench, the Franz Victoria Trench west of Franz Josef Land, and the St. Anna Trench (Gulf of the Arctic Basin) to the east have the same submeridional strike with an S-shaped bend. The same direction is inherent in the deep straits of Franz Josef Land and submarine valleys, located on their continuation to the north into the Arctic basin and south to the north of the Barents Sea plateau.

The islands in the northern part of the Barents Sea have a platform character and are composed mainly of sedimentary rocks, which lie slightly obliquely or almost horizontally. On Bear Island, this is the Upper Paleozoic and Triassic; on Franz Josef Land, the Jurassic and Cretaceous; in the eastern part of Western Svalbard, the Mesozoic and Tertiary. The rocks are detrital, sometimes weakly carbonate; in the late Mesozoic, basalts intruded into them.

Barents Sea- the marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, located beyond the Arctic Circle between the northern coast of Europe, the islands of Vaygach, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land and Svalbard. The southern limit of the sea is the coast of the mainland and the water border with the White Sea, passing along the line Svyatoy Nos - Kanin Nos. The Barents Sea washes most of the coast of Russia, partly Norway.
The area of ​​the sea is 1 million 424 thousand square meters. km, the average depth is 222 m, the maximum depth is up to 600 m (trough of Medvezhiy Island in the southwestern part of the sea). The relief of the sea bottom as a whole is characterized by the alternation of underwater heights and trenches crossing it in different directions. The deepest areas, including the maximum depths, are located in the western part of the sea.
Of the islands (except for the border ones), the largest is Kolguev Island. Small islands are mostly grouped into archipelagos located near the mainland. This arrangement of the islands is one of the geographical features of the sea. The complex coastline of the sea forms numerous capes, fjords, bays and bays, amazing in their beauty. The Pechora River flows into the Barents Sea, carrying 70% of the coastal runoff into the sea per year.

Diving conditions

Water temperature by season and depth
A branch of the warm North Atlantic Current called the North Cape enters the Barents Sea, the waters of which have temperatures from +8o to +12o C in summer and +3o- +4oC in winter. Due to the warm current, the Barents Sea is one of the warmest seas in the Arctic Ocean, up to 75o N.L. On the surface of the sea, a positive water temperature is observed all year round.
In the dive sites in June the water temperature is +6…+7оС, in July the water temperature is +8…+12оС up to the depth of 40 m.
Air temperature
In summer, a stable anticyclone forms over the sea; on sunny days, the air temperature in the western part can reach 20-25 °C.
Relief and depth
The relief in the dive sites is different - these are vertical walls, sheer or stepped to a depth of 30 m and deeper, flat rocky plateaus at depths of 20 to 50 m, and places where the bottom is sloping and the depth gradually increases to 100 meters or more.
Visibility
In diving sites, visibility in the water ranges from 15 to 40 m.
Salinity
The salinity of the water in the Barents Sea is 32-35%.
currents
In most dive sites, the currents are weak, only Semiostrovie is famous for its strong bottom currents.
Ebb and flow
The tides in the Barents Sea have a regular semi-diurnal character and are mainly caused by the Atlantic tidal wave. Tidal currents along the Murmansk coast and at the entrance to the White Sea are characterized by high speeds.
The height of the tides reaches 4 m.

Dive sites

Guba Dolgaya
Dolgaya Bay is located 300 km north of the Arctic Circle, three miles west of the landing port for diving safari participants on the Kartesh ship.
The bay is closed from all winds except the northern one. The entrance to the bay is narrow and shallow, due to this diving is possible in almost any weather. Depths in the bay are different: up to 15-20 meters in the throat of the bay and up to 90-100 meters in the central part of the bay. The bottom relief allows for various dives in this place, both introductory and training dives, as well as more complex ones. At depths up to 50 meters, the bottom of the bay is sandy; at greater depths, silty soil prevails. Part of the dives are carried out at a vertical rock wall, going to depths of more than 90 m. The rock is covered with a carpet of multi-colored anemones, reaching a diameter of 50 cm. Scallops are attached to the stone ledges of the rock, shrimps and sea bass hide in crevices. At the entrance to Dolgaya Bay there are several small canyons overgrown with 4-5 meter high kelp and other brown algae. Of the fish, you can meet flocks of cod and saithe, as well as lumpfish and sculpins. If you're lucky, you can see a seal underwater. Bottom inhabitants: giant king crab, hairy crab, chias crab, holothurians, scallops, many sea urchins and stars of different types.

Lip Red
The Red Bay has a unique underwater landscape, its bottom is indented with canyons, covered with dense thickets of kelp and other brown algae. Large numbers of king crabs, scallops and holothurians live at the bottom. Of the fish, cod and saithe, lumpfish and sculpin goby are found. There are bird markets on the coastal cliffs, reindeer are found in the valley of the Krasnaya River, harp seals rest and hunt on the islands, and there is also a large colony of cormorants.

Archipelago Semiostrovie
The islands of Semiostrovie are part of the Kandalaksha Reserve. The Underwater Club of Moscow State University has an official permission from the administration of the reserve to visit this natural park. On its territory there are huge bird markets, nesting skua, terns, eiders, guillemots. When approaching the bird colonies, a bird's hubbub is already heard from afar. Walking in the reserve is allowed only along specially designated paths in order to minimize the human impact on the biocenosis of the natural park. On both sides of the trail there is a typical tundra vegetation, pleasing to the eye with its multicolor, well-camouflaged skua nests are also located here. It's worth seeing! Excursions are also conducted on the main island of the archipelago, where the coastal artillery battery of the Great Patriotic War is located. Gun caponiers and dugouts of the battery are perfectly preserved due to the northern climate. There are seal rookeries on the islands of the reserve, and beluga whales are also found here. From the board of the ship in the area of ​​Semiostrovie you can see minke whales. In the straits between the islands of the reserve, in the feeding places of guillemots, special dives are carried out.

Far Zelentsy
The entrance to the Dalnie Zelentsy bay is closed by a group of islands, so diving is possible even in windy weather. The bay is famous for the beauty of underwater landscapes. Of the underwater inhabitants, there are crabs, holothurians, scallops, many sea urchins and stars of different types and colors.

Animal world

The mixture of warm Atlantic waters and cold, nutrient-rich Arctic waters leads to the rapid development of underwater life in the Barents Sea.
From the seaward side of the islands, rocky ledges, overgrown with gardens of giant kelp, go under water, sea anemones, holothurians, huge stars, sea urchins, king crabs and many other animals appear on the rocks with depth. king crabs deserve special attention - Soviet scientists brought them to the Barents Sea as an experiment, and soon they not only took root and multiplied, but also began to displace the Barents Sea species. To date, the problem remains unresolved. And yet, despite the negative connotation of the experiment, meeting under water with a king crab, reaching 2 meters in scope, pleases any submariner.
In the straits between the islands, there are mainly shelly soils, on which there are accumulations of huge sea urchins of various species, as well as scallops, holothurians, starfish, sea squirts. Of the fish, cod, navaga, goby fish, flounder, catfish, and sea bass are often found.
During a diving safari in the Barents Sea, it is possible to meet seals, beluga whales, killer whales and minke whales.
Unforgettable visits to bird colonies in the Semiostrovie nature reserve - gulls, guillemots, cormorants and puffins nest here. All of them, chicks and adult birds, are not at all afraid of humans and let them come close to them. During land tours of Semiostrovie, you can also see anti-aircraft fortifications from the Second World War. There are seal rookeries on the islands, and from afar you can watch a herd of reindeer. In the straits between the islands of the reserve, in the feeding places of guillemots, special dives are carried out. Getting food for themselves, guillemots dive and soar in the water column in search of fish. During dives, dozens of birds, attracted by air bubbles, circle around the divers, not at all afraid of people.

whales- a group of mammals whose ancestors once exchanged land for the ocean a long time ago. In the form of whales, they are more fishy than animal, but they breathe with lungs, not gills, and feed their young with milk. Some species of whales are the undisputed champions in the animal world in free diving: they dive a kilometer deep and can stay under water for about two hours. The air that the whale exhales is very humid. Escaping from the nostrils on the dorsal side, it cools and turns into a column of tiny droplets of water. Then it seems that the animal releases a real fountain. Science divides whales into two groups: baleen whales and toothed whales. Several species of baleen whales swim in the waters of the Arctic. Among them are blue and humpback whales, but the most common and living off the coast are minke whale(Balaenoptera acutorostrata), reaching "only" 9 m in length and 10 tons of weight. Minke whales live alone or in pairs, feeding on crustaceans and fish. As for toothed whales, or dolphins, the most numerous and widespread in both the White and Barents Seas are beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). They are very talkative, so a group of beluga whales can be heard from afar. White dolphins live in family groups, but in the summer they gather in numerous herds for huge concentrations of fish. Another representative of toothed whales - killer whale(Orcinus orca). Killer whales are formidable predators. They usually feed on fish, but are not averse to preying on other whales or seals. It is believed that killer whales are peaceful towards humans.

pinnipeds- a detachment of carnivorous mammals, perfectly adapted to life in water, but in need of land. Most of them prefer areas with a cold climate, but some can be found in the coastal waters of the warm seas of the globe. Pinnipeds are well adapted to the aquatic environment. The streamlined body shape and amazing flexibility contribute to fast and agile movement in the water. The limbs are turned into flippers, and the rear animal uses it as rowing blades, and the front ones steer. A thick subcutaneous layer of fat protects against hypothermia, and the eyes are designed to see well under water. Clumsy on land, pinnipeds spend most of their lives in the water, but to breed offspring they return to solid ground or large ice floes. Almost all pinnipeds stay in groups. Males protect harems of 5-10 females from their fellows, from time to time sorting things out with rivals.
These animals feed on fish, cephalopods and other mollusks, crustaceans, large plankton, seabirds, other pinnipeds, and sometimes even cetaceans. Their main enemies besides humans are sharks, killer whales and polar bears.
Several species of pinnipeds inhabit the White and Barents Seas.
Seal(Phoca vitulina) is a native inhabitant of the White Sea. For centuries she has grown accustomed to living side by side with a man whom she is afraid of, but whose nets she uses as an easy source of fish. Seeing a seal under water is a rarity. In order to remain unnoticed, the animal swims up to the person from behind, sometimes even explores him with his mustache - vibrissae, but does not show up.
Common in the Barents Sea gray seals(Halychoeerus grypus). They stay in groups and do not go far into the open sea, resting on deserted islands. By nature, these animals are very sociable and curious. A man under water for them is an unusual creature that needs to be studied. Emerging either from the thickets of kelp (seaweed), or from the surf foam, the seals accompany the divers throughout the dive. They diligently pretend that they swim past people quite by accident, only expressive eyes on a mustachioed muzzle betray their interest.
one of the most beautiful seals - harp seal(Pagophoca groenlandica). It is widely distributed in the waters of the Arctic and makes seasonal migrations over hundreds of kilometers, linking the Barents Sea and the White Sea. In winter, harp seals go to the ice edge of the White Sea to give birth to offspring. In the spring, when the ice melts and the seal pups grow up, the animals rush back to the Barents Sea in huge herds.