physical geography Russia and the USSR
European part: Arctic, Russian Plain, Caucasus, Urals
INTRODUCTION
Introduction chapters:
- Seas washing the territory of Russia
- Seas of the Atlantic Ocean
- From the history of the geographical study of the territory of Russia
- The initial period of scientific research on the territory of Russia
- The period of major expeditionary research, including branch research
- Soviet period of branch and complex research
Seas of the Atlantic Ocean
The three inland seas of the Atlantic Ocean - the Baltic, Black and Azov - wash small areas of Russian territory. All of them protrude deeply into the mainland, and their connection with the ocean is through other seas and shallow straits. Weak connection with the ocean determines their rather peculiar hydrological regime. The western transfer of air masses has a decisive influence on the climate of the seas.
Table 1. Seas washing the territory of Russia
The ancient Slavs called the Baltic Sea Varangian. This is the westernmost of the seas washing the shores of Russia. It is connected to the ocean through the shallow Danish Straits and the North Sea. The Baltic Sea was formed in the Quaternary in a tectonic trough that arose at the junction of the Baltic Shield with the Russian Plate. During periods of glaciation, its basin was blocked continental ice. In the Holocene, the sea went through several lacustrine and marine stages in its development and, apparently, at a certain period of time connected with the White Sea.
Depths Baltic Sea small. The maximum depth is south of Stockholm (470 m). In the Gulf of Finland near the coast of Russia, the depth is less than 50 m, near the Kaliningrad coast - somewhat more.
The main features of the climate of the Baltic Sea are formed under the influence of a steady transfer of temperate air from the Atlantic. Cyclones often pass through the sea, accompanied by western, southwestern and northwestern winds, cloudy weather and heavy rainfall. Their annual number reaches 800 mm and more. In summer, cyclones carry moist cool air, so the average temperature in July is 16-18°C, and the water temperature is 15-17°C. In winter, the Atlantic air causes thaws, since its average temperature in January is about 0°C. The sometimes cold arctic air breaking through here can lower the temperature to -30...-35°С. The Gulf of Finland, located near the borders of Russia, is covered with ice in winter, off the coast Kaliningrad region there are only floating ice. However, in exceptionally severe winters, the entire sea froze (1710, 1809, 1923, 1941, 1955, etc.).
About 250 rivers flow into the Baltic Sea, but about 20% of the annual river runoff is brought into the sea by the river. Neva (79.8 km 2). Its flow exceeds the flow of the three other largest rivers: the Vistula, the Neman and the Daugava, combined. The flow of the Neva is regulated by lakes, so it is characterized by one spring-summer maximum. Strong prolonged westerly winds raise the water level in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, which caused catastrophic floods in St. Petersburg, located at the mouth of the Neva (1824, 1924). Limited water exchange with the ocean and significant river runoff determine the low salinity of sea water (2-14‰, off the coast of Russia - 2-8‰).
The fauna of the Baltic Sea is depleted in species due to high desalinization, low mixing of waters and the poverty of plankton. The following fish are of commercial importance: herring, Baltic sprat, cod, whitefish, chime, lamprey, smelt, salmon. A seal lives in the sea, the number of which is declining due to pollution sea waters.
The Black Sea is the warmest among the seas washing the shores of our Motherland. In ancient Greece it was called Pontus Euxine which means "hospitable sea". In terms of area, it is almost equal to the Baltic, but differs sharply in volume and depth (see Table 1). The connection of the Black Sea with the ocean is carried out through a system of inland seas (Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean) and straits (Bosporus, Dardanelles, Gibraltar). Greatest length The water area of the Black Sea from west to east reaches 1130 km, the maximum width (from north to south) is 611 km, the minimum is only 263 km.
The Black Sea lies in a deep tectonic basin with oceanic-type crust and Cenozoic sedimentary cover. The maximum depth of the sea reaches 2210 m. The depression is delineated by the continental slope, which in a number of places (especially near the Caucasian coast) is strongly dissected by underwater canyons. The shelf is most developed in the northwestern part of the sea, off the coast of Ukraine. The coastline of the sea is poorly dissected.
The geographical position of the sea and the relatively small area of the water surface determine the same type of climate throughout its water area, close to the Mediterranean, with warm, wet winters and relatively dry summers. However, the orography of coastal areas causes some differences in climate. individual sections sea, in particular, an increase in precipitation over the eastern part due to the influence of the mountainous barrier of the Caucasus.
AT winter time the synoptic situation determines the predominance of northeastern winds with an average speed of 7-8 m/s almost over the entire sea area. The development of strong (more than 10 m/s) and especially storm winds is associated with the passage of cyclones over the sea. The average air temperature in winter decreases from the open sea to the coast. In the north-eastern part, near the coast of Russia, it approaches 0 ° С, in the north-west it is -2 "С, and in the south-east + 4 ... + 5 ° С.
In summer, northwest winds prevail over the sea. Them average speed is 3-5 m/s, decreasing from west to east. Strong, especially stormy, winds are rare in summer and are also associated with the passage of cyclones. The average air temperature in August varies from + 22°C in the northwest to 24-25°C in the east of the sea.
Numerous rivers flowing into the Black Sea annually bring 346 km 2 of fresh water into it. The Danube gives the largest runoff (201 km 2 / year). All rivers of the northwestern part discharge 270 km 2 /year of fresh water into the sea, i.e. almost 80% of the total runoff, while the rivers of the Caucasian coast bring only 43 km2. The largest runoff occurs in the spring, the smallest is observed in the fall.
On the surface of the sea along the coast there is a cyclonic current. In the central part of the sea, two rings of cyclonic currents are traced: one - in the western part, the other - in the eastern part of the sea. Along Russian coasts The current carries water from the south. Through the straits there is an exchange of water with neighboring seas. Through the Bosporus, the surface current carries the Black Sea water, and the deep current delivers saltier and more salty water to the Black Sea. heavy water from the Sea of Marmara. The salinity of the Black Sea waters in the central part is 17-18‰, and increases with depth to 22.5‰. Near the mouths of large rivers, it drops to 5-10‰.
The Black Sea is very peculiar in terms of the distribution of dissolved gases in the water column. Saturated with oxygen and therefore favorable for life here, only the upper layer to depths of 170-180 m lower bound oxygen layer to the bottom, so the deep layers of the Black Sea are devoid of life.
There are 166 species of fish in the sea. Among them there are Pontic relics (beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, herring), Mediterranean forms (mullet, mackerel, horse mackerel, red mullet, sprat, anchovy, tuna, stingray, etc.) and freshwater forms (ram, pike perch, bream). Of the mammals in the Black Sea, endemic species have survived - the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (dolphin) and the white-bellied seal, or the monk seal, listed in the Red Books.
The Sea of Azov is the smallest and shallowest on the planet. Its area is 39.1 thousand km 2, the volume of water is 290 km 2, the greatest depth is 13 m, the average is about 7.4 m. The narrow and shallow Kerch Strait connects it with the Black Sea. The Sea of Azov is a shelf. The relief of its bottom is quite simple: the shallow coast turns into a flat and flat bottom. Depths slowly and smoothly increase with distance from the coast.
The sea is deeply incised into the land, its water area and volume of water are small and do not have a significant impact on the climate; therefore, its climate is characterized by continental features, more pronounced in the northern part of the sea, which is characterized by cold winters and hot, dry summers. In the southern regions, which are more influenced by the proximity of the Black Sea, the climate is milder and more humid. The average temperature in January is -2...-5°C, but with storm winds from the east and northeast directions, temperatures may drop to -25...-27°C. In summer, the air over the sea warms up to 23-25°C.
Two rivers flow into the Sea of Azov major rivers- Don and Kuban and about 20 small rivers. Don and Kuban bring into the sea over 90% annual runoff river waters, so almost all fresh water flow into eastern part seas. The vast majority of runoff falls on the spring-summer period. Water exchange with the Black Sea takes place through the Kerch Strait. From Sea of Azov about 49 km 2 of water flows out per year, and about 34 km 2 of Black Sea water enters, i.e. outflow to the Black Sea prevails. The salinity of sea waters in the Sea of Azov in the first half of the century was about 11‰. Then, due to a reduction in the inflow of river waters used for irrigation and an increase in the inflow of Black Sea waters, salinity began to increase and by the beginning of the 1980s it reached 13.8‰.
The shallow Sea of Azov warms up well in summer. In July-August, the average sea water temperature is 24-25°C. Maximum warming (up to 32°C) occurs near the shores. In the open sea, the temperature does not exceed 28-28.5°C. The long-term average annual water temperature on the sea surface is 11°С.
Ice forms annually in the Sea of Azov, but due to frequent and rapid changes in weather conditions, ice can repeatedly appear and disappear during the winter, turning from motionless to drifting and back. Ice formation begins at the end of November in the Taganrog Bay. The final cleansing of the sea from ice occurs in March - April.
Location: Between the Balkan Peninsula, the peninsula Asia Minor and the island of Crete.
Area: 191 thousand square meters km.
Average depth: 377 m.
Maximum depth: 2,529 m.
Salinity: 38-38.5 ‰.
Currents: mostly counterclockwise at a speed of 0.5-1 km/h.
Inhabitants: sardines, mackerel, sponges, octopuses.
Additional Information: The Aegean Sea was formed about 20 thousand years ago as a result of the sinking of the land (Egenides), from which numerous islands now remain on the surface, the largest of them are Euboea, Crete, Lesbos, Rhodes.
Area: 422 thousand sq. km.
Average depth: 1,240 m.
Maximum depth: 2210 m.
Bottom relief: The Black Sea is a depression, divided in the middle by an uplift, which is a continuation of the Crimean peninsula.
Salinity: 17-18‰.
Inhabitants: mullet, anchovies, mackerel, horse mackerel, pike perch, bream, sturgeon, herring, haddock, sea ruff, red mullet and others, dolphins, mussels, oysters, crabs, shrimps, sea anemones, sponges; about 270 species of green, brown and red algae.
Currents: circular circulations in anticyclonic direction.
Additional information: The Black Sea was formed about 7,500 years ago as a result of a rise in the level of the World Ocean, before that the sea was a huge freshwater lake; The waters of the Black Sea at a depth of more than 200 m are saturated with hydrogen sulfide, so only anaerobic bacteria live there.
Location: off the coast of Antarctica between the Antarctic Peninsula and Coates Land.
Area: 2,796 thousand sq. km.
Average depth: 3,000 m.
Maximum depth: 6,820 m.
Average temperatures: all year round the sea is covered with ice.
Inhabitants: whales, seals.
Additional Information: most the sea is covered with drifting ice and numerous icebergs; the sea was discovered in 1823 by the English explorer J. Weddell, renamed in his honor in 1900.
Location: part of the Mediterranean Sea, located between the Apennine Peninsula and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica.
Area: 214 thousand square meters. km.
Average depth: 1,519 m.
Maximum depth: 3,830 m.
Bottom relief: the sea is a basin surrounded by a chain of underwater mountain peaks and active volcanoes (Vesuvius, Stromboli).
Salinity: 37.7-38‰.
Currents form a general cyclonic circulation.
Inhabitants: sardines, tuna, swordfish, eel and others.
Further information: The sea is named after ancient tribe Tirov, who lived at the time Ancient Greece on the Apennine Peninsula.
Location: between Europe and Africa.
Area: 2,500 thousand sq. km.
Average depth: 1,541 m.
Maximum depth: 5,121 m.
Bottom relief: Algiers-Provencal basin with depths over 2800 m, Central basin with depths of about 5100 m, Levantine basin (4380 m); depressions of the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and Marmara seas, Central Basin.
Salinity: 36-39.5‰.
Currents: Canarian, Levantine.
Inhabitants: white-bellied seal, sea turtles, 550 species of fish (sharks, mackerels, herrings, anchovies, mullets, dolphins, tunas, bonitos, horse mackerels), 70 species of endemic fish, including rays, anchovies, gobies, blennies, wrasse and needlefish; oyster, Mediterranean-Black Sea mussel, sea date; octopus, squid, sepia, crabs, spiny lobster; numerous species of jellyfish, siphonophore; sponges and red coral.
Additional information: in the Mediterranean Sea, the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Cretan, Aegean seas are distinguished; in addition, the Mediterranean Sea basin includes the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world ocean.
Location: northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, between the islands of Great Britain, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the Scandinavian and Jutland Peninsulas and the coast of Europe.
Area: 544 thousand square meters. km.
Average depth: 96 m.
Bottom relief: mostly flat with many small cans, depressions (Northern, Severodatskaya, English), small sand and gravel ridges are often found in the southwest.
Salinity: 31-35‰.
Currents: warm, coming from the Atlantic Ocean between the Shetland Islands and the island of Great Britain, through the Pas de Calais.
Inhabitants: herring, mackerel, cod, sea flounder, haddock, pollock, mackerel, sprats, rays, sharks, mussels, scallops, oysters.
Additional information: There are about 300 plant species and over 1,500 animal species in the North Sea.
Sargasso Sea
Location: part of the Atlantic Ocean, between the Canary, North Equatorial, North Atlantic currents and the Gulf Stream.
Area: 6-7 million square meters km (depending on the seasonal boundaries of the currents).
Average depth: 6,000 m.
Maximum depth: 6,995 m.
Average water temperatures: 18-23 °С in February, 26-28 °С in August.
Salinity: 36.5-37‰.
Currents: Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Canary, North Tradewind currents.
Inhabitants: mackerel, flying fish, needlefish, crabs, sea turtles and others.
Additional information: the name of the sea comes from Portuguese word Sargaso, which means "a bunch of grapes" in translation, in addition, large accumulations of floating brown algae "sargasso" are found in the sea; sea surface is almost 1 m above sea level.
Location: between Europe and Asia Minor.
Area: 11,472 sq. km.
Average depth: 259 m.
Maximum depth: 1,389 m.
Bottom relief: off the coast there are many underwater reefs.
Salinity: 16.8-27.8‰.
Inhabitants: fish (mackerel, herring, anchovies, mullet, tuna, horse mackerel, bonito, rays, gobies and others), oysters, mussels, squids, crabs, spiny lobsters and others.
Additional information: the sea got its name due to the island, on which there were rich developments of white marble, in ancient times it was called Propontis.
Location: Western part Atlantic Ocean, between Central and South America.
Area: 2,754 thousand square meters km.
Average depth: 2,491 m.
Maximum depth: 7,680 m (Cayman Trench).
Bottom relief: deep-sea ridges (Cayman, Aves, Beata, Marcelino threshold), basins (Grenada, Venezuelan, Colombian, Bartlet, Yucatan).
Salinity: 35.5-36‰.
Currents move from east to west, when they leave the Gulf of Mexico they give rise to the Gulf Stream.
Inhabitants: sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other species of tropical fauna; there are sperm whales, humpback whales, seals and manatees.
Additional information: The Caribbean Sea borders the Gulf of Mexico, the shortest sea route connecting the ports of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Panama Canal.
Many seas wash the shores of one or more countries. Some of these seas are huge, others are very small... Only inland seas are not part of the ocean.
After the Earth formed from a bunch of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago, the temperature on the planet dropped and the vapor contained in the atmosphere condensed (turned into liquid when cooled), settling on the surface in the form of rain. From this water, the world ocean was formed, subsequently divided by the continents into four oceans. These oceans include numerous coastal seas, often interconnected.
The largest seas of the Pacific Ocean
Philippine Sea
Area: 5.7 million km2, located between Taiwan in the north, the Marianne Islands in the east, the Caroline Islands in the southeast and the Philippines in the west.
coral sea
Area: 4 million km 2, bounded in the west by Australia, Papua New Guinea in the north, Vanuatu in the east and New Caledonia
South China Sea
Area: 3.5 million km 2, located between the Philippines in the east, Malaysia in the south, Vietnam in the west and China in the north
tasman sea
Area: 3.3 million km 2, washes Australia in the west and New Zealand in the east and separates the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Bering Sea
Area: 2.3 million km 2, located between Chukotka (Russia) in the west and Alaska (USA) in the east.
Japanese Sea
Area: 970,000 km 2, located between the Russian Far East in the northwest, Korea in the west, and Japan in the east.
Major seas of the Atlantic Ocean
Sargasso Sea
Area: 4 million km 2, located between Florida (USA) in the west and the northern Antilles in the south.
Composition of sea water
Sea water is approximately 96% water and 4% salt. Not to mention Dead Sea, the saltiest sea in the world is the Red Sea: it contains 44 grams of salt per liter of water (against 35 grams on average for most seas). Such high content salt is due to the fact that in this hot region, water evaporates faster.
gulf of guinea
Area: 1.5 million km 2, located at the latitude of the Coast Ivory, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Mediterranean Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, surrounded by Europe in the north, Western Asia in the east and North Africa on South.
Antilles Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, located between the Antilles in the east, the coast of South America in the South and Central America in the West.
Gulf of Mexico
Area: 1.5 million km 2, it is adjacent to the southern coast of the United States from the north and Mexico from the west.
Baltic Sea
Area: 372,730 km 2 , washes Russia and Finland in the north, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the east, Poland and Germany in the south and Denmark with Sweden in the west.
North Sea
Area: 570,000 km2, bordered by Scandinavia to the east, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the south, and Great Britain to the west.
Major seas of the Indian Ocean
Arabian Sea
Area: 3.5 million km 2, washes Arabian Peninsula in the west, Pakistan in the north and India in the east.
bay of bengal
Area: 2.1 million km 2, located between the coasts of India in the west, Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar (Burma) in the northeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the southeast and Sri Lanka in the southwest.
Great Australian Bight (Australian Bight)
Area: 1.3 million km 2, extends along south coast Australia.
Arafura Sea
Area: 1 million km 2, located between papua new guinea in the northwest, Indonesia in the west and Australia in the south.
mozambique channel
Area: 1.4 million km 2, located near Africa, between the coasts of Mozambique in the west and Madagascar in the east.
The largest seas of the Arctic Ocean
Barents Sea
Area: 1.4 million km 2, washes the coast of Norway in the west and Russia in the east.
Greenland Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, bounded by Greenland in the west and the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the east.
East-Siberian Sea
Area: 900,000 km 2, washes the coast of Siberia.
The largest seas of Antarctica
inland seas
Inland, or closed, seas are completely surrounded by land. Black and Caspian Sea- the largest of them.
Black Sea
Area: 461,000 km2. It is surrounded by Romania and Bulgaria to the west, Russia and Ukraine to the north, Georgia to the east and Turkey to the south. It communicates with the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara.
Bellingshausen Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, located near Antarctica.
Caspian Sea
Area: 376,000 km2, located between Azerbaijan in the west, Russia in the northwest, Kazakhstan in the north and east, Turkmenistan in the southeast and Iran in the south.
Ross Sea
Area: 960,000 km2, located north of Antarctica.
Weddell Sea
Area: 1.9 million km 2, located between the South Orkney Islands (UK) and the South Shetland Islands (UK) in the north and Antarctica in the south.
The Dead Sea is so salty that there are no living organisms in it.
Part of the World Ocean, bounded by Europe and Africa from the east and North and South America from the west. The name comes from the name of the titan Atlas (Atlanta) in Greek mythology.
It is inferior in size only to the Quiet; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. It is distinguished from other oceans by the strong indentation of the coastline, which forms numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas, much more than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean. Another difference Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.
States of the coast of the Atlantic Ocean-49 countries:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.
NORTHERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
It is divided into northern and southern parts, the border between which is conditionally drawn along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude, should be attributed to the southern part of the ocean. northern border usually carried out along the North Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.
Borders and coastline
in the northern hemisphere has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits. In the northeast, the Davis Strait, 360 km wide, connects it with the Baffin Sea, belonging to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Danish Strait, with a width of only 287 km at its narrowest point. Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. East of Atlantic Ocean two water areas deeply protruding into the land are separated. The more northerly one begins North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Bothnian and Gulf of Finland. To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - total length OK. 4000 km.
AT tropical zone in the South-West North Atlantic the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico are located, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida. Coast North America indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, Belle Isle, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay.
CURRENTS
Surface currents in the northern part Atlantic Ocean moving clockwise. The main elements of this big system are north facing warm current Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and North Trade Wind (Equatorial) currents. The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and the island of Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and at about 40 ° N. latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current divides into two branches, one of which follows the northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Northern Arctic Ocean. The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves to the southwest and joins the North Equatorial Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream. To the north of the North Equatorial Current is an area of stagnant water, abundant in algae and known as the Sargasso Sea. Along the North Atlantic coast of North America, the cold Labrador Current passes from north to south, following from the Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the coast of New England.
ISLANDS of the Atlantic Ocean
Most major islands concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge Atlantic Ocean there are several groups of small islands - Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde. There are similar groups in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles form an island arc surrounding the eastern part caribbean. AT pacific ocean similar island arcs are characteristic of deformation regions earth's crust. Deep-water trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.
The name alone of the Atlantic Ocean already reflects its vast scale. It is part of the oceans and contains significant reserves water resources. In terms of size, it ranks second (after the Pacific) place. It contains a quarter of all the water on the planet, and this is a lot - 25%. Its huge area is impressive, amounting to about 91 million square meters. km. An equally significant amount of water, which amounted to 329.7 million km³ according to the latest data. An indicator such as the average depth of the ocean is considered to be 3,600 meters. The salinity of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 35%. To date, it is known that scientists have taken measurements and as a result have established more accurate data, according to which the average depth of the ocean is 4022 meters.
Your name Atlantic Ocean received not by chance, there are several versions of its origin. The first says that he was so named in honor of legendary continent Atlantis, the second is based on the fact that he received the name from the name of the hero of ancient myths - Atlanta, who supported the entire sky on his shoulders. It is known even geographic location mythical hero- in the extreme point western part of the Mediterranean.
Big scientific interest cause the seas of which are about 14.69 million km², which is approximately 16% of the total ocean area. The seas and bays include the following: the Irish, Baltic, North Seas, as well as the Gulf of Finland, Bothnia and Riga. If you list the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, then this is the Mediterranean, and such seas as the Balearic, Alboran, Ligurian, Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Aegean, Marble, Black, Azov and This list can be continued, since the Riiser-Larsen, Lazarev sea , Sargasso, Weddell, Caribbean, Gulfs of Maine, Mexican, St. Lawrence and Labrador, the Scotia Sea also belong here.
The seas of the Atlantic Ocean have an indirect connection with their main source, it is carried out through nearby bays and seas, so there are various, specific only to these regions. climatic conditions, as well as the difference between diverse species of flora and fauna.
The Mediterranean Sea stretches between Asia, Europe and Africa. it is connected in the northeast with the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus with the Black Sea. From the southeast, it is connected through the unique Red Sea. 2,500 thousand km is the area of the Mediterranean Sea, while its volume is 3,839 thousand km³.
It communicates with the ocean thanks to the Northern, and the Black due to the waters of the neighboring Marmara and mediterranean seas. The Baltic Sea is inland, its area is 385 thousand km, the average depth is 86 meters. It received its modern outlines approximately 2.5 thousand years ago. The volume of water in it is 21,700 km3.
The Black Inland Sea also enters the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. In the southwest, it is connected to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosphorus Strait. Its area is almost 413.5 thousand km, and the average depth is 1000 m (at the same time maximum depth equal to 2245 m), the volume of water in this sea is 537 thousand km. cubic.
For many centuries, a very important life-supporting phenomenon has been formed, such as the Gulf Stream. It originates in the southeast of North America. The width of the current of the Atlantic Ocean is 75 km, and its speed is 6-30 km/h. It is characterized by a warm upper layer of water with a temperature of 26 degrees and a speed that lies within such limits - 6-30 km / h. Warm provide European states that are located on its banks, soft and favorable climate very comfortable to stay. The heat that the Gulf Stream emits is equivalent to the amount of heat that 1 million nuclear power plants can generate.
