Dimensions of the Barents Sea in km. Barents Sea (shores in Russia)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barencevo sea.

Barents Sea (Norwegian Barentshavet), until 1853 Murmansk Sea - marginal sea of ​​the North Arctic Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Norway. The sea is limited to the northern coast of Europe and the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya. The sea area is 1424 thousand km2, depth is up to 600 m. The sea is located on the continental shelf. The southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current. The southeastern part of the sea is called the Pechora Sea. The Barents Sea is of great importance for transport and fishing - large ports are located here - Murmansk and Vardø (Norway). Before World War II, Finland also had access to the Barents Sea: Petsamo was its only ice-free port. Radioactive pollution of the sea due to the activities of the Soviet/Russian nuclear fleet and Norwegian radioactive waste treatment plants is a serious problem. IN Lately The sea shelf of the Barents Sea towards Spitsbergen becomes the object of territorial disputes between the Russian Federation and Norway (as well as other states).

History of research.

Since ancient times, Finno-Ugric tribes - the Sami (Lapps) - have lived along the shores of the Barents Sea. The first visits of non-autochonous Europeans (Vikings, then Novgorodians) probably began at the end of the 11th century, and then intensified. The Barents Sea was named in 1853 in honor of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents. The scientific study of the sea began with the expedition of F. P. Litke of 1821-1824, and the first complete and reliable hydrological characteristics of the sea were compiled by N. M. Knipovich at the beginning of the 20th century.

Geographical position.

The Barents Sea is a marginal water area of ​​the Arctic Ocean on the border with the Atlantic Ocean, between the northern coast of Europe in the south and the islands of Vaygach, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land in the east, Spitsbergen and Bear Island in the west.

Maritime borders.

In the west it borders with the Norwegian Sea basin, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with the Kara Sea, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. The area of ​​the Barents Sea located east of Kolguev Island is called the Pechora Sea.

Coastline.

The shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly fjord, high, rocky, and heavily indented. The largest bays are: Porsanger Fjord, Varangian Bay (also known as Varanger Fjord), Motovsky Bay, Kola Bay, etc. East of the Kanin Nos Peninsula, the coastal topography changes dramatically - the shores are predominantly low and slightly indented. There are 3 large shallow bays: (Czechskaya Bay, Pechora Bay, Khaypudyrskaya Bay), as well as several small bays.

Archipelagos and islands.

There are few islands within the Barents Sea. The largest of them is Kolguev Island. From the west, north and east, the sea is limited by the archipelagos of Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.

Hydrography.

The largest rivers flowing into the Barents Sea are Pechora and Indiga.

Currents.

Surface sea currents form a counterclockwise circulation. Along the southern and eastern periphery, the Atlantic waters of the warm North Cape Current (a branch of the Gulf Stream system) move east and north, the influence of which can be traced to the northern shores of Novaya Zemlya. The northern and western parts of the cycle are formed by local and Arctic waters coming from the Kara Sea and the Arctic Ocean. In the central part of the sea there is a system of intracircular currents. The circulation of sea waters changes under the influence of changes in winds and water exchange with adjacent seas. Tidal currents are of great importance, especially near the coast. The tides are semidiurnal, their greatest value is 6.1 m off the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in other places 0.6-4.7 m.

Water exchange.

Water exchange with neighboring seas is of great importance in the water balance of the Barents Sea. During the year, about 76,000 km3 of water enters the sea through the straits (and the same amount leaves it), which is approximately 1/4 of the total volume of sea water. Largest quantity water (59,000 km3 per year) is carried by the warm North Cape Current, which has an extremely large influence on the hydrometeorological regime of the sea. The total river flow into the sea averages 200 km3 per year.

Salinity.

The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0% in the southwest, 33.0-34.0% in the east, and 32.0-33.0% in the north. IN coastal strip sea ​​salinity in spring and summer decreases to 30-32%, by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5%.

Geology.

The Barents Sea occupies the Barents Sea plate of Proterozoic-Early Cambrian age; elevations of the bottom of the anteclise, depressions - syneclise. Among the smaller landforms are the remains of ancient coastlines, at a depth of about 200 and 70 m, glacial-denudation and glacial-accumulative forms and sand ridges formed by strong tidal currents.

Bottom relief.

The Barents Sea is located within a continental shelf, but, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of 300-400 m, an average depth of 229 m and a maximum of 600 m. There are plains (Central Plateau), hills (Central, Perseus (minimum depth 63 m)], depressions (Central, maximum depth 386 m) and trenches (Western (maximum depth 600 m) Franz Victoria (430 m) and others) The southern part of the bottom has a depth of mostly less than 200 m and is characterized by a leveled topography.

Soils.

The bottom sediment cover in the southern part of the Barents Sea is dominated by sand, and in some places by pebbles and crushed stone. At the heights of the central and northern parts of the sea - silty sand, sandy silt, in depressions - silt. An admixture of coarse clastic material is noticeable everywhere, which is associated with ice rafting and the wide distribution of relict glacial deposits. The thickness of sediments in the northern and middle parts is less than 0.5 m, as a result of which ancient glacial deposits are practically on the surface at some elevations. The slow rate of sedimentation (less than 30 mm per 1 thousand years) is explained by the insignificant supply of terrigenous material - due to the characteristics of the coastal topography, not a single large river flows into the Barents Sea (except for the Pechora, which leaves almost all of its alluvium within the Pechora Estuary), and The shores of the land are composed mainly of durable crystalline rocks.

Climate.

The climate of the Barents Sea is influenced by the warm Atlantic Ocean and the cold Arctic Ocean. Frequent intrusions of warm Atlantic cyclones and cold Arctic air determine great variability of weather conditions. In winter, southwestern winds prevail over the sea, and in spring and summer, northeastern winds. Storms are frequent. The average air temperature in February varies from -25 °C in the north to -4 °C in the southwest. The average temperature in August is 0 °C, 1 °C in the north, 10 °C in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year. Annual precipitation ranges from 250 mm in the north to 500 mm in the southwest.

Ice cover.

The harsh climatic conditions in the north and east of the Barents Sea determine its high ice cover. In all seasons of the year, only the southwestern part of the sea remains ice-free. The ice cover reaches its greatest extent in April, when about 75% of the sea surface is occupied by floating ice. In exceptionally unfavorable years at the end of winter, floating ice comes directly to the shores of the Kola Peninsula. The least amount of ice occurs at the end of August. At this time, the ice boundary moves beyond 78° N. w. In the northwest and northeast of the sea, ice usually remains all year round, but in some favorable years the sea is completely free of ice.

Temperature.

The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines the relatively high temperature and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the surface water temperature is 3 °C, 5 °C, in August it rises to 7 °C, 9 °C. North of 74° N. w. and in the southeastern part of the sea in winter the surface water temperature is below -1 °C, and in the summer in the north 4 °C, 0 °C, in the southeast 4 °C, 7 °C. In summer, in the coastal zone, the surface layer of warm water 5-8 meters thick can warm up to 11-12 °C.

Flora and fauna.

The Barents Sea is rich various types fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos. Seaweed is common along the southern coast. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: polar bear, ringed seal, harp seal, beluga whale, etc. There is a seal fishery. Bird colonies abound on the coasts (guillemots, guillemots, kittiwake gulls). In the 20th century, the Kamchatka crab was introduced, which was able to adapt to new conditions and begin to reproduce intensively. Along the bottom of the entire sea area there are many different echinoderms, sea urchins and starfish of different species.

The famous northern sea, which is rightfully considered one of the largest in Russia, is literally dotted with islands. Cold and harsh, it was once the Murmansk and even the Russian Sea.

The last name can be justified by the persistent nature of the water. The water area completely borders the Arctic Ocean, and the highest temperature in summer barely reaches even 8° C in the relatively warmest place off the coast, the average year-round water surface temperature is 2-4° C.

Borders of Russia Barents Sea

Occupying the western position among all the northern seas, the Barents Sea, as is often the case among European possessions, for a very long time remained a disputed water area of ​​three states at once: Russia, Finland and Norway. After World War II, Finland was deprived of the right to operate its ports here. It’s surprising, considering the fact that initially the Finno-Ugrians, the ancestors of those same Finns, lived in the nearby territories.

It is fair to note that the Barents Sea is not only the largest among the northern seas, but one of the largest in the world. Its area covers 1,424,000 sq. km. The depth reaches 600 meters. Due to the fact that the South-Eastern part of the sea is located closer to warm currents, in summer it practically does not freeze and sometimes even stands out as a water area called the Pechora Sea.

Fishing in the Barents Sea

The Barents Sea is not a very calm sea, there are constantly storms on it, and even if the waves are not calm and a little stormy, ( as in the illustration above), then among sailors this is considered quite good weather. However, work in the Barents Sea is not easy, but important for the country’s economy and fisheries.

Despite the fact that the Barents Sea suffers greatly from constant radioactive contamination from Norwegian processing plants, it still continues to maintain a leading position among the fishing regions of Russia. Cod, pollock, crabs and a huge number of other species of fish are harvested here. The Russian ports of Murmansk, as well as Teriberka, Indiga and Naryan-Mar, are constantly operating. Important sea routes pass through them, connecting the European part of Russia with Siberia, as well as western and eastern ports.

The headquarters of the Russian Navy is constantly operating in the Barents Sea, and nuclear submarines are stored. They are monitored with special responsibility, because the sea is rich in hydrocarbon reserves, as well as Arctic oil.

Cities on the Barents Sea

(Murmansk, non-freezing in winter, sea freight port)

In addition to Russian ports, Norwegian cities are located on the shores of the Barents Sea - Vardø, Vadso and Kirkenes. Compared to domestic ports, they do not have the same scale and are not the dominant administrative units in their region. It is enough to simply compare the population of Murmansk - 300,000, and Vadsø - 6186 people.

It should be noted that in Russia the sea is monitored much more closely. Norway has repeatedly been persecuted by GreenPeace due to its unwillingness to stop the release of sewage into the waters of the Barents Sea. We can only hope that in the future the situation will not worsen and that the largest northern sea will also receive the title of the cleanest in the world.

BARENTS SEA, a marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, between the shores of Northwestern Europe, Vaygach Island, the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, Spitsbergen and Bear Island. It washes the shores of Norway and Russia. It has natural boundaries in the south (from Cape North Cape along the coast of the mainland and along the line of Cape Svyatoy Nos - Cape Kanin Nos, separating the Barents Sea from White Sea, further to the Yugorsky Shar Strait) and partly in the east, where it is limited by the western coasts of Vaygach Island and the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, then by the line Cape Zhelaniya - Cape Kolzat (Graham Bell Island). In other directions, the boundaries are conventional lines drawn from Cape Sörkapp on the island of Sörkappøya at the southern tip of the island of Western Spitsbergen: in the west - through Bear Island to Cape North Cape, in the north - along the south-eastern shores of the islands of the Spitsbergen archipelago to Cape Lee Smith on the island of Severo -Vostochnaya Zemlya, further through the Bely and Victoria islands to Cape Mary-Kharmsu ort (Alexandra Land island) and along the northern edge of the islands of the Franz Josef Land archipelago. In the west it borders with the Norwegian Sea, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with the Kara Sea, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. The southeastern part of the Barents Sea, into which the Pechora River flows, is often called the Pechora Sea due to the unique hydrological conditions. Area 1,424 thousand km 2 (the largest in area in the Arctic Ocean), volume 316 thousand km 3. The greatest depth is 600 m. The largest bays are: Varanger Fjord, Kola Bay, Motovsky, Pechora Bay, Porsanger Fjord, Czech Bay. There are many islands along the borders of the Barents Sea, especially in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, the largest in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The coastline is complex, highly indented, with numerous capes, bays, bays and fjords. The shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly abrasive, less often accumulative and icy. The shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the archipelagos of Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land are high, rocky, fjord-like, steeply plunging to the sea, on the Kola Peninsula - less dissected, to the east of the Kanin Peninsula - mostly low and flat, the western coast of the island of Novaya Zemlya is low and hilly, in the northern In some parts, glaciers approach the sea directly.

Relief and geological structure of the bottom.

The Barents Sea is located within the shelf, but, unlike other similar seas, most of it has a depth of 300-400 m. The seabed is mainly composed of Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of the cover of the young Barents-Pechora platform, in the southern part - Upper Proterozoic sedimentary-volcanogenic complexes South Barents-Timan fold system. It is a complexly dissected underwater plain with a slight slope from east to west, characterized by alternation of underwater hills and trenches in different directions; terrace-like ledges have formed on the slopes at depths of 200 and 70 m. The deepest areas are located in the west, near the border with the Norwegian Sea. Characterized by extensive shallow banks: Central Upland (minimum depth 64 m), Perseus Upland (minimum depth 51 m), Goose Bank, separated by the Central Depression (maximum depth 386 m) and the Western Trenches (maximum depth 600 m), Franz Victoria (430 m) etc. The southern part of the bottom has a depth of predominantly less than 200 m and is characterized by a leveled relief. Among the smaller landforms, the remains of ancient coastlines, glacial-denudation and glacial-accumulative forms and sand ridges formed by strong tidal currents are revealed.

At depths less than 100 m, especially in the southern part of the Barents Sea, bottom sediments are represented by sand, often mixed with pebbles, gravel, and shells; on the slopes the sands extend to great depths. In the shallow waters of the elevations of the central and northern parts of the sea - silty sand, sandy silt, in depressions - silt. An admixture of coarse clastic material is noticeable everywhere, which is associated with ice rafting and the wide distribution of relict glacial deposits. The thickness of sediments in the northern and middle parts is less than 0.5 m, as a result of which ancient glacial deposits are practically on the surface at some elevations. The slow rate of sedimentation (less than 30 mm per thousand years) is explained by the insignificant supply of terrigenous material. Not a single large river flows into the Barents Sea (except for the Pechora, which leaves almost all of its solid flow within the Pechora Bay), and the shores of the land are composed mainly of durable crystalline rocks.

Climate. The Barents Sea is characterized by a polar maritime climate, with changeable weather, which is influenced by the warm Atlantic and cold Arctic oceans and is generally characterized by a small amplitude of annual air temperature fluctuations, short cold summers and long, relatively warm winters for these latitudes, strong winds and high relative air humidity. The climate of the southwestern part of the sea is significantly softened under the influence of the North Cape branch of the warm North Atlantic Current. An Arctic atmospheric front passes over the Barents Sea between cold Arctic air and warm air of temperate latitudes. The shift of the Arctic front to the south or north causes a corresponding shift in the trajectories of Atlantic cyclones, which carry heat and moisture from the North Atlantic, which explains the frequent weather variability over the Barents Sea. In winter, cyclonic activity intensifies, above central part The Barents Sea is dominated by southwestern winds (speed up to 16 m/s). Storms are frequent. The average air temperature of the coldest month of March varies from -22 °C on the islands of the Spitsbergen archipelago, -14 °C near the island of Kolguev to -2 °C in the southwestern part of the sea. Summer is characterized by cool and cloudy weather with weak north-easterly winds. The average August temperature in the western and central parts is up to 9 °C, in the southeast 7 °C, in the north 4-6 °C. Annual precipitation ranges from 300 mm in the north to 500 mm in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year.

Hydrological regime. The river flow is relatively small, flowing mainly into the southeastern part of the sea and averaging about 163 km per year. The largest rivers: Pechora (130 km 3 per year), Indiga, Voronya, Teriberka. The peculiarities of the hydrological regime are determined by the position of the sea between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic basin. Water exchange with neighboring seas is of great importance in the water balance of the Barents Sea. During the year, about 74 thousand km 3 of water enters (and the same amount leaves) the Barents Sea, which is approximately a quarter of the total volume of water in the sea. The largest amount of water (59 thousand km 3 per year) is carried by the warm North Cape Current.

In the structure of the waters of the Barents Sea, four water masses are distinguished: Atlantic, warm and salty; arctic, with negative temperatures and low salinity; coastal, with high temperature and low salinity in summer and with the characteristics of the Arctic water mass in winter; Barents Sea, formed in the sea itself under the influence of local conditions, with low temperature and high salinity. IN winter time from the surface to the bottom in the northeast the Barents Sea dominates water mass, and in the southwest - the Atlantic. In summer, the Arctic water mass predominates in the northern part of the Barents Sea, the Atlantic in the central part, and the coastal one in the southern part.

Surface currents in the Barents Sea form a counterclockwise circulation. Along the southern and western periphery in the east along the coast (Coastal Current) and in the north (Northern Current) the waters of the North Cape Current move, the influence of which can be traced to the northern shores of Novaya Zemlya. The northern and eastern parts of the cycle are formed by own and Arctic waters coming from the Kara Sea and the Arctic Ocean. In the central part of the sea there is a system of closed gyres. Velocities in the Coastal Current reach 40 cm/s, in the Northern Current - 13 cm/s. The water circulation of the Barents Sea changes under the influence of winds and water exchange with adjacent seas.

Tidal currents are of great importance, especially near the coast. The tides are regular semidiurnal, their greatest value is 6.1 m off the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in other places 0.6-4.7 m.

The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines relatively high temperatures and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the water temperature on the surface is 3-5 °C, in August it rises to 7-9 °C. North of 74° north latitude and in the south-eastern part of the sea in winter the water temperature on the surface is below -1 ° C, and in the summer in the north it is 4-0 ° C, in the south-east 4-7 ° C. The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0‰ in the southwest, 33.0-34.0‰ in the east, and 32.0-33.0‰ in the north. In the coastal strip of the sea in spring and summer, salinity drops to 30-32‰, and by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5‰.

The harsh climatic conditions in the north and east of the Barents Sea determine its high ice cover. In all seasons of the year, only the southwestern part of the sea remains ice-free. The ice cover reaches its greatest extent in April, when about 75% of the sea surface is occupied by floating ice. In exceptionally unfavorable years at the end of winter, floating ice comes directly to the shores of the Kola Peninsula. The least amount of ice occurs at the end of August. At this time, the ice boundary moves beyond 78° north latitude. In the north-west and north-east of the sea, ice usually remains all year round, but in favorable years in August - September the sea is completely free of ice.

History of the study. The Barents Sea is named after the Dutch navigator V. Barents. The first to explore the Barents Sea were the Russian Pomors, who came to its shores back in the 11th century. Conducting marine fisheries, they discovered the islands of Kolguev and Vaygach, Novaya Zemlya, the Yugorsky Shar and Kara Gate straits long before European sailors. They were also the first to reach the shores of the islands of Bear, Nadezhda and eastern Spitsbergen, which they called Grumant. The scientific study of the sea was started by the expedition of F.P. Litke 1821-24, the first complete hydrological characteristics of the sea were compiled by N. M. Knipovich at the beginning of the 20th century. The longest continuous series of hydrological observations in the world has been carried out at the Kola Section (since 1901). In Soviet times, research in the Barents Sea was carried out by: the Floating Marine Research Institute on the ship "Perseus" (since 1922), the Polar Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (Murmansk, since 1934), the Murmansk Department of the Hydrometeorological Service (since 1938), the State Oceanographic Institute (since 1943), Institute of Oceanology named after P. P. Shirshov RAS (since 1946), Murmansk branch of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institutes (since 1972). These and other research and production institutions continue to study the Barents Sea at the beginning of the 21st century.

Economic use. The Barents Sea is a productive area. The bottom fauna includes over 1,500 species, mainly echinoderms, mollusks, polychaetes, crustaceans, sponges, etc. Seaweeds are common along the southern coast. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: seal, harp seal, bearded seal, porpoise, beluga whale, killer whale, etc. Bird colonies abound on the coasts, there are over 25 species of birds, the most common are guillemots, guillemots, and kittiwake gulls (there are 84 bird colonies on the coast of the Kola Peninsula). Large oil and gas fields have been discovered and are being developed (in Russia - Shtokman, Prirazlomnoye, etc.). The Barents Sea has a large economic importance as an area of ​​intensive fishing and sea ​​route, connecting the European part of Russia with Siberia and Western Europe. The main port of the Barents Sea is the ice-free port of Murmansk; other ports: Teriberka, Indiga, Naryan-Mar (Russia), Vardø (Norway).

Ecological state. In bays, in places where fleets are concentrated and gas and oil fields, there is an increased content of petroleum products and heavy metals, a particularly unfavorable situation is observed in the Kola Bay. However, the content of metals in fish tissues is much lower than the MPC.

Lit.: Esipov V.K. Commercial fish of the Barents Sea. L.; M., 1937; Wiese V.Yu. Seas of the Soviet Arctic. 3rd ed. M.; L., 1948; Hydrometeorological conditions of the shelf zone of the USSR seas. L., 1984-1985. T. 6. Issue. 1-3; Hydrometeorology and hydrochemistry of the seas of the USSR. St. Petersburg, 1992. T. 1. Issue. 2; Environmental monitoring seas of the Western Arctic. Murmansk, 1997; Climate of Murmansk. Murmansk, 1998; Zalogin B.S., Kosarev A.N. Seas. M., 1999.

Characteristics of the Barents Sea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Arctic waters, included in the form surface currents from North. They have negative temperatures and low salinity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bottom topography and currents of the Barents Sea
Currents

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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