The smallest ocean is the Arctic

The world ocean is a complex system, which includes four oceans. It is a rich world that lives its own life, diverse and interesting. The smallest ocean is the Arctic. It is located in the central part of the Arctic. Almost from all sides it is surrounded by land (North America and Eurasia).

It is not only the smallest ocean of the Earth, but also the coldest. This is due to its geographical location. Most of the ocean is covered with ice, so the Arctic Ocean is the most unknown part of the World Ocean. There is not so much developed shipping.

But this ocean is of great importance in the strategic plan. Its location allows you to get the shortest route from North America to Russia. Therefore, after the World War, it became the object of careful study with the aim of implementing military and scientific programs.

The smallest ocean has become the site of numerous expeditions on icebreakers, submarines. The ships advanced far into the ice, sank to the depth beneath their thickness. Studies were also carried out on drifting ice floes.

In its relief, the smallest ocean is a deep basin, which is surrounded by seas. The area of the ocean is 14.75 million kilometers. Half of it is the shelf, reaching a maximum width of 1300 kilometers. It is here that it has the greatest depth and is distinguished by the ruggedness of the banks. As established, these are the consequences of the formation of glaciers.

The central hollow reaches in diameter up to 2250 kilometers. Through its center is the underwater mountain range of Lomonosov. The smallest ocean reaches its maximum depth at the level of 5527 meters. This point is in the Greenland Sea.

The Bering Strait connects the Arctic and Pacific Oceans and divides Alaska and the northeastern part of Asia. The boundary of the division with the Atlantic Ocean passes through a sea, called the Norwegian Sea, which is located between Greenland and Europe.

The geographical position of the ocean determines many of its characteristics. For example, it receives solar energy in less quantity than other parts of the World Ocean. Therefore, the temperature of its water is low enough, and most of the ocean is covered with ice. Their structure is not uniform. In some regions the ice has a continuous structure, while in others ice blocks are not welded together.

The ice cover varies depending on the season. Due to the fact that navigation in this region is not developed enough, the nature of the currents has not been studied yet. Most of the conclusions were drawn on the basis of the study of the motion of the ships, which were frozen into ice blocks.

It was found that mainly Norwegian Arctic waters bring water to the Arctic Ocean. Then these waters are connected with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, entering through the Bering Strait.

The animal and plant world of the ocean is not distinguished by the richness of species. This is due to its geographical location and climatic conditions. Ice does not allow a sufficient amount of sunlight, which prevents plants from fully developing. Closer to Eurasia are whales, bears, seals and some other animals.

Speaking about which ocean is the smallest, it should be noted that the Arctic Ocean is of great importance for mankind, and many countries are engaged in its exploration.