Fauna of the Chukchi Sea. Chukchi Sea (shores in Russia)
Chukchi Sea located off the northeastern coast of Russia.
The Chukchi Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Its area is 595 thousand km2, volume - 42 thousand km3, average depth - 71 m, greatest depth- 1256 m.
There are few islands in the Chukchi Sea, the rivers flowing into it are shallow, and the coastline is slightly indented.
The shores of the Chukchi Sea are mountainous almost throughout. On east coast The Wrangel Islands have low hills that drop steeply to the sea. Low mountains stretch along the northern coast of Chukotka and Alaska, but they are usually far from the water's edge. The coastline is formed by sand spits, separating lagoons from the sea, behind which mountains can be seen. This landscape is typical for the shores of the Chukchi Sea.
The bottom topography of the Chukchi Sea is quite flat. The predominant depths are about 50 m, and the maximum (they lie in the north) do not exceed 1300 m.
The climate of the Chukchi Sea is polar marine. His character traits- small supply solar heat and small annual fluctuations in air temperature.
Continental flow into the Chukchi Sea is very small. Only 72 km3 of river water per year comes here, which is about 5% of the total coastal flow into all Arctic seas and a fraction of a percent of the volume of its waters. Of this amount, 54 km3 per year comes from the rivers of Alaska and 18 km3 per year from the rivers of Chukotka. Such a small coastal runoff does not significantly affect the hydrological conditions of the Chukchi Sea as a whole, but it does affect the temperature and salinity of coastal waters.
To a much greater extent, the nature of the Chukchi Sea is affected by water exchange with the Central Polar Basin and with the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait. A slight increase in water temperature in the bottom horizons in the north of the sea is associated with the penetration of warm intermediate Atlantic waters here.
The hydrological structure of the Chukchi Sea is basically similar to the structure of the waters of other Siberian Arctic seas, but has its own characteristics. In Western and central regions The seas are predominantly distributed in surface Arctic waters. In the narrow coastal zone, mainly where rivers flow, warm desalinated water is common, formed by the mixing of sea and river waters. On the northern edge of the sea, the continental slope is cut through by the deep Chukotka Trench, along which Atlantic waters, which have maximum temperature 0.7–0.80°C. These waters enter the Chukchi Sea five years after they enter the Arctic basin in the Spitsbergen area. Between superficial and Atlantic waters there is an intermediate layer.
The vertical distribution of water temperature in winter and early spring is almost uniform throughout.
The values and distribution of salinity on the surface of the Chukchi Sea are influenced by seasonally varying inflows of Pacific waters, and in the coastal zone - also of river waters.
The general circulation of the waters of the Chukchi Sea, in addition to the main factors under the influence of which currents in the Arctic seas are formed, is largely determined by the currents entering through the Bering Strait and Long Strait. Surface currents of the sea, in general, form a weakly expressed cyclonic circulation.
Tides in the Chukchi Sea are caused by three tidal waves: one comes from the north - from the Central Arctic Basin, another - from the west through the Long Strait, the third comes from the south through the Bering Strait. The tides here are semi-diurnal in nature, but differ in speed and height of the level rise in different areas seas.
Surge level fluctuations in the Chukchi Sea are relatively small. At certain points along the coast Chukotka Peninsula they reach 60 cm. On the shores of Wrangel Island, surge phenomena are obscured by tidal fluctuations in level.
Strong waves occur relatively rarely in the Chukchi Sea. The sea is at its roughest in autumn, when stormy winds cause waves of 5–7. However, due to the shallow depths and limited ice-free spaces of water, very large waves do not develop here. Only in vast, ice-free areas of the southeastern part of the sea, with strong winds, the height of the waves can reach 4–5 m. In isolated cases, the waves have a height of 7 m.
Ice exists in the Chukchi Sea all year round. In winter, from November - December to May - June, the sea is completely covered with ice - motionless near the shore and floating far from it. Fast ice is insignificantly developed here. It borders a narrow coastal strip and bays and bays cut into the shore. Its width is different places varies, but does not exceed 10–20 km. Behind the fast ice there is drifting ice. For the most part these are one and two year olds ice formations 150–180 cm thick. In the north of the sea there are perennial heavy ice. With prolonged winds pushing the drifting ice away from the mainland coast of Alaska, a stationary Alaskan polynya is formed between it and the fast ice. At the same time, the Wrangel ice massif is formed in the western part of the sea. Along the coast of Chukotka, behind the fast ice, a narrow but very extended (up to many hundreds of kilometers) Chukotka french clearing sometimes opens.
In summer, the ice edge retreats to the north. The Chukotka and Wrangel ice massifs form in the sea. In some years, ice accumulates in the Long Strait and stretches along the Chukotka coast. In such years, navigation of ships here is extremely difficult. In other years, the ice, on the contrary, retreats far from the shores of the Chukotka Peninsula, which is very favorable for navigation. Education begins at the end of September young ice, which continues to grow over time and by winter covers the entire sea.
The Chukchi Sea is located off the northeastern coast of Russia.
The Chukchi Sea belongs to the type of continental marginal seas. Its area is 595 thousand km2, its volume is 42 thousand km3, its average depth is 71 m, its greatest depth is 1256 m.
There are few islands in the Chukchi Sea, the rivers flowing into it are shallow, and the coastline is slightly indented.
The shores of the Chukchi Sea are mountainous almost throughout. On the east coast of the island, low hills drop steeply to the sea. Low mountains stretch along the northern coast and Alaska, but they are usually far from the water's edge. The coastline is formed by sand spits, separating lagoons from the sea, behind which mountains can be seen. This landscape is typical for the shores of the Chukchi Sea.
The bottom topography of the Chukchi Sea is quite flat. The predominant depths are about 50 m, and the maximum (they lie in the north) do not exceed 1300 m.
The climate of the Chukchi Sea is polar marine. Its characteristic features are small solar heat input and small annual fluctuations.
Continental flow into the Chukchi Sea is very small. Only 72 km3 of river water per year comes here, which is about 5% of the total coastal flow into all Arctic seas and a fraction of a percent of the volume of its waters. Of this amount, 54 km3 per year comes from the rivers of Alaska and 18 km3 per year from the rivers of Chukotka. Such a small coastal runoff does not significantly affect the hydrological conditions of the Chukchi Sea as a whole, but it does affect the temperature and salinity of coastal waters.
To a much greater extent, the nature of the Chukchi Sea is affected by water exchange with the Central Polar Basin and through the Bering Strait. Some increase in the bottom sea in the north is associated with the penetration of warm intermediate Atlantic waters here.
The hydrological structure of the Chukchi Sea is basically similar to the structure of the waters of other Siberian Arctic seas, but has its own characteristics. In the western and central regions of the sea, Arctic surface waters are predominantly distributed. In the narrow coastal zone, mainly where rivers flow, warm desalinated water is common, formed by the mixing of sea and river waters. At the northern edge of the sea, the continental slope is cut through by the deep Chukchi Trench, along which Atlantic waters flow at depths of 400–450 m, having a maximum temperature of 0.7–0.80°C. These waters enter the Chukchi Sea five years after they enter the Arctic basin in the Spitsbergen area. Between the surface and Atlantic waters lies an intermediate layer.
The vertical distribution of water temperature in winter and early spring is almost uniform throughout.
The values and distribution of salinity on the surface of the Chukchi Sea are influenced by seasonally varying inflows of Pacific waters, and in the coastal zone - also of river waters.
The general circulation of the waters of the Chukchi Sea, in addition to the main factors under the influence of which currents in the Arctic seas are formed, is largely determined by the currents entering through the Bering Strait and Long Strait. Surface currents of the sea, in general, form a weakly expressed cyclonic circulation.
Tides in the Chukchi Sea are caused by three tidal waves: one comes from the north - from the Central Arctic Basin, another - from the west through the Long Strait, the third comes from the south through the Bering Strait. The tides here are semi-diurnal in nature, but they differ in speed and height of level rise in different areas of the sea.
Surge level fluctuations in the Chukchi Sea are relatively small. At some points on the coast they reach 60 cm. On the shores of Wrangel Island, surge phenomena are obscured by tidal level fluctuations.
Strong waves occur relatively rarely in the Chukchi Sea. The sea is at its roughest in autumn, when stormy winds cause waves of 5–7. However, due to the shallow depths and limited ice-free spaces of water, very large waves do not develop here. Only in vast, ice-free areas of the southeastern part of the sea, with strong winds, can wave heights reach 4–5 m. In isolated cases, waves have a height of 7 m.
Ice in the Chukchi Sea exists all year round. In winter, from November - December to May - June, the sea is completely covered with ice - motionless near the shore and floating far from it. Fast ice is insignificantly developed here. It borders a narrow coastal strip and bays and bays cut into the shore. Its width varies in different places, but does not exceed 10–20 km. Behind the fast ice there is drifting ice. For the most part, these are one- and two-year-old ice formations with a thickness of 150–180 cm. In the north of the sea, multi-year heavy ice is found. With prolonged winds pushing the drifting ice away from the mainland coast of Alaska, a stationary Alaskan polynya is formed between it and the fast ice. At the same time, the Wrangel ice massif is formed in the western part of the sea. Along the coast of Chukotka, behind the fast ice, a narrow but very extended (up to many hundreds of kilometers) Chukotka french clearing sometimes opens.
In summer, the ice edge retreats to the north. The Chukotka and Wrangel ice massifs form in the sea. In some years, ice accumulates in the Long Strait and stretches in the form of a tongue along the Chukotka coast. In such years, navigation of ships here is extremely difficult. In other years, the ice, on the contrary, retreats far from the shores of the Chukotka Peninsula, which is very favorable for navigation. At the end of September, the formation of young ice begins, which continues to grow over time and by winter covers the entire sea.
The Chukchi Sea is a relatively recently studied body of water. It first became known in the 17th century, but only in 1935 its current name was assigned to the sea. Due to its location, the Chukchi Sea can be considered special, because it separates the New and Old Worlds.
Boundaries of the Chukchi Sea
This body of water can be considered maritime border, because he divides between Russia and America, or rather, Chukotka and Alaska. The waters of the Chukchi Sea are part of the Arctic Ocean, but they also border the territory of Pacific Ocean. West Side The reservoir abuts one of the islands, and the eastern one merges with the Beaufort Sea.
This reservoir can be called one of the compact ones in the category northern seas- only 590 km 2. The depth here is not very great ( average only 50-70 m), since scientists believe that there used to be a piece of land in place of the sea. The highest depth mark is a little more than 1250 meters. The seashores are steep and represent mountainous terrain.
For most of the year, the waters are covered with a layer of ice. Two rivers flow into this body of water. large rivers- Amguema and Noatak, while the main current remains the Alaskan. There are a couple of canyons running along the bottom here - Barrow and Herald Canyon.
Fisheries of the Chukchi Sea
In the water area of the reservoir there are three Russian islands - Kolyuchin, Herald and Wrangel. Most of the territory is recognized as a protected area, so some are prohibited. commercial species activities. However, the indigenous people of this region - the Chukchi - are still engaged in fishing (grayling, char, navaga, cod breed here), whaling, and walrus hunting.
It is important to note that the sea shelf here is rich oil reserves- about 30 billion barrels. The development of gas and oil products takes place in this moment only on the American side. Also in the vicinity of the reservoir, gold and marble deposits, fragments of tin, ore and mercury were discovered. Unstable climatic features However, they do not allow frequent operations to explore the territory and extract these minerals.
The salinity of the water of the Chukchi Sea has been of interest to sailors and travelers since ancient times. What is it like, this body of water located on the very outskirts of the Arctic Ocean? What is the history of its development? Animal and vegetable world? Relief and physical-geographical position? Let's find out.
Unique location
The Chukchi Sea, the salinity, depth and temperature of which will be described in detail in this article, is located between and the state of Alaska. It is a conditional border not only between two states, but also between two continents and two continents.
On the western side, the reservoir connects with the East Siberian Sea through in the south - with Bering Sea through the Bering Strait. East End The Chukchi Sea washes Cape Barrow, thereby coming into contact with As we see, the Chukchi Sea, due to its geographical location, is a connecting link between vast territories and bodies of water.
Moreover, along its water area there runs a conventional line along different sides which local time differs from each other by twenty-four hours (a whole day). This conventional line, generally accepted in international community, is called the international date line.
When was the Chukchi Sea discovered (salinity and other indicators of the reservoir will be described below)?
History of discovery
It is noteworthy that in ancient times the Chukchi Sea was developed three times, and each time by different people.
This reservoir was first mentioned back in 1648, when the Russian Semyon Dezhnev walked along it from the Kolyma River to the Andadyr River. Who was this man and what contribution did he make to the development of the land?
Semyon Ivanovich was born in 1605 in the small town of Veliky Ustyug. Nothing is known about the childhood and youth of this sailor and traveler. IN mature years Dezhnev entered the tsarist service and moved to Siberia, where he initially served as an ordinary Cossack. Later he became an ataman and was appointed yasak collector. While performing his official duties, Semyon Ivanovich organized the Chukotka expedition, which he went on with his comrades on several kochas - fishing sailing ships.
During the journey, Dezhnev showed himself to be a strong and wise sailor. Having survived several forced winters, shipwrecks and snow drifts, the sailor explored the Chukchi Sea and the peninsula of the same name, the Bering Strait and the outskirts of North America. Semyon Ivanovich kept notes in which he entered his observations, notes and diagrams.
History of the study
Who became Dezhnev's successor in this complex and dangerous business development of the Chukchi Sea? In 1728, a Russian expedition was sent to the shores of this reservoir, headed by the captain-commander, a Dane by birth, Vitus Jonassen Bering. This fearless navigator entered the Chukchi Sea through the strait, later named after him, where he was able to conduct instrumental surveys of the western coast.
Fifty-one years later heroic act Russian sailors were repeated by James Cook, an English naval sailor and famous traveler.
He also crossed the Chukchi Sea, carefully studying its coastline and surrounding area. This happened in 1978, at the end of the third circumnavigation carried out by a brave sailor and his crew. They crossed the Arctic Circle, entered the Chukchi Sea and headed for the Aleutian Islands. During his journey across the ice field, Cook was able to study the area in detail, familiarize himself with Bering's drawn maps and create his own plan of the northern land.
History of the name
What was the name of the Chukchi Sea in those days (the salinity, depth and relief of which will be described below)? The fact is that until the mid-twentieth century, this body of water was considered part of the East Siberian Sea, and only in 1935 was it officially given a name in honor of the inhabitants inhabiting the peninsula of the same name.
This decision was made after the Norwegian polar oceanographer and meteorologist Harald Sverdrup, in the course of his hydrographic research, discovered that the body of water located between Wrangel Island and Cape Barrow was very different from the surrounding sea area.
Having accomplished small excursion into the history of navigation, let's now take a closer look at the Chukchi Sea itself and its features.
Common parameters. Depth
The northern reservoir occupies a relatively small area - five hundred eighty-nine thousand six hundred square kilometers. How deep is this vast expanse of water?
More than half of the total area is occupied by depths from minimum indicator no more than fifty meters. The maximum depth reaches one kilometer, two hundred and fifty-six meters.
Salinity and depth of the Chukchi Sea are closely related. The following principle can be traced: the higher the depth, the stronger the salinity.
Common parameters. Relief
According to research, the reservoir is located on the shelf - a flattened area of the underwater edge of the continent adjacent to the land. Here the depth of the water varies between forty and sixty meters. There may also be shallows with depths of ten to thirteen meters. Therefore, it becomes clear that along coastline There is a relatively low salinity of the Chukchi Sea (in ppm it is approximately equal to twenty-eight units).
The seabed of the reservoir is varied and beautiful, cut by two long depressions (or canyons), the depth of which reaches ninety meters (Herald Canyon) and one hundred and sixty meters (Barrow Canyon).
The bottom surface is also heterogeneous. Loose silt mixed with sand and gravel is found here).
Common parameters. Temperature
As many scientists note, the salinity of the Chukchi Sea and the temperature of its waters are also closely interrelated. How? The lower the temperature, the saltier the water.
For example, in winter time, at a water temperature of about two degrees minus, it can reach thirty-three ppm. During this period, the highest salinity of the Chukchi Sea is observed (this ratio is quite easy to convert into percentages, since ppm is one thousandth, or one tenth of a percent). That is, an indicator of thirty-three ppm is equal to 3.3 percent.
In summer, water salinity fluctuates between twenty-eight and thirty-two ppm, and temperature regime seas vary from four to twelve degrees above zero.
Currents
At the mouths of rivers, the minimum salinity is observed (from three to five ppm).
As you can see, this parameter is influenced not only by depth and temperature, but also by currents. How?
For example, in summer warm waters enter the sea through the Bering Strait fresh rivers, which significantly reduces the salinity of water throughout the reservoir. Most often this Siberian rivers, flowing to the southeast.
Tides also occur in the Chukchi Sea, but they are considered insignificant due to the Bering Strait, which prevents the significant influence of the Arctic Ocean on the Chukchi Sea. Average height tides usually do not exceed fifteen centimeters.
As for the water disturbances, they are also small. In autumn, decent waves with a height of about six to seven centimeters are observed, but soon the disturbance of the waters subsides, as they freeze.
For more than six months, the Chukchi Sea is covered with ice. Typically, the freezing process begins at the end of October, and the melting of ice occurs at the beginning of June.
Along the coast
On the territory of the Chukchi Sea there are two large ports - Uelen (from the Russian Federation) and Barrow (from the United States of America).
On the Arctic coast of the reservoir there are many beautiful shallow lagoons, the largest of which are Kanygtokynmanky, Eryokynmanky, Tenkergykynmanky and others.
Industry
According to some estimates, the underwater part of the Chukchi Sea contains twenty-five to thirty billion barrels of oil. Also observed at the bottom large cluster placer gold for industrial mining.
Fauna of the reservoir
On the ice of the Chukchi Sea you can find polar bear- large carnivorous mammal, the length of which can reach three meters and body weight - half a ton.
Polar bears differ from their brown counterparts long neck and a flat head. In summer, under the influence of direct sun rays their fur may turn yellow and turn white again in winter.
Most often, animals live on drifting ice floes, where they hunt for seals, sea hares and walruses. IN hibernation Pregnant females lie down, while healthy males sleep irregularly and very little in winter (about two months).
Also in the Chukchi Sea, seals, huge mammals from the walrus family, find refuge.
Their body length varies between two and three meters, and their weight usually reaches nine hundred kilograms. They feed on squid, crustaceans and other marine life.
In the waters of the sea you can often find valuable fish, such as grayling, Far Eastern navaga. In summer, geese, ducks, and seagulls nest along the shores, which make real bird markets.
Finally
As you can see, the Chukchi Sea is a large Arctic body of water connecting Russia and America. Its beautiful relief bottom is decorated with canyons and numerous algae. In the waters of the sea, dozens of representatives of wildlife find refuge - all kinds of fish, crustaceans, and mammals.
The average salinity of the Chukchi Sea can reach thirty ppm (that's about three percent). As mentioned above, the salinity of water is influenced by several factors - water temperature, depth of the reservoir and all kinds of currents.
On the islands located near the Chukchi Sea, there is a state nature reserve“Wrangel Island”, protecting endangered species of polar bears and walruses.
The Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located between Alaska and Alaska.
In the west, the Long Strait connects with the East Siberian Sea, in the east, in the area of Cape Barrow, it connects with the Beaufort Sea, in the south, the Bering Strait connects it with the Bering Sea of the Pacific Ocean. The international date line runs through the sea.
In 1648, Semyon Dezhnev walked from the mouth of the Kolyma River by sea to the Anadyr River.
In 1728, the expedition of Vitus Bering and in 1779, Captain James Cook, sailed from the Pacific Ocean.
In 1928, during hydrographic observations, the Norwegian polar explorer H. Sverdrup discovered that the sea lying between Cape Barrow and its natural conditions very different from the sea between the New Siberian Islands and Fr. Wrangel and therefore should be separated from the East Siberian Sea. It was decided to call the newly allocated sea Chukotka after the people inhabiting it. The name was officially approved in 1935.
Physiographic location
Area 589,600 km². 56% of the bottom area is occupied by depths less than 50 m, the maximum depth is 1256 meters. Water temperature in summer is from 4 to 12 °C, in winter from −1.6 to −1.8 °C.
The coastline is slightly indented. Bays: Kolyuchinskaya Bay, Kotzebue, Shishmarev Bay. From October-November to May-June the sea is covered with ice.
Few rivers flow into the Chukchi Sea; the largest are Amguema and Noatak.
The Northern Sea Route passes through the Chukchi Sea.
In the sea are Kolyuchin.
Fishing: (char, polar cod), seal fishing, seal fishing.
Major ports are Uelen (Russia), Barrow (USA).
The Chukchi Sea is located on a shelf with depths of 40-60 meters. There are shallows with depths of up to 13 meters. The bottom is cut by two canyons: Herald Canyon with a depth of up to 90 meters and Barrow Canyon with maximum depth 160 meters (73°50′N 175°25′W (G) (O)).
The bottom of the sea is covered with loose silt with sand and gravel.
Coast
On the mainland coast of the Russian part of the Chukchi Sea there are many lagoons, which make up about half the length of the entire coastline and stretch almost continuously from Cape Yakan in the northwest to Kolyuchinskaya Bay in the southeast. The largest of them are Kanygtokynmanky, Eryokynmanky, Tenkergykynmanky, Rypilgyn and Nutevyi.
Hydrological regime
The hydrological regime of the Chukchi Sea is determined by the interaction of cold Arctic waters and more water entering through the Bering Strait. warm waters Pacific Ocean, harsh climatic conditions, supply floating ice from the north and west.
The Alaska Current passes into the Chukchi Sea through the Bering Strait at a water speed of up to 2 meters per second, turning north into the sea towards the shores of Alaska.
In the area of Lisborne Island it branches off from the Alaska Current. In addition to the Alaskan current, there is a current that comes through the Long Strait from the East Siberian Sea and carries its cold waters along the coast.
In summer, an anticyclonic circulation to the west appears, especially in the north of the sea, but stormy winds greatly influence its character and strength.
Strong wind in autumn period contributes to the formation of waves up to 7 meters high, in winter with the formation ice cover the excitement subsides. IN summer period waves are less due to reduced storm activity.
In the Chukchi Sea, strong surge phenomena are observed when, under the influence of storm winds sea level rises by 3 meters or more.
Tides in the sea are insignificant: average value tides are about 15 centimeters.
The sea is covered with ice almost all year round.
The warm Alaskan Current leads to the clearing of the southern part of the sea from ice for 2-3 months in warm period of the year. The cold current from the East Siberian Sea brings with it a lot of ice to the coast of Chukotka. The north of the sea is covered multi-year ice more than 2 meters thick.
on the shores of the Chukchi Sea
Temperature
In the Bering Strait area, water temperatures rise to 12 °C in summer. As you move north the temperature drops to negative values. In winter, the water temperature almost reaches freezing point (-1.7 °C). With depth, the water temperature decreases, but in the eastern part of the sea in summer it remains positive until the very bottom. The surface water temperature in winter is 1.8°, in summer from 4 to 12°.
Salinity
Characteristic in winter increased salinity(about 31-33 ‰) of the sub-ice layer of water. In summer, salinity is less, increasing from west to east from 28 to 32 ‰. At the melting edges of the ice, salinity is lower; it is minimal at river mouths (3-5 ‰). Typically, salinity increases with depth.
walruses drift on ice floes
Fauna
Polar bears living in the ice of the Chukchi Sea belong to one of five genetically distinct populations of this species. Also inhabited by seals, walruses, and whales. Fish include Far Eastern navaga, grayling, Arctic char, and polar cod. In summer, the shores are covered with bird colonies. There are ducks, geese, seagulls and other birds.
On the western side it is washed by the East Siberian Sea and on the eastern side by the Chukchi Sea. Herald Island is a mountain outcrop located 60 km east of Wrangel Island in the Chukchi Sea.
Wrangel Island is located north of Chukotka, between 70-71° N latitude. and 179° W - 177°E Important feature geographical location island is the fact that it is the only large land, located in high latitudes in the northeastern sector of the Asian Arctic, in the continental shelf zone, the boundary of which ends approximately 300 km north of the island. At the same time, Wrangel Island is located close not only to Asia, but also to North America, and to the Bering Strait separating these continents, which serves as the only highway connecting the Pacific and Arctic oceans and a breeding ground for many species of marine animals.
The island is separated from the mainland by the Longa Strait, whose average width is 150 km, which ensures reliable isolation from the mainland. At the same time, the area of Wrangel Island is large enough to provide biological and landscape diversity. Other Arctic islands and archipelagos are separated from Wrangel Island by hundreds of kilometers.
Until the last rise in the level of the world's oceans, it was part of a single Beringian landmass.
The greatest length diagonally from northeast to southwest (between Capes Waring and Blossom) is about 145 km, and the maximum width from north to south (traverse Pestsovaya Bay - Krasina Bay) is slightly more than 80 km. Approximately 2/3 of the island's area is occupied by mountain systems With greatest height 1095.4 m above sea level (Sovetskaya).
Wrangel Island is one of the highest islands in the Euro-Asian sector of the Arctic and the most high island devoid of cover glaciation in the Arctic in general. The island is characterized by highly dissected relief and big variety geological and geomorphological structures.
Wrangel Islands and Herald climatic conditions, landscape features and vegetation cover, belong to the subzone arctic tundra(the northernmost subzone of the tundra zone).
(Chuk. Umkilir - “island of polar bears”) is a Russian island in the Arctic Ocean between the East Siberian and Chukchi seas. Named after the Russian navigator and statesman XIX century Ferdinand Petrovich Wrangel.
It is located at the junction of the western and eastern hemispheres and is divided by the 180th meridian into two almost equal parts.
Administratively it belongs to the Iultinsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
It is part of the reserve of the same name. Is an object world heritage UNESCO (2004).
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photo: A. Kutsky, K. Lemeshev, E. Gusev,