Bering Sea: geographical location, description. Bering Sea: geographical location, description Geographical location of the Bering Sea meridians and parallels

Geographical encyclopedia

Bering Sea- named so cap. Golovin in honor of the Russian captain Commander V. Bering. B. sea, limited to south. about you Aleutian and Commander, ks. gradually narrows and ends in the Bering Strait. The extreme line of the B. sea: lat. 52 ° and 66 ° 30 ′ ... ... Military encyclopedia

The Bering Sea, a semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, is separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands about you. 2315 thousand km2. The greatest depth. 5500 m, less than 200 m in the north. Large bays: Anadyr and Olyutorsky (off the coast of Russia), Norton, ... ... Russian history

Semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific approx., Separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander's about you. 2315 thousand km & sup2. The greatest depth is 5500 m, less than 200 m in the north. Large bays: Anadyrsky and Olyutorsky (off the coast of the Russian Federation), Norton, ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Modern encyclopedia

Bering Sea- The Pacific Ocean, between Eurasia and North America, bounded in the south by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. It connects with the Chukchi Sea by the Bering Strait. The area is 2315 thousand km2. Depth up to 5500 m. Large islands: St. Lawrence, Nunivak. ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (named after the navigator V. Bering, the semiclosed sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Asia in the west (USSR), North America in the east (USA) and the Commander (USSR) and Aleutian (USA) islands in the south. and… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

A semi-enclosed sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. 2315 thousand km2. The greatest depth is 5500 m, less than 200 m in the north. Large bays: Anadyrsky and Olyutorsky (off the coast of Russia), Norton, Bristolsky ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Bering Sea- Pacific Ocean, between Asia (Russia: Chukotka and Koryak Autonomous Okrug, Kamchatka Region) and North. America (USA, Alaska). Named in honor of Captain Commander V.I. Bering (1681 1741), under whose command the participants of the First and Second Kamchatka Expeditions in ... ... Toponymic dictionary

Or the Kamchatka Sea, the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, bounded from the west by North America, and from the east by Asia and communicating with the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait. The narrowest part of this strait is the gap ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Books

• Bering Sea. Encyclopedia. Zonn I.S., Kostyanoy A.G., Kumantsov M.I., Zonn Igor Sergeevich, Kostyanoy Andrey Gennadievich, Kumantsov Mikhail Ivanovich. The publication is dedicated to one of the Russian Far Eastern seas - the Bering Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. The encyclopedia contains over 700 articles on hydrographic and geographic ...
• Bering Sea. Encyclopedia, Zonn Igor Sergeevich, Kostyanoy Andrey Gennadievich, Kumantsov Mikhail Ivanovich. The publication is dedicated to one of the Russian Far Eastern seas - the Bering Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. The encyclopedia contains over 700 articles on hydrographic and geographic ...

The Bering Sea is located in the north of the Pacific Ocean, from the waters of which it is fenced off by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian chain. It occupies a leading position in terms of area and depth among the Russian seas. The world map clearly shows that its waters wash the shores of two continents: Asia and America.

Scientists believe that the reason for the formation of the reservoir is the action of tectonic processes, through which the Commander-Aleutian ridge was cut off from the Pacific Ocean. At the beginning of the 18th century, the coastal zone was studied by Russian explorers. In the 30s, Timofey Perevalov developed a map of the area of ​​Kamchatka and Chukotka, which D.Kuk visited several decades later.

The sea is named after Vitus Bering, who explored it in 1725–1743, before that it was called Bobrov or Kamchatka. The reservoir washes the shores of the Russian Federation and the United States of America. It is possible to get to it by air flight to the port cities of Anadyr and Nom.

Main factors:

The sea is located in three climatic zones:

• arctic (northern part);
• moderately marine (southern zone);
• subarctic (central part).

About 80% of the reservoir is covered with an ice layer for ten months a year; in the southern region, the warm Aleutian current prevents the freezing of the water surface. Strong storms in the west, with gusts of wind reaching 40 m / s, arise under the influence of the Siberian anticyclone.

Famous explorers of the sea

A large-scale study of the world's oceans, in order to find new territories, began at the end of the 15th century. In 1648 S.I.Dezhnev passed the strait, later called the Bering Strait. In the 18th century, expeditions under the command of V.I. Bering and A.I. Chirikov reached the shores of North America.

Oceanographic work in the north of the Pacific Ocean was carried out by I.F. Kruzenshtern, Yu.F. Lisyansky, O.E. Kotzebue, F.F. Bellingshausen, M.P. Lazarev and other navigators.

Vitus Bering

IN AND. Bering in 1724 was appointed commander of the First Kamchatka Expedition, its task was to explore the seas of the northern Pacific Ocean and search for a strait between the two continents.

As a result of the travel of 1725-1730. on the world map were entered:

• Karaginsky, Anadyr, Kamchatka bays.
• Providence Bay.
• St. Lawrence.
• Bering Strait.
• Avachinskaya lip.

The result of the second expedition (1733-1743), during which V. Bering died, was the discovery of Shumaginsky, Evdokeevsky, St. Stephen, Kodiak, St. Marciana Islands.

I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky

I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky made the first round the world voyage under the flag of the Russian navy. In the period 1803-1806. they collected data on climate, atmospheric pressure, specific gravity, density and other indicators of seawater.

F.P. Litke

F.P. Litke is a Russian admiral who conducted research in the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean.

In 1826 - 1829 under his leadership, the Pribylov Islands were discovered and the Karaginsky archipelago was explored, and a description of the western coast of the Bering Sea was compiled.

S.O. Makarov

In 1887-1888. S.O. Makarov conducted research concerning the distribution of water density. He noted that warm water with a high specific gravity is located closer to the surface near the Commander Islands than off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

K.M. Deryugin, P. Schmidt, G.A. Ushakov

In the 1920s, K.M., Deryugin together with P. Schmidt and G.A. Ushakov made maps of temperature and salinity distribution in the Bering Sea.

P.A. Moiseev

The Bering Sea on the world map is located in the northern zone of the Pacific Ocean, where in 1958-1963. the scientist-ichthyologist P.A. Moiseev. The achievement of the Bering Sea scientific and fishing expedition was the discovery of the habitat of halibuts, sea bass, grenadier.

A little earlier, under his leadership, large accumulations of flounders were discovered off the coast of Sakhalin. These fish have become an object of fishing in the seas of the Far East.

G.E. Ratmanov

In 1935 G.E. Ratmanov took part in the study of the Bering Sea, during the expedition traces of intermediate Atlantic waters were discovered, the oceanologist managed to obtain confirmation of their existence and collect accurate data in 1940.

Flowing rivers

About 120 rivers flow into the Bering Sea, 2 of which are the largest:

Currents in the sea

Constant currents in the sea are formed under the influence of tides, winds and the influx of water from the straits of the Aleutian chain. The main stream passes at a longitude of 170 °, it goes around the Rat Ridge, after which it goes east, forming a circulation over the basin of the reservoir.

In the north of the sea, it diverges in two directions: towards the Bering Strait and along the coast of Kamchatka. Surface currents include: Kuroshio (-1.7 ° C) and Kamchatka (1.7 ° C).

Representatives of flora and fauna

The flora of the Bering Sea is dominated by:

• diatoms floating freely in the water layer;
• bottom plants are common in coastal areas;
• kelp, fucus are used by the population as food raw materials.

In addition to commercial fish: salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, the reservoir is inhabited by: whales, seals, walruses. Hunting for these mammals is carried out exclusively for the needs of local residents. Katrans and polar sharks are found in the sea, which do not pose a danger to people.

On the rocks, bird colonies are arranged: gulls, puffins, guillemots, terns, loons. For 1 sq. km can accommodate 200 thousand individuals.

Seal rookeries are located on Pribilova and the Commander Islands. Despite the limited production, their numbers are decreasing. According to scientists, the debris pushed out by the sea to the coast contributes to the reduction of the population.

Main port cities

The Bering Sea on the world map is bounded by Chukotka and Kamchatka from the western and northern zones of Alaska - from the eastern and Aleutian Islands - from the southern side. There are two port cities on the shore of the reservoir.

Anadyr is the easternmost city in Russia The population of the capital of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is 15 thousand people, the area is 20 square meters. km. Winter in the village lasts seven months, during which snowstorms and snowstorms are observed. The average summer temperature is + 11 ° С, in January it reaches -22 ° С.

Nome - a small town in the state of Alaska with a population of about 4 thousand people, the average temperature reaches -45 ° C, which prevents dense settlement of the region. It was founded as a settlement for gold miners, the number of inhabitants was then 20 thousand people, in the 30s. XX century, the "gold rush" passed, and about a thousand people remained in the settlement.

Large bays

The large bays of the sea include:

Large islands of the sea

The largest islands in the Bering Sea are:

Using the sea

The Bering Sea is actively exploited in two directions: fisheries and sea transport. There is a catch of various types of fish (mainly salmonids) and whales. Within the water area, sea transportation of fish products is developed.

Fishery

The fauna of the reservoir includes 315 species of fish, 25 of which are used for fishing by three states: the Russian Federation, the USA and Japan. The annual catch of Russia is about 600 thousand tons. The main catch are: pollock, pink salmon, flounder, halibut, herring, grenadier. The most valuable object of fishing is salmon, which live in the west of the sea and off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Cod is caught in the Anadyr-Navarinsky region, Karaginsky Bay, as well as in the west and east of Kamchatka. Alaska pollock is harvested in the West Bering Sea, Chukotka zones and Karaginskaya subzone. Flounder stocks are located in the Bay of Bristol, where sea bass, halibut and coal fish are caught.

The Bering Sea belongs to the productive regions of the World Ocean (1500 kg / sq. Km). Due to active fishing, the stocks of salmon, Kamchatka crabs and cod are being depleted.

Sea transport

The Bering Sea on the world map is a semi-enclosed water space of the Pacific Ocean between the continents of Asia and North America. In its western part there is a road connecting the Far Eastern ports with the Northern Route. Among the cargoes prevail: oil products, fish, timber, which are transported to the eastern regions of the continent.

Fishing in the sea

The main prey in the Bering Sea are: flounder, mackerel, char, halibut, pink salmon, gobies. Salmon can be caught off the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The abundance of zooplankton attracts gray whales, killer whales, sperm whales, quotas are introduced for the catch of cetaceans, which excludes a decrease in the populations of these mammals.

Fishing without a permit to catch aquatic biological resources is prohibited, with the exception of species that are fished freely in accordance with Russian legislation. In Russia, due to the inaccessibility, tourist and fishing tours in the region are not conducted. Fishing in the sea is popular among the people of America and Canada.

The sea is fraught with many mysteries, for example, there is interesting information about the depth, the discoverer, strong winds and icebergs in the waters of the Bering Sea.

The deepest sea washing Russia

The Bering Sea is the deepest in the Russian Federation. The maximum elevation reaches 4151 m below ocean level.

Who actually discovered

In 1740 the ships "St. Peter" under the command of V. Bering and "St. Paul", whose captain was A.I. Chirikov set off on the Second Kamchatka Expedition. At the end of June 1741, due to bad weather conditions, the ships lost sight of each other.

V. Bering's Packetball reached the shores of America on July 20, and a few months later suffered a severe shipwreck, the commander himself died in December of the same year on the island, which was later named in his honor. A.I. Chirikov approached the coast of North America on July 15.

In 1818 the Bobrov (or Kamchatka) Sea was renamed into the Bering Sea at the suggestion of the head of two round-the-world expeditions V.M. Golovin.

Lingering storms

The Bering Sea is characterized by frequent and prolonged storms. The strong winds are caused by seasonal variability of circulation processes. The reservoir is influenced by the Aleutian depression, which includes cyclones from Japan.

The intensification of storm activity occurs in September and reaches its apogee in November-December; hurricanes may not subside for 7 days in a row.

Icebergs in summer

The northern part of the Bering Sea has been covered with ice for more than six months. In mid-April, the process of clearing the reservoir from the ice cover begins; in the event of a severe winter, currents can bring icebergs to the west even in summer. Wandering icebergs can accumulate, pile on each other, but thanks to strong winds, they are quickly destroyed.

Nevertheless, the seagoing vessels going through the Northern Sea Route need icebreakers.

The region's economy includes two components: fisheries and shipping. Despite the northern location on the world map, which explains the low temperatures of the waters (in winter they reach -23 ° C), the Bering Sea is not lifeless, it contains 28 species of macrophyte algae, about 300 species of fish, as well as sharks, whales , seals.

The Tymlat fish processing plant is located on the coast of the reservoir. The Northern Sea Route runs along the reservoir, thanks to which the eastern part of the mainland is supplied with fish products, timber, oil.

Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about the Bering Sea

Bering Sea - features, location, flora and fauna:

The Bering Sea, a marginal sea in the North Pacific Ocean between the continents of Eurasia and North America, washes the shores of the United States and Russia (the largest of its Far Eastern seas). It is connected in the north by the Bering Strait with the Chukchi Sea, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Aleutian ridge and the Commander Islands. The area is 2315 thousand km 2, the volume is 3796 thousand km 3. The greatest depth is 5500 m. The coastline is strongly indented, it forms many bays (the largest; Karaginsky, Olyutorsky, Anadyrsky - Russia; Norton, Bristolsky - USA), bays, peninsulas and capes. Islands Karaginsky (Russia), St. Lawrence, Nunivak, Nelson, St. Matthew, Pribylov (USA).

The shores of the Bering Sea are varied, mainly high, rocky, heavily indented bay shores, as well as fjord and abrasion-accumulative ones. Aligned accumulative banks prevail in the east, where the deltas of the large rivers Yukon and Kuskokwim are located.

Topography and geological structure of the bottom ... By the nature of the bottom relief, the Bering Sea is clearly divided into shallow and deep-water parts approximately along the line from Cape Navarin to Unimak Island. The northern and southeastern parts lie on the shelf with depths of up to 200 m (prevailing depths of 50-80 m) and a width of up to 750 km in the northeast (46% of the sea area) - one of the widest in the World Ocean. It is a vast plain sloping slightly to the southwest. In the Quaternary period, the shelf periodically dried up and a land bridge arose between the continents of Eurasia and North America. Within the shelf there are large depressions - Anadyr, Navarinsk, Khatyr, etc., filled with Cenozoic terrigenous deposits. The depressions can be reservoirs of oil and natural combustible gas. A narrow continental slope with a depth of 200-3000 m (13%) and with large slopes of the bottom almost along its entire length turns into a deep-sea bed with steep ledges, in many places it is cut by underwater valleys and canyons. The sides of the canyons are often steep, steep in places. In the central and southwestern parts there is a deep-water zone with depths over 3000 m (37%), bordered in the coastal zone by a narrow strip of the shelf. The underwater ridge Shirshov with depths above the ridge of 500-600 m, stretching south from the Olyutorsky peninsula, divides the deep-water part of the sea into the Komandorskaya and Aleutian basins, it is separated from the island arc by a Ratmanov trench (depth about 3500 m). The flat bottom of both basins slopes slightly to the southwest. The Shirshov Ridge is a complexly constructed zone of junction of two lithospheric plates (Komandorskaya and Aleutian), along which, until the middle of the Miocene, the oceanic crust was piled up (possibly with subduction). The basement of the Aleutian Basin is of Early Cretaceous age and is a fragment of the Mesozoic oceanic Kula lithospheric plate, separated in the Cretaceous from the Pacific plate by a large transform fault, transformed in the Paleogene into the Aleutian island arc and the deep-sea trench of the same name. The thickness of the Cretaceous-Quaternary sedimentary cover in the central part of the Aleutian Basin reaches 3.5-5 km, increasing to the periphery up to 7-9 km. The basement of the Commander Basin is of Cenozoic age, formed as a result of local spreading (spreading of the bottom with new formation of the oceanic crust), which continued until the end of the Miocene. The paleospreading zone is traced east of Karaginsky Island in the form of a narrow trough. The thickness of the Neogene-Quaternary sedimentary cover in the Commander Basin reaches 2 km. In the north of the Aleutian Islands, the Bowers Ridge (the former Late Cretaceous volcanic arc) departs in an arc to the north, outlining the basin of the same name. The maximum depths of the Bering Sea are located in the Kamchatka Strait and near the Aleutian Islands.

On the shelf, bottom sediments are mainly terrigenous, near the coast - coarse-detrital, then sands, sandy silts and silts. Sediments of the continental slope are also predominantly terrigenous, in the area of ​​the Bristol Bay - with an admixture of volcanic material, there are numerous outcrops of bedrocks. The thickness of sediments in deep-water basins reaches 2500 m, the surface layer is represented by diatomaceous silt.

Climate... Most of the Bering Sea is characterized by a subarctic climate, in a small area north of 64 ° north latitude - arctic, south of 55 ° north latitude - temperate sea. The formation of the climate occurs under the influence of the cold masses of the Arctic Ocean in the north, open spaces of the Pacific Ocean in the south, adjacent land and centers of atmospheric action. In the open part of the Bering Sea, far from the influence of continents, the climate is maritime, mild, with small amplitudes of air temperature fluctuations, cloudy weather, with fogs and a large amount of precipitation. In winter, under the influence of the Aleutian minimum, northwestern, northern and northeasterly winds prevail, bringing cold maritime arctic and cold, dry continental air. Wind speed off the coast is 6-8 m / s, in the open sea - up to 12 m / s. Often, especially in the western part of the sea, storm conditions develop with winds of up to 30-40 m / s (last up to 9 days). The average air temperature in January - February is from 0, -4 ° С in the south and southwest to -15, -23 ° С in the north and northeast. Decreases in air temperature to -48 ° C were observed off the coast of Alaska. In summer, the influence of the Hawaiian anticyclone increases; over the Bering Sea, southerly winds with speeds of 4-7 m / s prevail. In the southern part, on average, once a month, tropical typhoons with hurricane force winds penetrate. The frequency of storms is lower than in winter. The air temperature in the open sea is from 4 ° С in the north to 13 ° С in the south, in coastal areas it is noticeably warmer. Annual precipitation ranges from 450 mm in the northeast to 1000 mm in the southwest.

Hydrological regime... The river flow is about 400 km 3 per year. Up to 70% of the runoff comes from the Yukon (176 km 3), Anadyr (50 km 3), Kuskokwim (41 km 3) rivers, with more than 85% of the runoff occurring in the spring and summer. Compared to the volume of the sea, the amount of fresh runoff is small, but river waters flow mainly into the northern regions of the sea, leading to noticeable desalination of the surface layer in summer. The peculiarities of the hydrological regime are determined by the limited water exchange with the Arctic Ocean, relatively free connection with the Pacific Ocean, continental runoff, and water freshening during ice melting. Exchange with the Chukchi Sea is difficult due to the small cross-sectional area of ​​the Bering Strait (3.4 km 2, the average depth above the threshold is 39 m). Numerous straits connecting the Bering Sea with the Pacific Ocean have a cross-section with a total area of ​​730 km 2 and depths over 4000 m (Kamchatka Strait), which contributes to good water exchange with Pacific waters.

In the structure of the Bering Sea, four water masses are mainly distinguished in the deep-water part: surface, subsurface intermediate cold, intermediate Pacific warm and deep. Salinity changes with depth are small. Both intermediate water masses are absent only near the Aleutian Islands. In some parts of the Bering Sea, in particular in coastal areas, depending on local conditions, other water masses are formed.

The surface currents of the Bering Sea form a counterclockwise gyre, which is significantly influenced by the prevailing winds. Along the coast of Alaska, the Bering Sea branch of the warm currents of the Kuroshio follows to the north, which partially leaves through the Bering Strait and, receiving the cold waters of the Chukchi Sea, moves along the Asian coast to the south and forms the cold Kamchatka current, which intensifies in the summer. The velocities of constant currents in the open sea are small, of the order of 6 cm / s, in the straits the velocity increases to 25-50 cm / s. In coastal areas, circulation is complicated by periodic tidal currents reaching 100-200 cm / s in the straits. The tides in the Bering Sea are irregular semidiurnal, irregular diurnal and correct diurnal, their character and magnitude vary greatly from place to place. On average, the height of the tide is 1.5-2.0 m, the highest - 3.7 m is noted in the Bay of Bristol.

The surface water temperature in February varies from -1.5 ° С in the north to 3 ° С in the south, in August, respectively, from 4-8 ° С to 9-11 ° С. The salinity of surface waters in winter is from 32.0 ‰ in the north to 33.5 ‰ in the south; in summer, under the influence of ice melting and river runoff, salinity decreases, especially in coastal regions, where it reaches 28 ‰, in the open sea, from 31.0 ‰, respectively in the north to 33 ‰ in the south. The northern and northeastern parts of the sea are covered with ice every year. The first ice appears in September in the Bering Strait, in the northwest - in October and gradually spreads to the south. During the winter, the Bering Sea is covered with heavy ice up to 60 ° north latitude. All ice forms and melts in the Bering Sea. Only a small part of the sea ice is carried through the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea and by the Kamchatka Current into the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The ice cover breaks down and melts in May - June.

Research history... The Bering Sea is named after the captain-commander of the Russian fleet V. Bering, whose name is associated with the discoveries in the 1st half of the 18th century - the Bering Strait, the Aleutian and Commander Islands. The modern name was introduced in the 1820s by V.M. Golovnin. Previously called Anadyr, Bobrov, Kamchatsky. The first geographical discoveries of the coasts, islands, peninsulas and straits of the Bering Sea were made by Russian explorers, animal traders and sailors in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Comprehensive studies of the Bering Sea were carried out by Russian naval sailors, hydrographers and naturalists especially intensively until the 1870s. Before the sale of Russian America (1867), the entire coast of the Bering Sea was part of the possession of the Russian Empire.

Household use. In the Bering Sea, there are about 240 species of fish, of which at least 35 species are commercial. Cod, flounder, halibut, Pacific perch, herring and salmon are caught. Kamchatka crab and shrimp are harvested. Walruses, sea lions, sea otters live. On the Commander and Aleutian Islands there are fur seal rookeries. Baleen whales, sperm whales, beluga whales and killer whales live in the open sea. On the rocky shores there are bird colonies. The Bering Sea is of great transport importance as part of the Northern Sea Route. The main ports are Anadyr, Provideniya (Russia), Nome (USA).

The ecological state of the Bering Sea is consistently satisfactory. The concentration of pollutants increases in estuarine zones of rivers, in bays, in ports, which leads to some reduction in the size of aquatic organisms in coastal areas.

Lit .: Dobrovolsky A.D., Zalogin B.S. of the Sea of ​​the USSR. M., 1982; Bogdanov N.A. Tectonics of deep-sea depressions of the marginal seas. M., 1988; Zalogin B.S., Kosarev A.N. Seas. M., 1999; Dynamics of ecosystems of the Bering and Chukchi seas. M., 2000.

Bering Sea

The largest of the Far Eastern seas washing the shores of Russia - the Bering Sea is located between two continents - Asia and North America - and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the islands of the Commander-Aleutian arc. Its northern border coincides with the southern border of the Bering Strait and stretches along the line of Cape Novosilskiy (Chukotka Peninsula) - Cape York (Seward Peninsula), the eastern one runs along the coast of the American continent, the southern one - from Cape Khabuch (Peninsula Alaska) through the Aleutian Islands to Cape Kamchatsky, western - along the coast of the Asian continent.

The Bering Sea is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 2315 thousand km 2, volume - 3796 thousand km 3, average depth - 1640 m, maximum depth - 4097 m.The area with depths less than 500 m occupies about half of the entire area of ​​the Bering Sea, which belongs to the marginal seas of a mixed -oceanic type.

There are few islands in the vast expanses of the Bering Sea. Apart from the border Aleutian island arc and the Commander Islands, there are large Karaginsky Islands in the west and several islands (St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nelson, Nunivak, St. Paul, St. George, Pribilov) in the sea.

The coastline of the Bering Sea is heavily indented. It forms many bays, bays, peninsulas, capes and straits. For the formation of many natural processes in this sea, the straits are especially important, providing water exchange with the Pacific Ocean. The total area of ​​their cross-section is about 730 km 2, the depths in some of them reach 1000-2000 m, and in Kamchatka - 4000-4500 m, as a result of which water exchange occurs not only in the surface, but also in the deep horizons. The cross-sectional area of ​​the Bering Strait is 3.4 km 2, and the depth is only 60 m. The waters of the Chukchi Sea practically do not affect the Bering Sea, but the Bering Sea waters play a very significant role in the Chukchi Sea.

The boundaries of the seas of the Pacific Ocean

Different parts of the coast of the Bering Sea belong to different geomorphological types of coast. Basically, the shores are abrasive, but there are also accumulative ones. The sea is surrounded mainly by high and steep shores; only in the middle part of the western and eastern coasts, wide strips of flat low-lying tundra approach it. Narrower strips of low-lying coastline are located near the mouths of small rivers in the form of a deltaic alluvial valley or border the tops of bays and gulfs.

Bering Sea coastal landscapes

Bottom relief

In the relief of the bottom of the Bering Sea, the main morphological zones are clearly distinguished: the shelf and island shoals, the continental slope and the deep-water basin. The shelf zone with depths of up to 200 m is mainly located in the northern and eastern parts of the sea and occupies more than 40% of its area. Here it adjoins the geologically ancient regions of Chukotka and Alaska. The seabed in this area is a vast, very gently sloping underwater plain 600-1000 km wide, within which there are several islands, hollows and small elevations in the seabed. The continental shelf off the coast of Kamchatka and the islands of the Commander-Aleutian ridge looks different. Here it is narrow and its relief is very difficult. It borders the shores of geologically young and very mobile land areas, within which intense and frequent manifestations of volcanism and seismic activity are common.

The continental slope stretches from the north-west to the south-east approximately along the line from Cape Navarin to about. Unimack. Together with the island slope zone, it occupies about 13% of the sea area, has a depth of 200 to 300 m and is characterized by a complex bottom topography. The continental slope zone is dissected by underwater valleys, many of which are typical underwater canyons, deeply cut into the seabed and having steep and even steep slopes. Some canyons, especially near the Pribilov Islands, are distinguished by a complex structure.

The deep-water zone (3000-4000 m) is located in the southwestern and central parts of the sea and is bordered by a relatively narrow strip of coastal shoals. Its area exceeds 40% of the sea area. The bottom relief is very calm. It is characterized by an almost complete absence of isolated depressions. The slopes of some bottom depressions are very gentle; these depressions are weakly isolated. Of the positive forms, the Shirshov Ridge stands out, but it has a relatively shallow depth on the ridge (mainly 500-600 m with a saddle of 2500 m) and does not come close to the base of the island arc, but ends in front of a narrow but deep (about 3500 m) Ratmanov Trench. The deepest depths of the Bering Sea (more than 4000 m) are located in the Kamchatka Strait and near the Aleutian Islands, but they occupy an insignificant area. Thus, the bottom topography determines the possibility of water exchange between individual parts of the sea: without restrictions within the depths of 2000-2500 m and with some restriction (determined by the section of the Ratmanov trough) to depths of 3500 m.

Topography of the bottom and current of the Bering Sea

Climate

Geographical location and large areas determine the main features of the Bering Sea climate. It is almost entirely in the subarctic climatic zone, only the northernmost part (north of 64 ° N) belongs to the Arctic zone, and the southernmost part (south of 55 ° N) belongs to the temperate zone. In accordance with this, climatic differences between different regions of the sea are determined. North of 55-56 ° N in the climate of the sea (especially in its coastal regions) features of continentality are noticeably expressed, but in areas remote from the coast, they are much less pronounced. To the south of these parallels, the climate is mild, typically maritime. It is characterized by small daily and annual air temperature amplitudes, large cloud cover and significant amount of precipitation. As you get closer to the coast, the influence of the ocean on the climate decreases. Due to stronger cooling and less significant warming up of the part of the Asian continent adjacent to the sea, the western regions of the sea are colder than the eastern ones. Throughout the year, the Bering Sea is under the influence of permanent centers of atmospheric action - the Polar and Hawaiian maximums, the position and intensity of which change from season to season, and, accordingly, the degree of their influence on the sea changes. It experiences no less influence from seasonal large-scale baric formations: the Aleutian minimum, the Siberian maximum, and the Asian depression. Their complex interaction determines the seasonal characteristics of atmospheric processes.

In the cold season, especially in winter, the sea is influenced mainly by the Aleutian minimum, the Polar maximum and the Yakutsk spur of the Siberian anticyclone. Sometimes the impact of the Hawaiian maximum is felt, which at this time occupies the extreme southern position. Such a synoptic environment leads to a wide variety of winds, the entire meteorological situation over the sea. At this time, winds of almost all directions are observed here. However, the northwestern, northern and northeastern ones predominate noticeably. Their total repeatability is 50-70%. Only in the eastern part of the sea, south of 50 ° N, southern and southwestern winds are quite often observed, and in some places southeastern winds. The wind speed in the coastal zone averages 6-8 m / s, and in open areas it varies from 6 to 12 m / s, and increases from north to south. The winds of the northern, western and eastern points carry with them cold sea arctic air from the Arctic Ocean, and cold and dry continental polar and continental arctic air from the Asian and American continents. With the winds of the southern directions, the polar sea air, and sometimes the tropical sea air, comes here. Above the sea, mainly masses of continental arctic and sea polar air interact, on the border of which an arctic front is formed. It is located somewhat north of the Aleutian arc and stretches generally from southwest to northeast. At the frontal section of these air masses, cyclones are formed, moving approximately along the front to the northeast. The movement of these cyclones contributes to the strengthening of the northerly winds in the west and weakening them or even changing to the south winds in the east of the sea. Large pressure gradients caused by the Yakutsk spur of the Siberian anticyclone and the Aleutian minimum cause very strong winds in the western part of the sea. During storms, the wind speed often reaches 30-40 m / s. Usually storms last about a day, but sometimes they, with some weakening, last 7-9 days. The number of days with storms in the cold season is 5-10, in some places it reaches 15-20 per month.

Water temperature on the surface of the Bering and Okhotsk seas in summer

The air temperature in winter decreases from south to north. The average monthly temperature of the coldest months - January and February - is 1-4 ° in the southwestern and southern parts of the sea and -15-20 ° in the northern and northeastern regions. In the open sea, the air temperature is higher than in the coastal zone. Off the coast of Alaska, it can drop to -40-48 °. In open spaces, temperatures below –24 ° C are not observed.

In the warm season, a restructuring of the baric systems takes place. Beginning in spring, the intensity of the Aleutian minimum decreases, and in summer it is very weakly expressed, the Yakut spur of the Siberian anticyclone disappears, the Polar maximum shifts to the north, and the Hawaiian maximum takes its extreme northern position. As a result of such a synoptic situation, in warm seasons, southwestern, southern and southeasterly winds prevail, the frequency of which is 30-60%. Their speed in the western part of the open sea is 4-6 m / s, and in the eastern regions - 4-7 m / s. In the coastal zone, the wind speed is lower. The decrease in wind speeds in comparison with winter values ​​is explained by a decrease in atmospheric pressure gradients over the sea. In summer, the Arctic front shifts south of the Aleutian Islands. Here cyclones originate, with the passage of which a significant increase in winds is associated. In summer, the frequency of storms and wind speeds are less than in winter. Only in the southern part of the sea, where tropical cyclones (typhoons) penetrate, do they cause violent storms with hurricane force winds. Typhoons in the Bering Sea are most likely from June to October; they are usually observed no more than once a month and last for several days. The air temperature in summer generally decreases from south to north, and it is slightly higher in the eastern part of the sea than in the western one. Average monthly air temperatures in the warmest months - July and August - within the sea vary from about 4 ° in the north to 13 ° in the south, and they are higher near the coast than in the open sea. Relatively mild winters in the south and cold in the north, and everywhere cool, cloudy summers are the main seasonal features of the weather in the Bering Sea. The continental runoff into the sea is approximately 400 km 3 per year. Most of the river water flows into its northernmost part, where the largest rivers flow: Yukon (176 km 3), Kuskokwim (50 km 3 / year) and Anadyr (41 km 3 / year). About 85% of the total annual runoff occurs in the summer months. The influence of river waters on the sea is felt mainly in the coastal zone on the northern edge of the sea in summer.

Hydrology and water circulation

The geographic location, vast expanses, relatively good communication with the Pacific Ocean through the Aleutian ridge straits in the south and extremely limited communication with the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait in the north determine the hydrological conditions of the Bering Sea. The components of its heat budget depend mainly on climatic conditions and, to a much lesser extent, on advection of heat by currents. In this regard, different climatic conditions in the northern and southern parts of the sea entail differences in the heat balance of each of them, which accordingly affects the temperature of the water in the sea.

On the contrary, for the water balance of the Bering Sea, water exchange is of decisive importance. Very large quantities of surface and deep ocean waters flow through the Aleutian straits, and through the Bering Strait, water flows into the Chukchi Sea. Precipitation (about 0.1% of the sea volume) and river runoff (about 0.02%) are very small in relation to the huge area and volume of sea waters, therefore, they are less significant in the water balance than water exchange through the Aleutian straits.

However, the water exchange through these straits has not yet been sufficiently studied. It is known that large masses of surface water leave the sea into the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. The overwhelming mass of deep ocean water enters the sea in three regions: through the eastern half of the Middle Strait, through almost all the straits of the Fox Islands and through the Amchitka, Tanaga and other straits between the Rat and Andrianovskiy islands. It is possible that deeper waters penetrate the sea and through the Kamchatka Strait, if not constantly, then periodically or sporadically. Water exchange between the sea and the ocean affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, structure formation and general circulation of the Bering Sea waters.

The bulk of the Bering Sea waters is characterized by a subarctic structure, the main feature of which is the existence of a cold intermediate layer in summer, as well as a warm intermediate layer located below it. Only in the southernmost part of the sea, in the areas immediately adjacent to the Aleutian ridge, waters of a different structure were found, where both intermediate layers are absent.

Water temperature and salinity

Salinity on the surface of the Bering and Okhotsk seas in summer

The bulk of the sea water, which occupies its deep-water part, is clearly divided in summer into four layers: surface, cold intermediate, warm intermediate and deep. This stratification is mainly determined by differences in temperature, and the change in salinity with depth is small.

The surface water mass in summer is the most heated upper layer from the surface to a depth of 25-50 m, characterized by a temperature of 7-10 ° at the surface and 4-6 ° at the lower boundary and a salinity of about 33 ‰. The greatest thickness of this water mass is observed in the open part of the sea. The lower boundary of the surface water mass is the temperature jump layer. The cold intermediate layer is formed here as a result of winter convective mixing and subsequent summer heating of the upper layer of water. This layer has an insignificant thickness in the southeastern part of the sea, but as it approaches the western shores it reaches 200 m and more. The minimum temperature is recorded at the horizons of about 150-170 m. In the eastern part, the minimum temperature is 2.5-3.5 °, and in the western part of the sea it drops to 2 ° in the Koryak coast region and to 1 ° and lower in the Karaginsky bay area. The salinity of the cold intermediate layer is 33.2-33.5 ‰. At the lower boundary of this layer, salinity rises rapidly to 34 ‰.

Vertical distribution of water temperature (1) and salinity (2) in the Bering Sea

In warm years in the south, in the deep-sea part of the sea, the cold intermediate layer may be absent in summer, then the temperature decreases relatively smoothly with depth, with a general warming of the entire water column. The origin of the intermediate layer is associated with the influx of Pacific water, which cools from above as a result of winter convection. Convection reaches here horizons of 150-250 m, and under its lower boundary there is an increased temperature - a warm intermediate layer. The maximum temperature varies from 3.4-3.5 to 3.7-3.9 °. The depth of the core of the warm intermediate layer in the central regions of the sea is about 300 m, to the south it decreases to 200 m, and to the north and west it increases to 400 m and more. The lower boundary of the warm intermediate layer is eroded, approximately it is outlined in the 650-900 m layer.

The deep water mass, which occupies most of the volume of the sea, does not differ significantly both in depth and in the area of ​​the sea. For more than 3000 m, the temperature varies from about 2.7-3.0 to 1.5-1.8 ° at the bottom. Salinity is 34.3-34.8 ‰.

As we move south to the straits of the Aleutian ridge, the stratification of the waters is gradually erased, the temperature of the core of the cold intermediate layer rises, approaching in value to the temperature of the warm intermediate layer. The waters are gradually acquiring a qualitatively different structure of the Pacific water.

In some areas, especially in shallow water, the main water masses change, new masses of local importance appear. For example, in the western part of the Anadyr Bay, a freshened water mass is formed under the influence of continental runoff, and in the northern and eastern parts - a cold water mass of the Arctic type. There is no warm intermediate layer here. In some shallow areas of the sea, cold waters are observed in the bottom layer in summer. Their formation is associated with the vortex circulation of water. The temperature in these cold "spots" drops to -0.5-1 °.

As a result of autumn-winter cooling, summer heating and mixing in the Bering Sea, the surface water mass is most strongly transformed, as well as the cold intermediate layer. The intermediate Pacific water changes its characteristics very slightly during the year and only in a thin upper layer. Deep waters do not change significantly during the year.

The water temperature at the sea surface generally decreases from south to north, and the water in the western part of the sea is somewhat colder than in the eastern one. In winter, in the south of the western part of the sea, the surface water temperature is usually 1-3 °, and in the eastern part - 2-3 °. In the north, throughout the sea, the water temperature is kept in the range from 0 ° to -1.5 °. In the spring, the water begins to warm up, and the ice melts, while the temperature rises slightly. In summer, the surface water temperature is 9-11 ° in the south of the western part and 8-10 ° in the south of the eastern part. In the northern regions of the sea, it is 4 ° in the west and 4-6 ° in the east. In shallow coastal areas, the surface water temperature is slightly higher than in the open areas of the Bering Sea.

The vertical distribution of water temperature in the open sea is characterized by seasonal changes up to horizons of 150-200 m, deeper than which they are practically absent.

Scheme of water exchange in the Okhotsk and Bering seas

In winter, the surface temperature, equal to about 2 °, extends to the horizons of 140-150 m, below it rises to about 3.5 ° at the horizons of 200-250 m, then its value almost does not change with depth.

In spring, the water temperature on the surface rises to about 3.8 ° and remains up to the horizons of 40-50 m, then to the horizons of 65-80 m it sharply, and then (up to 150 m) very gradually decreases with depth and slightly rises from a depth of 200 m to the bottom.

In summer, the water temperature on the surface reaches 7-8 °, but very sharply (up to 2.5 °) drops with a depth to the horizon of 50 m, below its vertical course is almost the same as in spring.

In general, the water temperature in the open part of the Bering Sea is characterized by a relative homogeneity of spatial distribution in the surface and deep layers and relatively small seasonal fluctuations, which appear only up to horizons of 200-300 m.

The salinity of the surface waters of the sea varies from 33-33.5 ‰ in the south to 31 ‰ in the east and northeast and up to 28.6 ‰ in the Bering Strait. Water desalinates most significantly in spring and summer in the areas of confluence of the Anadyr, Yukon and Kuskokvim rivers. However, the direction of the main currents along the coasts limits the influence of the continental runoff on the deep regions of the sea.

The vertical distribution of salinity is almost the same in all seasons. From the surface to the horizon 100-125 m, it is approximately equal to 33.2-33.3 ‰. Salinity slightly increases from levels 125-150 to 200-250 m, deeper it remains almost unchanged to the bottom.

In accordance with small spatio-temporal changes in temperature and salinity, the density also changes insignificantly. The distribution of oceanological characteristics over depth indicates a relatively weak vertical stratification of the Bering Sea waters. In combination with strong winds, this creates favorable conditions for the development of wind mixing. In the cold season, it covers the upper layers up to horizons of 100-125 m, in the warm season, when the waters are stratified more sharply, and the winds are weaker than in autumn and winter, wind mixing penetrates to the horizons of 75-100 m in the deep and up to 50-60 m in coastal areas.

Significant cooling of waters, and in the northern regions and intense ice formation, contribute to the good development of autumn-winter convection in the sea. During October - November, it captures the surface layer of 35-50 m and continues to penetrate deeper.

The boundary of the penetration of winter convection deepens when approaching the shores due to increased cooling near the continental slope and shoals. In the southwestern part of the sea, this depression is especially large. This is related to the observed sinking of cold waters along the coastal slope.

Due to the low air temperature caused by the high latitude of the northwestern region, winter convection develops very intensively here and, probably, already in mid-January (due to the shallowness of the region) reaches the bottom.

Currents

As a result of the complex interaction of winds, the inflow of water through the straits of the Aleutian ridge, tides and other factors, a field of constant currents in the sea is created.

The predominant mass of water from the ocean enters the Bering Sea through the eastern part of the Middle Strait, as well as through other significant straits of the Aleutian ridge.

The waters entering through the Middle Strait and spreading first in an easterly direction, then turn to the north. At a latitude of about 55 °, these waters merge with the waters coming from the Amchitka Strait, forming the main flow of the central part of the sea. This stream supports the existence of two stable gyres here - a large, cyclonic, covering the central deep-water part of the sea, and a less significant, anticyclonic. The waters of the main stream are directed to the northwest and almost reach the Asian shores. Here, most of the waters turn along the coast to the southwest, giving rise to the cold Kamchatka Current, and out into the ocean through the Kamchatka Strait. Part of this water is discharged into the ocean through the western part of the Middle Strait, and a very small part is included in the main circulation.

The waters entering through the eastern straits of the Aleutian ridge also cross the central basin and move to the north-northwest. At approximately 60 ° latitude, these waters divide into two branches: the northwestern, heading towards Anadyr Bay and further northeast, to the Bering Strait, and the northeastern, moving towards Norton Sound, and then northward, to Beringov strait.

The velocities of the constant currents in the sea are not high. The highest values ​​(up to 25-50 cm / s) are observed in the areas of the straits, and in the open sea they are equal to 6 cm / s, and the velocities are especially low in the zone of the central cyclonic circulation.

The tides in the Bering Sea are mainly caused by the propagation of the tidal wave from the Pacific Ocean.

In the Aleutian Straits, the tides have an irregular daily and irregular semidiurnal character. Off the coast of Kamchatka, during the intermediate phases of the Moon, the tide changes from semidiurnal to diurnal, at high inclinations of the Moon it becomes almost purely daily, at small - semidiurnal. At the Koryak coast, from the Olyutorsky bay to the mouth of the river. Anadyr, the tide is incorrect, semi-daily, and off the coast of Chukotka, the correct semi-daily. In the area of ​​Provideniya Bay, the tide again turns into an irregular semidiurnal. In the eastern part of the sea, from Cape Prince of Wales to Cape Nome, the tides have both regular and irregular semidiurnal character.

South of the mouth of the Yukon, the tide becomes irregular semidiurnal.

Tidal currents in the open sea are circular in nature, and their speed is 15-60 cm / s. Near the coast and in the straits, tidal currents are reversible, and their speed reaches 1–2 m / s.

Cyclonic activity developing over the Bering Sea leads to very strong and sometimes prolonged storms. The excitement is especially strong from November to May. At this time of the year, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice, and therefore the strongest waves are observed in the southern part. Here, in May, the frequency of waves of more than 5 points reaches 20-30%, and in the northern part of the sea, due to ice, it is absent. In August, waves and swell over 5 points reach the greatest development in the eastern part of the sea, where the frequency of such waves reaches 20%. In autumn, in the southeastern part of the sea, the frequency of strong waves is up to 40%.

With prolonged winds of medium strength and significant acceleration of waves, their height reaches 6-8 m, with winds of 20-30 m / s and more - up to 10 m, and in some cases - up to 12 and even 14 m. Periods of storm waves reach 9-11 s, and with moderate excitement - up to 5-7 s.

Kunashir Island

In addition to wind waves, swell is observed in the Bering Sea, the highest frequency of which (40%) occurs in autumn. In the coastal zone, the nature and parameters of the waves are very different depending on the physical and geographical conditions of the area.

Ice cover

For most of the year, much of the Bering Sea is ice-covered. The ice in the sea is of local origin, i.e. formed, destroyed and melted in the sea itself. In the northern part of the sea through the Bering Strait, winds and currents bring in a small amount of ice from the Arctic basin, which usually does not penetrate south of about. St. Lawrence.

In terms of ice conditions, the northern and southern parts of the sea differ. The approximate border between them is the extreme southern position of ice during the year - in April. This month the edge goes from the Gulf of Bristol through the Pribylov Islands and further west along the 57-58th parallel, and then descends south to the Commander Islands and runs along the coast to the southern tip of Kamchatka. The southern part of the sea does not freeze at all. Warm Pacific waters entering the Bering Sea through the Aleutian Straits squeeze the floating ice to the north, and the ice edge in the central part of the sea is always curved to the north.

Ice formation begins first in the northwestern part of the Bering Sea, where ice appears in October and gradually moves southward. In the Bering Strait, ice appears in September. In winter, the strait is filled with solid broken ice drifting northward.

Ice can be found in Anadyr Bay and Norton Sound as early as September. In early November, ice appears in the area of ​​Cape Navarin, and in mid-November it spreads to Cape Olyutorsky. Off the coast of Kamchatka and the Commander Islands, floating ice usually appears in December and only as an exception in November. During the winter, the entire northern part of the sea, approximately up to the parallel of 60 °, is filled with heavy, hummocky ice, the thickness of which reaches 6-10 m. Broken ice and separate ice fields are found south of the parallel of the Pribilov Islands.

However, even during the greatest development of ice formation, the open part of the Bering Sea is never covered with ice. In the open sea, under the influence of winds and currents, ice is in constant motion, and strong compression often occurs. This leads to the formation of hummocks, the maximum height of which can reach 20 m. Due to periodic compression and thinning of ice associated with tides, ice accumulations, numerous openings and openings are formed.

Fixed ice, which forms in closed bays and bays in winter, during stormy winds can be broken up and carried out to sea. The ice of the eastern part of the sea is carried to the north, into the Chukchi Sea.

In April, the boundary of the floating ice moves as far south as possible. Since May, the ice begins to gradually break down and retreat to the north. During July and August, the sea is completely ice-free, but during these months ice can be found in the Bering Strait. Strong winds contribute to the destruction of the ice cover and the removal of ice from the sea in summer.

In bays and bays, where the freshening effect of river runoff affects, the conditions for ice formation are more favorable than in the open sea. Winds have a great influence on the location of ice. Surge winds often clog individual bays, bays and straits with heavy ice brought from the open sea. Gap winds, on the contrary, carry ice into the sea, at times clearing the entire coastal area.

Bird market

Economic value

The fish of the Bering Sea are represented by more than 400 species, of which only no more than 35 are important commercial fish. These are salmon, cod, flounder. Perch, grenadier, capelin, coal fish, etc. are also caught in the sea.

It is located in its northern part. It is separated from the endless ocean waters by the Aleutian and Commander Islands. In the north, through the Bering Strait, it connects with the Chukchi Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean. The reservoir washes the shores of Alaska, Chukotka, Kamchatka. Its area is 2.3 million square meters. km. The average depth is 1600 meters, the maximum is 4150 meters. The volume of water is 3.8 million cubic meters. km. The length of the reservoir from north to south is 1.6 thousand km, and from west to east it is 2.4 thousand km.

Historical reference

Many experts believe that during the last ice age the sea level was low, and therefore the Bering Strait was dry land. This is the so-called Bering bridge, through which the inhabitants of Asia got to the territory of North and South America in ancient times.

This reservoir was explored by the Dane Vitus Bering, who served as the captain-commander in the Russian navy. He studied northern waters in 1725-1730 and 1733-1741. During this time, he carried out two Kamchatka expeditions and discovered part of the islands of the Aleutian ridge.

In the 18th century, the reservoir was called the Kamchatka Sea. It was first named the Bering Sea at the initiative of the French navigator Charles Pierre de Fleurieu at the beginning of the 19th century. This name was fully entrenched by the end of the second decade of the 19th century.

general description

Sea bottom

In its northern part, the reservoir is shallow, thanks to the shelf, the length of which reaches 700 km. The southwestern part is deep-water. Here the depth reaches 4 km in places. The transition from shallow water to deep ocean floor is carried out along a steep underwater slope.

Water temperature and salinity

In summer, the surface water layer warms up to 10 degrees Celsius. In winter, temperatures drop to -1.7 degrees Celsius. The salinity of the upper sea layer is 30-32 ppm. The middle layer at a depth of 50 to 200 meters is cold and practically does not change throughout the year. The temperature here is -1.7 degrees Celsius, and the salinity reaches 34 ppm. Below 200 meters, the water warms up, and its temperature rises to 4 degrees Celsius with a salinity of 34.5 ppm.

The Bering Sea hosts rivers such as the Yukon in Alaska with a length of 3,100 km and Anadyr with a length of 1,152 km. The latter carries its waters through the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug of Russia.

Bering Sea on the map

Islands

The islands are concentrated on the boundaries of the reservoir. The main ones are considered Aleutian Islands, representing an archipelago. It stretches from the coast of Alaska towards Kamchatka and has 110 islands. Those, in turn, are subdivided into 5 groups. The archipelago has 25 volcanoes, and the largest is the Shishaldin volcano with an altitude of 2857 meters above sea level.

Commander Islands includes 4 islands. They are located in the southwestern part of the reservoir in question. Pribilov Islands are located north of the Aleutian skeletons. There are four of them: St. Paul, St. George, Otter and Walrus Island.

Diomede Islands(Russia) consists of 2 islands (Ratmanov Island and Kruzenstern Island) and several small rocks. They are located in the Bering Strait at approximately the same distance from Chukotka and Alaska. The Bering Sea also contains St. Lawrence Island in the southernmost part of the Bering Strait. It is part of the state of Alaska, although it is located closer to Chukotka. Experts believe that in ancient times it was part of an isthmus connecting 2 continents.

Nunivak island located off the coast of Alaska. Among all the islands belonging to the reservoir in question, it is the second largest after St. Lawrence. The southern part of the Bering Strait also contains St. Matthew island owned by the United States. Karaginsky Island located near the coast of Kamchatka. The highest point on it (Mount Vysokaya) is 920 meters above sea level.

Sea coast

Capes and bays are characteristic of the sea coast. Of the bays on the Russian coast, you can name Anadyr, washing the shores of Chukotka. Its continuation is the Gulf of the Cross, located to the north. The Karaginsky Bay is located off the coast of Kamchatka, and to the north is the Olyutorsky Bay. Deep into the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Gulf of Korf is wedged.

Bristol Bay is located off the southwest coast of Alaska. There are smaller bays to the north. This is Kuskokwim, into which the river of the same name flows, and Norton Bay.

Climate

In summer, the air temperature rises to 10 degrees Celsius. In winter, it drops to -20-23 degrees Celsius. The Bering Sea is covered with ice by the beginning of October. Ice melts by July. That is, the reservoir is covered with ice for almost 10 months. In some places, such as in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, ice can be present all year round.

The sea is inhabited by such marine mammals as bowhead and blue whales, sei whales, fin whales, humpback whales, sperm whales. There are also northern fur seals, belugas, seals, walruses, polar bears. Up to 40 species of various birds nest on the coast. Some of them are unique. In total, about 20 million birds breed in this region. 419 species of fish are registered in the reservoir. Of these, salmon, pollock, king crab, Pacific cod, halibut, and Pacific perch are of commercial value.

Further development of the ecosystem of the reservoir under consideration is uncertain. The region has seen a slight but steady increase in sea ice over the past 30 years. This was in sharp contrast to the seas of the Arctic Ocean, where the ice surface is steadily decreasing.