The extreme sea of the Arctic Ocean is the Kara Sea. It got its name thanks to the Kara river flowing into the sea. It is ranked among the seas of the Siberian Arctic. The boundaries of the sea are conventional lines and land. Several islands border it in the west (Novaya Zemlya is considered the largest).
Geographic features
Almost the entire territory of the Kara Sea is occupied by the continental shelf. Great depths are rarely recorded there. In the sea there is the St. Anna Trough with a depth of about 620 m and the Voronin Trench with a maximum depth of no more than 420 m. The average depth of the sea is 111 m. The map of the Kara Sea allows us to estimate its dimensions. It is considered the largest sea in Russia. The area of this reservoir is about 883 thousand square meters. km. There are many small islands in its waters. Miniature islands form archipelagos. They are usually located along the sea coast. Single large islands: Shokalsky, Sibiryakov, Bely, Nansen, Vilkitsky and Russian.
The coast of the Kara Sea is an uneven line. Many fjords are located off the shores of Novaya Zemlya. The Yamal Peninsula crashes into the sea. There are numerous bays along the coast.
Climatic conditions
The polar marine climate prevails in the Kara Sea region. Weather conditions are explained by the peculiarities of the location of the sea and contact with the ocean. The climate softens the Atlantic Ocean, which is not so far from the Kara Sea. Warm air masses cannot penetrate here because of Novaya Zemlya Island. Therefore, the climate of the Kara Sea is much more severe than the climate of the Barents Sea. In the autumn-winter period, the weather is affected by the Siberian anticyclone. Cold winds are often formed in the north of the Kara Sea. Strong storms are not uncommon in the west. A hurricane or Novaya Zemlya bora constantly occurs near the island of Novaya Zemlya. The minimum air temperature reaches -50 degrees. Near the coast in summer, the air can warm up to +20 degrees. Despite this, it can snow at any time during the summer. The average temperature of sea water in winter is -1.8 degrees. In summer, the water reaches a temperature of +6 degrees.
Inhabitants of the Kara Sea
This sea is home to many species of fish and invertebrates. It is home to flounder, navaga, omul, muksun, walrus, seal, etc. The islands are a habitat for Arctic foxes and polar bears.
