The Chukchi Sea belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. It is a marginal sea located between Alaska and Chukotka. It is connected with the East Siberian Sea by the Long Strait, and it is united with the Beaufort Sea near Cape Barrow. The Bering Strait connects the Chukchi Sea with the Bering Sea.
Geographic features
The Chukchi Peninsula is washed by the Chukchi Sea from the north. It divides America and Asia, as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is located immediately in the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. This region lies on the coast of three seas: Chukchi, Bering and East Siberian.
The Chukchi Sea is located on the shelf. The bottom of the reservoir reaches an average depth of 40 m. It is covered with sand, silt and gravel. In the shallows, the depth is approximately 13 m. This sea has the Barrow Canyon, where the depth is 160 m, and the Herald Canyon, with a maximum depth of 90 m.
A map of the Chukchi Sea makes it possible to see its border position between two oceans and continents. This feature determined the peculiarities of the water regime: warm currents from the Pacific Ocean come here from the south, and arctic cold waters from the north. The difference in pressure and temperature causes strong winds. Storms often occur at sea, which raise waves of about 7 m.
Climate
The coastal areas of the reservoir are the Russian Federation (Chukotka) and the USA (Alaska). The water area is almost always covered with ice. Ice drift occurs in summer when the air temperature reaches +12 degrees. Climatic conditions have developed under the influence of the Pacific Ocean. The sea area is dominated by a polar sea climate. It is characterized by a minimal amount of sunlight entering the water. Annual fluctuations in air temperature are insignificant here.
The value of the Chukchi Sea
Of the few islands in the Chukchi Sea, Wrangel Island, which belongs to Russia, stands out. On this island there is the Wrangel Island nature reserve, where polar bears are protected by the state. The line of change of dates goes along the line of the 180th meridian in the Chukchi Sea. The reservoir received its designation thanks to the Chukchi Peninsula and its indigenous inhabitants - the Chukchi. The first explorer of the Chukchi Sea was the Russian navigator Dezhnev.
The development of the sea is still difficult, as the local climate is very harsh. Heavy ice impedes human economic activity. The coast of the Chukchi Sea has been inhabited for a long time, but the local population is small. The prosperous life of people largely depends on transport links. Transportation takes place along the Northern Sea Route. In addition to sea traffic, polar aviation is used.
The coast of Alaska is also sparsely populated, despite the discovery of rich oil deposits there. According to experts, about 30 billion barrels of oil are contained in the shelf of the Chukchi Sea. Local residents are busy hunting polar cod, navaga, seals, seals, walruses, etc.
