ARCTIC OCEAN: GEOLOGICAL ORIGIN, CLIMATE, FLORA AND FAUNA - ENVIRONMENT - 2024

The Arctic Ocean - also known as the Arctic Glacial Ocean - is one of the divisions of the world ocean characterized by being the smallest and northernmost on Earth. It is located around the Arctic Circle, which is why it occupies the maritime area between North America, Asia and Europe.

In addition, this ocean joins in its north with the Atlantic Ocean, which allows it to receive large amounts of water through the Barents Sea and the Strait of Fram. Similarly, it is limited by the Bering Strait, where some of the lands of Alaska and Russia are located; these separate it from the Pacific.

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of all the oceans on the planet. Source: pixabay.com

This ocean also reaches the coasts of Canada and the northern coast of Asia and Europe. It is protected throughout the year by a series of ice masses that protect it from atmospheric influences. In fact, in the central part there are some blocks of ice that can be up to four meters thick.

Another characteristic of the Arctic is that it is sometimes covered with large ice sheets that form as a result of the sliding of huge ice packs; these are deposited one on another, creating the coating.

According to research carried out by students at the University of Oxford, it can be stated that 70 million years ago the Arctic enjoyed temperatures similar to those recorded today in the Mediterranean Sea: between 15 ° C and 20 ° C.

This could be confirmed thanks to the study of organic materials found in ice islets. The reason for this phenomenon is still unknown but it is argued that this happened thanks to the greenhouse effect caused by the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, this hypothesis has certain flaws in its approach.

Geological origin

In the early days of the ocean's formation, the Arctic had been a large lake filled with fresh water. However, when the land bridge between Scotland and Greenland was submerged, large amounts of salt water entered from the Atlantic Ocean.

This could be verified by a series of German researchers (Alfred Wegener Institute) through a climate model.

Every year, up to 3,000 cubic kilometers of fresh water flow to the Arctic; this is the equivalent of 10% of the volume of all the water in the world's rivers that carry currents to the oceans.

It is believed that during the Eocene - 56 million years ago - the amount of fresh water was much higher due to a humid and warm climate.

However, unlike today, in that geological period there was an exchange of water with the other oceans. At that time, the influx of salty waters from the Pacific and the Atlantic was not possible as the ridge between Scotland and Greenland was not submerged, but rather rose above sea level.

After the disappearance of the land bridge, a connection between the North Atlantic and the Arctic was established, thus facilitating the exchange of liquids.

The experiment

Using a climate model, German scientists were able to successfully simulate the effect of this geological metamorphosis on the climate.

During the simulations they were in charge of gradually submerging the land bridge until reaching a depth of two hundred meters; this was a tectonic process that required several million decades.

A curious fact for the researchers was to realize that the greatest changes in the currents and characteristics of the Arctic occurred only when the land bridge reached a depth of fifty meters below the oceanic surface.

This depth corresponds to the depth of the bonding surface layer; that is, the layer that allows determining where the light water of the Arctic ends and where the layer of dense water from the North Atlantic begins.

Consequently, saline water from the Atlantic can flow into the Arctic Ocean only when the oceanic crest is positioned below the light water layer.

In conclusion, once the bridge between Scotland and Greenland reached that certain depth, the Arctic Ocean was created, as it is known today.

The formation of oceanic routes and interconnections has a determining weight in the history of global climates because it leads to several changes in the transport of thermal energy from the Global ocean between the polar and middle latitudes.

Finding of fossils

This theory of the isolation of the Arctic basin is not only supported by the research of German scientists, but is also based on the discovery of a series of algae fossils that can only grow in fresh water.

These algae were found in sediments obtained during the international drilling of the North Pole in 2004 and belonged to the Eocene period. What was once a bridge, today is submerged up to 500 meters under water and is made up mainly of volcanic basalt.

Of this volcanic territory only the nation of Iceland is the only section that has remained above the water surface.

The North Pole

The Arctic Ocean is considered the smallest and northernmost body of water in the world, characterized by surrounding the Arctic Circle or North Pole.

It is the coldest ocean on the globe, so its waters are covered throughout the year with a huge layer of ice. Despite this, a fairly adapted way of life has developed in the Arctic, although the species have to deal with harsh climatic conditions.

Unlike the north pole, the south pole has a continental shelf where the ice rests; the north pole does not have any solid ground under the enormous ice sheets. This causes its central waters to be recharged with floating frozen rubble.

characteristics

Location

The Arctic Ocean borders the Atlantic Ocean in its northern part, which explains the salinity of its waters. It is also bordered by the Bering Strait, encompassing the coasts of Alaska and Chukotka (Russian district). These land regions separate the Arctic from the Pacific Ocean.

The Arctic Ocean also borders the northern coast of Canada and other regions of Europe and Asia. Regarding its latitude, it can be established that its coordinates are between 90 ° N and 0 ° E.

Dimensions

In relation to the dimensions of the Arctic Ocean, it is established that its average depth is about 1205 meters, while its maximum depth is close to 5600 meters; this has been calculated in the Molloy abyss.

The length of its coastline covers about 45,389 kilometers and has a series of smaller islands such as the Ellesmere, New Zealand, Baffin, Victoria, Melville and Devon islands, among others.

Surface

The surface of the Arctic Ocean is about 14.06 million square kilometers, making it the smallest ocean of all.

For example, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans exceed 100 million square kilometers, while the Indian Ocean reaches 70.56 million. The Antarctic Ocean follows the Arctic in smaller size, since it has about 20 million square kilometers.

Geography

The Arctic glacial ocean is characterized by occupying a circular basin whose size is similar to that of the Russian territory. Furthermore, it is surrounded by some Eurasian land masses along with Greenland and several small islands.

Generally, geographical delimitations consider that the Arctic Ocean includes a series of water bodies, such as Baffin Bay, Beaufort Sea, Barents Sea, East Siberian Sea, White Sea, Hudson Strait, the Greenland Sea and Hudson Bay.

This ocean also has direct connections to the Labrador Sea and the Pacific Ocean, allowing it to receive significant amounts of water from these sources.

- Islands

Ellesmere

It is an island that is 196,235 square kilometers in size, making it the third largest island in Canada.

Ellesmere is traversed by the entire Arctic mountain range, which makes it one of the most mountainous island regions of the entire archipelago.

Several species of animals have been recorded on this island, such as caribou, polar bear, Arctic wolf and musk ox. Regarding its flora, the only woody species that has been able to grow in Ellesmere is the Salix arctica.

In turn, Ellesmere is home to the northernmost human settlement on the planet, known as Alert. In administrative terms, the island is part of Nunavut, a province of Canada.

New Zembla

Nueva Zembla means "new land" and is an archipelago located in the Arctic of Russian territory. It is made up of two islands separated by the Matochkin Strait together with a group of smaller islands.

Its main islands are Severny and Yuzny, which cover a total area of ​​90,650 square kilometers.

Baffin Island

It is also called "the land of Baffin" or "the land of the silver stone." It is a large island that is located in the extreme northeast of the territories of Canada; consequently, this island belongs to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

It is the largest island in this country and the fifth largest in the world, with an area of ​​507,451 square kilometers. In administrative terms, Baffin belongs to the territory of Nunavut.

Greenland

Melted iceberg at Cape York (Greenland). Source: Brocken InagloryThis image was edited byUser: CillanXC This island is an autonomous territory that belongs to the kingdom of Denmark. 84% of its surface remains covered with ice and it is considered the largest island in the world. Its territories cover 2 166 086 million square kilometers.

Greenland was discovered in 982 by the Norwegian Viking Erik Thorvaldsson, also known as Erik the Red.

Devon and Melville Islands

The Arctic Ocean also has some uninhabited islands, such as Melville Island and Devon Island, which despite being of a good size, are very hostile to human settlement.

- Straits

Bering strait

The Bering Strait consists of an arm of the sea that is located between the extreme north-west of America and the extreme east of Asia.

It is 82 kilometers wide and its name was selected in honor of Vitus Bering, a Danish explorer who decided to cross it in 1728.

Hudson strait

The Hudson Strait is a marine strait that is located in the Arctic territory of Canada. It consists of an arm of the sea that connects the Atlantic Ocean with Hudson Bay (Arctic Ocean).

This strait can only be navigated in early autumn and late summer due to the large amounts of ice that form in its waters. However, with the use of the ice pick it has become more accessible.

geology

Underwater structural features

The north polar basin is separated in two by an oceanic ridge. The segments that are formed are the following: the Eurasian basin, with a depth of 4,500 meters; and the Asian-American basin, about 4000 meters deep.

The bathymetry - underwater equivalent of altimetry - of the ocean floor is marked by a series of ridges made up of faults and plains of the abyssal zone; the latter consist of submarine extensions near the coast that have depths of less than 2000 meters.

The deepest point of the Arctic Ocean is located in the Eurasian basin, being 5450 meters. The rest of the ocean is about 1,000 meters deep.

In turn, the two main basins are divided into a group of dorsal basins, these being the Canadian basin, the Makarov basin, the Fram basin and the Nansen basin.

Weather

The climate of the Arctic Ocean is mainly constituted by polar climates, which are characterized by continuous cold and very narrow temperature variations. For example, during winter there is perennial darkness accompanied by cold winds and clear skies.

In summers there is continuous solar lighting; however, the weather is humid and misty, accompanied by recurrent snowfalls and some mild cyclones that bring snow or rain. This implies that the thermal sensation of the place is quite cold.

This type of climate reduces the possibilities of life in these areas; however, up to 400 species of animals have been recorded in the Arctic. The best known is the polar bear, which is an endemic specimen from this region.

Environmental problems in the Arctic

Today many scientists are concerned about the warming of the Arctic, whose ice pack has been thinning dramatically over the years.

Some research estimates that the Arctic will be ice-free between 2020 and 2040, which will harm the overall climate on Earth.

As the ice melts, the Arctic releases large amounts of water that penetrate the Atlantic currents. In the future, this phenomenon can result in large floods that would cause huge migrations of living beings, along with a notable loss of both human and animal lives.

In the last four decades climate changes have been drastic. Source: pixabay.com

The dangers of global warming are imminent: the Arctic ice sheets have been known to shrink by as much as 40% in the last 50 years, wreaking great havoc on the ecological balance not just in the polar zone but throughout the world.

Today many species are beginning to suffer from these changes, such as the polar bear, which requires ice caps to hunt its prey and to survive.

Flora

The flora of the Arctic Ocean not only includes those plants that grow in the deep sea, but also includes the species that thrive on islands and Arctic coasts fed by the cold winds of this ocean.

For example, mosses and lichens develop quite frequently in Arctic territories.

Mosses (

Mugos, also known as bryophytes, are non-vascular plants whose life cycle has heteromorphic and heterophasic alternations.

Mosses can reproduce sexually or asexually. In the first case, the reproduction takes place inside the archegonium, while in the second the reproduction takes place through the gametophyte, starting from the propagules.

As for its size, it can vary according to the species: it can grow only one centimeter or up to ten centimeters.

The moss is characterized by the lack of stem and lobed leaves. They are usually abundant and can be found anywhere. However, they need humid places because they use these for their reproduction; for this reason they grow in the arctic territories.

Lichens

Lichens are organisms that are born from the symbiosis between an alga and a fungus. They also require a third component: a yeast belonging to the Basidiomycota division; however, the role of this yeast in lichen is still unknown.

Likewise, lichens are characterized by being multicellular organisms with a high capacity to adapt to the most adverse environmental conditions, which makes it easier for lichens to be found in various ecosystems.

Figure 1. Lichen Xanthoria elegans is a known psychrophile that can photosynthesize at temperatures as low as -24 ° C. Photograph taken in Alberta, Canada. Source: Jason Hollinger via

These abilities of the lichen are due to the combination of the elements of the algae and the fungus. For example, the fungus protects itself from solar radiation while the alga has a high photosynthesis capacity.

Fauna

The fauna of the Arctic Ocean is mainly made up of whales, seals, polar bears and krill, a very important organism that feeds large cetaceans.

Whale (Balaenidae)

The balenids are part of a family of mysticetes cetaceans, from which four main species are generated.

These mammals are characterized by their long hearing, which allows them to communicate over long distances with their companions. In their adulthood they can measure up to 17 meters long and reach a weight of 80 tons.

These cetaceans have a horizontally arranged tail; this allows them to rise to the surface. These animals need to go up to breathe, but it is possible that they last a maximum of an hour submerged.

At the top of their head they have two spiracles whose function is to expel water accompanied by mucus. The whales' pregnancy lasts up to twelve months and they give birth to a single calf; This calf is milk-fed and can live to be thirty years old.

They can make large migrations because they must feed in cold seas (there they feed on krill) and mate in warm seas.

Krill (Euphausiacea)

Krill are part of an order of malacostraceous crustaceans and are found in all the world's oceans. Their diet is made up of phytoplankton and they are essential to maintain the food chain of the oceans.

There are records that, if all the krill in the Atlantic Ocean are accumulated, a biomass of 379,000,000 tons is obtained, which makes them one of the most populous species in the world.

Polar Bear (

The polar bear, also known as the white bear, is a mammal known to be one of the largest carnivores in terrestrial ecosystems. It is endemic to the polar and icy areas of the northern hemisphere and is the only super predator located in the Arctic.

Polar bear in Svalbard (Norway). Source: Arturo de Frias Marques This bear is characterized by having a longer profile than the rest of its relatives, together with more developed legs that allow it to swim long distances. Their tail and ears are very short, which allows them to better maintain body heat.

They also have a thick layer of subcutaneous fat accompanied by a dense coat. In fact, although it may seem incredible, it is important to note that the fur of this bear is not white but translucent and its hairs are hollow in order to isolate the cold. The human eye perceives it as white as a consequence of the incidence of sunlight.

Countries with coasts in the Arctic

Below is a list of the countries that are located in the space occupied by the Arctic Ocean:

- Greenland.

- Russia.

- Canada.

- United States (Alaska).

- Norway.

- Finland.

References

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2. SA (2008) The countries of the Arctic Ocean meet to decide how the seabed of the North Pole is divided. Retrieved on July 18, 2019 from Solar Energy News: news.soliclima.com
3. SA (sf) 10 characteristics of the Arctic ocean. Retrieved on July 18, 2019 from Features: Features.co
4. SA (sf) Arctic Ocean. Retrieved on July 18, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
5. SA (sf.) Arctic Ocean: location, characteristics and limits. Retrieved on July 18, 2019 from My solar system: misistemasolar.com