Glaciers encircle the northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean on one side and the west coast of Antarctica on the other. The entire surface of the reservoir is covered with centuries-old ice.
In the neighborhood with it, the pointed cape Dart crashes into permafrost. In the east is Thurston Island. Landmark - Mary Byrd Land. As you see, you should not deceive yourself, once wondering where the Amundsen Sea is in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaiian Islands are located in a completely different part of it, like all the popular tourist destinations for beach and sightseeing holidays.
Geological characteristics
The basin borders on other northern parts of the ocean, such as the Bellingshausen and Ross Seas. Its area exceeds 98,000 km², with an average depth of just over 250 meters. The relief resembles a shell, which has a slight slope towards the mainland coast. Piles of glaciers rise on the approaches to land.
The outer tip of the Amundsen Sea shelf in the Pacific Ocean lies at a depth of five hundred meters. The descent into the water is steep, but the landscape is smooth, without cracks and steps. Its length reaches four kilometers.
The salinity of the water area changes regularly. The maximum concentration of sodium chloride is achieved in the winter and is 33 ppm. In July, when glacier melt is in full swing, fresh water lowers NaCl.
Research and discovery
The name of the reservoir was given by the famous discoverer and scientist Roald Amundsen. The Norwegian for a long period of time studied the Nordic and polar regions of Antarctica. And it was here, in the edge of the dead wasteland, that his last journey ended.
James Cook, who visited these places in the second half of the 18th century, also attempted to get to the shore. The North American icebreaker Palmer was the closest to sail to the mainland as part of the Antarctic expedition in 1993.
To this day, information about the Amundsen Sea is scarce and controversial. Despite the development of technology, so far no one has managed to get to the opposite bank. Its pool is considered the most severe and impregnable.
The coastline is a cluster of huge ice blocks. They are constantly replaced by bottomless cliffs. The water area of the Amundsen Sea serves as a natural shield for Antarctic lands. He is directly involved in the process of forming the movement of icebergs. This region annually produces 250 cubic kilometers of ice.
Weather
The reservoir is in the possession of the Antarctic climate. The airspace is formed by the masses coming from the mainland. Its water area has an intensive connection with the currents of the ocean. The minimum temperature is observed in the summer months. The most icy are July and August. In the southern part of the region, at this time of year, the thermometer is at -18 ° C. In the north, it drops below -28 ° C.
It’s even colder on the shore. Indications of -50 ° C are not uncommon. Warming is brought to these latitudes by the Nordic winds. The thaw falls on the winter season, which lasts from December to February. At this time, the temperature fluctuates between -8 ... -16 ° C. Oceanic streams can heat water to -1.5 ° C.
These months are the navigation season. The surface of the Amundsen Sea is covered by drifting icebergs, between which wormwoods form. There are three of them:
- one in Russell Bay;
- two in the Thwaites Glacier.
The maximum area available for ship traffic is 55,000 square kilometers. The water in it warms up to 0 ° C. However, it cools quickly. This is due to the fact that drifting ice floes block the opened zone of melt water.
Inhabitants of the North
The icy ice, with sheer cliffs protruding above the frozen abyss, seems lifeless. But this is not so. In the waters of the Amundsen Sea, fish of the notothen family are found. Northern penguins and albatrosses live. Seals that bask in the cold sun on ice floes are seen.
Sea leopards, whales, seals, killer whales and dolphins that feed on flesh are found in these places. The eight-meter killer whale comes closest to the coastline.
Environmental problems
Over the past decade, scientists have been sounding the alarm, claiming extreme melting of Antarctic ice. According to information received from space satellites, the ground line, denoting the boundary between the water and land parts of the reservoir, is regularly reduced. This is how the Amundsen Sea looks in the photo today.
In only ten years, she retreated thirty kilometers into Antarctica. If we compare the reduction rate of this zone with the testimony of 1973, then it increased by almost 80%. The movement pattern of glacial masses has also changed for the worse. Current measurements show that within twelve months, the Nordic latitudes lose up to 160 billion tons of frozen liquid. This is a third more than in 2011.