The Laptev Sea, a photo and a description of which is presented in the article, belongs to the Arctic Ocean basin. The severe nature of this sea, as well as the entire Arctic, has been of interest to researchers for several centuries. But only today, scientists can give reliable answers to questions regarding the climate, animal and plant life of this mysterious land. Although some time ago such tasks seemed unsolvable.
Laptev Sea on the map
In 1735-1742, thanks to the efforts and long work of Russian researchers, the coastline of the sea was marked on a geographical map. For example, cousins Dmitry and Khariton, in whose honor the Laptev Sea is named, devoted many years of their life to the study of the region. Being in the service of the Russian Navy, they were participants in a grandiose scientific study, which was organized by Peter the Great and was called the Great Northern Expedition.
Today, the borders of the sea are precisely established, but in those distant years the beginning of this difficult and dangerous work was laid by such selfless people as Vitus Bering, the Laptev brothers Dmitry and Khariton, Semyon Dezhnev and many other compatriots of ours.
From the west, the sea washes the eastern shores of the Severnaya Zemlya Islands from Cape Arctic to the mainland of the Khatanga Bay. In the north, maritime borders extend from Cape Arctic to the northern shores of Kotelny Island. In the eastern part of the water, the sea is washed by the western shores of the islands of Kotelny, Maly and Bolshoi Lyakhovsky islands. Then the lines pass along the straits of Sannikov and Dmitry Laptev.
From the south, the border of the sea runs along the northern shores of Eurasia from Cape Holy Nose to the Khatanga Bay. It was these maritime boundaries that the Laptev brothers explored. The coastline is 5,254 kilometers. The distance from the southeast coast to the northwest is 1300 kilometers. This is the largest indicator characterizing the size of the sea.
History of the study of the region
Given the harsh natural conditions of the Laptev Sea, it is not difficult to assume that the process of exploring its water area by travelers was not simple and safe. In addition, it must be borne in mind that work began in the XVIII century - at a time when the development of many sciences, including navigation, was in its infancy. The level of geographical knowledge was also not very high.
Brave travelers made an invaluable contribution to the organization of work on the study of the northern coast of Eurasia along its entire length and the seas of the Arctic Ocean basin. Many researchers were officers of the Russian Navy.
The brothers Khariton and Dmitry, in whose honor the Laptev Sea is named, began serving in the Navy in 1718, where they were enlisted as midshipmen at a young age. By 1721, young people had already been promoted to midshipmen. Fate decreed that for some time the brothers' life paths diverged. But Dmitry and Khariton were always faithful to the sea, the Russian fleet, giving service to the best years of their lives.
In 1734, Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev was introduced to the Great Northern Expedition as one of the best officers of the Russian fleet. His reputation was so high that he took the position of one of the assistants of Vitus Bering, who was appointed head of this large-scale event.
Dmitry Laptev was ordered to take the place of the dead captain of the ship "Irkutsk". It was on it that an attempt was made to explore the waters of the seas washing the mainland from the mouth of the Lena towards the east. The expedition was extremely unsuccessful, since in its course almost the entire team died from cold, scurvy and other diseases.
In August 1736, Irkutsk, under the command of Dmitry Laptev, leaving the Lena River Delta, again found himself in the open sea. But after a few days, the sailing had to be interrupted and the ship turned back, as powerful ice blocked the way for sailors. The captain, given the experience of the previous expedition, decided to save the lives of people and winter on land.
The fate was also tragic of those navigators who, on the Yakutsk vessel, were supposed to move westward from the mouth of the Lena (for exploring the open sea). The circumstances were such that Dmitry Laptev personally had to go to St. Petersburg to receive instructions regarding further study of the region. He himself also had a plan and was ready to offer it to the leadership, hoping for understanding. The positive outcome of the expedition worried the Russian officer most of all.
Laptev brothers
So, from 1738 the brothers again began to serve one common cause. On the recommendation of his cousin, Laptev Khariton Prokofievich was appointed captain of the ship "Yakutsk" instead of the dead on the expedition Pronchishchev.
In the summer of 1739, an expedition began, which was aimed not only at examining the northern marine expanses, but also at an inventory of coastal territories. Therefore, in its composition were units that followed by land.
Having a well-developed action plan, a brave devoted team on land and at sea, Dmitry Yakovlevich Laptev was able to cover the distance from the Lena mouth to Kolyma by 1741 on the Irkutsk ship. Having carefully processed the information received, he returned to Petersburg in the autumn of 1742.
Khariton Prokofievich was supposed to explore the coast and the sea west of the mouth of the Lena. Huge difficulties and hardships had to be experienced by detachments led by Laptev. The researcher and his companions did not stop even when they lost a ship that was destroyed by ice. The expedition was continued on foot. Its result was a description of the territories from the mouth of the Lena River to the Taimyr Peninsula.
The life of such people as the brothers Khariton Prokofievich and Dmitry Yakovlevich, in whose honor the Laptev Sea is named, can rightfully be called a feat. This is understood by everyone who touches on the study of the history of Arctic exploration. Amazing persistence and determination, boundless love for Russia helped these people to overcome the seemingly insurmountable.
The geological structure of the bottom of the sea
The depth of the Laptev Sea is very contrasting. This circumstance was discovered more than 200 years ago, when the vessels of the first expeditions repeatedly ran aground. It should be noted that the largest depth indicator is 2980 meters, the smallest - 15, and the average - 540 meters. This can be explained by the steep continental slope of the area where the sea is located. Given the depth indicator, it is divided into the southern and northern parts. The reference point here is the parallel, where Vilkitsky Bay is located.
The nature of the soil of the bottom of the Laptev Sea is greatly influenced by the rivers flowing into it. They carry a large amount of sand, silt and other sedimentary rocks. Their accumulation is 25 centimeters per year. In addition, boulders, coarse and fine pebbles are found in the shallow zone at the bottom of the sea.
The huge glaciers of the North Earth contribute to the formation of icebergs. In the thickness of the water of the Laptev Sea contains a large amount of ice. Its melting and breaking waves actively destroy the coastline. Sometimes, as a result of such processes, small islands go under water.
Climatic conditions
There are several factors that determine the harsh climate of the region.
Considering the Laptev Sea on the map, we can draw the following conclusions:
- it is located in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere;
- the proximity of the Central Arctic basin cannot but affect the climate of the region;
- the remoteness of the sea from the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean makes it impossible to receive the warming effect of the waters.
Most of the time, calm, cloudy weather prevails over the sea. Only cyclones that pass south of the water area bring heavy snowfalls, accompanied by strong winds.
In the southern part of the Laptev Sea, it is cold for nine months, and in its northern regions, negative temperature is recorded for 11 months. The coldest month of winter is January. The average monthly air temperature is 26-28 degrees below zero. There are known cases of lowering the mercury column to the level of -61 ° C.
cool summers here are far from rare. Rather, on the contrary, a significant increase in temperature (for example, up to 24-32 degrees) is a rare and unusual phenomenon. August is considered the warmest summer month. At this time, thermometers record +7 ... + 9 degrees in the south and +1 ° C in the northern part of the sea. The main distinguishing characteristic of the climate of the Laptev Sea is strong and prolonged cooling with a relatively calm wind regime.
Salinity and water temperature. Currents and glaciers
The distribution of salinity in the Laptev Sea is significantly affected by the fact that the largest rivers of the mainland carry a significant amount of fresh water here. In this regard, the salinity of the southern regions of the sea is much lower than the northern. For the same reason, the percentage of salt content rises in winter, and in the warmer months, desalination is observed. The rivers Lena, Khatanga, Yana, Olenek in the summer bring up to 90% of the annual flow of fresh water. At the same time, intense melting of glaciers occurs , which also affects the salinity index. It should also be noted that this indicator varies in the surface and deep layers of the sea water column. On the surface, salinity is lower.
The depth of the Laptev Sea determines the temperature of the water. This indicator also depends on the location of the waters relative to the coastal part, the influence of currents, and the season. Most often it is zero. In the summer, in separate coastal zones and in shallow water, the temperature is 4-6 degrees Celsius. In the bays, which, by the way, are very numerous, it approaches the mark of 10 ° C, and in the open sea it does not exceed two degrees.
The system of currents in the Laptev Sea is not well understood. However, it is known that a large role in this is again played by rivers carrying huge volumes of water into the sea.
Among the constant currents of the Laptev Sea, one can name the Novosibirsk and East Taimyr. It should be noted that the water velocity is small, the strength of the currents is weak, unstable.
At the end of September, the process of ice formation begins throughout the water area, which greatly complicates shipping. From October to May, the waters of the Laptev Sea are chained with ice. At the same time, fast ice is formed at approximately 30% of its area, the rest is covered with drifting ice floes. In June and July, they melt. However, only by August a large surface area of the sea is freed from the ice chains.
Animal and plant world
The flora and fauna of the Laptev Sea is typical of the Arctic. Phytoplankton is represented by algae. Marine ciliates, copepods and amphipods, rotifers are typical representatives of zooplankton.
In the depths of the sea, fish species such as Siberian whitefish, Arctic char, omul, nelma, and sturgeon are common. Walruses, belugas, seals - representatives of the mammalian order. In the icy deserts there is a formidable inhabitant of the Arctic - a polar bear.
Islands of the Laptev Sea
On the territory of the sea there are about two dozen large and small islands. It is noteworthy that scientists on them discovered the remains of mammoths. They are well preserved, therefore, the finds are of great scientific value. The modern inhabitants of the islands are arctic foxes and polar bears.
Near the coast of the continent, small islands are usually located in groups. We are talking about such land areas as the islands of Komsomolskaya Pravda, Thaddeus, Peter, Aerial Survey, Danube. There are larger ones, located singly. These include Bolshoi Begichev, Sandy, Muostakh, Makar.
Laptev Sea Rivers
As mentioned earlier, the largest rivers flowing into the sea have a significant impact on many factors. Their location in the direction from east to west is as follows: Yana, Lena, Olenek, Anabar, Khatanga. These ponds were actively used by researchers of the region - Khariton and Dmitry Laptev, in whose honor the Laptev Sea was named.
These rivers affect the salt content in seawater. Thanks to the work of the mentioned water arteries, the relief of the seabed, the shape of its coastline, and the composition of sedimentary rocks and suspensions formed.
Prospects for the development of the region
Today, the Laptev Sea is included in the research program, which has been conducted jointly by scientists from Russia and Germany for over twenty years. Modern scientists always remember that the beginning of this event was laid by Peter I. And such brave travelers as Vitus Bering, Laptev Dmitry and Khariton and many other polar explorers are forever inscribed in the history of the study of the Arctic.
Now the research program for the Laptev Sea and its adjacent territories has received international status. About 15 Russian and 12 German scientific organizations of various fields are included in the mentioned activities. The work is calculated until 2015. And today, scientists have made many sensational discoveries.
The results obtained during the study of the territories under consideration are unique. Thanks to the materials obtained during sea and land expeditions, scientists can learn a lot about the past climatic eras of the Arctic, understand the conditions for the formation of the climate that exists in the region today.
The Laptev Sea is considered to be a huge repository of ice and fresh water.
The expedition, carried out by the efforts of two states using the most modern technology, instruments and scientific methods, will expand people's ideas about the Arctic, use the obtained scientific data for practical purposes.