This ocean is recognized as the smallest in area and depth. It is located in the central part of the Arctic. Its location is the key to answering the question of what continents are washed by the Arctic Ocean. Its second name is Polar, and the waters reach the shores of the North American and Eurasian continent.
Ocean Characterization
The area occupied by the Arctic Ocean is small, and it does not obstruct the appearance of a large number of islands in the basin. And these are not small rocks that come to the surface, but mainland archipelagos of a large area (Novaya Zemlya, Svalbard, Greenland, etc.).
The continents, which are washed by the Arctic Ocean, are the most northern on the planet. The cold waters are partly warmed by the warm currents that come from the Atlantic, bypassing Northern Europe. A slightly warmed current is from the Pacific Ocean, passing through the Bering Strait. It has a certain effect and circulation of warm air masses. In winter, the ocean is bound by a thick ice crust, the temperature usually does not rise above -40 ºC.
What continents is washed by the Arctic Ocean?
During the study of the water shell of the Earth, you cannot miss the space that connects the two continents. The following continents limit the polar ocean : Eurasia and North America. Exit to other oceans occurs through the straits between the continents.
The main part of the water area consists of seas, most of which are marginal and only one - inland. Many islands are located near the continents. The Arctic Ocean is washed by continents whose shores are located beyond the Arctic Circle. Its waters are located in a harsh Arctic climate zone.
Ocean climate
In geography classes, students are told which shores of the continents are washed by the Arctic Ocean, and what are its climatic features. Arctic air is much warmer than the Antarctic. Because the polar waters receive heat from adjacent oceans. Interaction with the latter is less active. The result is that the Northern Hemisphere is “warmed up” by the Arctic Ocean.
The impact of air flows from the west and southwest led to the formation of the North Atlantic Current. Water masses are transported parallel to the coast of the Eurasian continent in the eastern direction. The streams passing through the Bering Strait from the Pacific Ocean meet them.
A well-known natural feature of these latitudes is the presence of an ice crust on the waters. The polar ocean is washed by the shores of the continents of the northern hemisphere, where low temperatures dominate the Arctic Circle. Ice coating is also due to the low concentration of salts in the surface water layer. Desalination is caused by abundant river flows from continents.
Economic use
What continents is washed by the Arctic Ocean? North America and Eurasia. However, it represents more economic significance for countries with access to it. Seeking mineral deposits is hampered by the harsh local climate. But, despite this, scientists were able to explore hydrocarbon deposits in the shelf of some northern seas, as well as off the coast of Canada and Alaska.
The fauna and flora of the ocean are not rich. Near the Atlantic, fish and algae are hunted, as well as seal hunting. Whaling vessels operate under strict quotas. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) began to be mastered only in the 20th century. On it, ships can get from Europe to the Far East much faster. Great is his role in the development of the Siberian region. Forest resources and ore are transported from there by sea, and products and equipment are delivered to the region.
Duration of navigation is 2-4 months per year. Icebreakers help to extend this period in some areas. The work of the NSR in the Russian Federation is provided by various services: polar aviation, a set of weather monitoring stations.
Study history
What continents is washed by the Arctic Ocean? What are the weather and natural conditions beyond the Arctic Circle? The answers to these and many questions were sought by researchers-polar explorers. The first trips by sea were made on wooden boats. People hunted, fished, studied the features of northern navigation.
Western sailors on the polar ocean tried to explore a short way from Europe to India and China. The expedition, which began in 1733 and lasted a decade, made a great contribution. The feat of scientists and seafarers cannot be underestimated: they mapped the outlines of the coastline from Pechora to the Bering Strait. Information about flora, fauna and weather conditions was collected at the end of the 19th century. In the first half of the next century, a passage was made across the ocean during one navigation. Sailors made depth measurements, the thickness of the ice crust and meteorological observations.