St. Lawrence Bay (Eng. St. Lawrence) is located off the eastern coast of the North American mainland. It was formed as a result of the confluence of the river of the same name in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is considered the largest estuary on the planet. The estuary is the mouth of the river, which has a funnel shape and expands to the ocean.
Where the Gulf of St. Lawrence is located, it will be clear based on the further context. The width of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River is more than 150 km. The bay has a significant area and cuts deep into the land, forming a semi-enclosed water area, which, in fact, can be considered the marginal sea.
a brief description of
The area of the bay is 263 thousand km 2 , the total volume of water is more than 35 thousand km 3 . The shape of the bay of St. Lawrence looks like a triangle. It stretches from southwest to northeast for 820 km, and its width is more than 300 km. The Gulf carries its waters into the Atlantic Ocean through 3 straits: southern Kanso, southeastern Cabot and northeastern Bell Isle. Each of them is quite wide, the average indicator of this value is 400 km. In the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence are two large islands: Anticosti and the island of Prince Edward. There are also small island archipelagos: in the central part of the bay - Magdalen Islands, in the western part - Chipegan Islands.
What washes?
The bay washes the eastern coast of Canada, the Labrador Peninsula and Nova Scotia, about. Newfoundland. The north, west, and east coasts have hilly terrain and steep slopes. The island shores are low. In addition to the main river. St. Lawrence, smaller rivers flow into the bay: Miramichi, Hamber, Margari, Restigush and others.
Depth
The depth of the bay varies depending on the mainland close to them. The southern part of the bay is flat and shallow. The maximum indicator in this area is 60-80 m. In the northern part of St. Lawrence Bay, the bottom has a variable character, where shallow water is replaced by deep gutters. The average depths of this part range from 400-500 m. The maximum depth of the bay is the Lawrence Trench (572 m).
Water, salinity and temperature
Two currents in the bay (Gaspe and Cabot) form a cyclone cycle, moving counterclockwise. The water in the bay has three tiers, which differ in their temperature and salinity. The top most unstable. Its variability is influenced by climatic conditions.
The water temperature here ranges from +2 ° C to +20 ° C. From December to March, the surface layer can be covered with ice, icebergs form. The layer thickness is from 18 m in the summer, to 54 m in the winter. Salinity - 32-34 ‰. The second tier of water passes at a depth of 50-100 m. The temperature is about 0 ° C, the salinity is slightly reduced - up to 30-32 ‰. The lower layer of water has a temperature of about +5 ° C and high salinity - more than 35 ‰. The Labrador Current, which wraps a small spur in the bay, gives warm water to the lower layer.
Geological sphere
The St. Lawrence River washed the canal along the bottom of the central part of the bay. It reaches the eastern borders. Due to the large flow of river water in the bay, the biota of the reservoir has significantly changed over several decades.
In geological terms, St. Lawrence Bay has a heterogeneous origin. It was found that the northern part of the bottom of the bay is the edge of the Precambrian Canadian shield. And in the south, the Gulf is limited by the Appalachian Mountains, represented by rocky rocks that developed in the Lower Paleozoic. The bottom of the southern part of St. Lawrence Bay is represented by Devonian granites and deformed sediments of volcanic rocks. Also interspersed sedimentary rocks of the Carboniferous, Triassic and Permian age. There are no sedimentary minerals at the bottom of the bay.
Deep gutters in the water area indicate that the bottom was formed even under the influence of the ice age. Significant ice pressure deepened the bottom of the bay. The fact that this territory was exposed to glaciers is evidenced by the fact that the water area can freeze annually from January to March-April.
Climate
At present, the climate of such a water body as Lawrence Bay in the city of Lawrence, subarctic, has a monsoon character. The average temperature does not rise above +15 ° C and rarely drops below -10 ° C. The coldest month of the year is February, the hottest is August. Due to the monsoon nature of the climate, northwesterly winds blow in winter, bringing cold, and in summer - southwest, saturating the air with heat and high humidity.
Seismic activity
The Appalachian mountain system also influenced the seismic characteristics of the region. The bottom of the relief of the bay is significantly different from other bodies of water on the eastern outskirts of North America. 45 km - this is exactly the thickness indicator St. Lawrence Bay has.
The location of the object greatly affects its activity. The crust here is composed of layers consisting of longitudinal waves of the Carboniferous period. Dense rocks lie in the lower layers, and the upper ones are represented by carbonaceous rocks. This suggests that in the past this region was seismically active, but at the moment this activity has faded. Although, according to research results, high-speed longitudinal waves (about 8.5 km / s) are periodically felt in the Gaspe Peninsula region.
Shipping
Currently, St. Lawrence Bay is a place where shipping is actively developing. And the shelf zone is suitable for fishing. The most common species in the bay: haddock, halibut, flounder, sea bass, herring. Oil fields are also being developed in the shelf.
On the coast of the Labrador Peninsula there is a large bay port - Seth Il. Another port is located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River - the city of Quebec, the capital of the Canadian province.
Parks and reserves
St. Lawrence Bay is a protected ecological region of North America. Part of the coast, including small islands, is a conservation area. Several amazing national parks are located here: Prince Edward National Park, Saguenay-Saint-Laurent Marine Park, Gros-Morne, Kuchibokvak and Cape Breton Highlands Parks. In addition to them, everywhere on the coast you can find small provincial ones. The Government of Canada encourages and supports all national parks.
First settlements
The coast of the gulf, as well as the islands located in the gulf, are inhabited by residents. Natural conditions are favorable enough for life. The first people to settle on the coast and islands are the indigenous people of Canada, the Migmau tribe. During the era of the great geographical discoveries (XVI century), French and Portuguese fishermen landed on the islands, who began to actively engage in fishing off the coast of the bay.
City of Lawrence
This settlement is located in the southern part of the bay of the same name. Belongs to the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, is the center of the district. Although some people call it a city, Lawrence has the status of a village. The origin of such a beautiful name is directly related to the bay. Currently, this village is developing well. There is a hospital, school, library. There is also a museum created almost 50 years ago.
Animal world
In addition to a large number of fish, walruses and whales were sent to Europe from the bay. This product was worth more than precious metals, and therefore the animal population declined sharply in the first decades after the resettlement. Now the catch of walruses, whales and sturgeons is limited.
The sea world, in addition to various fish, is also represented by large mammals. There are many of them: more than 14 species. Among them are blue whales, Greenland and gray seals, beluga, finwales. Small islands - a place where a large number of birds winters. And along the coasts of the gulf, moose, black bears, coyotes, martens, deer, foxes and others are found in the forests.
Title
Before talking about the hydronym, it is necessary to recall from the course of history who discovered the bay of St. Lawrence. The name of the bay was given by the first explorer of these territories, the French navigator Jacques Cartier. This person is considered one of the discoverers of Canada. Between 1534 and 1540 Cartier made three trips to the shores of Canada, discovered the bay and islands in it. The navigator gave the name of St. Lawrence, the Roman archdeacon, to the water area. Opening Day - August 10, it is then that they honor the memory of the Saint.
What is St. Lawrence Bay? It is also an interesting place in the tourism sector. The largest mammals of the planet - whales - live here. Every year, from May to October, excursions are held, sailing on the open sea in boats in order to see firsthand how the whales make their grandiose jumps. You should definitely visit this area, because after the trip you will have unforgettable feelings for a lifetime. Not a single tourist will regret being here.