The Arctic is a geographic area of the Earth that is adjacent to the North Pole. The territorial waters of the region include part of the water area of all oceans, except the Indian. Also on this physical-geographical zone are the outskirts of the continents of North America and Eurasia. The Arctic covers an area of about 27 million square meters. km The impenetrable tundra covers the southern part of the region.
Fauna and flora
The climate of the Arctic is known for its severity. That is why in this area the plant world is represented only by mosses, herbs, lichens and weed cereals. It has low temperatures even in summer. This leads to such a meager diversity of flora. In the Arctic zone there are no trees or firs, only dwarf shrubs. Most of the land is occupied by a lifeless desert. The only flowering plant is the polar poppy.
The animal world is a bit richer in species. Here live hare, wild deer, and polar bears. The rarest representatives of the fauna are bighorn sheep and musk ox, as well as a small fluffy lemming hamster. From carnivores, wolves and arctic foxes can be distinguished. Polar bears prefer sea fish to animal meat. In addition, ermines, wolverines and long-tailed gophers live in the Arctic region.
Most birds nest in the tundra. Most often these are migratory species. Walruses and seals live in the Arctic waters, as well as narwhals, belugas, killer whales and
baleen whales.
Temperature indicators
The Arctic is considered one of the coldest and snowiest parts of the world. In summer, the temperature rarely rises above zero degrees. In this area, a low radiation balance is noted. Glaciers, snowy deserts, tundra vegetation prevail.
In winter, the warmest month is January. The average temperature in the Arctic at this time ranges from -2 to -5 degrees. The adjacent water area is much colder than air. In the Barents Sea, the temperature is -25 degrees C, in the Greenland and Chukchi - up to -36 degrees C, in the Canadian and Siberian basin - up to -50 degrees C. The lowest rates are observed in the northern zone of the water area. There, the temperature often reaches -60 degrees.
The climate of the Arctic can change at any moment due to breakthroughs of deep warm cyclones. In this case, the temperature rises by 7-10 degrees C. In summer, the highest rates are +2 ... + 3 degrees C.
Climatic Anomalies
Meteorological indicators of the glacial zone over the past few hundred years have experienced serious fluctuations. We can say that the climate of the Arctic is gradually changing. This is a global problem that has no solution.
Over the past 600 years, there have been fifty significant warmings that directly affect the entire planet. Such meteorological fluctuations may be followed by global cataclysms that can harm all life on Earth.
It is worth noting that the climate of the Arctic affects the speed of rotation of the planet and the general atmospheric circulation. According to scientists, a serious meteorological jump in the glacial zone should occur in 2030. Even the most minimal consequences will be significant for the planet. The fact is that temperature indicators in the Arctic are inexorably increasing every year. Moreover, the dynamics of changes over the past century has increased by 2 times. A sharp warming will lead to the extinction of all types of vegetation and many representatives of the fauna in the region.
Arctic nature
The relief of the water area is heterogeneous, curved. The most significant is the shelf with mainland islands, located along such seas as the Barents, Chukchi, Laptev, Kara and Siberian. The deepest trench is located in the central part of the Arctic basin - more than 5.5 km. As for the land relief, it is mostly flat.
The nature of the Arctic is rich in natural resources. First of all, it is gas and oil. In the Arctic, these undeveloped energy resources are disproportionate. According to preliminary forecasts of experts, there are more than 90 billion barrels of oil.
However, the extraction of resources in this region is extremely difficult. In addition, this process is dangerous from the point of view of global ecology. In the event of
an oil spill , it will be practically impossible to liquidate the accident due to high waves, numerous icebergs and thick fog.
Arctic ice
As you know, the water area of the region is literally flooded with icebergs of various sizes. However, in the waters of the Arctic there is also the so-called ice cap, which reflects most of the sun's rays. That is why the planet does not warm up to critical temperatures.
It can be stated with confidence that the ice of the Arctic plays a crucial role in the existence of all life on Earth. In addition, they control the circulation of water in the oceans.
It is worth noting that over the past 25 years, the level of Arctic ice has decreased by three quarters of the total mass. Today, the cap covers only 5100 thousand square meters. km However, this is not enough to prevent the Earth from warming up every year more and more quickly.
Dead Zone Conquered
For many centuries, the Arctic was considered a lifeless territory on which people will not be able to exist for several days. However, over time, this myth was dispelled. In the 16th century, as a result of a long expedition carried out by Russian sailors, the first map of the Arctic Ocean was compiled. In 1937, flights were conducted over the Arctic by the crews of Baidukov and Chkalov.
Today, several drifting stations installed on ice floes operate in this region at once. The complexes will include small houses for polar explorers and special research equipment.