The World Ocean is a complex system that includes four oceans. This is a rich world that lives its own life, diverse and interesting. The smallest ocean is the Arctic Ocean. It is located in the central part of the Arctic. It is surrounded by land on almost all sides (North America and Eurasia).
This is not only the smallest ocean on Earth, but also the coldest. This is due to its geographical location. Most of the ocean is covered with ice, so the Arctic Ocean is the most unknown part of the oceans. Shipping is not so actively developed here.
But this ocean is of great strategic importance. Its location allows you to get the shortest route from North America to Russia. Therefore, after the World War, it became the object of careful study in order to carry out military and scientific programs.
The smallest ocean has become the site of numerous expeditions on icebreakers and submarines. The ships moved far into the ice, sank to a depth under their thickness. Research was also carried out on drifting ice floes.
In its relief, the smallest ocean is a deep basin, which is surrounded by seas. The area of the ocean is 14.75 million kilometers. Half of it is the shelf, reaching the greatest width of 1300 kilometers. It is here that it has the greatest depth and is distinguished by the indentation of the coast. As established, these are the consequences of the formation of glaciers.
The central basin reaches a diameter of up to 2250 kilometers. The Lomonosov underwater mountain range passes through its center. The smallest ocean reaches its greatest depth at around 5527 meters. This point is in the Greenland Sea.
The Bering Strait connects the Arctic and Pacific oceans and separates Alaska from northeast Asia. The border with the Atlantic Ocean passes through the sea, called the Norwegian Sea, which is located between Greenland and Europe.
The geographical position of the ocean determines many of its characteristics. For example, it receives less solar energy than other parts of the oceans. Therefore, the temperature of its water is quite low, and most of the ocean is covered with ice. Their structure is not uniform. In some areas, the ice has a continuous structure, while in others, the ice blocks are not soldered together.
The ice cover also changes depending on the season. Due to the fact that shipping in this area is poorly developed, the nature of the currents has not yet been studied. Most ofconclusions were made on the basis of studying the movement of ships that were frozen into ice blocks.
It was found that the Norwegian Current brings most of the water to the Arctic Ocean. These waters then join the Pacific Ocean entering through the Bering Strait.
The flora and fauna of the ocean is not rich in species. This is due to its geographical location and climatic conditions. The ice does not allow enough sunlight to pass through, which prevents the plants from fully developing. Closer to Eurasia there are whales, bears, seals and some other animals.
Speaking about which ocean is the smallest, it should be noted that the Arctic Ocean is of great importance for mankind, and many countries are exploring it.
