Arctic Ocean: An Overview. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Home to an array of species—from polar bears to whales—the Arctic faces threats from oil and gas development and a changing climate. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The freezing point of salt water is 28.8 °F, and the waters below the surface of the ice remain just above this temperature. Polar bears are actually classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean. The Lomonosov ridge divides the Arctic Ocean floor into the Eurasian and Amerasian Basins, which are between 13,000 and 14,800 feet deep. Yes, Arctic Ocean contains some amount of radioactive as well as the other oceans. The deepest point is in the Eurasian Basin, at 5,450 m (17,900 ft). The floor of the Arctic Ocean is divided into 2 basins and 4 sub-basins by 3 submarine ridges: the Alpha, the Gakkel, and the Lomonosov. The Arctic is also a rich habitat for wildlife and contains vast resources like enormous freshwater reserves, fossil fuels, and fisheries. The Arctic Ocean, and sea ice . It is slightly over 5 million miles in area, and is around 12,000 feet deep. It is the only ocean smaller than Russia, which has a land area of 16,377,742 km (6,323,482 sq mi). The Arctic story is a tale of sweeping geologic change catalyzing a sweeping geopolitical contest. Depth of the Arctic Ocean Since she has been embedded in the pack ice on the 4th of September 2006, Tara has been drifting along the chain (or ridge) of Lomonossov. It is surrounded by the land masses of Eurasia, North America, Greenland, and by. Recent research shows that Arctic sea ice is melting due to climate warming. The Arctic is one of the most stark and beautiful places on Earth. Around most of the globe, the surface ocean is warmed by the sun and loses freshwater through evaporation, making it warmer and saltier than the waters below. The Arctic Ocean is experiencing some of the world's most drastic warming from climate change. 1250 24th Street, N.W. The Arctic Ocean may be the world's smallest, but it's becoming a critical region as climate change warms it more quickly than anywhere else on Earth. Studying the deep ocean remains difficult, and there are still questions about what we might see in other spots of the deep Arctic, especially ones that have been historically less productive. The deepest place on Earth, known as Challenger Deep, extends to a depth of more than 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and is found in the Mariana Trench, in the Pacific. The Arctic ice cap is a shifting pack of sea ice some 6.5 to 10 feet i.e. The Arctic Ocean, also known as the Northern Ocean, is located in the Northern Hemisphere and is the smallest and the least shallow of the five oceans on our planet. Home to an array of species—from polar bears to whales—the Arctic faces threats from oil and gas development and a changing climate. The Arctic Ocean is located at the North Pole, sometimes considered the top of the world. You know that Arctic Ocean is covered by ice packs. Since shrinking sea ice forces polar bears to spend more time on land, people and bears can come into conflict. WHOI oceanographer Bob Pickart and colleagues have been studying water movement across the Arctic Shelf into the Arctic Ocean basin, part of a multi-year project to learn more about this little-studied region. The melting ice causes freshwater to be added to the seawater in the Arctic Ocean which flows into the North Atlantic. The Molloy Deep (also known as the Molloy Hole) is a bathymetric feature in the Fram Strait, within the Greenland Sea east of Greenland and about 160 km west of Svalbard.It is the location of the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean. he Arctic Ocean and parts of Russia, Canada, Greenland, Lapland, Norway, Alaska, and Iceland make up the Arctic region of the North Pole. The added freshwater makes the seawater less dense. It is also the coldest. Besides its deterrence to the exchange of energy between the ocean and the atmosphere, the formation of sea ice generates vast quantities of cold water that help drive the circulation of the world ocean system. Polar bears rely on sea ice to access the seals that are their primary source of food as well as to rest and breed. Deep beneath the seabed of the Arctic Ocean, researchers have found some very unexpected residents: dozens of new chlamydiae species, cousins of the bacteria that are not so welcome above ground. It is also the coldest. The coastline is 45,390 km (28,200 mi) long. How big is the Arctic Ocean?The Arctic Ocean is about 5.4 million square miles—about 1.5 times as big as the US—but it is the world’s smallest ocean. The most northern parts of Eurasia and North America are around the Arctic Ocean. The deepest vent located so far is in the Cayman Trough, which is the deepest point in the Caribbean Sea. Deepest Point in the Arctic Ocean Eurasia Basin: 17,881 feet / 5450 meters Where did the name 'Arctic' come from?‘Arctic’ comes from the Greek word for bear: Arktos. Many Arctic residents are indigenous people who have adapted to live in one of the harshest environments in the world. During the winter the Arctic ice pack grows to the size of the United States. As reported by the National Snow & Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the Siberian heatwave that hit the Arctic region in June 2020 caused air temperatures to rise by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius above average over most of the Arctic Ocean, with the exception of the Siberian coast of the Laptev sea, where temperatures were 8 degrees higher than average. This pristine yet rugged environment is one of the least explored and understood places on Earth. Most of the Arctic Ocean is over 1000 m deep and is continuously covered with ice whose thickness varies between 1-10 m. About one third of the Arctic Ocean is shallow, i.e. It is the coldest ocean on Earth and is often capped with sea ice. The oldest (approximately 80-million-year-old black muds and 67-million-year-old siliceous oozes) document that at least part of the Arctic Ocean was relatively warm and biologically productive prior to 40 million years ago. The oceans' deepest area is the Mariana Trench, also called the Marianas Trench, which is in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. The Arctic is one of the most stark and beautiful places on Earth. WWF worked directly with residents to create an “Umky” patrol in Chukotka, Russia and to secure better lighting for communities. Take a look at some common questions and answers about this important area that WWF works to protect: 1. New chlamydia species discovered deep under the Arctic Ocean By Harmeet Kaur, CNN 3/10/2020. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The melting ice causes freshwater to be added to the seawater in the Arctic Ocean which flows into the North Atlantic. I. V. Polyakov, A. V. Pnyushkov, L. A. Timokhov, J. Most of the Arctic Ocean is over 1000 m deep and is continuously covered with ice whose thickness varies between 1-10 m. About one third of the Arctic Ocean is shallow, i.e. A whopping 94% of all life-forms on Earth are aquatic. The race is on to investigate the rich ecosystem of the Arctic ocean. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Such speculations provided incentives for adventurous men to risk the hazards of severe climate and fear of the unknown to further geographic knowledge and national and personal prosperity. WWF also distributes educational materials to reduce bear-human conflict, and works with locals to gather scientific information about the bears. It is clear from aeromagnetic and seismic data that the Eurasia Basin was formed by seafloor spreading along the axis of the Nansen-Gakkel Ridge. There is a July isotherm at 10°C or 50°F in accordance with the treeline. The Arctic Ocean originally got its name from the Greek word Arktos, which means bear.Greeks often used the constellation Ursula Major, commonly... See full answer below. The Arctic region includes a vast, ice-covered ocean. Vast expanses of pack ice cover deep ocean composing the planet's largest and least fragmented inhabited region. Sometimes, depth would extend to more than 2500 meters. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 1,038 metres (3,406 feet). Such a huge number of living beings who can't survive without water is understandable. Distinguished by several unique features, including a cover of perennial ice and almost complete encirclement by the landmasses of North America, Eurasia, and Greenland, the north polar region has been a subject of speculation since the earliest concepts of a spherical Earth. The trench is 1,554 miles long and 44 miles wide, or 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon. The Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas—the Chukchi, East Siberian, Laptev, Kara, Barents, White, Greenland, and Beaufort and, according to some oceanographers, also the Bering and Norwegian seas—are the least-known basins and bodies of water in the world ocean as a result of their remoteness, hostile weather, and perennial or seasonal ice cover. The Atlantic water makes its way throughout the Arctic Ocean: The bathymetry of the deep Arctic basin margins and ridges guides the water as it travels counterclockwise and deeper in the basin. The recorded deepest point of Arctic Ocean is 5450 meters which is found in the Eurasian Basin. It is the location of the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean. The Alpha ridge creates a basin that extends from its border to the coastal areas of Alaska and Canada. Vast expanses of pack ice cover deep ocean composing the planet's largest and least fragmented inhabited region. Just how deep does the ocean go? The deepest sounding obtained in Arctic waters is 18,050 feet (5,502 metres), but the average depth is only 3,240 feet (987 metres). Omissions? The name doesn’t come from the iconic polar bear, but from constellations in the northern sky of the Arctic, ‘Ursa Minor’ (Little Bear) and ‘Ursa Major’ (Great Bear). Ocean Conservancy teamed up with the Marine Exchange of Alaska to produce a short report to describe how advances in navigation and communications technologies can help enhance shipping safety and environmental protection in the U.S. Arctic. Researchers have identified how warm Atlantic water that is flowing deep into the Arctic Ocean is mixing with colder waters above to contribute to sea-ice loss in the Arctic. The Arctic story is a tale of sweeping geologic change catalyzing a sweeping geopolitical contest. As the Arctic melts, swathes of ocean previously impenetrable to scientific investigation are being revealed. Litke Deep at 5 309 m is in the Arctic Ocean, was previous estimated to be 5 450, and the deepest spot know until Molloy Deep was found. The work entailed long cruises to ice-covered seas. Polar bears remain the most iconic Arctic species, and live only in this landscape. With on-the-ground teams in all of the Arctic countries, WWF is uniquely positioned to work with all member states, and has engaged with the Arctic Council since before its evolution.. 2. Ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean is currently the highest it has been since 2010 with support from the strongest polar vortex on record. The Arctic is a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by tree-less, frozen ground, that teems with life, including organisms living in the ice, fish and marine mammals, birds, land animals, and human societies. World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. 3 3. (David Goldman/AP) By . Arctic Ocean: History and Now. It is located around the North Pole and is surrounded by some countries like Greenland, Alaska, Canada, Russia and Norway. Warming in the Arctic is expected to be two to three times greater than the rest of the world. Hidden beneath the Fram Strait, a passage that separates Greenland and Svalbard, lies the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean, where the seafloor plunges some 18,209 feet (5,550 meters) down. This has caused the North Atlantic to become fresher over the past several decades and has caused the currents to slow. How many countries does the Arctic cover?The Arctic region covers parts of eight countries: Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States. Over these shelf areas, ice is absent at least part of the year, but ice is found year-round over the deep ocean. ... and it is circulated through mixing into the deep ocean… For marine life, the Arctic Ocean is a unique place to live. It is known as Loki’s Castle, a large field of hydrothermal vents on the sea floor that’s extremely low in oxygen and high in pressure — and a very difficult place for any organisms to survive. The ocean floor is thought to be mostly flat, but there are also a number of trenches, basins and canyons throughout, which cause the measured depth of the Atlantic Ocean … This is changing, however, because the Arctic may exhibit a strong response to global change and may be capable of initiating dramatic climatic changes through alterations induced in the oceanic thermohaline circulation by its cold, southward-moving currents or through its effects on the global albedo resulting from changes in its total ice cover. Arctic Ocean. continental shelf. Arctic Ocean - Arctic Ocean - Sea ice: The cover of sea ice suppresses wind stress and wind mixing, reflects a large proportion of incoming solar radiation, imposes an upper limit on the surface temperature, and impedes evaporation. The ice is about 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) thick. This basin is known as the Canada Basin. With less sea ice every year, polar bears and many other ice-dependent creatures are at risk. Our vision is a world powered by renewable energy, where communities and ecosystems are resilient in the face of climate changes. Make a symbolic polar bear adoption to help save some of the world's most endangered animals from extinction and support WWFs conservation efforts. Better understanding of the origin of the Arctic Ocean’s basins and ridges is critical for reconstructing the paleoclimatic evolution of the ocean and for understanding its relevance to global environmental changes. Washington, DC 20037. The deepest sounding obtained in Arctic waters is 18,050 feet (5,502 metres), but the average depth is only 3,240 feet (987 metres). A glacier can range in length from the equivalent of a football field to more than 100 miles. In the summer half of the ice disappears. Even a slight shift in temperature could potentially result in an ice-free Arctic within this century. 7. As ice in Arctic melts faster, it is a sign of possible drastic change to the earth and everyone should be aware of it. The North Polesits in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, on water that is almost always covered with ice. Deep frozen arctic microbes are waking up Globally, glacier melt rates have nearly doubled in the last five years. These points are much deeper than the majority of the ocean, which has an average depth of only 3,406 feet. They are a filter-feeder shark that cruises through the ocean at low speeds filtering zooplankton along their tiny teeth. Dr. Kirstin Thompson is among those using new technologies to identify species roaming the frigid northern waters. 8. The Arctic Ocean occupies a roughly circular basin and covers an area of about 14,056,000 km (5,427,000 sq mi), almost the size of Antarctica. 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