All Topics  
Chukchi Sea

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Chukchi Sea
 
 
  Topics Chukchi Sea Topic Home

Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea
Marginal sea

A marginal sea is a part of ocean partially enclosed by Landform such as islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas. Unlike mediterranean sea s, marginal seas have ocean currents caused by ocean winds....
 of the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....
. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait
De Long Strait

The De Long Strait separates Wrangel Island from the Siberian mainland. It is very broad, its minimum width being 141 km, between Cape Blossom at the southwestern tip of Wrangel Island and Cape Billings, close to Gytkhelen, Chukotka....
, off Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island

Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180th meridian meridian ....
, and in the east by Point Barrow
Point Barrow

Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a Headlands and bays on the Arctic Ocean in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow, Alaska. It is the Extreme points of the United States of the United States, at ....
, Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea
Beaufort Sea

The Beaufort Sea is the portion of the Arctic Ocean located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska and west of Canadian Arctic islands....
. The Bering Strait
Bering Strait

The Bering Strait is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65? 40' north, slightly south of the polar circle....
 forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea
Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelf....
 and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
.

The principal port on the Chukchi Sea is Uelen
Uelen

Uelen is a types of settlements in Russia just south of the Arctic Circle in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East. Located near Cape Dezhnev where the Bering Sea meets the Chukchi Sea, it is the Extreme points of Russia and the whole Eurasia....
.

The International Date Line
International Date Line

The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth opposite the Prime Meridian where the date changes as one travels east or west across it....
 crosses the Chukchi Sea from NW to SE. It is displaced eastwards to avoid Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island

Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180th meridian meridian ....
 as well as the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subjects of Russia of Russia located in the Far Eastern Federal District federal districts of Russia....
 on the Russian mainland.

sea has an approximate area of 595,000 km² (230,000 mi²) and is only navigable about four months of the year.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Chukchi Sea'
Start a new discussion about 'Chukchi Sea'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea
Marginal sea

A marginal sea is a part of ocean partially enclosed by Landform such as islands, archipelagos, or peninsulas. Unlike mediterranean sea s, marginal seas have ocean currents caused by ocean winds....
 of the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions....
. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait
De Long Strait

The De Long Strait separates Wrangel Island from the Siberian mainland. It is very broad, its minimum width being 141 km, between Cape Blossom at the southwestern tip of Wrangel Island and Cape Billings, close to Gytkhelen, Chukotka....
, off Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island

Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180th meridian meridian ....
, and in the east by Point Barrow
Point Barrow

Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a Headlands and bays on the Arctic Ocean in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow, Alaska. It is the Extreme points of the United States of the United States, at ....
, Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea
Beaufort Sea

The Beaufort Sea is the portion of the Arctic Ocean located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska and west of Canadian Arctic islands....
. The Bering Strait
Bering Strait

The Bering Strait is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65? 40' north, slightly south of the polar circle....
 forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea
Bering Sea

The Bering Sea is a body of water in the Pacific Ocean that comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelf....
 and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
.

The principal port on the Chukchi Sea is Uelen
Uelen

Uelen is a types of settlements in Russia just south of the Arctic Circle in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in the Russian Far East. Located near Cape Dezhnev where the Bering Sea meets the Chukchi Sea, it is the Extreme points of Russia and the whole Eurasia....
.

The International Date Line
International Date Line

The International Date Line is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth opposite the Prime Meridian where the date changes as one travels east or west across it....
 crosses the Chukchi Sea from NW to SE. It is displaced eastwards to avoid Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island

Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180th meridian meridian ....
 as well as the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Chukotka Autonomous Okrug , or Chukotka , is a federal subjects of Russia of Russia located in the Far Eastern Federal District federal districts of Russia....
 on the Russian mainland.

Geography

Bering Strait
The sea has an approximate area of 595,000 km² (230,000 mi²) and is only navigable about four months of the year. The main geological feature of the Chukchi Sea bottom is the 700 km (435 mi)-long Hope Basin
Hope Basin

The Hope Basin is a geological feature of the Chukchi Sea Shelf. It lies off the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Its area extends from the outer continental shelf of the Seward Peninsula for about 700 km westwards off the coast of Chukotka towards Wrangel Island....
, which is bound to the northeast by the Herald Arch. Depths less than 50 m (164 ft) occupy 56% of the total area. The Chukchi Sea has very few islands compared to other seas of the Arctic. There are no islands in its midst and only a small number of islands lie along the Siberia
Siberia

Siberia , is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of North Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the Soviet Union from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century....
n coast.

The sea is named after the Chukchi people
Chukchi people

Chukchi, or Chukchee are an indigenous people inhabiting the Chukchi Peninsula and the shores of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Sea region of the Arctic Ocean within the Russian Federation....
, who reside on its shores and on the Chukotka Peninsula. The Chukchi traditionally engaged in fishing, whaling and the hunting of walrus
Walrus

The walrus is a large pinniped marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere....
 in this cold sea.

In Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, the rivers flowing into the Chukchi Sea are the Kivalina
Kivalina River

The Kivalina River is a 60 mile long river in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska, located at . It begins in the De Long Mountains and flows southwest 96 km to Kivalina Lagoon in the Chukchi Sea....
, the Kobuk
Kobuk River

The Kobuk River is approximately long, located in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska in the United States. Draining a basin with an area of 12,300 square miles , the Kobuk River is among the largest rivers in northwest Alaska with widths of up to 1500 feet and flow at a speed of 3-5 miles per hour in its lower and middle reaches ....
, the Kokolik
Kokolik River

The Kokolik River is a river in Alaska's North Slope, Alaska flowing into the Chukchi Sea.Its Inuit name was reported by Lt. D. H. Jarvis, USRCS, in 1898....
, the Kukpowruk
Kukpowruk River

The Kukpowruk River is a 160 mile long river in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States, which flows into the Chukchi Sea. Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is the major landowner along the river....
, the Kukpuk
Kukpuk River

The Kukpuk River is a 12.5 mile long river in the Lisburne Peninsula, in Alaska's North Slope, Alaska flowing into the Chukchi Sea.On September 6, 1826, Capt....
, the Noatak
Noatak River

The Noatak River is a river in northwestern Alaska. The river's headwaters are on tall Mount Igikpak in the Schwatka Mountains of the Brooks Range in the Gates of the Arctic National Park....
, the Utukok
Utukok River

The Utukok River is a 180 mile long river in the North Slope Borough, Alaska of the U.S. state of Alaska that flows into the Chukchi Sea.Heading at 683400N, 1610600W in the DeLong Mountains at the confluence of Kogruk Creek and Tupik Creek and flowing N, NE, and then NW, to Kasegaluk Lagoon and the Arctic Ocean, 20 mi SW of Icy Cape, Arctic...
, the Pitmegea
Pitmegea River

The Pitmegea River is a 42 mile long river in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Alaska, United States. From the source in the DeLong Mountains, the river flows northwest to the Chukchi Sea at Cape Sabine, 40 miles northwest of Mount Kelly....
, and the Wulik
Wulik River

The Wulik River or Ulik River is an 80 mile long river in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska.It heads in the De Long Mountains 5 mi....
, among others. Of rivers flowing in from its Siberian side, the Amguyema
Amguyema River

The Amguyema River is a stream located in Far East Siberia. It flows from the Anadyr Range and it is one of the largest rivers flowing into the Chukchi Sea....
, Ioniveyem
Ioniveyem River

The Ioniveyem River is a stream located in the Chukotka Peninsula in Far East Siberia. It flows northwards into the Kolyuchinskaya Bay, Chukchi Sea....
, and the Chegitun
Chegitun River

The Chegitun River is a stream located in the Chukotka Peninsula in Far East Siberia. It is the easternmost river flowing into the Chukchi Sea from the Siberian side, which makes it the river of the Eurasian continent that is farthest to the east....
 are the most important.

History

On 28 September 1878, during Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld
Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld

Baron Adolf Erik Nordenski?ld , also known as A. E. Nordenskioeld was a Finland geologist, mineralogist and arctic explorer and a member of the prominent Finland-Swedish Nordenski?ld noble family of scientists....
's expedition that made the whole length of the Northeast passage for the first time in history, the steamship Vega got stuck in fast ice in the Chukchi Sea. Since further progress for that year was impossible, the ship was secured in winter quarters. Even so, members of the expedition and the crew were aware only a few miles of ice-blocked sea lay between them and the open waters. The following year, two days after Vega was released, she passed the Bering Strait
Bering Strait

The Bering Strait is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65? 40' north, slightly south of the polar circle....
 and steamed towards the Pacific Ocean.

In 1913, Karluk
Karluk (ship)

The Karluk was a ship used for an expedition to the Arctic in 1913 led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson and captained by Robert Bartlett.The ship became icebound several months into the voyage, at which time Stefansson and one other left the ship and spent the next five years 1913-1918 exploring the Arctic....
, abandoned by expedition leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was a Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist. He was born at Gimli, Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada, of Icelandic descent....
, drifted in the ice along the northern expanses of the Chukchi Sea and sank, crushed by ice near Herald Island
Herald Island (Arctic)

Herald Island or Gerald Island is a small isolated Russian island in the Chukchi Sea, 60 km to the east of Wrangel Island. It rises in sheer cliffs, making it quite inaccessible, either by ship or by plane....
. The survivors made it to Wrangel Island, where they found themselves in a hopeless situation. Then Captain Robert Bartlett
Robert Bartlett

Captain Robert Abram Bartlett was a Newfoundland and Labrador navigator and Arctic explorer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
 walked hundreds of kilometers with Kataktovik, an Inuit
Inuit

Inuit is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Russia and Alaska, United States....
 man, on the ice of the Chukchi Sea in order to look for help. They reached Cape Vankarem
Cape Vankarem

Cape Vankarem is a cape in the Chukchi Sea on the northern coast of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The area around cape Vankarem is bounded by narrow beach ridges and swales with numerous inlets and coastal lagoons.The Vankarem River has its mouth in the lagoon south of the cape....
 on the Chukotka coast, on April 15th 1914. Twelve survivors of the ill-fated expedition were found on Wrangel island nine months later by the King & Winge
King & Winge (fishing schooner)

The King & Winge was one of the most famous ships ever built in Seattle. Built in 1914, in the next 70 years she had participated in a famous Arctic rescue, been present at a great maritime tragedy, and been employed as a halibut schooner, a rum runner, and a pilot boat....
, a newly-built Arctic fishing schooner.

In 1933, the steamer Chelyuskin
Chelyuskin steamship

Chelyuskin was a Soviet Union steamship reinforced to navigate polar ice that became ice-bound in Arctic waters during navigation along the Northern Maritime Route from Murmansk to Vladivostok....
 sailed from Murmansk
Murmansk

Murmansk is a types of inhabited localities in Russia and seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 km from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland....
, east bound to attempt a transit of the Northern Sea Route
Northern Sea Route

The Northern Sea Route is a shipping lane from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean along the Russian coasts of the Russian Far East and Siberia....
 to the Pacific, in order to demonstrate such a transit could be achieved in one season. The vessel became beset in heavy ice in the Chukchi Sea, and after drifting with the ice for over two months, was crushed and sank on 13 February 1934 near Kolyuchin Island
Kolyuchin Island

Kolyuchin Island or Koliuchin Island is a small island in the Chukchi Sea. It is not far from the coast, being only 11 Km away from the northern shore of the Chukotka Peninsula....
. Apart from one fatality, her entire complement of 104 was able to establish a camp on the sea ice. The Soviet government organised an impressive aerial evacuation, under which all were rescued. Captain Vladimir Voronin and expedition leader Otto Schmidt
Otto Schmidt

Otto Yulievich Schmidt was a Soviet Union scientist, mathematician, astronomer, geophysicist, statesman, academician, Hero of the USSR , and member of the CPSU....
 became heroes.

Following several unsuccessful attempts, the wreck was located on the bed of the Chukchi Sea by a Russian expedition, Chelyuskin-70, in mid-September 2006. Two small components of the ship's superstructure were recovered by divers and were sent to the ship's builders, Burmeister & Wain
MAN B&W Diesel

MAN Diesel is the world?s leading provider of large-bore diesel engines for marine propulsion systems and power plant applications and turbochargers....
 of Copenhagen
Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,153,615 . Copenhagen is situated on the Islands of Zealand and Amager....
, for identification.

Early uranium discoveries relied extensivley on airborne radiometric surveys. This progressed to more sophisticated approaches of discoveries. Jefferey Hawkes, of the University of Arizona, found additional uranium deposits on the Kolychin Island just outside of the Aleution Islands in 1979.

Fauna

The Polar Bear
Polar Bear

The polar bear is a bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas. The world's largest carnivore found on land, and shares the title of largest land predator with the Kodiak Bear, an adult male weighs around , while an adult female is about half that size....
 is found on pack ice of the Chukchi Sea; in fact, the population of Polar Bears that is found in the sea and its pack ice is one of the five genetic
Genetic

Genetic may refer to:*Genetics, in biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms*Genetic , in linguistics, a relationship between two languages with a common ancestor language...
ally distinct Eurasian
Eurasian

Eurasian, also Euroasian or Euro-Asian can mean:...
 populations of this species.

Oil and gas resources

The Chukchi shelf is believed to hold oil and gas reserves as high as . Several oil companies have competed for leases on the area, and on 6 February 2008, the U.S. government announced the successful bidders would pay US$
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
2.6 billion for extraction rights. The auction has drawn some criticism from environmentalists.

Further reading


See also

  • Continental shelf of Russia
    Continental shelf of Russia

    The terms continental shelf of Russia or Russian continental shelf have two related meanings. Geologically, it is the total of the continental shelves adjacent to Russia....


External links