White sea

The White Sea (Russian: Бе́лое мо́ре, romanized: Biéloye more; Finnish: Vienanmeri) is an extensive gulf of the Barents Sea (in the Arctic Ocean), located on the northwestern coast of Russia. It is bounded by the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast, Karelia to the west, and the Kola Peninsula to the north. It has an area of about 95,000 km². Most of the year it is frozen.

The White Sea has four large gulfs or bays within it: in the outermost part, the Bay of Mezén to the east; in the inner section the other three, the Dviná Bay to the southeast, the Onega Gulf to the south and the Kandalakcha Gulf to the northwest. Inside there are many islands, the largest and most important being the Morzhovéts Island and the Solovetski Islands, the whole of which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The port of Archangel, at the bottom of the Dvina Bay, is the most important port on the White Sea and also, for much of Russia's history, was its main center of international maritime trade. Today it is a naval and submarine base.

The White Sea-Baltic Canal connects the White Sea with the Baltic Sea.

The entire White Sea is territorial waters under Russian sovereignty, bathed by the Republic of Karelia, Archangel Oblast, and Murmansk Oblast.

Geography

Extension

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the northern limit of the White Sea as "a line joining the Svyatoy Nos (Murmansk Coast, 39°47'E) and Cape Kanin".

Topography

Summer day on a beach near Severodvinsk, on the southeast shore of the sea

Gulf of Kandalaksha

The coasts of Onega Bay on Kiy Island

In the White Sea there are four main bays or gulfs. These bays are connected to the funnel-shaped opening of the Barents Sea through a strait called "Gorlo" (Russian: Горло, meaning "throat"). Kandalaksha Gulf is located in the western part of the White Sea; it is the deepest part of the sea, reaching 340 meters (1,115 feet). To the south, Onega Bay receives the Onega River. To the southeast, the Dvina Bay receives the Northern Divine at the important port of Archangel. On the eastern side of the "gorlo", facing the Kola Peninsula, is the Mezen Bay. It receives the Mezen River and the Kuloy River. Other important rivers that flow into the sea are the Vyg, the Niva, the Umba, the Varzuga and the Ponoy.

The seabed of the central Dvina and Bay is covered with silt and sand, while the bottom of the northern part, Kandalaksha Gulf and Onega Bay is a mixture of sand and stones. Ice Age deposits often crop up near marine shorelines. The northwestern shores are high and rocky, but the slope is much weaker on the southeastern side.

The White Sea contains a large number of islands, but most of them are small. The main group of islands is the Solovetsky Islands, located almost in the center of the sea, near the entrance to Onega Bay. Kiy Island, in Onega Bay, is important for its historic monastery. Velikiy Island, located close to the shore, is the largest in the Kandalaksha Gulf.

Hydrography and bathymetry

The White Sea is a water-filled depression on the block of a continental shelf known as the Baltic Shield. Its bottom is very irregular and contains Kandalaksha Hollow in the northwest and the Solovetsky Islands in the south. Also, Onega Bay has many small underwater elevations. The mouth and the "gorlo" of the sea are quite shallow, with depths of about 50 meters or less. There is a submarine ridge in the northern part of gorlo, resulting in maximum depths of 40 meters in that part. This makes the exchange of water between the White and Barents seas difficult. The exchange is assisted by the tides, which are semidiurnal (rising twice a day), with the amplitude increasing from 1 meter in the south to 10 meters in the bay. of Mezen. The currents are quite weak in the open sea with a speed of less than 1 km/h, but strengthen significantly in the bays. Tidal waves are much faster than regular currents, reaching speeds of 9 km/h in Mezen Bay., 3.6 km/h in Onega Bay and 1.3 km/h in Kandalaksha Gulf.

Rivers bring about 215 km³ of fresh water annually, on average, mainly to the Onega, Mezen and Dvina bays. The Northern Dvina alone can contribute up to 171 km³ in some years, while the Mezen, Onega, Kem and Vyg rivers add up to 38.5, 27.0, 12.5 and 11.5 km³, respectively. About 40% of this volume is brought in during the snowmelt in May, with input being minimal in February-March. This inlet raises and lowers the sea level which promotes the exchange of water with the Barents Sea. As a result, annually approximately 2,000 km³ and 2,200 km³ enter and leave the White Sea, respectively. Freshwater inflow in spring reduces surface salinity in the upper 5-10 meter layer to 23 ‰ (parts per thousand) in the east and 26 to 27 ‰ in the western parts of the sea, reaching 10 to 12 ‰ in bay Dvina; it also increases the content of silicon and silicate in the water, which is a characteristic feature of the White Sea.

Storms are strongest in October and November. Shallow sea depths reduce wave heights to an average of 1 meter, sometimes reaching 3-5 meters. The sea is calm in July and August.

Climate

Summer lasts from the beginning of June to the end of August, although in the northern part it barely lasts a month and a half.

The temperature of the sea varies from 0.5 to −2 °C in winter and between 12 and 15 °C in summer. The ice appears in October and forms icebergs from mid-November. Some animals from the polar regions come here seeking refuge: harp seals, sea dogs and harbor seals.

Ice melting begins in April and disappears in May. However, due to the northerly winds, floating icebergs can be found until the end of June. In the spring, under the action of the wind and the currents to the south, some animals are dragged on the ice floes towards the ocean, and they are hunted by the riparians who move in canoes with skids.