Seas of the Arctic Ocean

     In the north the Arctic Ocean and its seas wash the shores of Europe. Its central or deeper part is covered with ice the whole year round. The huge three-metre thick ice-fields drift slowly along, driven by wind and current. They split into parts which collide with a terrific noise, forming huge piles called hummocks.

Fig. 8. Sogne Fjord, the largest fjord in the world. The water areas are shaded black. The fjord is almost 220 kilometres long and surrounded by mountains. The figures represent the altitude in metres. The coastal waters are sprinkled with skerries.

In the out­lying parts of the ocean the ice melts in summer, so that stretches of open water appear across which ships can pass. In order to learn more about the central regions of the Arctic Ocean, polar stations are set up on the ice-floes with the help of aircraft. Together with the floes they drift across the ocean.
The Arctic Ocean forms a number of seas along the coasts of Eu­rope, the largest being the Barents Sea named after a Dutch mariner of the 16th century. It is situated between Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land (the northernmost group of islands in Europe) and Novaya Zemlya. Under the influence of the warm North Atlantic Drift Current, the south-western part of the Barents Sea does not freeze even in winter. This sea abounds in fish: cod, herring and bass, in particular.

fore, through many months of the year. Between the Barents and White Seas is situated the Kola  Peninsula.

Fig. 9. A fjord. Steep banks border the smooth water