About
Arctic Ocean
The
Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly
in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest
of the world's five major oceanic divisions. The International
Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean,
although some oceanographers call it the Arctic Mediterranean
Sea or simply the Arctic Sea, classifying it a mediterranean
sea or an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. Alternatively,
the Arctic Ocean can be seen as the northernmost part of
the all-encompassing World Ocean.
Almost
completely surrounded by Eurasia and North America, the
Arctic Ocean is partly covered by sea ice throughout the
year (and almost completely in winter). The Arctic Ocean's
surface temperature and salinity vary seasonally as the
ice cover melts and freezes; its salinity is the lowest
on average of the five major oceans, due to low evaporation,
heavy fresh water inflow from rivers and streams, and limited
connection and outflow to surrounding oceanic waters with
higher salinities. The summer shrinking of the ice has been
quoted at 50%. The US National Snow and Ice Data Center
(NSIDC) uses satellite data to provide a daily record of
Arctic sea ice cover and the rate of melting compared to
an average period and specific past years.
Source
|
