The northernmost Far Eastern Sea, named after the famous discoverer Bering, is located between two large continents. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Commander and Aleutian island groups. It connects the Bering Strait to the Chukchi Sea , relating to the Arctic Ocean.
Its northern and eastern parts are shallow, since there is an extensive shelf zone. The southern and western outskirts are more deep-water, it is here that the maximum depth is reached, reaching 4151 meters. The Bering Sea, in size and depth, is in first place among the shores of Russia.
Since most of it is located in the Arctic and Subarctic climatic zones, the water surface in it warms up little in the summer, only 7-10 degrees. In winter, the temperature drops to -1.7 degrees. Water salinity reaches up to 32 ppm.
The coastline is very indented, there are many bays, bays, peninsulas, straits. By the way, the straits are very deep - up to 2,000 meters or more. In the western part, the Bering Sea is often subjected to severe storms, and the southern part is periodically visited by Pacific typhoons.
The bottom relief is not uniform; in the northern and eastern parts there is a flat shelf with depths of up to 200 meters. Near the coast of the islands and Kamchatka there is a continental sandbank. At the bottom there are many underwater valleys, and there are underwater canyons with steep slopes. The central part of the bottom is a deep water zone.
The Bering Sea is considered to be an important transport region of the World Ocean, through which significant sea transportation is carried out, the Northern and Far Eastern sea routes connect here. Most goods for the Asian part of Russia are transported along these sea roads.
Natural wealth at the bottom and in the water
Located between the two continents, the Bering Sea is a real storehouse of natural resources for many countries. On the coast there are numerous bird markets. Seals, seals, shrimps, crabs, octopuses, balanuses and more than 60 species of fish live in sea water . There is a fishing catch of pollock, cod, chum, flounder, herring and many others.
At the bottom of the oceans and its individual parts there are large reserves of mineral resources. But not all water bodies can boast of this, including the Bering Sea, the map of minerals confirms this. But on its shores significant deposits of gold, tin and gemstones have already been discovered, which makes it possible to assume the presence of the same minerals at the bottom, in the shelf zone.
The ongoing geological exploration has confirmed that the Bering Sea is not so poor, gold was found in samples that were raised from the bottom in its northern part. On the west coast of North America, there is also placer gold in coastal marine deposits. Recent research by scientists has shown that there are oil and gas bearing areas on the sea shelf.