The Arctic (translated from the gr. "arktikos" - northern) is located on the territory of the Arctic Ocean, its islands and on the northern outskirts of Europe, America and Asia, covers an area of approximately 21 million km2.
Characteristics of the Arctic desert zone.
Climate. In the very center of the Arctic, called the Central Arctic, is the North Pole. There is only one day and one night in a year, which last for several months: during the night period, everything is illuminated by the moon, stars and fantastic northern lights. The polar night ends in March, and the day gradually comes into its own for several months. Winters are long and very severe, while summers are too short and cold, with an average temperature of +1- +3°C. But there are also warmer zones, where in the summer on the coast, washed by a warm current (Kola Peninsula), during a hot short summer, even delicate northern flowers bloom.
See the geographical location of the Arctic desert zone on the map of natural zones.
The natural zone of the Arctic deserts on a significant part of the surface is covered with glaciers and stone placers. Soils practically undeveloped. Vegetation, on a surface free from ice and snow, cannot form a closed cover. In the cold desert, the plant world is represented by the dominance of mosses and lichens. Flowering plants are very rare. Among the Arctic animals, marine animals predominate in this zone: polar bears and birds.
Walruses, seals, whales and seals live in ocean waters. In summer, the rocky shores of the islands are completely covered with nests of various sea birds, with their noisy bird colonies.
Many travelers organized expeditions to the North Pole, most of the attempts were unsuccessful. It was not until 1909 that the American Robert Peary was able to reach these northern shores.
Constant exploration of the Arctic is associated with the development of the Northern Sea Route, which is the shortest sea route between Murmansk and other ports in the Far East. The Northern Sea Route is available for navigation only in the summer, and in the rest of the period the ocean is ice-bound and only icebreakers can make their way there.
At the end of the 19th century, the Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen made the famous drift in the ice on his ship Fram (you can read a poetic digression about this). In 1937 there were unique flights of pilots V. Chkalov and M. Gromov to the USA through the North Pole. In the same year, four Soviet polar explorers on a drifting ice floe studied the movement of ice, ocean and sea currents, and arctic weather in the ocean. In our time, drifting scientific stations are constantly monitoring all areas of the Arctic, in addition, satellite observation provides constant new knowledge for scientists, for example, about the melting of glaciers.
These and many other events are the main stages in the development of the Arctic, which still remains one of the most poorly studied places on Earth.
PS: in the south, the Arctic deserts border
The natural zone of the Arctic deserts is the very top of our planet. Its lower border is located approximately at 71 parallels, so where is Wrangel Island. It covers all the islands of the Arctic Ocean and a few continents: Eurasia and North America.
Description Plan of the Natural Zone
In terms of describing any Natural Area, the following items are mandatory:
- location geography;
- climate;
- vegetable world;
- animal world.
Geographical position
Among all the natural zones of Russia, the Arctic desert zone is the most unexplored. Its lower borders are Wrangel Island (71 parallels) and the upper one is the island of the Franz Josef Land archipelago (81 parallels).
This area includes:
- part of the Taimyr Peninsula;
- land of Franz Josef;
- northern land;
- some islands of Novaya Zemlya;
- Novosibirsk Islands;
- Wrangel Island.
In addition, the territories of other countries belong to the Arctic desert zone:
- the island of Greenland (Denmark);
- archipelagos of Canada;
- island of Svalbard (Netherlands).
Rice. 1. Arctic desert
Climate characteristic
Almost the whole year in these latitudes is winter. Temperatures in Celsius are very low. On average -30° in January with drops to -50° and -60°. In July, maximum warming is possible up to +5° - 10°. On average, in July it stays +3°.
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In the Arctic zone, the day changes twice a year: the polar night lasts half a year, the second half - the polar day. Despite the fact that from April to September there is daylight around the clock, the sun does not warm the air.
The most beautiful thing in the Arctic zone is the northern lights. If you explain from the point of view of physics, then sunlight hits the magnetic particles of the poles, from which they begin to glow. The most colorful lights shimmer in red, orange, pink, purple and green.
Rice. 2. Northern lights
Flora and fauna
The zone where the Arctic desert is located is covered with eternal ice and snow. Only on those short warm days is it possible to see oases of green vegetation. In addition to mosses and lichens, on stony soil there are: polar poppy, grains, chickweed, bluegrass, buttercup, saxifrage. Sedge and grasses grow in swampy mud.
The meager flora does not give animals a chance to survive. From the earth they resort here: polar wolf, arctic fox, lemming. Seals and walruses live near the ocean. But the biggest pride is polar bears. Their lifestyle allows them to spend most of their time on land, but they prefer to hunt and breed in the water, while diving quite deep.
Rice. 3. A family of polar bears
There is a nature reserve on Wrangel Island, in which about 400 families of polar bears now live. Each of them has its own lair.
What have we learned?
The Arctic deserts are a very harsh region, stretching in the very north of our planet. There is practically no vegetation and a very poor fauna, but at the same time, those daredevils who were able to get here will be awarded an amazingly beautiful phenomenon - the northern lights.
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Arctic deserts - a natural zone located in the Artik, the northern polar region of the Earth; part of the Arctic Ocean basin. This natural zone includes the northern outskirts of the continental Arctic and numerous islands located around the North Pole.
The Arctic desert zone is the northernmost natural zone with a characteristic arctic climate. The territory of such deserts is covered with glaciers and stones, and the flora and fauna are very scarce.
This message is dedicated to the peculiarities of the Arctic deserts as a natural zone.
Welcome to the Arctic!
Climate
Arctic the climate is very cold, with harsh winters and cool summers.
Winter in the Arctic is very long, strong winds blow, snowstorms rage for several weeks. Everything is covered with snow and ice. The air temperature reaches -60 °C.
From the second half of October comes polar night. It lasts for six long months. There is no sun in the sky, and only sometimes there are bright and beautiful northern lights. The duration of the auroras is different: from two or three minutes to several days. They are so bright that you can even read under their light.
Northern Lights.
In winter, all animals either hibernate or travel south. Nature freezes, but at the end of February the sun appears, and the day begins to increase.
Beginning in the second half of May polar day, when the sun doesn't set at all. Depending on the latitude, the polar day lasts 60-130 days. Although the sun shines 24/7, there is little heat from the sun.
Long, long day.
Summer is very short, but during this time hundreds of thousands of different birds fly to the Arctic, pinnipeds come: walruses, seals, seals. The air temperature rises very slowly and reaches the positive mark only by July (+2-6 °C). The average temperature in summer is about 0 °C.
Already from the beginning of September, the air temperature drops below zero, and soon snow falls, water bodies are frozen.
Flora and fauna of the Arctic
The soils in the Arctic deserts are very poor. from plants grow mainly mosses and lichens, and even those do not form a continuous cover. Arctic flowers and small shrubs bloom in summer:
- polar poppy;
- polar willow;
- arctic buttercup;
- semolina;
- snow saxifrage;
- asterisk.
Polar poppy.
Herbs also grow: alpine foxtail, bluegrass, sow thistle, arctic pike. All these plants, even shrubs, do not grow more than 3-5 cm. There are no trees in the Arctic deserts.
The underwater flora is richer: there are up to 150 species of algae alone. Algae feed on crustaceans, and fish and birds are the most numerous animals of the Arctic deserts.
Birds settle in nests on rocks and form noisy "bird colonies". This:
- guillemots;
- seagulls;
- cleaners;
- eiders;
- dead ends;
- kittiwakes and other birds.
Northern bird.
On the coast pinnipeds live: walruses, seals, seals. In the sea there are whales, beluga whales.
The terrestrial animal world, due to the scarcity of the plant world, is not very rich. These are mainly arctic foxes, lemmings, polar bears.
The king of the Arctic deserts is the polar bear. This animal is perfectly adapted to life in a harsh region. He has a thick coat, strong paws, a sharp sense of smell. He swims well in the water, a wonderful hunter.
White bears in search of prey.
The bear's prey is mainly marine life: fish, seals, seals. It can eat eggs and chicks of birds.
Human impact on the natural zone of the Arctic deserts
The natural world of the Arctic deserts is fragile and slowly recovering. Therefore, the influence of man should be careful and careful. Meanwhile, the environment in this area is not very favorable:
- ice is melting;
- water and atmosphere are polluted;
- the population of animals, birds and fish is declining;
- the habitat of various animals is changing.
Man's exploration of the Arctic.
These negative processes due to human activities, active development of the natural resources of the Arctic zone: extraction of natural resources (natural gas, oil), fishing and seafood, shipping.
Meanwhile, the environmental problems of the Arctic deserts affect the entire climate of the Earth.
It is located on the northernmost outskirts of Asia and North America, including all the islands in the Arctic basin, which are part of the polar geographic zone. The climate is arctic, with long and severe winters, summers are short and cold. Seasons don't exist. During the polar night - winter, and during the polar day - summer. Average temperatures are -10 to -35°, dropping to -50°. In summer - from 0° to + 5°. There is little precipitation (200-300 mm per year).
The vegetation is sparse, so the fauna of the Arctic deserts is relatively poor: these are the Arctic wolf, seal, walrus, seal, lemming, musk ox (musk ox), arctic fox, polar bear, reindeer, etc .; birds - guillemots, puffins, eiders, pink gulls, snowy owls, etc. Cetaceans are a separate group, for which the conditions of the Arctic do not create any problems.
The most numerous inhabitants of the harsh northern region are birds.
The pink gull is a fragile creature, with a weight of 250 grams and a body length of 35 cm, feels quite confident and freely spends harsh winters in the tundra, or above the sea surface, which is covered with drifting ice floes. Often joins the meals of larger predators.
Guillemot is a black and white bird that nests on high sheer cliffs and spends the winter in the ice without experiencing much discomfort.
The common eider is a northern duck that can easily dive in icy water to depths of up to 20 meters.
The most ferocious and largest among birds is the polar owl. A ruthless predator with beautiful yellow eyes, snow-white plumage preys on other birds, rodents, and sometimes on cubs of larger animals, such as arctic foxes.
Typical animals of the arctic deserts:
cetaceans
The narwhal is interesting for its long horn protruding from its mouth, which is an ordinary tooth, only with a length of 3 meters and a weight of 10 kg. Photo: One for all and all for one 🙂
The bowhead whale is a relative of the narwhal. But he is many times larger than him, and instead of a strange tooth, there is a whalebone in his mouth with a huge tongue, which is convenient for licking stuck plankton.
The polar dolphin or beluga whale is a large animal weighing up to 2 tons, with a length of up to 6 meters, feeding on fish.
The killer whale ranks first among the largest and strongest marine predators in the Arctic waters, where it preys on beluga whales, walruses, seals and seals.
Beasts
Seals are animals that make up a special Arctic cohort that has been living in this region for thousands of years.
This species includes the harp seal with a very beautiful patterned skin.
And fragments of stones.
Climate
The climate in the Arctic is very harsh. Ice and snow cover lasts almost the whole year. In winter, there is a long polar night (at 75 ° N - 98 days; at 80 ° N - 127 days; in the region of the pole - half a year). This is a very harsh time of the year. The temperature drops to -40 ° C and below, strong gale-force winds blow, snowstorms are frequent. In summer, there is round-the-clock lighting, but there is little heat, the soil does not have time to completely thaw. The air temperature is slightly above 0 °C. The sky is often covered with gray clouds, it rains (often with snow), due to the strong evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean, thick fogs form.
Flora and fauna
Arctic deserts
The Arctic desert zone, the northernmost of the natural zones, is located in the high latitudes of the Arctic. Its southern boundary runs along approximately 71°N. sh. The zone includes the islands of the Arctic basin: Greenland, the northern part of the Canadian archipelago, the Spitsbergen archipelago, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya, the New Siberian Islands, as well as a narrow strip along the coast of the Arctic Ocean within the Yamal, Gydansky, Taimyr, Chukotsky peninsulas.
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An excerpt characterizing the Arctic desert
- Look, take it out well!Another hussar also rushed to the horse, but Bondarenko had already thrown over the reins of the snaffle. It was evident that the junker gave well for vodka, and that it was profitable to serve him. Rostov stroked the horse's neck, then its rump, and stopped on the porch.
“Glorious! Such will be the horse! he said to himself, and, smiling and holding his saber, he ran up to the porch, rattling his spurs. The German owner, in a sweatshirt and cap, with a pitchfork, with which he cleaned the manure, looked out of the barn. The German's face suddenly brightened as soon as he saw Rostov. He smiled cheerfully and winked: “Schon, gut Morgen! Schon, gut Morgen!" [Fine, good morning!] he repeated, apparently finding pleasure in greeting the young man.
– Schonfleissig! [Already at work!] - said Rostov, still with the same joyful, brotherly smile that did not leave his animated face. – Hoch Oestreicher! Hoch Russen! Kaiser Alexander hoch! [Hooray Austrians! Hooray Russians! Emperor Alexander hurray!] - he turned to the German, repeating the words often spoken by the German host.
The German laughed, went completely out of the barn door, pulled
cap and, waving it over his head, shouted:
– Und die ganze Welt hoch! [And the whole world cheers!]
Rostov himself, just like a German, waved his cap over his head and, laughing, shouted: “Und Vivat die ganze Welt!” Although there was no reason for special joy either for the German who was cleaning his cowshed, or for Rostov, who went with a platoon for hay, both of these people looked at each other with happy delight and brotherly love, shook their heads in a sign of mutual love and parted smiling - the German to the barn, and Rostov to the hut he shared with Denisov.
- What's the sir? he asked Lavrushka, the rogue lackey Denisov known to the entire regiment.
Haven't been since the evening. It’s true, we lost,” answered Lavrushka. “I already know that if they win, they will come early to show off, but if they don’t until morning, then they’ve blown away, the angry ones will come. Would you like coffee?
- Come on, come on.
After 10 minutes, Lavrushka brought coffee. They're coming! - he said, - now the trouble. - Rostov looked out the window and saw Denisov returning home. Denisov was a small man with a red face, shining black eyes, black tousled mustache and hair. He was wearing an unbuttoned mentic, wide chikchirs lowered in folds, and a crumpled hussar cap was put on the back of his head. He gloomily, lowering his head, approached the porch.
“Lavg” ear, ”he shouted loudly and angrily. “Well, take it off, blockhead!
“Yes, I’m filming anyway,” answered Lavrushka’s voice.
- A! you already got up, - said Denisov, entering the room.
- For a long time, - said Rostov, - I already went for hay and saw Fraulein Matilda.
– That's how! And I pg "puffed up, bg" at, vcheg "a, like a son of a bitch!" shouted Denisov, without pronouncing the river. - Such a misfortune! Such a misfortune! As you left, so it went. Hey, tea!
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