Statistical information Arctic Ocean 2024

Arctic Ocean in the World

Arctic Ocean - Introduction 2024

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Background: The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five ocean basins (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. In recent years, the polar ice pack has receded in the summer allowing for increased navigation and raising the possibility of future sovereignty and shipping disputes among the Arctic coastal states affected (Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia, US).

Arctic Ocean - Geography 2024

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Location: body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle

Geographic coordinates: 90 00 N, 0 00 E

Map reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total: 15.558 million km²
Note: includes Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, Norwegian Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Land boundaries

Coastline: 45,389 km

Maritime claims

Climate: polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature range; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Terrain

Elevation
Highest point: sea level
Lowest point: Molloy Deep -5,577 m
Mean depth:

-1,205 m; ocean zones: Composed of water and in a fluid state, the ocean is delimited differently than the solid continents. It is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 m into the oceans under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 m.
The upper 200 m (656 ft) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or 'sunlight,' zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth.
The zone between 200 m (656 ft) and 1,000 m (3,280 ft) is usually referred to as the 'twilight' zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a minuscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 m that photosynthesis is no longer possible.
The aphotic, or 'midnight,' zone exists in depths below 1,000 m (3,280 ft). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths, and the zone is bathed in darkness.

Natural resources: sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)

Land use

Land use

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May

Geography
Note: major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months

Arctic Ocean - People 2024

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Population

Nationality

Ethnic groups

Languages

Religions

Demographic profile

Age structure