Bellingshausen Sea

The Bellingshausen Sea is a marginal sea located in Antarctica. It sits along the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The sea is located between 57°18'W and 102°20'W. It is bordered by several coastal areas. These include the Eights Coast, the Bryan Coast, and the western part of the English Coast. Alexander Island lies to its east. Peter I Island is located to the south. To the west of Cape Flying Fish, the Bellingshausen Sea joins the Amundsen Sea.

The sea contains several distinct geological and oceanographic features. Under the water, there is a flat area called the Bellingshausen Plain. The sea also features two major troughs, which are long, deep depressions in the ocean floor. The Belgica Trough is located on the western side. The Latady Trough is located on the eastern side. These troughs play a major role in how water moves through the region.

Oceanography in this region is complex and still being studied. Scientists have recently discovered new information about its circulation. One important feature is the Antarctic Slope Current, or ASC. This current is thought to originate in the Bellingshausen Sea. It is not driven by the wind. Instead, it results from a density front at the shelf break. This current helps transport heat from this sea to the Amundsen Sea.

Meltwater also moves through the sea in two distinct flows. These flows come from the ice shelves. The first flow comes from the Venable Ice Shelf. This meltwater travels through the Belgica Trough. The second flow comes from the Abbot Ice Shelf. This water travels through the Seal Trough, which is west of the Belgica Trough. This second flow has a different vertical structure. It occupies greater depths with denser isopycnals, which are layers of water with equal density.

Over the last twenty years, the sea has experienced significant changes. Warm water from the Circumpolar Deep Waters has flowed into the region. This water enters through the Belgica and Latady Troughs. Once inside, the warm water can reach cavities in the ice shelves. This has caused the temperature to increase by 3° Celsius. This warming has pushed temperatures above the freezing point. As a result, many of the ice shelves surrounding the sea are melting.

This melting process has a large impact on the entire Antarctic continent. Currents like the Antarctic Coastal Current carry meltwater into the Amundsen Sea. In the western troughs, currents carry both meltwater and warmed Circumpolar Deep Water to shelf breaks. This has established a shelf break frontal system. If the injected meltwater is buoyant enough, it can rise to the surface. Once it reaches the surface, it can circle the continent. This can change the ocean's stratification and alter geostrophic circulation. It also affects vertical mixing and the movement of heat.

The history of the sea is tied to exploration and ancient events. The sea is named after Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen. He was a Russian navy officer and a cartographer. He explored these waters in 1821. The sea also holds a unique geological secret. It contains the Eltanin crater. This crater was formed by an impact from the Eltanin asteroid. The asteroid was about 1 to 4 km in diameter. This impact happened during the early Pleistocene Epoch, roughly 2.15 million years ago. It is the only known impact in a deep-ocean basin in the world.