Kara Sea

The Kara Sea is a marginal sea located within the Arctic Ocean. It sits north of Siberia and serves as a vital part of the Arctic ecosystem. To its west, the Kara Strait and the Novaya Zemlya landmass separate it from the Barents Sea. To the east, the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago marks the boundary with the Laptev Sea.

Geographically, the sea is defined by a northern line running from Cape Kohlsaat on Graham Bell Island to Cape Molotov on Komsomolets Island. The Kara Sea is roughly long and wide, serving as a major fishing ground despite its harsh conditions. It remains ice-bound for ten months of the year, leaving only two months of open water.

The movement of water in the Kara Sea is highly complex. It is heavily influenced by massive freshwater run-off from Russian rivers. These include the Ob, Yenisei, Pyasina, Pur, and Taz rivers. This run-off totals approximately 1,200 cubic kilometers per year. Additionally, saltwater inflows from the Barents Sea affect the region. This inflow brings 0.6 Sverdrups in August and increases to 2.6 Sverdrups in December. This water originates in the Atlantic but becomes cooled and mixed with freshwater before entering the Kara Sea. Because of the shifting winds, sea ice formation, and river discharge, there is no single, permanent current pattern.

Many islands are scattered throughout the Kara Sea. Unlike other Arctic marginal seas where islands usually hug the coast, many Kara Sea islands sit in the open ocean. These include the Arkticheskiy Institut Islands, the Izvesti Tsik Islands, and the Kirov Islands. The largest collection is the Nordenskiöld Archipelago, which contains five large subgroups and over ninety islands.

Other notable islands are Bely, Dikson, and Taymyr. While most islands are unglaciated due to their high latitude, Ushakov Island at the extreme northern limit does have glaciers.

History shows that the Kara Sea was a difficult place to explore. In the 16th century, it appeared on maps as Oceanus Scythicus or Mare Glaciale. English explorers like Stephen Borough and the team of Arthur Pet and Charles Jackman failed to penetrate the ice in the 1500s. In 1736, Russian Admiral Stepan Malygin successfully sailed to the mouth of the Ob River. His observations allowed for the first accurate maps of the Arctic shores between the Pechora and Ob rivers. Later, in 1878, Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld used his ship, the Vega, to complete the first successful passage of the Northeast Passage.

The early 20th century was a period of great tragedy for explorers in these waters. In 1912, thick, unbroken ice trapped three separate expeditions. Georgy Sedov died on Rudolf Island after a failed attempt to reach the North Pole. Georgy Brusilov's ship, the St. Anna, drifted north for over two years. Only two men, Valerian Albanov and Alexander Konrad, survived a three-month trek across the ice. The loss of these expeditions drew intense public attention to the dangers of the region. Following the Russian Revolution, the development of the Northern Sea Route led to a massive increase in polar stations. By the 1970s, more than 100 stations were operating to provide meteorology and ice reconnaissance.

Today, the Kara Sea is economically significant due to its natural resources. The East-Prinovozemelsky field is an extension of the West Siberian Oil Basin. This area contains significant amounts of undeveloped petroleum and natural gas. The main ports serving the region are Novy Port and Dikson. However, resource extraction has faced political challenges. In 2014, US government sanctions required Exxon to end its operations in the sea by September 26.

Environmental concerns also exist regarding the sea's history with nuclear waste. Between 1965 and 1988, the Soviet Union dumped various nuclear reactors into the Kara Sea. This included six submarine reactors and ten other nuclear reactors. Some of these were dumped in the shallow fjords of Novaya Zemlya at depths between 12 and 135 meters. The K-27 nuclear submarine was also scuttled in Stepovogo Bay with its reactors filled with spent fuel. To protect the remaining natural diversity, the Great Arctic State Nature Reserve was founded in 1993. Its Kara Sea Islands section covers 4,000 square kilometers and protects many of the central islands.