The Laptev Sea

The Laptev Sea (sometimes called the Siberian Sea) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean situated on the northern coast of Russia between the Taimyr Peninsula, Severnaya Zemlya island to the west and the New Siberian Islands to the east. It was named after the great Russian travelers and Arctic explorers Dmitry Laptev and Khariton Laptev. They were in charge of the Great North expedition in 1736-1740. The Laptev Sea’s surface area is 662,000 km² and is covered with thick ice nearly all the year round. The climate is typically Arctic, and is especially severe in coastal areas. The average annual temperature is -13^o or lower. According to the depth of its waters, the Laptev Sea is divided into two parts: the southern part, which is shallower, and the northern part, which is deeper. The average depths are around 50 m and comprise some 54 percent of the total area of the sea, depths of 50 to 200 m — 21 percent and depths from 200 to 2,000 m — 25 percent. The maximum depth is 3,385 m.

The mainland seacoast is deeply indented thus forming vast bays such as Khatangsky, Anabarsky and Oleneksky bays as well as the big Buor-Khaya Bay and the Tiksi Bay. In the eastern part of the Lena river delta lies the big Arctic port of Tiksi. It is one of the major junction bases on the Northern sea route. In the western part of the sea one can find many islands inhabited by walruses, sea hares, seals and polar bears. In some places on the cliffs one can see bird colonies. Species include Uria, Cepphus grille, and various kinds of sea gulls. Fish are represented by sardines, arctic loach, coregonus, white salmon and sturgeon. All have great commercial importance.

The Lena, Yana, Khatanga, Anabar and Olenek, the biggest rivers that flow into the Laptev Sea, pour an average of 500 km³ of polluted water into the sea annually.