The rivers of the basin of the Arctic Ocean: Northern Dvina, Pechora, Ob

All the rivers in the basin of the Arctic Ocean flow through Eurasia and North America. For example, the largest American river Mackenzie. In this article, we will consider some of the rivers of the Arctic Ocean in Russia, since among them are the largest water arteries of the planet. In addition, about sixty-five percent of the water flow of our country belongs to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Among them, the greatest contribution is made by such rivers as Pechora, Severnaya Dvina, Ob, Khatanga, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma, Indigirka and many others.

Features of the rivers of the Arctic Ocean

These water streams near the ocean flow through the plains and lowlands. Therefore, the lower course of their calm, and on the way there are no special obstacles. The rivers of the basin of the Arctic Ocean are covered with ice for a long time. The food is mainly snow and rain. In the spring period, the water level rises by 10-15 meters. This is explained by the fact that the rivers of the basin of the Arctic Ocean flow mainly to the north, and the ice downstream melts later than in the upper reaches. Therefore, congestion and ice dams are formed.

Northern Dvina

The Northern Dvina carries its waters through the lands of the two constituent entities of the Russian Federation - the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. A mighty river flows into the White Sea, which opens into the waters of the northern ocean. Its "clean" length is 0.7 thousand km, together with Sukhona - 1,3 thousand km, and if we consider together with Vychegda - 1,8 thousand km.

The delta of the river occupies a considerable area, spreading over a territory 37 km long and 45 km wide. Here the river is divided into numerous branches and channels (about one hundred and fifty). The flow of river water in the estuary is three and a half thousand cubic meters per second.

The Northern Dvina Water Regime

The predominant type of food is snow. The Northern Dvina is covered with an ice shell during the period from late October to early November, and is released from it from early April to early May. When the river is opened in the spring, there are often congestions, the ice drift is quite stormy.

The pool of the Northern Dvina is huge, it is 360 thousand km ² . Its main tributaries are the rivers of the basin of the Arctic Ocean: Pinega, Vychegda, Elitsa, Vaga and others. There are more than 27 species of ichthyofauna.

Historical meaning

It is interesting that the Northern Dvina is navigable almost throughout the entire length (the length of the shipping routes is, along with numerous tributaries, five and a half thousand kilometers). Since 1989, the river operates a regular passenger service. Until now, the oldest in Russia ship "Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol", descended from shipyards in distant 1911, is walking along its water mirror.

The Northern Dvina played a significant role in historical processes. For example, during the events of the Patriotic War of 1812, it was, according to historians, practically the only connection between Russia and European countries. And in the Second World War, a significant share of Lend-Lease supplies (military equipment, equipment and materials supplied from Europe and the USA to the belligerent Soviet Union) passed through the river. In addition, historians sometimes call the river a "gateway to the Arctic", because more than two hundred research expeditions have started in the Arctic regions along the river.

Pechora

The river flows through two regions of the Russian Federation - the Nenets Autonomous District and the Komi Republic. It begins in the Western Urals with three sources. According to various estimates, the length of the river ranges from 1.7 to 1.9 thousand kilometers. According to the nature of its current, it is divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower.

Upper, Middle and Lower Pechora

The area of the Upper Pechora with a length of 400 kilometers is not populated and is poorly known. In this part of the river has a pronounced mountain character, which is expressed in a rapid flow, winding riverbed, high rocky shores, a narrow river valley is covered with coniferous vegetation. The width of the Upper Pechora ranges from 10 to 120 meters. The river here is shallow, reaches two and a half meters.

The average Pechora is a 1.2 thousand kilometer long section, from the mouth of the Volosyanitsa to the mouth of Tsilma. Starting from the Yashkin pier, the river becomes navigable. The width of the Pechora in the middle part ranges from 0.4 to 4 kilometers. In the low water on the river, shoals are formed, making navigation difficult.

The lower part of the river stretches for four hundred kilometers. Up to the mouth of the Shapkina River , the right bank of the river is sublime, and the left bank is low-lying. Subsequently, both banks become flat with a predominance of tundra vegetation. From the village of Whiskey begins delta. Here there is a large number of alluvial, low islands (the largest - 29). The length of the islands reaches 30 kilometers. At the confluence of the mouth, the river is divided into 20 branches.

Economic use

Pechora is open for 120-170 days, it is intensively used for navigable communication. There are 80 tributaries. The river basin is about 19.5 thousand square kilometers. Fishing is developed on the Pechora, salmon, pike, herring, omul, nelma and other species are being hunted.

Ob

As already mentioned, the basin of the smallest ocean of the Earth occupies 65% or two thirds of the Russian Federation. The rivers belonging to the Arctic Ocean are large enough and full-flowing. But not one of them can not be compared to the Ob. This is the largest Siberian river. It is in the lead among all water flows of Eurasia. It gives up its waters to the rivers belonging to the Arctic Ocean, such as Tom and Irtysh, Biya, Katun.

According to a number of researchers, the name of the river came from the word "both", since it is formed by the merger of two fairly deep rivers - Biya and Katun. Its length from the confluence is 3,65 thousand km, and if we consider together with the Irtysh - 5,41 thousand km. This river is considered the longest in Russia. It flows to the north in the Kara Sea, forming an extensive Ob Bay (the length of the bay is about 800 kilometers).

Economic significance of the Ob

The river bed passes through the territory of five subjects of the Russian Federation, including the Altai Territory, the Tomsk Region, the Novosibirsk Region, the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Districts. The river is navigable. A regular steamship service has been established there since 1844. In 1895, there were already 120 steamers along the river.

Ob is a real paradise for fishing enthusiasts. There are a lot of fish in this region, such as pike, grayling, burbot, crucian, chebach, sturgeon, lamprey, sterlet and many others. Altogether there are about fifty species, twenty-five of which are subject to intensive fishing (pike-perch, ide, pike, burbot, dace, bream, crucian carp, roach, perch and others).

Water regime, tributaries

The food of the river is mainly snow, the main runoff occurs at the time of spring flood. The Ob is covered with an ice shell for 180-220 days a year. The basin is about 2.99 million km ² , according to this indicator the river ranks first in Russia. It occupies an honorable third place in terms of water content, and in front of it are such rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean, like Yenisei and Lena.

In the southern part of the Ob River is the famous Novosibirsk Reservoir or, as it is more often called, the Ob Sea, which is a favorite vacation spot for thousands of tourists and local residents. The canal between the Ob and Yenisei, built at the end of the century before last, is currently not used and abandoned.

Ob has 30 large tributaries and many small ones. The largest of them is the Irtysh, whose length is 4.25 thousand kilometers, which exceeds the river's own length. This influx brings to the Ob on average three thousand cubic meters of water per second.