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The Arctic Seas pp 797–828Cite as

Physiography and Bathymetry of the Arctic Ocean seafloor

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Physiographical Overview

The Arctic Ocean consists of a deep ocean basin, submarine ridges, continental shelves, and marginal plateaus (Fig. 29–1). Five major epicontinental seas—the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi seas—are located on the very wide European and Siberian continental shelves. The much smaller Beaufort and Lincoln seas overlie part of the generally narrow continental shelves that fringe the North American and Greenland margins of the Arctic Ocean. The regular pattern of continental shelves is interposed by five marginal plateaus: the Morris Jesup and Yermak plateaus off the Greenland and Svalbard shelves, and the Northwind Ridge, Chukchi Cap, and Arlis Plateau off the Chukchi shelf, which together comprise the Chukchi Borderland. The Lomonosov Ridge, which crosses near the North Pole, divides the Arctic Basin into Eurasia and Amerasia basins.

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  1. J. R. Weber
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164-2812, USA

    Yvonne Herman

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© 1989 Van Nostrand Reinhold

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Weber, J.R. (1989). Physiography and Bathymetry of the Arctic Ocean seafloor. In: Herman, Y. (eds) The Arctic Seas. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0677-1_29

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