Strait of Kara Gate is a reservoir connecting the Barents and Kara Seas. The island of Novaya Zemlya is located to the north of the strait, and Vaigach island to the south. Also through it laid the Northern Sea Route.
It got its name because it is the only southern strait between the Barents and Kara Seas. But the word "Karski" was added later, and earlier it was simply called the "Gate". To understand the exact location and answer the question of where are the Kara Gate, the map below will help.
Opening
The opening date of the strait is unknown. But it is mentioned that in 1556, the English traveler Stephen Borough met Russian sailors here, who gave him full information about the sea route to the mouth of the Ob, and also offered escort. This is the very first mention of such an object as the Kara Gate. It is known that the strait has long been known to Russian industrialists. This helped develop fisheries. After all, it was here that the Russians constantly fished for sale and for their own consumption.
Characteristic
The Kara Gate Strait is 33 km long and 50 km wide. Depth ranges from Perse Bank to the eastern part. In this interval, the indicator varies from 7 to 230 m. Also along it is a section with a depth of more than 100 m and a width of slightly less than 5 kilometers. The coast is high and rocky on all sides.
Climate
The climate here is arctic, severe. Its feature is very long and cold winters. Strong winds and blizzards are a frequent occurrence for a place like the Kara Gate. Gusts of wind sometimes reach 50 m / s. Water temperature is not higher than +13.5 ° С, and the average mark is only 0.9 ° С. The strait is covered with ice for a longer time. But in some years, surprisingly, the surface can remain unfrozen for most of the winter. This happens under the influence of the Gulf Stream.
Features
To the west of the Kara Gate is the southeastern part of the Pechora Sea. In the winter season, it freezes due to the loss of intensity of the effects of the Atlantic cyclones affecting it and the relatively warm southern course. The ice surface in the strait usually appears at the same time as in the Pechora Sea, from the south-west side. The course here reaches very large indicators. In the area of the western coast of Taimyr, the speed is 150 cm / s. This indicator is much higher than the constant currents of the Kara Sea.
