Abstract. This study presents a comparative analysis of wave and temperature conditions in the Laptev Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk (Mordvinov Bay), based on long-term observations of the sea level and temperature fluctuations, which were obtained using autonomous recorders ARV-14 and RBR. In the Laptev Sea, the gauge was placed at 75.20° N, near the critical latitude of 74.5°, resulting in the amplification of the semidiurnal M2 tidal harmonic. The Sea of Okhotsk, on the contrary, is dominated by diurnal tides, which determine primary sea level oscillations. Spectral analysis of low-frequency temperature fluctuations (30 min to 24 h) revealed that in November, the spectra in both seas are similar in shape but differ by two orders of magnitude in amplitude, while in February, they become comparable in amplitude due to the influence of ice cover. A spectral peak at a 12.4-hour period, attributed to the critical latitude effect, was identified in the Laptev Sea but not in the Sea of Okhotsk. Short-period oscillations of sea level and temperature (12 s to 120 min) were largely absent in the Laptev Sea under solid ice conditions, enabling identification of the periods of solid ice coverage. In the Sea of Okhotsk, spectral peaks at periods of 22.7 and 29.2 min were observed, associated with the edge wave activity, while pronounced spectral variability in February was linked to the formation of cracks and polynyas. The attenuation of short waves (12 s to 3 min in the Laptev Sea and 12–20 s in the Sea of Okhotsk) was found to depend on ice thickness: in the Sea of Okhotsk, the attenuation increases throughout the winter, whereas in the Laptev Sea, it may either intensify or weaken. During the period of solid ice cover (January to March), spectral densities of temperature fluctuations in the 12–50 s range exhibited broadband noise characteristics, hindering their quantitative comparison. The identified differences and similarities in wave and temperature characteristics reflect the combined effects of latitude, tidal forcing, and ice conditions on the dynamics of the marine environment, which is crucial for understanding dynamics in Arctic and Subarctic seas.

For citation: Kovalev D.P., Kovalev P.D., Borisov A.S., Zarochintsev V.S., Kirillov K.V. Impact of latitudinal position and ice cover on wave and temperature dynamics in the Laptev Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. Geosistemy perehodnykh zon = Geosystems of Transition Zones, 2025, vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 145–163. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.).
https://doi.org/10.30730/gtrz.2025.9.2.145-163, https://elibrary.ru/vnnhjw

Для цитирования: Ковалев Д.П., Ковалев П.Д., Борисов А.С., Зарочинцев В.С., Кириллов К.В. Влияние широтного положения и ледового покрова на волновые и температурные процессы в морях Лаптевых и Охотском. Геосистемы переходных зон, 2025, т. 9, № 2, с. 145–163.
https://doi.org/10.30730/gtrz.2025.9.2.145-163, https://elibrary.ru/vnnhjw

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