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The '''Weddell Sea''' is part of the [[Southern Ocean]] and contains the Weddell Gyre, one of two circulating ocean currents in [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] waters. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of [[Coats Land]] and the [[Antarctic Peninsula]]. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, [[Queen Maud Land]]. To the east of Cape Norvegia is the King Haakon VII Sea. Much of the southern part of the sea is covered by a permanent, massive ice shelf field, the [[Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf]] (not pack ice). The sea is contained within the two overlapping [[Antarctic]] territorial claims of Argentina, and Britain ([[British Antarctic Territory]]), and also resides partially within the territorial claim of Chile ([[Chilean Antarctic Territory]]). At its widest the sea is around 2000 km across, and its area is around 2.8 million km<sup>2</sup>. | The '''Weddell Sea''' is part of the [[Southern Ocean]] and contains the Weddell Gyre, one of two circulating ocean currents in [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] waters. Its land boundaries are defined by the bay formed from the coasts of [[Coats Land]] and the [[Antarctic Peninsula]]. The easternmost point is Cape Norvegia at Princess Martha Coast, [[Queen Maud Land]]. To the east of Cape Norvegia is the King Haakon VII Sea. Much of the southern part of the sea is covered by a permanent, massive ice shelf field, the [[Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf]] (not pack ice). The sea is contained within the two overlapping [[Antarctic]] territorial claims of Argentina, and Britain ([[British Antarctic Territory]]), and also resides partially within the territorial claim of Chile ([[Chilean Antarctic Territory]]). At its widest the sea is around 2000 km across, and its area is around 2.8 million km<sup>2</sup>. | ||
==Ice shelves== | |||
Various ice shelves, including the [[Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf]], fringe the Weddell sea. Some of the ice shelves on the east side of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]], which formerly covered roughly 3900 mi<sup>2</sup> of the Weddell Sea, had completely disappeared by 2002. While a dramatic event, the area that disappeared was far smaller than the total area of ice shelf that remains. | Various ice shelves, including the [[Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf]], fringe the Weddell sea. Some of the ice shelves on the east side of the [[Antarctic Peninsula]], which formerly covered roughly 3900 mi<sup>2</sup> of the Weddell Sea, had completely disappeared by 2002. While a dramatic event, the area that disappeared was far smaller than the total area of ice shelf that remains. | ||
==Clarity== | |||
The Weddell Sea has been deemed by scientists to have the clearest water of any sea. Dutch researchers from the German Alfred Wegener Institute, on finding a Secchi disc still visible at a depth of 262 ft on 13 October 1986, ascertained that the clarity corresponded to that of distilled water. | The Weddell Sea has been deemed by scientists to have the clearest water of any sea. Dutch researchers from the German Alfred Wegener Institute, on finding a Secchi disc still visible at a depth of 262 ft on 13 October 1986, ascertained that the clarity corresponded to that of distilled water. | ||
==Animals== | |||
The [[Weddell seal]] is especially prominent in this area and was named for the Weddell Sea. | |||
[[Category:Geography of Antarctica]] | [[Category:Geography of Antarctica]] |