34
K. Myrberg and A. Lehmann
Table 2.1 The dimensions of the Baltic Sea basins and the Kattegat (modified from Fonselius
1995)
Area km 2
Mean
depth, m
Maximum
depth, m
Volume
km 3
Kattegat
22,287
23
130
515
Baltic Sea
392,978
54
459
21,205
South-western Baltic Sea
Danish Straits
20,121
14
81
287
Belt Sea
17,821
15
81
260
Øresund
2,300
12
53
27
Arkona Basin
19,068
23
53
442
Bornholm Basin
38,942
46
105
1,780
Gotland Sea
151,920
71
459
10,824
Gda´ nsk Bay
25,234
57
114
1,439
Eastern Gotland Basin
63,478
77
249
4,911
Northern Gotland Basin
28,976
71
150
2,056
Western Gotland Basin
34,232
71
459
2,418
Eastern and northern gulfs
Gulf of Finland
29,498
37
123
1,098
Gulf of Riga
17,913
23
51
405
Gulf of Bothnia
115,516
55
293
6,369
Åland Sea
5,477
75
301
411
Archipelago Sea
8,893
19
104
169
Sea of Bothnia
64,886
66
293
4,308
Bay of Bothnia
36,260
41
146
1,481
(Fig. 2.1) have their own specific features. The coastal areas are often characterized
by archipelagos.
A characteristic feature of the Baltic Sea is its shallowness. The mean depth is
54 m and even the largest depth is 459 m only, in Landsort Deep between Stockholm and the island of Gotland. The area of the Baltic Sea is also small, namely
392,978 km 2 , while its volume equals 21,205 km 3 .
An overall view of the major features of the Baltic Sea can be obtained based on
the areas, volumes and depths in the different basins (Table 2.1, Fig. 2.2). The largest
basin is the Gotland Sea 1 with an area of 151,920 km 2 or 39 % of the total area of
the Baltic Sea, whereas its volume of 10,824 km 3 is 51 % of the total volume. Not
surprisingly the mean depth of the Gotland Sea (71 m) is larger than the mean depth
of the entire Baltic Sea. The second largest basin is the Gulf of Bothnia, which has
1 An often used notion is Baltic Proper to denote the Eastern, Northern and Western Gotland Basin
(Table 2.1), Bornholm Basin and Gda´ nsk Bay.
K. Myrberg and A. Lehmann
Table 2.1 The dimensions of the Baltic Sea basins and the Kattegat (modified from Fonselius
1995)
Area km 2
Mean
depth, m
Maximum
depth, m
Volume
km 3
Kattegat
22,287
23
130
515
Baltic Sea
392,978
54
459
21,205
South-western Baltic Sea
Danish Straits
20,121
14
81
287
Belt Sea
17,821
15
81
260
Øresund
2,300
12
53
27
Arkona Basin
19,068
23
53
442
Bornholm Basin
38,942
46
105
1,780
Gotland Sea
151,920
71
459
10,824
Gda´ nsk Bay
25,234
57
114
1,439
Eastern Gotland Basin
63,478
77
249
4,911
Northern Gotland Basin
28,976
71
150
2,056
Western Gotland Basin
34,232
71
459
2,418
Eastern and northern gulfs
Gulf of Finland
29,498
37
123
1,098
Gulf of Riga
17,913
23
51
405
Gulf of Bothnia
115,516
55
293
6,369
Åland Sea
5,477
75
301
411
Archipelago Sea
8,893
19
104
169
Sea of Bothnia
64,886
66
293
4,308
Bay of Bothnia
36,260
41
146
1,481
(Fig. 2.1) have their own specific features. The coastal areas are often characterized
by archipelagos.
A characteristic feature of the Baltic Sea is its shallowness. The mean depth is
54 m and even the largest depth is 459 m only, in Landsort Deep between Stockholm and the island of Gotland. The area of the Baltic Sea is also small, namely
392,978 km 2 , while its volume equals 21,205 km 3 .
An overall view of the major features of the Baltic Sea can be obtained based on
the areas, volumes and depths in the different basins (Table 2.1, Fig. 2.2). The largest
basin is the Gotland Sea 1 with an area of 151,920 km 2 or 39 % of the total area of
the Baltic Sea, whereas its volume of 10,824 km 3 is 51 % of the total volume. Not
surprisingly the mean depth of the Gotland Sea (71 m) is larger than the mean depth
of the entire Baltic Sea. The second largest basin is the Gulf of Bothnia, which has
1 An often used notion is Baltic Proper to denote the Eastern, Northern and Western Gotland Basin
(Table 2.1), Bornholm Basin and Gda´ nsk Bay.