Arctic Ocean Atlas: Atlas okeanov. Severnyy ledovityy okean [Atlas of the Oceans. Arctic Ocean]

Summary

Terence Armstrong and Vernon Squire review the Soviet Ministry of Defence’s 1980 Arctic Ocean atlas, praising its cartographic printing, extensive coverage, and value. Its 586 maps cover exploration history, the ocean floor, climate, hydrology and sea ice, hydrochemistry, biogeography, and reference information; 416 were prepared by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute. The reviewers commend the clear presentation of expedition tracks but identify historical inaccuracies, missing current information between the surface and 100 metres, and absent ice-age and thickness data. Limited source documentation and preferential use of Soviet observations distort the depiction of some Bering Sea fronts and currents. They conclude that the volume needs to be used alongside an American atlas.