Commentary THE FLOOR OF THE ARCTICOCEAN: GEOGRAPHIC NAMES M. A. Beall, F. Edvalson2, K. Hunkins3, A. Molloyl, and N. Ostenso4 HE NAMING OF OCEAN FLOOR features in the Arctic seems to have been done Twithout thought to standardization in geographic nomenclature. W. K. Lyon, Director of the Arctic Sciences and Technology Division of the US.Navy Electronics Laboratory, called a meeting of the authors of the present paper to arbitrate the naming of these features in the hope that it would help to stem the proliferation of new namesand to standardize the names of the major features. The decisions of the meeting which was held in San Diego on 10 and 11 January 1966 were based on the following criteria: 1. Consistency with the Undersea terms and definitions proposed by the Advisory Committee on Undersea Features to the U.S. Board on Geo- graphicNames (Washington, D.C.: 1964) andLimits of Oceans and Seas, InternationalHydrographic Bureau Special PublicationNo. 23 (Monte Carlo: 1953) 2. Common usage 3. Priority of discovery or naming 4. Association withestablished geographic features 5. Minimizing ambiguity Fifty-four major features were discussed. Table 1 lists the names considered, the final suggested name, the approximate location, and the status of the name with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and the International Hydrographic Bureau. The final suggested names represent the majority decision of the authors but it should be noted that in certain cases there was not complete unanimity. For the most part, however, it it felt that the accepted names should raise little controversy. The authors will endeavour to use the final suggested namesin future publications, and it is hoped that other investigatorswill find them suitable for their use. Two recommendations for changes are beingmade tothe International Hydrographic Bureau. The I.H.B. publication, Limits of Oceans and Seas, shows the southern boundary of the Chukchi Sea to bealong the Arctic Circle. A more logical southern boundary for this sea would be astraight line across the narrowest constriction of the Bering Strait, i.e. a line connecting Cape Prince of Wales and East Cape (Mys Dezhneva). The second recommendation is the elimination 1U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, San Diego, California. 2U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office, Washington, D.C. 3Lamont Geological Observatory, Palisades, New York. *Geophysical and Polar Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin. 21 5 216 THE FLOOR OF THEARCTIC OCEAN.. of the term Beaufort Sea, as recent studies have shown that there are no hydro- graphic or physiographic reasons for a unique designation of this region of the Arctic Ocean. The location and approximate boundaries of the suggested names (Table 1) are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Recent investigations from drifting ice stations, aero- magnetic flights, nuclearsubmarine voyages, and icebreaker expeditions have shown that the limits and sizes of many ocean floor features will require modifi- cation in the future. The authors also wish to emphasize that the proposed names are not theonly features to be foundin the Arctic Ocean and environs. They do, however, represent the majorfeatures that are now defined with sufficient certainty and clarity to warrant proper and consistent names; others wilI un- doubtedly be added in the future as a result of further investigations. The opinionsand assertions contained herein are those of the writers personally and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting the views of the Navy Department, the naval service at large, or of the Arctic Institute of North America. Table 1 PREVIOUSNAME(S) DESCRIPTIONACCEPTEDNAME AND/OR LOCATION (upper and lower case used for descriptive terms, Fig. 2) ARCTIC OCEAN ARCTIC OCEAN NORTHPOLAR SEA ~CHUKCHISEA ~CHUKCHISEA CHUKCHEESEA (Boundarychange requested of. IHB) BEAST SIBERIANSEA 3EAST SIBERIANSEA 1-8As shown by the International Hydrographic BureauSpecial 4LAPTEV SEA 4LAPTEV SEA . Publication No. 23. %ARA SEA 5KARA SEA ~BARENTSSEA ~BARENTSSEA ?LINCOLN SEA LINCOLN SEA BEAUFORT SEA UDeletionrequested of IHB 9ARCTIC OCEAN BASIN 9Arctic Ocean Basin 9The basin of the Arctic Ocean seaward of the edge of the Conti- NORTHPOLAR BASIN nental Shelves. C CANADA BASIN ~~AMERASIABASIN* 10The portion of the Arctic Ocean Basin that is bounded in part by LAURENTIAN BASIN theChukchi and East Siberian Shelves andthe crest of the HYPERBOREANBASIN LomonosovRidge. E EURASIA BASIN EURASIA BASIN* 11The portion of the Arctic Ocean Basin that is bounded in part by EURASIANBASIN the Lincoln, Barents,Kara, Laptev Shelves andthe crest of the ANGARABASIN Lomonosov Ridge. ~~LOMONOSOVRIDGE ~~LOMONOSOVRIDGE* 12A long, narrow ridge bisecting the Arctic Ocean Basin. HARRISRIDGE l3N0RTH CANADIAN BASIN ]CANADA BASIN* 13AmerasiaBasin CANADABASIN C.4NADA DEEP I4ALPHA RIDGE CORDILLERA' 14AmerasiaBasin ALPHA RISE FLETCHERSRIDGE FLETCHERSRISE MENDELEEVRIDGE 15MID-ARCTIC RIDGE 15NANSEN CORDILLERA' 15EurasiaBasin MID-ATLANTICRIDGE Extension into theArctic Ocean Table 1 (Cont'd.) P REV IOU S NAME(S)PREVIOUS ACCEPTEDDESCRIPTIONNAME AND/OR LOCATION (upper and lower case used for descriptive terms, Fig. 2) ~~MARKAROVBASIN ~~MARKAROVBASIN* l6Basin bounded by the Alpha Cordillera and theLomonosov Ridge. CENTRALARCTIC BASIN SIBERIABASIN I7FRAM DEEP 17FRAM BASIN" 17Basin bounded by the Lomonosov Ridge and the Nansen Cordillera. NANSENBASIN EUROPEANBASIN ~~CHUKCHISHELF 1sChukchi Shelf 1sThe Shelf beneath theChukchi Sea. lgoGOTORUK SEAVALLEY 10oGOTORUK VALLEY* 19ChukchiShelf. HERALD SHOAL HERALD REEF* "ChukchiShelf. HERALD CANYON "HERALDCANYON* 2lChukchi Shelf. ~~CHUKCHICANYON HOPE VALLEY* "ChukchiShelf. 23CHUKCHI RISE 23cHUKCHI RISE* 23Rise abutting the Chukchi Shelf, including the Chukchi Plateau. 24CHIJKCHICAP 24CHUKCHlPLATEAU' 24Canada Basin. 25cIIUKCHI ABYSSALPLAIN ~~CHUKCHIPLAIN" "Canada Basin. C CANADA ABYSSALPLAIN C CANADA PLAIN* 26Canada Basin. 27cHARLIE GAP 27cHARLIE GAP* 27The Gap connecting theChukchi Plain andthe CanadaPlain. *SEASTSIBERIAN SHELF "East Siberian Shelf 28Shelf beneath the EastSiberian Sea. *gwRANGEL ABYSSALPLAIN SgWRANGEL PLAIN" 29Markarov Basin. soSIAERIA ABYSSAL PLAIN 30FLETCHER PLAIN* 30Markarov Basin. 31A~~~SGAP ~~ARLISGAP* 31The Gap connecting theWrangel Plain andthe FletcherPlain. ~~LAPTEVSHELF 32Laptev Shelf 32Shelf beneath the Laptev Sea. KAKA SHELF "Kara Shelf Whelf beneath the Kara Sea. 34vORONIN TROUGH 34vORONIN TROUGH* 34Kara Shelf. SEVERNAYASTRATH 3BUSHAKOVA TROUGH 35SVYATAYA ANNATROUGH" 35Kara Shelf. ST. ANNA TROUGH SVYATAYAANNA TROUGH Table 1 (Cont'd.) PREVIOUSNAME(S) ACCEPTEDDESCRIPTION NAME AND/OR LOCATION (upper and lower case used for descriptive terms, Fig. 2) 36EASTNOVAYA ZEMLYA TROUGHz6EAST NOVAYAZEMLYA TROUGH' 36Kara Shelf. 37BARENTSSHELF 37Barents Shelf 37SShelf beneaththe Barents Sea. 38WEST NOVAYAZEMLYA TROUGH38WEST NOVAYAZEMLYA TROUGH'38Barents Shelf. 39MURMANSK RISE 39MURMANSK RISE* 39Barents Shelf. 40BARENTS TROUGH lOBARENTS TROUGH" 40Barents Shelf. BEARISLAND TROUGH 41HOPEN RISE 41SPITSBERGEN BANK' 41Barents Shelf. SPITSBERGENBANK 42LENA TROUGH 42LENA TROUGH* 42Between Greenland and Spitsbergen. 43NANSEN RISE 43YERMAK RISE* 430ff NorthCoast of Spitsbergen. NANSENSWELL 44NANSEN SILL 44Delete 440ff Northeast Greenland. 45BELGICA BANK 45BELGICA BANK' 450ff Northeast Greenland. 460~'SHOAL 460~'BANK' 46Off Northeast Coast of Greenland. OB' BANK 47MORRIS JESUP RISE ORRIS JESUPRISE* 470ff NortheastCoast of Greenland. 48LINCOLNSHELF 48Lincoln Shelf 48Shelf beneath the Lincoln Sea. 4gMARVIN RIDGE 49MARVIN SPUR' 49Between the Alpha Cordillera and the Lornonosov Ridge EOBEAUFORTPLATEAU SOBEAUFORT TERRACE' 50Canada Basin. 51BEAUFORTSHELF 5lDelete 51Shelf beneaththe Beaufort Sea. 52AMUNDSEN STRATH 57AMUNDSEN STRATH' 52Canada Basin. 53MACKENZIESEA VALLEY 53MACKENZIE CANYON' 53Canada Basin. MACKENZIECANYON BIBARROW CANYON 54BARROWCANYON' 54Canada Basin. BARROW SEA VALLEY 'Name approved by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. .