 Water circulation patterns in the Kara Sea are complex.The Kara Sea tends to be sea ice covered between September and May , and between May and August heavily influenced by freshwater run-off (roughly 1200 km3 yr-1 ) from the Russian rivers (e.g., Ob, Yenisei, Pyasina, Pur, and Taz).The Kara Sea is also affected by the water inflow from the Barents Sea, which brings 0.6 Sv in August and 2.6 Sv in December.