Message about the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Give a description of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk according to the plan

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is one of the largest and deep seas Russia. There are important sea routes connecting Vladivostok with northern regions Far East and the Kuril Islands. Major ports on the coast of the mainland - Magadan and Okhotsk; on Sakhalin Island - Korsakov; on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk was discovered by Russian explorers I. Yu. Moskvitin and V. D. Poyarkov in the first half of the 17th century. From 1733, work began on the Second Kamchatka Expedition, whose members made up detailed maps almost all of its coasts.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, also called the Lamsky or Kamchatka Sea, is a semi-enclosed sea in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It washes the shores of Russia and Japan (Hokkaido Island).

From the west, it is bounded by the mainland Asia from Cape Lazarev to the mouth of the Penzhina River; from the north - the Kamchatka Peninsula; from the east by the islands of the Kuril chain and from the south by the islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin.

WITH Pacific Ocean The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is connected through the system of the Kuril Straits. There are more than 30 such straits and their total width is more than 500 kilometers. WITH Sea of ​​Japan it has a message through the Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits.

Characteristics of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The sea is named after the river Okhota, which flows into it. Square Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 1603,000 square kilometers. Its average depth is 1780 meters, with a maximum depth of 3916 meters. From north to south, the sea stretches for 2445 kilometers, and from east to west for 1407 kilometers. The approximate volume of water enclosed in it is 1365 thousand cubic kilometers.

The coastline of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is slightly indented. Its length is 10460 kilometers. Its largest bays are: Shelikhov Bay, Sakhalin Bay, Udskaya Bay, Tauyskaya Bay and Academy Bay. The northern, northwestern and northeastern shores are high and rocky. At the confluence of large rivers (Amur, Uda, Okhota, Gizhiga, Penzhina), as well as in the west of Kamchatka, in the northern part of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, the coasts are predominantly low.

From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. southeastern part practically does not freeze. In winter, the water temperature near the sea surface ranges from -1.8 °C to 2.0 °C, in summer the temperature rises to 10-18 °C.

The salinity of the surface waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is 32.8-33.8 ppm, while the salinity of coastal waters usually does not exceed 30 ppm.

Climate of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the monsoon climate zone of temperate latitudes. For most of the year, cold dry winds blow from the mainland, cooling the northern half of the sea. From October to April, negative air temperatures and a stable ice cover are observed here.

In the northeastern part of the sea, the average temperature in January - February ranges from -14 to -20 ° C. In the northern and western regions the temperature varies from - 20 to - 24 ° C. In the southern and eastern parts of the sea, it is much warmer in winter from - 5 to - 7 ° C.

Average temperatures in July and August, respectively, wound 10-12 ° C; 11-14°C; 11-18 ° C. The annual amount of precipitation in different places of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is also different. So in the north, 300-500 mm of precipitation falls annually; in the west up to 600-800 mm; in the southern and southeastern parts of the sea - over 1000 mm.

According to the composition of organisms living in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, it is more of an arctic character. Due to the thermal effect of oceanic waters, species of the temperate zone are predominantly inhabited by the southern and southeastern parts of the sea.

Numerous settlements of mussels, littorinas and other mollusks, barnacles, sea urchins, and many crabs are noted in coastal zones.

A rich fauna of invertebrates has been discovered at great depths of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Glass sponges, holothurians, deep-sea corals, decapods live here.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is rich in fish. The most valuable are salmon species: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon and sockeye salmon. There is an industrial catch of herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin and smelt.

Large mammals live in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk - whales, seals, sea lions and fur seals. There are many sea birds that arrange noisy "bazaars" on the coasts.

The UN recognized the enclave of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as part of the Russian shelf

Inessa Dotsenko

The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf recognized the enclave of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with an area of ​​52,000 square kilometers as part of the Russian continental shelf.

According to ITAR-TASS, this was stated by the Minister natural resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Sergey Donskoy.

We have officially received a document from the UN Commission on the Continental Shelf on the satisfaction of our application to recognize the enclave in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as the Russian shelf. This is an event that has actually taken place, so I would like to congratulate everyone on this,” he said.

The commission's decision, according to the minister, is unconditional and has no retroactive effect. Now the enclave is fully subject to Russian jurisdiction.

According to ITAR-TASS, Donskoy also said that Russia's application for the expansion of the continental shelf in the Arctic will be ready this fall.

All the resources that will be found there - everything will be mined exclusively within the framework of Russian legislation, - said Donskoy. He said that, according to geologists, the total volume of hydrocarbons discovered in this area exceeds one billion tons.

Magadan Governor Vladimir Pecheny believes that the recognition of the enclave in the middle of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as part of the Russian continental shelf opens up new prospects for the economy of Kolyma and the entire Far East. First of all, it will relieve the fishermen of the region from numerous administrative barriers.

Firstly, fishing for fish, crabs, shellfish can be carried out freely anywhere in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Special permits from the border service will not be required both when going to sea and upon returning. Second, when Russian territory there will be not only a 200-mile zone, but the whole sea, we will get rid of the poaching of foreign fishermen in our waters. It will be easier to preserve the unique environment, - the press service of the regional government quotes the words of Pecheny.

Reference

In the center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk there is an elongated enclave of considerable size. Previously, all of it was considered "open sea". Vessels of any state could freely move and fish on its territory. In November 2013, Russia managed to prove the rights to 52,000 square kilometers of water in the center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. For comparison, this is more than the area of ​​Holland, Switzerland or Belgium. The center of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ceased to be part of the World Ocean and became completely Russian. After approval at the UN session, the process of legally assigning the enclave to the Russian continental shelf can be considered fully completed.

Geography

The area is 1603 thousand km². Average depth- 821 m, maximum depth - 3916 m. The western part of the sea is located above a gentle continuation of the continent and has a shallow depth. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depressions (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part there is the Kuril basin, in which the depth is maximum. From October to May - June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze. The coast in the north is heavily indented, in the northeast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk there is its largest bay - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays of the northern part, the most famous are the Eyriney Bay and the bays of Shelting, Zabiyaka, Babushkina, Kekurny. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. To the west, the coastline is heavily indented, forming the Sakhalin Bay and the Shantar Sea. In the south, the largest are Aniva and Patience bays, Odessa Bay on Iturup Island. The rivers Amur, Okhota, Kukhtui flow into it. The Amur River brings about 370 billion cubic meters of water per year, which is 65% of the flow of all rivers flowing into the sea.

Economic importance and wildlife

Main ports: on the mainland - Magadan, Ayan, Okhotsk (port point); on Sakhalin Island - Korsakov, on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk. The sea is located on the Okhotsk subplate, which is part of the Eurasian plate. The crust under most of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is of continental type. According to the species composition of organisms living in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, it has an arctic character. The species of the temperate (boreal) zone, due to the thermal effect of oceanic waters, are predominantly inhabited by the southern and southeastern parts of the sea. The phytoplankton of the sea is dominated by diatoms, while the zooplankton is dominated by copepods and jellyfish, larvae of molluscs and worms. Numerous settlements of mussels, littorinas and other mollusks, barnacles of balanus, sea urchins, and many crustaceans and crabs are noted in the littoral zone. At great depths, a rich fauna of invertebrates (glass sponges, holothurians, deep-sea eight-ray corals, decapod crustaceans) and fish has been found. The richest and most widespread group of plant organisms in the littoral zone are brown algae. Red algae are also widespread in the sea, and green algae in the northwestern part. Of the fish, the most valuable are salmon: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon. Commercial accumulations of herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, smelt are known. Mammals live - whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals. Of great economic importance are Kamchatka and blue, or flat-footed, crabs (the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ranks first in the world in terms of stocks of commercial crab), salmon fish.

Most of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk outside the territorial waters of Russia and Japan belongs to the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Russia, with the exception of a small part adjacent to the island of Hokkaido and belonging to the Japanese EEZ, as well as a narrow enclave in the central part of the sea, which is located at a distance of more than than 200 nautical miles from all coasts. The specified enclave, completely surrounded by the EEZ of the Russian Federation, at the request of Russia and the subsequent decision of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf of March 14, 2014, was assigned to the continental shelf of Russia, due to which the Russian Federation has exclusive rights to subsoil and seabed resources in this part (but not overlying waters and the airspace above them); there are sometimes erroneous statements in the media that the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is entirely Russian internal waters.

hydronym

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is named after the Okhota River, which in turn comes from Evensk. okat - "river". Previously it was called Lamsky (from the Evensk lam - “sea”), as well as the Kamchatka Sea. The Japanese traditionally called this sea the Hokkai (北海), literally "North Sea". But since now this name refers to the North Sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, they changed the name of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bOkhotsk to Ohotsuku-kai (オホーツク海), which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.

Legal regime

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk consists of internal waters, territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of two coastal states - Russia and Japan. In terms of its international legal status, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is closest to a semi-enclosed sea (Article 122 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), since it is surrounded by two or more states and mainly consists of territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of two states, but it is not one, since it is connected to the rest of the world's oceans not by a single narrow passage, but by a series of passages. In the central part of the sea at a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines in the area with coordinates 50°42′ N. sh. - 55°42′ s. sh. and 148°30'E. d. - 150°44′ E e. there is a section elongated in the meridional direction, traditionally referred to in English literature as Peanut Hole, which is not included in the exclusive economic zone and is an open sea outside the jurisdiction of Russia; in particular, any country in the world has the right to fish here and conduct other activities permitted by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, excluding activities on the shelf. Since this region is an important element for the reproduction of the population of some species of commercial fish, the governments of some countries expressly prohibit their vessels from fishing in this area of ​​the sea.

On November 13-14, 2013, a subcommittee established within the framework of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf agreed with the arguments of the Russian delegation as part of the consideration of the application of the Russian Federation for recognition of the bottom of the above-mentioned area high seas extension of the Russian continental shelf. On March 15, 2014, the 33rd session of the Commission in 2014 adopted a positive decision on the Russian application, first filed in 2001, and filed in a new edition in early 2013, and the central part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk outside the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation was recognized as the continental shelf Russia. Consequently, in the central part, other states are prohibited from mining "sedentary" biological resources(e.g. crab, shellfish) and subsoil development. Catching other biological resources, such as fish, is not subject to the restrictions of the continental shelf. Consideration of the application on the merits became possible due to the position of Japan, which, by an official note dated May 23, 2013, confirmed its consent for the Commission to consider the essence of the application without regard to resolving the issue Kuril Islands.

temperature and salinity

In the cold season, more than half of the sea surface is covered with ice for 6-7 months. In winter, the water temperature at the sea surface ranges from -1.8 to 2.0 °C, in summer the temperature rises to 10-18 °C.

Below the surface layer, at a depth of about 50-150 meters, there is an intermediate cold layer of water, the temperature of which does not change during the year and is about −1.7 °C.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean entering the sea through the Kuril Straits form deep water masses with a temperature of 2.5-2.7 ° C (at the very bottom - 1.5-1.8 ° C). In coastal areas with significant river runoff, the water temperature is around 0 °C in winter and 8-15 °C in summer.

15 ships, on which there were about 700 people, were captured by ice.

The operation was carried out by the forces of the icebreaking flotilla: the icebreakers "Admiral Makarov" and "Krasin", the icebreaker "Magadan" and the tanker "Victoria" worked as auxiliary vessels. Coordinating Headquarters rescue operation was in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the work was carried out under the leadership of the Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Viktor Olersky.

Most of the ships got out on their own, the icebreakers rescued four ships: the trawler "Cape Elizabeth", the research vessel "Professor Kizevetter" (first half of January, "Admiral Makarov"), the refrigerator "Coast of Hope" and the mother ship "Commonwealth".

The second liberated ship was the Professor Kizevetter, whose captain, as a result of the investigation, was deprived of his diploma for six months.

In the area of ​​January 14, the icebreakers gathered together the remaining ships in distress, after which the icebreakers escorted both ships of the caravan on a coupler.

After the “mustache” of the “Commonwealth” broke off, it was decided to first drive a refrigerator through heavy ice.

The wiring was suspended in the region on January 20 due to weather conditions, but on January 24, the Coast of Hope refrigerator was brought to clean water.

On January 26, the towing "whiskers" broke again, we had to lose time for the delivery of new ones by helicopter.

On January 31, the Sodruzhestvo floating base was also taken out of ice captivity, the operation ended at 11:00 Vladivostok time.

In culture

Notes

1. Old maps of Russian cities - from ancient times to the present day (indefinite) . www.retromap.ru Retrieved 15 January 2016.
2. Dobrovolsky A. D., Zalogin B. S. Seas of the USSR. M.: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 1982. With ill., 192 p.
3. A.I.Alekseev, V.A.Nizovtsev, E.V.Kim, G.Ya.Lisenkova, V.I.Sirotin. Geography of Russia. Household and geographical areas. Grade 9 / A.I. Alekseev. - 15th, stereotypical. - Moscow: Bustard, 2014. - S. 254-255.
4. Sea of ​​Okhotsk (indefinite) . Great Russia (December 23, 2014). Retrieved February 20, 2019.

This natural reservoir is considered one of the deepest and largest in Russia. The coolest Far Eastern sea is located between the waters of the Bering and the Sea of ​​Japan.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk separates the territories of the Russian Federation and Japan and is the most important port point for our country.

After reviewing the information in the article, you can learn about the richest resources of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk and the history of the formation of the reservoir.

About the title

Previously, the sea had other names: Kamchatskoe, Lamskoe, Hokkai among the Japanese.

The current name of the sea was given by the name of the Okhota River, which in turn comes from the Even word "okat", which translates as "river". The former name (Lamskoe) also came from the Even word "lam" (translated as "sea"). Hokkai literally translates to "North Sea" in Japanese. However, due to the fact that this Japanese name now refers to the North Sea Atlantic Ocean, its name was changed to Ohotsuku-kai, which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.

Geography

Before proceeding to the description of the richest resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, we briefly present its geographical position.

The reservoir, located between the Bering and the Seas of Japan, strongly goes into the land of the mainland. The arc of the Kuril Islands separates the waters of the sea from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The reservoir has for the most part natural boundaries, and its conditional boundaries are with the Sea of ​​Japan.

The Kuriles, which are about 3 dozen small areas of land and separating the ocean from the sea, are located in a seismically hazardous zone due to the presence of a large number of volcanoes on them. In addition, the waters of these two natural reservoirs are separated by the island of Hokkaido and Kamchatka. largest island Sea of ​​Okhotsk - Sakhalin. The largest rivers flowing into the sea are Amur, Okhota, Bolshaya and Penzhina.

Description

The area of ​​the sea is approximately 1603 thousand square meters. km, the volume of water - 1318 thousand cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 3916 meters, the average is 821 m. The type of sea is mixed, continental-marginal.

Several bays pass along the rather even coastal boundary of the reservoir. Northern part The coast is represented by many rocks and rather sharp cliffs. Storm is a frequent and quite common occurrence for this sea.

Features of nature and all resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are partly related to climate conditions and unusual terrain.

For the most part, the seashores are rocky and high. From the sea, from afar on the horizon, they are distinguished by black stripes, framed on top by brownish green spots of sparse vegetation. Only in some places (the western coast of Kamchatka, the northern part of Sakhalin), the coastline is low, fairly wide areas.

The bottom in some respects is similar to the bottom of the Sea of ​​Japan: in many places there are hollows under water, which indicate that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe present sea in the Quaternary period was above sea level, and huge rivers flowed in this place - Penzhina and Amur.

Sometimes, during earthquakes, waves appear in the ocean, reaching several tens of meters in height. Related to this is an interesting historical fact. In 1780, one of these waves during an earthquake deep into the island of Urup (300 meters from the coast) brought the ship "Natalia", which remained on land. This fact is confirmed by the record preserved from those times.

Geologists believe that the territory of the eastern part of the sea is one of the most "troubled" areas on the globe. And today quite large movements of the earth's crust are taking place here. In this part of the ocean, underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are often observed.

A bit of history

The rich natural resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk began to attract the attention of people from its very discovery, which occurred during the first campaigns of the Cossacks to the Pacific Ocean through Siberia. It was then called the Lam Sea. Then, after the discovery of Kamchatka, trips by sea and coast to this richest peninsula and to the mouth of the river. Penzhins have become more frequent. In those days, the sea already bore the names Penzhinskoe and Kamchatskoe.

After leaving Yakutsk, the Cossacks moved east not straight through the taiga and mountains, but along the winding rivers and channels between them. Such a caravan path eventually led them to a river called the Hunt, and along it they were already moving to the seashore. That is why this reservoir was named Okhotsk. Since then, many significant and important major centers. The name that has been preserved since then testifies to the important historical role of the port and the river, from which people began the development of this vast, richest sea area.

Features of nature

The natural resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are quite attractive. This is especially true for the regions of the Kuril Islands. This is a very special world, consisting of a total of 30 large and small islands. This range also includes rocks. volcanic origin. Today the islands have active volcanoes(about 30), which clearly indicates that the bowels of the earth are here and now restless.

Some islands have underground hot springs (temperature up to 30-70°C), many of which have healing properties.

Very severe climatic conditions for life on the Kuril Islands (especially in the northern part). Here long time mists hold on, and in winter time very often there are strong storms.

Rivers

Many rivers, mostly small ones, flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. This is the reason for the relatively small continental flow (about 600 cubic km per year) of water into it, and about 65% of it belongs to the Amur River.

Other relatively large rivers are Penzhina, Uda, Okhota, Bolshaya (in Kamchatka), which carry a much smaller volume into the sea. fresh water. Water flows to a greater extent in spring and early summer.

Fauna

The biological resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are very diverse. This is the most biologically productive sea in Russia. It provides 40% of domestic and more than half of the Far Eastern catches of fish, crustaceans and mollusks. At the same time, it is believed that the biological potential of the sea is underutilized today.

A huge variety of depths and bottom topography, hydrological and climatic conditions in certain parts of the sea, a good supply of fish food - all this determined the richness of the ichthyofauna of these places. The northern part of the sea contains 123 species of fish in its waters, the southern part - 300 species. Approximately 85 species are endemic. This is the Sea - real paradise for lovers of sea fishing.

Fishing, seafood production and production of salmon caviar are actively developing on the territory of the sea. The inhabitants of the sea waters of this region: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, sockeye salmon, flounder, coho, pollock, herring, saffron cod, chinook salmon, squid, crabs. On the Shantar Islands, hunting (limited) for fur seals is carried out, and the extraction of kelp, mollusks and sea urchins is also becoming popular.

Of the animals, the white whale, seal and seal are of particular commercial value.

Flora

The resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are inexhaustible. Vegetable world reservoir: in the northern part, arctic species predominate, in the southern part - to a greater extent, species of the temperate region. Plankton (larvae, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.) provides abundant food for fish throughout the year. The phytoplankton of the sea is represented mainly by diatoms, and the bottom flora contains many species of red, brown and green algae, as well as extensive meadows of sea grass. In total, the composition of the coastal flora of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk includes about 300 species of vegetation.

In comparison with the Bering Sea, the benthic fauna here is more diverse, and in comparison with the Sea of ​​Japan, it is less rich. The main food fields for deep-sea fish are the northern shallow waters, as well as the East Sakhalin and western Kamchatka shelves.

Mineral resources

The mineral resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are especially rich. Only the water of the sea contains almost all the elements of the table of D. I. Mendeleev.

The bottom of the sea has exceptional reserves of globigerin and diamond silts, consisting mainly of shells of unicellular tiny algae and protozoa. Sludge is a valuable raw material for the production of insulating building materials and high quality cement.

The shelf of the sea is also promising for prospecting for hydrocarbon deposits. The rivers of the Aldan-Okhotsk watershed and the lower reaches of the Amur have long been famous for placers of valuable metals, which indicates that there is a possibility of finding underwater ore deposits in the sea. Perhaps there are still many unexplored raw materials in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

It is known that the lower shelf horizons and part of the continental slope adjoining them are enriched in phosphorite concretions. There is another more realistic prospect - the extraction of rare elements contained in the bone remains of mammals and fish, and such accumulations are found in deep-sea sediments of the Yuzhno-Okhotskaya basin.

It is impossible to remain silent about amber. The very first finds of this mineral on the eastern coast of Sakhalin date back to the middle of the 19th century. At that time, representatives of the Amur expedition worked here. It should be noted that Sakhalin amber is very beautiful - it is perfectly polished, cherry-red and highly appreciated by experts. The largest pieces of wood fossil resin (up to 0.5 kg) were discovered by geologists near the village of Ostromysovsky. Contains amber and ancient deposits the Taigonos Peninsula, as well as in Kamchatka.

Conclusion

In short, the resources of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are extremely rich and diverse, it is impossible to list all of them, let alone describe them.

Today, the importance of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the national economy is determined by the use of its richest natural resources and sea transportation. The main wealth of this sea are game animals, primarily fish. However, already today, a rather high level of danger of pollution of the sea fishing zones with oil products as a result of discharges of oily waters by fishing vessels creates a situation that requires certain measures to increase the level of environmental safety of the work being carried out.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is a semi-enclosed sea located in the northern hemisphere, part of the Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of Russia and Japan.

Previously, this sea was called "Kamchatskoe". The Japanese called this sea "Hokkai", which literally translates as "North Sea", but the traditional name eventually changed to the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk.

What rivers flow

The following flows into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk big rivers:

• Kukhtui (a river, the length of which reaches 384 kilometers, it is located in the Khabarovsk Territory, as well as the Okhota River);
  
• Okhota (a small river in the Khabarovsk Territory, the length of which reaches almost 400 kilometers);
• Amur (the length of the river reaches almost 2900 km, which makes this waterway quite large and important in Eastern Russia and China for infrastructure).

Relief of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The western part of the bottom is a gently sloping slab and it is located at a fairly shallow depth. In the very center there are large depressions. However, the maximum depth was recorded in the so-called Kuril Basin, which is located in the eastern part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The bottom can be sandy, rocky, silty-sandy.

The seashores are mostly high and rocky. In the southwest of Kamchatka, the shores have a low relief. There are volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and there are also on the islands. 70 are considered extinct, 30 are active.

The southeastern part of the sea almost never freezes - even in winter, which cannot be said about the northern part of the sea, where ice is kept from October to June. north coast the sea is strongly indented, which is why many natural bays have been created here, the largest of which has the name Sherikhov Bay. There are also many bays in the west of the sea, the largest of which are the Shantar Sea and Sakhalin Bay.

Cities

On the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, there is a small town called Okhotsk, which was the first Russian settlement built on the Pacific coast. One of the most big cities on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is considered Magadan with a population of more than 90 thousand inhabitants.

Kholmsk photo

The relatively small town of Kholmsk with a population of 28 thousand inhabitants is also located on the seashore. Well, the last big city» on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, one can name Korsakov with a population of 33 thousand people. The city is actively engaged in fishing and fish processing.

Flora and fauna of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The number of fish species in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is large, it has always been in a fair amount, which is why the sea has become an important industrial facility. IN most herring, capelin, salmon, pollock and navaga are found in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Among the other valuable seafood, one can also distinguish the king crab - they reach really huge sizes and are a delicacy for humans.

Beluga whale in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

Sea urchins, starfish, shrimps and crabs, mussels, jellyfish, corals live here. King crab is one of the largest representatives of crustaceans in the Far Eastern waters.

As in many northern waters, several species of whales can be found in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, including rare fin whales, as well as the largest creatures on the planet that have ever existed - blue whales. White whales, seals and seals live in the waters of the sea.

depths of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

The world of birds is diverse and numerous. On the islands of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, gulls, cormorants, guillemots, guillemots, ipatka, petrels, geese, etc. nest in large colonies.

birds on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk photo

Vegetation of the sea: brown and green algae, red algae, kelp, in some places there are abundant thickets of sea grass - zosters.

Characteristics of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk

The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Okhotsk reaches 1,603,000 square kilometers, and its volume exceeds 1,300,000 cubic meters. The average depth of the sea is quite large - approximately 1,700 meters, and the deepest point of the seabed is located at a depth of 3,916 meters.

In summer, the sea surface temperature is 18 degrees Celsius. And in winter it is colder - 2 degrees Celsius, and sometimes it can drop to minus temperatures of -1.8 degrees. As for the climate, it is monsoonal, very severe due to northern winds, only in the south the air temperature is relatively high.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk in winter photo

If we compare the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the neighboring seas: the Sea of ​​Japan and the Bering Sea, then it will be the coldest of them. In winter, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is tormented by strong northern winds and thereby make the climate even more severe. The minimum air temperature comes along with January and reaches an average of -25 degrees. In summer, the temperature rarely exceeds +15 degrees.

Quite often, storms occur in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which last more than one week. They come to the southern part of the sea from the Pacific Ocean. The waves are high and the storms are long. In very harsh winters ice is formed - floating and also motionless. Ice floes float along Sakhalin and the Amur region, often even in summer.

Sakhalin photo

Coastal waters are the least saline and generally do not reach even 30%. But in the rest of the sea, the advantage of the salt level sometimes reaches up to 34%. surface water the least saline - no more than 32-33%, while already at a depth the salinity exceeds 34%.

There are also islands in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, but their number is extremely small. The biggest one is Sakhalin Island. Most of the islands are located in a seismically active zone.

SEA OF OKHOTSK

Physical and geographical characteristics and hydrometeorological conditions

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Asia and is separated from the ocean by the chain of the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula. From the south and west it is bounded by the coast of the island of Hokkaido, east coast Sakhalin Island and the coast of the Asian mainland. The sea is significantly elongated from southwest to northeast within a spherical trapezoid with coordinates 43043"-62042" n. sh. and 135010"-164045" in. d. Maximum length the water area in this direction is 2463 km, and the width reaches 1500 km. The surface area of ​​the sea surface, according to some estimates, is 1603 thousand km2, the length coastline- 10460 km, and the total volume of sea water - 1316 thousand km3. According to its geographical position, it belongs to the marginal seas of the mixed continental-marginal type. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the numerous straits of the Kuril Islands, and to the Sea of ​​Japan through the La Perouse Strait and through the Amur Estuary by the Nevelskoy and Tatar Straits. The average value of the sea depth is 821 m, and the largest is 3374 m (in the Kuril basin). Some sources give different values ​​​​of the maximum depth - 3475 and even 3521 m.

The main morphological zones in the bottom relief are: the shelf (continental and insular shallows of Sakhalin Island), the continental slope, on which separate underwater elevations, depressions and islands stand out, and the deep-water basin. The shelf zone (0-200 m) is 180-250 km wide and occupies about 20% of the sea area. Wide and gentle, in the central part of the basin, the continental slope (200-2000 m) occupies about 65%, and the deepest basin (more than 2500 m), located in the southern part of the sea, occupies 8% of the sea area. Within the area of ​​the continental slope, several elevations and depressions are distinguished, where the depths change dramatically (the elevations of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, the Deryugin and TINRO depressions). The bottom of the deep-water basin is a flat abyssal plain, and Kuril ridge is a natural threshold separating the basin of the sea from the ocean.

The straits connecting the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the adjacent areas of the Sea of ​​Japan and the Pacific Ocean provide the possibility of water exchange between the basins, which, in turn, have a significant impact on the distribution of hydrological characteristics. The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits are relatively narrow and shallow, which is the reason for the relatively weak water exchange with the Sea of ​​Japan. The straits of the Kuril Islands, which stretch for about 1200 km, on the contrary, are deeper, and their total width is 500 km. The deepest are the Bussol (2318 m) and Krusenstern (1920 m) straits.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the monsoon climatic zone of temperate latitudes, however, for the northern part of the sea, which deeply protrudes into the Asian continent, it also has some features of the climate of the Arctic seas. The monsoon climate, due to the change in location and the nature of the interaction of baric formations, as well as the position of the sea on the border of the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean, are the main factors that shape the climate and hydrological regime of the sea. The main baric formations that determine the conditions of atmospheric circulation and the nature of the transfer of air masses are the Aleutian minimum, the North Pacific maximum, the Siberian anticyclone (in winter), as well as the Far East depression and the Okhotsk anticyclone (in summer). The general monsoonal nature of the circulation and wind regime is often disturbed by deep cyclones that move in the direction from the southwest to the northeast. Winter here, especially in the northern part of the sea, is long and severe, with frequent storm winds and snowstorms. Summers are cool, with high rainfall and thick fogs. Spring and autumn are short, cold and cloudy. In general, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is the coldest of the Far Eastern seas. The cold period of the year here lasts from 120-130 days in the south to 210-220 days in the north of the sea. The effect of cooling factors is stronger than that of warming factors, and the resulting heat transfer on the surface is negative. In general, according to its climatic conditions, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is the coldest of the Far Eastern seas.

From May to September, weak winds (2-5 m/s) of the southern quarter prevail over the sea area. Cases of short-term sharp increase in wind (up to 20 m/s and more) are associated with the release of individual cyclones and typhoons into the sea with a maximum frequency in August-September. Usually there are 1-2, less often 3-4 cases of typhoons per year. In the cold season, the sea is dominated strong winds northern quarter with the most probable speeds of 5-10 m/s (in some months 10-15 m/s). The frequency of occurrence of storm winds with a speed of more than 15 m/s is about 10% on average per year. The probabilistic characteristics of the wind speed and direction differ noticeably for individual areas of the sea. The maximum wind speeds reach 25-30 m/s in the northeast and western parts sea, 30-35 m / s - in the central and eastern and more than 40 m / s - in the south. The autumn-winter storm winds differ from those in summer greater strength and duration. The most restless are the southern and southeastern regions of the sea. The significant horizontal extent of the sea, frequent and strong winds over the water area contribute to the development of strong wind waves and swell (wave height from 4-6 to 10-11 m), and the entire set of hydrometeorological conditions creates the preconditions for dangerous icing of ships and structures in the sea.

The values ​​of average annual air temperatures over the Sea of ​​Okhotsk gradually decrease from south to north from 4-50 to -4…-50. The range of average monthly temperature fluctuations in this direction, on the contrary, increases from 15-180 to 30-360. The coldest month is January and the warmest month is August. The minimum actual air temperature values ​​recorded at coastal stations are -36…-510 in the north and -12…-160 in southern regions seas. The maximum values ​​(31-360) were observed in the southwestern part of the sea. In the cold period of the year, when synoptic situations change, there are sharp fluctuations in air temperature within the entire water area, the range of which can exceed 200 [4, 9, 11, 14, 17].

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk, along with the Bering Sea, is a highly productive marine ecosystem and is of exceptionally important commercial importance for Russia.

Hydrological characteristic

The hydrological regime of the sea is determined by the peculiarities of its geographical position, significant meridional extent, severe climatic conditions, the nature of vertical, horizontal circulation and water exchange with the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Japan, as well as the bottom topography. Along the coasts, in addition, the mainland runoff, tidal phenomena, and the configuration of the coastline become significant. The combination of these factors creates a rather complex picture of the distribution of hydrological characteristics on the surface and intermediate horizons. This section summarizes the basic information about the spatial distribution and variability of temperature and salinity. sea ​​water, water masses, currents, tides and ice conditions of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, based on published works and analysis of the graphic material of the Atlas. All air and water temperatures are given in degrees Celsius (oC), and salinity - in ppm (1 g/kg = 1‰).

Horizontal distribution of water temperature

The actual characteristics of the field of horizontal distribution of water temperature on the surface and deep horizons of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are formed and continuously change under the influence of physical processes of different scale and intensity occurring on the surface and in the water column of the sea. Fluctuations of these characteristics, as in other Far Eastern seas, are most clearly expressed in the surface, active layer of the sea, where their short-period and daily variability, seasonal intra-annual and inter-annual climatic course, and non-periodic fluctuations of various nature are clearly traced. The physics of these processes and the regional features of the thermal regime of the water area are relatively well studied, and the assimilation of data from long-term hydrological observations makes it possible to construct generalized schemes of the spatial distribution of temperature at different horizons for all months of the year.

The temperature of the water on the surface, with the exception of certain summer months, when a more variegated picture is observed, generally decreases from south to north. In the south, the average annual temperatures are 5-70, and in the north - about 2-30. Intra-annual fluctuations in the water temperature of the surface layer are very significant throughout the water area and quickly fade with depth. The magnitude of these fluctuations on the sea surface is 10-190. The maximum average values ​​of the amplitudes of intra-annual fluctuations are noted in the southernmost part of the sea, and somewhat smaller ones - in its entire western part. Minimal - near the central and northern parts of the Kuril region. In the period from May to November, the average monthly values ​​of water temperature are positive everywhere. Due to uneven heating and mixing of the surface layer, as well as the influence of advective processes at this time of the year, the horizontal temperature distribution is most inhomogeneous. If in May the average values ​​of temperature on the surface vary from 0 to 50, then in August, the "warmest" month, these values ​​increase to 8-180. Most warm waters are located in the southernmost part of the sea near Laperouse Ave. and about. Hokkaido. It should be noted that the time of the onset of the maximum temperature on the surface in some areas may differ by 1-2 months and is somewhat delayed at the subsurface horizons. Already in October, the water temperature on the surface decreases by about a factor of two, and in November its spatial distribution changes to a winter type. In February-March, when a significant part of the sea area is covered with ice, the horizontal gradients of the temperature field are smoothed out and almost its entire surface is characterized by negative temperatures reaching -1.0 ... -1.80. In the southeastern part of the sea and northwest of the Kuril Islands, the water temperature almost never drops to negative values.

Seasonal changes in absolute values ​​and horizontal distribution of water temperature cover the entire upper active layer (up to 100-250 m) with a well-developed seasonal thermocline. The magnitude of intra-annual temperature fluctuations at a horizon of 50 m does not exceed 3-40, and at depths of 75-100 m - 2.0-2.50. At the 50 m horizon, the temperature maximum occurs in October-November. At this time, the water temperature is 6-80 in the south and 0-20 in the northwestern part of the sea. In December, negative temperatures appear at this depth. At a horizon of 100 m, negative temperature values ​​in the northwestern part of the sea persist throughout the year, and at 200 m in averaged fields, they almost do not appear. Here the temperature within the entire sea basin varies from 0.50 to 1.5-2.00. At the underlying horizons of 200-1000 m, the average annual temperature values ​​rise slightly everywhere (up to 2.3-2.40 at the 1000 m horizon). Below 1000-1200 m, the temperature values ​​at various horizons are slightly lower (1.95-2.000 at a depth of 2000 m).

As for any other sea, the above data reflects the background characteristics of the large-scale distribution and variability of water temperature, which may vary from year to year (climate fluctuations) and be refined as new data are accumulated. To solve many practical problems, along with the general, background characteristics of the marine environment, more detailed information is needed on the actual distribution of its parameters in individual areas, close to the real time scale. The results of the studies have shown that a significant role in the formation of smaller, mesoscale inhomogeneities of the temperature field on the surface horizons is played by frontal zones, eddy formations, individual circulation cells and water upwelling zones, which are present in the coastal zone, on the shelf, in the deep-sea basin and are the object of a special study. The atlas contains a generalized scheme of surface thermal fronts in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, built on the basis of satellite observations during the warm period of the year.

Vertical temperature distribution

By the nature of the vertical temperature distribution, the stratification of the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk belongs to the subarctic type, in which most The cold (CIL) intermediate (subsurface - in winter) and warmer deep layers are well expressed. On a more detailed examination, three main varieties of this structure are distinguished here: the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Pacific, and the Kuril, which have quantitative differences in the characteristics of water masses. The highest variability from region to region, and especially in the intra-annual course, is characterized by the structure of the waters of the upper active layer of the sea with a thickness of 100-150 m (in the southeast - 200-250 m). In different months, the water temperature on the surface varies from -1.8 to +180. In the warm period of the year, as a result of heating and vertical mixing, a thin surface quasi-homogeneous layer (QSL) and seasonal thermocline (ST) is formed in its upper part. The thickness of the VCL is 10-20 m, and the ST is 15-25 m (more in some places). Vertical gradients in the thermocline reach values ​​of 5-100/m. At this time, between the horizons of 40-120 m, the core of the CIL is clearly distinguished, the lower boundary of which is at depths of 100-250 m (the thermal regime of this layer was discussed above). Advective processes lead to the splitting of the CIL and the formation of separate "cold cores" in its structure. Below this layer, throughout the year, the temperature monotonically increases with depth, reaching a local maximum (2.2-2.40) in the core of the TBL at depths of 800-1200 m. It should be noted that in some years negative temperatures can be observed at depths up to 500 m. In the deep layer below the core of the TBL, the temperature gradually decreases with depth to 1.7-1.90 at the bottom. A general idea of ​​the features of the spatial distribution of the distinguished elements of stratification and their temporal dynamics is given by the vertical zonal and meridional sections of the temperature field given in the atlas.

According to the data of daily and longer series of continuous observations during the warm period of the year, the profiles of the vertical temperature distribution on the surface and in the temperature jump layer experience significant variations in time. Thus, the magnitude of intraday fluctuations in water temperature at individual horizons in the peripheral areas of the sea can reach 8-120.

Horizontal distribution of salinity

The large-scale characteristics of the salinity field are determined by the features of the moisture cycle on the surface of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (the ratio of precipitation and evaporation, the influence of ice formation and ice melting), continental runoff in coastal areas, as well as water exchange through straits and water currents from adjacent areas. Due to the cumulative impact of these processes, the patterns of spatial distribution of salinity are significantly heterogeneous and change significantly from season to season. During the year, the salinity of the surface layer in the coastal and peripheral regions of the entire northwestern part of the sea varies over a fairly wide range from 20-25 to 30-33% 0. In summer and early autumn, the salinity of the waters here is less than in winter. In winter, it increases due to the processes of ice formation and a decrease in coastal runoff. The maximum salinity in these areas is observed from December to March. In the open sea and in its southwestern part, the range of these changes is much smaller (31.0-33.5% 0). An important role in the formation of the salinity field in this region is played by the processes of water exchange through the Laperouse and Kuril straits. Here, the periods of onset of both maximum and minimum salinity differ for different regions. As a result, salinity distribution on the surface of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk in some months is characterized by significant intermittency. In February, in areas free of ice cover, the average annual monthly salinity values ​​on the surface vary within 32.6-33.3%0. In May, salinity in the coastal continental zone and near about. Sakhalin drops to 30-32%0. At this time, in the open sea, it is 32.5-33.0% 0, and near the Kuril Islands and about. Hokkaido - 33.0-33.5% 0. In August-September, the maximum desalination of the entire surface layer occurs. At the northern end of Sakhalin, in the mainland bays and bays of the coastal strip, salinity in summer drops to 20-30% 0, and in the open sea - to 32.0-32.5% 0. In November-December, salinity in the entire area of ​​the sea increases again. In the warm season, even on the maps of the distribution of averaged salinity values ​​by months in certain areas of the coastal zone (Sakhalin Island, Kamchatka Peninsula, Tuiskaya Bay, etc.), zones of maximum horizontal gradients of this characteristic - salinity fronts - are clearly expressed.

With depth, salinity, both in the surface and in the underlying layers, continuously increases within the entire sea area in all seasons of the year. The range of its spatial and temporal changes sharply narrows, and the areas of maximum and minimum values ​​shift. So, already at a horizon of 50 m, the average salinity values ​​throughout the entire water area change from 32.0 to 33.5% 0, and seasonal fluctuations do not exceed 0.5-1.5% 0. At a horizon of 100 m, the magnitude of intra-annual salinity fluctuations decreases to 0.5-1.0% 0 and the horizontal gradients of the salinity field are smoothed out. At the horizon of 200 m, the background values ​​of spatial changes in salinity do not exceed 0.2-0.3%0, and temporal - 0.10-0.15%0. At the horizons of 500 and 1000 m, salinity values ​​slightly increase in the direction from southeast to northwest (from 33.58 to 34.85% 0 and from 34.18 to 34.42% 0, respectively), which is associated with the distribution Pacific waters and vertical circulation. In the underlying layers, salinity as a whole continues to slightly increase with depth, and the range of spatial changes in salinity narrows from 34.37-34.54%0 (1500 m horizon) to 34.38-34.52%0 (2000 m).

As in the case of the temperature field, the above information reflects only large-scale, background characteristics of the horizontal distribution of salinity in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The available materials of hydrological surveys make it possible, if necessary, to clarify individual details of this picture and to trace its dynamics retrospectively.

Vertical distribution of salinity

The salinity profiles are almost identical in all seasons of the year and are generally characterized by a monotonous increase in salinity from the surface to the bottom. As in the temperature field seasonal changes appear mainly within the upper 50-100 m layer (in some places up to 150-200 m). In the warm season, the waters of the surface layer become desalinated, vertical salinity gradients increase, and a seasonal halocline forms here. Below it, to depths of 600-800 m (in the central part of the basin) and 800-1000 m (in the south of the sea), there is the main halocline, in the thickness of which a gradual decrease in vertical gradients occurs. With the beginning of the development of winter convective mixing, accompanied by ice formation in vast areas of the water area, the vertical salinity gradients in the upper layer rapidly decrease until inverse values ​​appear (change of sign of the gradient). A general idea of ​​the vertical structure of the salinity field is given by zonal and meridional sections. Depending on local hydrological conditions in individual bays and straits, both the absolute values ​​of salinity and its stratification can differ significantly from similar characteristics of the open sea.

water masses

In the area of ​​the central part of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Kuril basin and in the peripheral regions, several water masses and their modifications are distinguished with their inherent hydrological characteristics, sources of formation and distribution area. These water masses form the main components (separate layers and extremes) of the vertical structure of the water column. The bulk of the waters of the sea is of Pacific origin. The basin of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is characterized by a western type of subarctic water structure, main feature which is the presence of a cold intermediate (subsurface - in winter) layer and its underlying layer with a maximum temperature, which make up independent water masses. According to their origin, location and characteristics, four main water masses are distinguished here: surface, cold intermediate (subsurface), deep Pacific and bottom. In the peripheral areas of the sea, various local, seasonal varieties and modifications of water masses are distinguished, the list and characteristics of which are contained in the tables. Their origin is due to the difference in geographical location and features of hydrological processes occurring on the shelf, in estuarine zones, near straits, etc. Surface water mass exists in the warm season and is characterized by maximum temperature values ​​for the entire water column (up to 18-190 in the south sea) and minimal salinity in all seasons (less than 20% 0 in estuarine areas). Its core is located on the surface and it is distinguished by the maximum range of variability of characteristics during the intra-annual course. The cold intermediate (subsurface) water mass is formed as a result of cooling of the sea surface and autumn-winter convection. Its upper boundary is located under the surface water mass at depths of 25-50 m (in the south 75-175 m) and in winter it wedges out to the surface, and the cold core is located at 40-120 m (in the south 150-200 m). The lower boundary deepens from northwest to southeast from 200-250 m to 500-600 m. In winter, the water temperature in the layer occupied by the upper part of this water mass drops to negative southwestern part +0.5-1.00), which persist in the summer. Salinity in the core of the layer is 32.5-33.4%0. The warm core of the deep Pacific water mass is located between the horizons of 500 and 1200 m (in the Kuril region). The water temperature in the core is 1.3-2.50, and the salinity is 33.6-34.4%0. In the bottom water mass layer, the temperature gradually decreases with depth to 1.7-1.90 at the bottom, where the salinity is 34.6-34.7% 0. Water masses differ from each other not only in the values ​​of thermohaline characteristics, but also in hydrochemical and biological parameters. The table shows the characteristics of water masses coastal areas Sea of ​​Okhotsk.