The southernmost point of the Sea of Azov. All information about the Sea of Azov
In ancient times, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was called among the Greeks Meotian Lake (Greek Μαιῶτις), among the Romans Palus Maeotis, among the Scythians Kargaluk, among the Meotians Temerinda (significant mother of the sea); further among the Arabs Nitschlakh or Baral-Azov, among the Turks Baryal-Assak or Bahr-Assak (Dark Blue Sea; in modern Turkish Azakdenizi), among the Genoese and Venetians Mare delle Zabacche (Mare Tane). extreme points Sea of Azov lies between 45°12′30″ and 47°17′30″ N. latitude and between 33°38′ (Sivash) and 39°18′ east. longitude. Its greatest length is 343 km, the greatest width is 231 km; coastline length 1472 km; surface area - 37605 km². (this area does not include islands and spits, occupying 107.9 sq. km).
According to morphological features, it belongs to flat seas and is a shallow water reservoir with low coastal slopes.
In terms of distance from the ocean to the mainland, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the most continental sea on the planet. The underwater relief of the sea is relatively simple. As they move away from the coast, the depths slowly and smoothly increase, reaching 14.4 m in the central part of the sea. The main area of the bottom is characterized by depths of 5-13 m. greatest depths located in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their slight elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. The 5 m isobath is located about 2 km from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Bay, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2-3 m) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8-9 m at the border of the bay with the sea. western (Sea and Arabat banks) coasts, the depths over which decrease from 8–9 to 3–5 m. The underwater coastal slope of the northern coast is characterized by wide shallow water (20–30 km) with depths of 6–7 m, underwater slope to depths of 11-12 m.
The catchment area of the Sea of Azov Basin is 586,000 km². Sea coasts are mostly flat and sandy, only hills are found on the south coast volcanic origin, which in some places turn into steep advanced mountains.
sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeast and southwest winds blowing here and therefore change direction very often. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of Azov counterclockwise. In terms of biological productivity, the Sea of Azov ranks first in the world. The most developed are phytoplankton and benthos. Phytoplankton consists (in%) of: diatoms - 55, peridinium - 41.2, and blue-green algae - 2.2. Among the biomass of benthos, mollusks occupy a dominant position. Their skeletal remains, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant share in the formation of modern bottom sediments and accumulative surface bodies.
Hydrochemical features of the Sea of Azov are formed primarily under the influence of abundant inflow river waters(up to 12% of the water volume) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.
The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm near the Kerch Strait. After the creation of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to increase (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity rarely reach 1%. Water contains very little salt. For this reason, the sea freezes easily, and therefore, before the advent of icebreakers, it was unnavigable from December to mid-April.
During the 20th century, almost everything is more or less major rivers, flowing into the Sea of Azov, were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This resulted in a significant reduction in discharge fresh water and silt in the sea.
The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the shallowest in the world, its depth does not exceed 13.5 m. And it is also the warmest, there is a record number sunny days per year and surprisingly gently sloping sandy shores. Understand that this huge paddling pool is under open sky- Just perfect place for holidays with children, it is not difficult. And, I must say, the resorts of the Azov Sea are actively developing their “family” status: they are opening new water parks and dolphinariums, improving infrastructure, and in every possible way luring tourists with kids to their boarding houses and hotels.
In addition, the Sea of Azov can be safely called unique: the rivers that actively flow into it not only greatly desalinated the reservoir, but also helped to form a surprisingly diverse flora and fauna. Simply put: here is first-class fishing and amazingly picturesque landscapes.
People who know appreciate the Sea of Azov for the right winds: you can’t pull kite and windsurfers by the ears from local stations in Dolzhanka or Golubitskaya.
How to get to the Sea of Azov
There are several major Russian and Ukrainian airports a short distance from the coast of the Sea of Azov. From our side, these are the air hubs of Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Anapa and Simferopol; from Ukrainian - the airport in Mariupol.
The most convenient and fastest way to get to the resorts of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is by air (about 2 hours from Moscow). In second place in popularity is the railway. There are large transport hubs in the same Rostov, Krasnodar, Simferopol, and also in Taganrog and Yeysk. IN summer season trains, as a rule, run several times a day, but it is better to buy tickets in advance (compartment - from 3800 RUB). Finally, in the summer, direct buses run to many major resorts (from Yeysk to Kerch and beyond). A ticket from Moscow to Kerch costs from 2500 RUB, and to Rostov-on-Don - from 1000 RUB. But you will have to spend at least a day on the way. Prices on the page are for November 2018.
Cities and resorts of the Sea of Azov
The most childish sea in the world can boast great choice beaches, resorts and simply cozy deserted corners where autotourists with tents aspire. From the Russian side (from north to south), everything starts from the ancient and charming city of Ranevskaya and Chekhov - Taganrog. You can also swim here, but still the main thing for which people come here is worthy museum collections and the atmosphere that is still felt county town the end of the 19th century. Next comes Rostov-papa, wise, old, a little sassy, but surprisingly pleasant Southern City, the entrance gate to the land of the sun, warmth and the Sea of Azov. Next - Azov with its thousand years of history, well, and behind it - kilometers and kilometers of sand. It is south of Azov that the main beach mecca: Pavlo-Ochakovskaya spit, Chumbur-Kosa, Glafirovka and handsome Yeysk - the largest resort in the region.
About 20 kilometers from it is the same Dolzhanka, from which water extreme sports of all stripes trudge. Tourists with children echo them - the local sand is too good. Even further south - Primorsko-Akhtarsk, another beach area for those who like to spend their holidays actively, with windsurfing at the ready. Completes the resort area on the side Krasnodar Territory stanitsa Golubitskaya: abode of sand, therapeutic mud and paragliders. To the west, across the narrow Kerch Strait - Crimea. Here tourists are waiting for the old Kerch, the main dance class of the country Kazantip, as well as a scattering of small and cozy resorts.
On the part of Ukraine, the main wealth of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the popular medical resort Berdyansk and several spits going far into the sea, natural reserves and simply very beautiful places.
Transport
The main transport in the resort is wheeled. Despite the well-developed railway network, it is precisely intercity buses and minibuses are more convenient and popular to get from one resort to another. As a rule, tourists, having reached Yeysk, Rostov-on-Don or Krasnodar, transfer to buses, which take them to places of rest. The average fare for short distances is 40-70 RUB, if you need to travel 100-150 km, then the ticket price increases to 400-500 RUB and more.
In resorts, there is usually no public transport, except for taxis (and, with rare exceptions, minibuses) - there is simply no. The minimum cost of a taxi ride is 50 RUB, on minibuses - from 25 RUB.
Beaches
The Sea of Azov is the smallest in the world, and, therefore, the warmest. You can comfortably swim here already from mid-May, the season ends at the end of September, or even earlier - the sea cools down too quickly. Almost on the entire coast - fine shell sand, the entrance to the water is gentle, and the depth increases gradually (sometimes, even too gradually). Therefore, the beaches of the Sea of Azov are so loved by families with children - a warm and shallow paddling pool saves parents from close attention to bathing kids. Another "feature" local coast- an abundance of secluded and wild areas, which is especially appreciated among fishermen or fans of spending holidays in peace and quiet. For such places, you should go to Achuevskaya, Kamyshevatskaya, or Long Spit. Well, for those who cannot imagine a vacation without beaches that are comfortable and equipped with all sorts of benefits of civilization, there is a direct path to Yeysk or Taman.
The Sea of Azov has two more specializations that are worth mentioning. Firstly, all kinds of healing mud and estuaries, for example, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Golubitskaya. And secondly, a developed infrastructure for water extreme sports - kite and windsurfers, especially in the area of Dolzhanka and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
The beaches are mostly municipal, that is, free, with the exception of very rare areas assigned to certain hotels. Renting a deck chair on average costs from 150 to 250 RUB per day, depending on the popularity of the village.
Treatment
Due to the dry hot climate, extensive sandy beaches and good warming of the Sea of Azov, holidays here are ideal for children, so there are many sanatoriums and health camps on its coast.
Sanatorium institutions of Berdyansk, Yeysk, Kerch, Taganrog and other cities and villages offer medical and health programs based on the use of local healing mud. Salt Lake Sivash and smaller lakes of varying degrees of salinity and mineral composition of water can have a life-giving effect on a number of diseases. Natural mineral springs of the region are its recognized wealth and have long been known to specialists in balneology for their remarkable properties. It has been established that the water itself in the Sea of Azov is healing. Due to its small depth, natural mixing of water occurs in its entire thickness, therefore particles of silt, saturated with minerals important for human health, are constantly in the upper layers.
An important factor in the treatment of allergic diseases is dry air, saturated with phytoncides of steppe plants.
Diving
The Sea of Azov is not the best spot for divers, despite its depth (very, very small) and good temperature (it is difficult to freeze here). But this reservoir has one terrible property for diving - disgusting visibility. Therefore, it is customary to dive into the sea early, early in the morning, when it was barely dawn and until the daytime breeze turned over all the turbidity at the bottom. Then there is a chance to see at a depth of 5-6 m a lot of the remains of ships from the Second World War. Alas, most of them are heavily covered with mud or have changed almost beyond recognition, which does not detract from the value and fantasticness of the picture they saw - combat vehicles sleepily immersed in the abyss of water, finding their eternal refuge at the bottom of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
Diving is offered far from everywhere, but only in more or less developed resort villages where constant strong winds do not blow. For example, in Kuchugury or Yeysk.
Sea of Azov Hotels
On the coast of the Sea of Azov, there are many hotels, boarding houses, guest houses offering accommodation different type, for different money and with varying degrees of comfort. The only thing that is the same is that guests are always welcome here, if only because the resort business brings considerable income to local residents.
It can be seen with the naked eye that, in general, the prices for living on the Sea of Azov are lower than in the Crimea or in Krasnodar Territory, and lower by 30 percent. Another feature is the abundance of proposals from the private sector. Of course, houses and apartments are rented all over the Black Sea coast, but, perhaps, there are a lot of such options in the area of the Azov coast.
A room in a 2-3 * hotel in the season can be found from 1400 RUB, apartments will cost about the same amount, but it will not be one room with a bed, but a whole apartment, it happens that it is not a one-room apartment.
What to bring
The set of souvenirs is obscenely standard - shells and crafts made from them, all kinds of boats and figurines of a marine theme, postcards, magnets, plates, juniper products, products of local distilleries and wineries (of course, very good, especially in the Taman region). The local fish stands apart - smoked, dried and simply delicious.
The best photos of the Sea of Azov
Entertainment and attractions
Exceptionally well located in the very center of Byzantine and medieval life, the Sea of Azov boasts a lot of worthy sights. Just think about it: on the one hand, it washes the Crimean peninsula, about the palaces, monasteries and parks of which only the lazy have not heard. On the other hand, Taman, a marvelous land full of ancient ruins and mud volcanoes. Only an encyclopedia could fully describe the sights of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, therefore we will briefly go over only the main places.
The main museum collections of the region are kept by Taganrog, Rostov-on-Don and Azov. Perhaps only Krasnodar or Yalta can compete with these cities in terms of expositions, but that's a completely different story. Taganrog, first of all, attracts attention with its museum collections dedicated to Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Azov - military history, but the status obliges the museums of Rostov-on-Don to be one of the leading ones in the region.
Something "older" can be found in Taman, more precisely - in the ruins of Phanagoria, already several millennia old. Immediately, in the neighborhood, there are a lot of natural attractions: the Tizdar mud volcano, and the no less mud lake in Golubitskaya, and the famous Lotus Valley, and the Taman Switzerland protected area.
Tired of the idyll of pastoral landscapes, you can have a good break in local water parks, dolphinariums or kite stations. The Sea of Azov, despite its family status, is considered one of the most extreme. The right winds blow here, allowing you to quickly get on the surf and catch good wave- Moderately quick and moderately calm.
Sea of Azov for children
Amazing beaches, well, very warm water and shallow depth - already enough reason to take the children to the Sea of Azov. Well, in case the guys get tired of the monotony of swimming in the sea (hard to believe), you can take them to the water park: "Nemo" in Yeysk, "Azure" in Taganrog, "Cape of Good Hope" near Berdyansk, "Treasure Island" in Kirillovka, "Amazons" in Golubitskaya. Will it be too little? In the same Yeisk, Berdyansk, Kirillovka and Golubitskaya there are also their own dolphinariums - with colorful performances with fur seals and dolphins.
In addition, it is worth going with the whole family to river trip towards the Lotus Valley or visit the village of Ataman, where the life of the Cossacks is recreated. And in the ethnographic complex "Circassian aul" whole theatrical shows with horses, dances and national dishes are held.
Weather on the Sea of Azov
The climate in most of the cities of the Sea of Azov is temperate continental, with mild winters and hot summers. Spring comes early, autumn lasts a long time, and winters tend to have little snow. Due to the shallow depth of the sea, almost its entire surface is covered with ice in winter, but, again, this is highly dependent on temperature. But in summer, it is the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov that is the warmest, in some years the water warmed up to fantastic +32 ° C, although the normal temperature of the reservoir near the coast at the height of the season is +24 ... +26 ° С.
Depth of the Sea of Azov
It is considered the smallest of the seas in the world. The Sea of Azov is located in the eastern part of Europe. Its relief under water is not distinguished by originality or a chain of some complex patterns - the depth slowly and smoothly increases, the further you move away from the coastline. In the central part, the depth is about 14m. Most often the depth larger area seabed from 5 to 13 m. Deepest in the center.
Elevations are guessed in the structure of the sea bottom, they go along the eastern and western coasts, so the depth there decreases accordingly from 8-9 to 3-5m. north coast known for its wide shallow area of 30 km, the depth of which is not more than 7, while the southern one is a steep slope up to 12 meters deep.
The catchment area of the entire sea basin is 586 thousand km2. Its shores are mostly sandy and flat, only the southern coast is covered with hills of obviously volcanic origin, passing in some places into mountains.
Sea currents are more dependent on the direction of the wind, so they are very changeable in terms of direction. The main current of the Sea of Azov is circular along the coast.
Shores of the shallow sea
The landscape on the coast of Azov is somewhat inferior to its fellow Black in terms of picturesqueness and variety of objects. However, it still has its own unique style and beauty. The neighbors of the sea are the steppes, in some places the floodplains, abundantly overgrown with reeds. The shores are either low and flat, where the beach is sandy with shells, or low with cliffs. The general line of coasts has a smooth outline, indented to some extent by sand spits. There are especially many of them here and this is also part of the unique picture.
Of course, if you compare it with other seas, the Sea of Azov is considered shallow. However, this in no way detracts from either its significance on the world map, or its beauty and natural features.
The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is a shelf semi-enclosed reservoir, and it belongs to the Mediterranean system. In general, this natural reservoir is a mixing zone of the Black Sea and river waters, therefore some researchers consider it as a bay (shallow) of the Black Sea or a spacious, vast river estuary.
From this article you can learn about the area of the Sea of Azov, its location, the origin of the name, and more. others
Sea of Azov: general information
This body of water represents the northeastern basin of the Black Sea. Connects them together
According to its morphological features, Azov belongs to flat types and is a shallow water reservoir with not very high slopes of the coast.
A rather small area and depth of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are noted (the latter is not more than 14 meters, and its average depth is only about 8 meters). Moreover, more than 1/2 of the territory has a depth of up to 5 meters. And this is the main feature.
Without taking into account the Sivash, the Sea of Azov has an elliptical shape elongated to the southwest from the northeast. It is the smallest natural body of water in the World Ocean.
Two great rivers flow into it - the Kuban and the Don - and many (more than 20) smaller ones, which for the most part flow from its northern shore.
Parameters of the Sea of Azov: area
The Sea of Azov basin has an area of about 570 thousand square meters. km. Its longest is 343 km, and the widest part is 231 km. 2686 kilometers - the length of the entire coastline.
The area of the Sea of Azov in sq. km. is about 37,600 (this does not include the area of islands and spits, occupying 107.9 sq. km). The average volume of all water is 256 km 3. As noted above, approximately 43% of the territory falls on depths from 5 to 10 meters.
origin of name
The sea received its modern, relatively new name several centuries ago from the name Turkish city Azov. The latter, in turn, comes from the name of the local feudal lord (Azak or Azum).
But even earlier, the ancient Greeks called it "Meotis limne", which means "lake of the Meots" (the peoples who lived on the shores). The Romans called it ironically - "Palus Meotis", which means "swamp of the Meots." And this is not surprising for the Sea of Azov. The area, and especially its depth, is not very large.
The Arabs called "Baral-Azov" and "Nitshlakh", and the Turks - "Bahr-Assak" (Dark blue sea) and "Baryal-Assak". There were many more names in antiquity, you can’t count them all.
Azov in Rus' became famous in the 1st century AD. e., and the name was given to him - the Blue Sea. After it was formed, it was called Russian. Then the sea was repeatedly renamed (Mayutis, Salakar, Samakush, etc.). In the 13th century, the sea was approved with the name of the Saksinsk Sea. The Tatar-Mongolian conquerors gave him the name "Chabak-dengiz" (bream or chabach) and "Balyk-dengiz" (translated - "fish sea"). As a result of the transformation of the last name (chabak - dzybakh - zabak - azak - azov), today's name arose (dubious version). All the speculations about the origin cannot be described here.
Animal species, water volumes, area: comparisons of the Sea of Azov with other seas
It is almost 2 times larger in area than Azov, and Chernoye is almost 11 times larger, and, accordingly, in terms of water volume it is 1678 times larger.
And yet, this area could easily accommodate two European states such as Luxembourg and Belgium.
It is also interesting to compare the number of species of Mediterranean plants and animals in different seas, looking from west to east. In the Mediterranean - more than 6000 species of various organisms, in the Black - 1500, in the Azov - about 200, in the Caspian - about 28, and only 2 species of organisms live in the Aral. This explains the fact that all of them, sometime in the distant past, gradually separated from the Mediterranean Sea.
The water expanses of the Sea of Azov, the area of \u200b\u200bthe territories of the coastline contain a huge number of various species of animals.
There are many diverse waterfowl on the shores: ducks, geese, steppe waders, geese, lapwings, mute swans, black-headed gulls and many others. etc. In the sea and in the mouths of the rivers flowing into it, as well as on the estuaries, a total of 114 species (together with subspecies) of fish live. This body of water is also called the Sea of clams.
And in terms of biological productivity, it ranks first in the world.
Relief underwater
The relief of the bottom of the sea is simple. The depths here generally increase gradually as you move away from the coast, and, naturally, the deepest places are in the very center. Almost flat bottom at Azov.
The entire territory of the Sea of Azov arose thanks to large bays. There are no large islands on it. There are small shoals (Islands Turtle, Biryuchy, etc.).
Climate
The area of almost the entire surface of the water already warms up quickly in April-May. From June to September, the average water temperature is more than 20°C, and in July-August it reaches 30°C. And in Sivash (for comparison) the water warms up to 42 degrees.
The swimming season lasts 124 days. In that favorable period here only a few days there is a relatively low or very high temperature of water and air.
Due to the small size of the Sea of Azov (area, depth, volume), its influence on the climate of the land surrounding it is rather weak and barely noticeable only in a narrow strip (coastal).
The water here quickly heats up in summer and cools down in the same way in winter. The sea freezes completely only in the most harsh winters. Moreover, throughout the winter, ice forms and thaws several times, since thaws often occur in these places.
In conclusion, some interesting facts
There are some very interesting and curious facts from history.
1. The sea has been part of vast ocean called Tethys by geologists. Its endless expanse stretched from Central America through Atlantic Ocean, part of Europe, Black, Mediterranean, Caspian and Aral Sea and further east across India to the Pacific Ocean.
2. Russian prince Gleb in 1068 measured the distance from Kerch to Taman on the ice. The inscription on testifies that the distance from Korchevo to Tmutarakan (the ancient name of Kerch and Taman, respectively) was about 20 km. It turns out that in 939 years the distance has increased by 3 km.
3. Sea water contains little salt (another feature). As a result, water freezes fairly easily. Therefore, the sea is not navigable from the end of the year (December) until the very middle of April.
The Sea of Azov (Ukrainian Sea of Azov, Crimean Azaq deñizi) is the northeastern lateral basin of the Black Sea, with which it is connected by the Kerch Strait (Cimmerian Bosphorus in ancient times, 4.2 kilometers wide). The Sea of Azov belongs to the seas of the Atlantic Ocean.
In ancient times, the Greeks called it the Meotian Lake (Greek Μαιῶτις), the Romans Palus Maeotis, the Scythians Kargaluk, the Meotians Temerinda (the mother of the sea); Arabs Nitshlach or Baral-Azov, Turks Barial-Assak or Bahr-Assak (Dark Blue Sea; in modern Turkish Azakdenizi), Genoese and Venetians Mare delle Zabacche (Mare Tane).
The extreme points of the Sea of Azov lie between 45°12′30″ and 47°17′30″ N. latitude and between 33°38′ (Sivash) and 39°18′ east. longitude. Its greatest length is 343 kilometers, its greatest width is 231 kilometers; the length of the coastline is 1472 kilometers; surface area - 37,605 square kilometers (this area does not include islands and spits, occupying 107.9 square kilometers.).
According to morphological features, the Sea of Azov belongs to flat seas and is a shallow water reservoir with low coastal slopes.
The greatest depth does not exceed 14 meters, and average depth about 8 meters. At the same time, depths up to 5 meters occupy more than half of the volume of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Its volume is also small and equal to 320 cubic meters. For comparison, let's say that the Aral Sea exceeds the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov in area by almost 2 times. The Black Sea is almost 11 times larger than the Sea of Azov in terms of area, and 1678 times in volume. And yet the Sea of Azov is not so small, it would freely accommodate two such European states as the Netherlands and Luxembourg. His maximum length 380 kilometers, and the greatest width is 200 kilometers. The total length of the coastline of the sea is 2686 kilometers.
The underwater relief of the Sea of Azov is very simple, the depths generally slowly and smoothly increase with distance from the coast, and the most great depths are in the center of the sea. Its bottom is almost flat. The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov forms several bays, of which the largest are Taganrog, Temryuk and the strongly isolated Sivash, which is more correctly considered an estuary. major islands not on the Sea of Azov. There are a number of shoals, partially flooded with water and located near the coast. Such, for example, are the islands of Biryuchy, Turtle and others.
Sea of Azov - the origin of the name
In Rus', the Sea of Azov became known in the 1st century AD, and was called the Blue Sea. After the formation of the Tmutarakan principality, the modern Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov began to be called Russian. With the fall of the principality, the sea was renamed several times (Samakush, Salakar, Mayutis, etc.). At the beginning of the XIII century. the name of the Saksinsk Sea was approved. The Tatar-Mongolian conquerors replenished the collection of the names of Azov: Balyk-dengiz (fish sea) and Chabak-dengiz (chabache, bream sea). According to some sources, Chabak-dengiz as a result of the transformation: chabak - dzybakh - zabak - azak - azov - the modern name of the sea occurred (which is doubtful). According to other sources, azak is a Turkic adjective meaning "low, low", according to other sources, "azak" (Turkic "mouth of the river"), which was transformed into Azau, and then into Russian Azov. In the interval of the above names, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov also received the following: Barel-Azov ("Dark Blue River"); the Thracian Sea (the Thracians meant the Genoese and the Venetians); Surozh Sea (Surozh was the name of the modern city of Sudak in the Crimea); Kaffa Sea (Kaffa is an Italian colony on the site of the modern city of Feodosia in the Crimea); Cimmerian Sea (from the Cimmerians); Akdengiz (Turkish meaning White Sea).
The most reliable should be considered that the modern name of the sea comes from the name of the city of Azov. According to the etymology of the word “azov”, there are a number of hypotheses: after the name of the Polovtsian prince Azum (Azuf), who was killed during the capture of the city in 1067; by the name of the Osos (Asses) tribe, which in turn allegedly came from the Avestan, meaning "fast"; the name is compared with the Turkic word azan - “lower”, and the Circassian uzev - “neck”. The Turkic name of the city of Azov is Auzak. But even in the 1st c. AD Pliny, listing the Scythian tribes in his writings, mentions the Asoki tribe, similar to the word Azov. It is generally accepted that the modern name of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov came to Russian toponymy at the beginning of the 17th century. thanks to the annals of Pimen. Moreover, at the beginning it was assigned only to its part (Taganrog Bay), and only during the Azov campaigns of Peter I, the name of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was assigned to the entire reservoir. The sea gave its name to the villages of Azovskaya and Priazovskaya and the city of Azov (in the lower reaches of the Don River, Rostov Region), the village of Priazovskiy and the farm of Azovka.
The history of the study of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov
In the history of the study of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, there are three stages:
1. Ancient (geographical) - from the time of Herodotus to the beginning of the 19th century.
2. Geological and geographical - XIX century. - 40s of XX century.
3. Complex - the middle of the XX century. - Today.
The first map of Pontus Euxinus and Maeotida was made by Claudius Ptolemy, who also determined the geographical coordinates for cities, river mouths, capes and bays of the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
In 1068, the Russian prince Gleb measured the distance between Kerch and Taman on the ice. As the inscription on the Tmutarakan stone testifies, the distance from Tmutarakan to Korchevo (the ancient name of Tamini and Kerch) was approximately 20 kilometers (for 939 years this distance has increased by 3 kilometers.).
From the XII-XIV centuries. the Genoese and Venetians began to draw up portolans (pilots and sea charts of the Black and Azov Seas).
Sea of Azov - geological past
The Sea of Azov, in terms of its geological age, is a young basin. It acquired outlines close to modern ones in the Quaternary period. Many millions of years ago, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was part of the ocean, which geologists call Tethys. Its vast expanse stretched from Central America across the Atlantic Ocean, the southern part of Europe, the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Aral Seas and further east through India to the Pacific Ocean.
The history of the emergence of the Sea of Azov is closely connected with the geological past of the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Black and Caspian Seas. Under the influence of internal forces, the earth's crust either fell or rose in the form mountain ranges, which then, cut off by the work of flowing waters and weathering, turned into plains. As a result of these processes, the waters of the World Ocean either flooded individual areas of land, or exposed them, or, as geologists say, transgressions (advance) and regressions (retreat) of the seas were observed.
At the same time, the outlines of the continents and seas naturally changed. At the same time, there were changes in climate, flora and fauna both on land and in the sea.
Only in the Cenozoic era (the era of new life) did the outlines of the continents and individual seas, including the Sea of Azov, become what we see them on modern maps.
The Cenozoic era, as is known, consists of two periods - Tertiary and Quaternary, or Anthropogene. In the latter, a person already appears. In the Anthropogene, the formation of the Sea of Azov ended, and, consequently, its modern look was created literally before the eyes of prehistoric man.
During the Anthropogene, the sea basin, which included the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas, repeatedly changed its outlines, area, depth, was divided into parts and restored again.
Different phases of the development of this basin in the Anthropogen received conventional names: the Chaudin, Ancient Euxinian, Uzunlar, Karangat, Novoeuksinskoe seas.
Chaudinsky lake-sea existed at the beginning of the era of great glaciation - more than 500,000 years ago. Sediments of this sea were found at Cape Chauda Kerch Peninsula(hence the name of the sea), they are also on the coast Taman Peninsula. Fauna ( animal world) of the heavily desalinated Chaudin Sea was very close to the fauna of the Baku Sea, which at that time was part of the Caspian Sea Basin. This circumstance led scientists to the conclusion that the Chaudinsky and Baku basins were connected to each other along the valley of the Manych River.
Having existed for a relatively short time, the Chaudin Sea gave way to the Ancient Euxinian Sea. It was a heavily desalinated lake-sea. It belongs to the first half of the Quaternary period. Deposits of the Ancient Euxinian Sea are known on the Kerch Peninsula, in the Taganrog region, on Caucasian coast, on the Manych River. The great similarity of the fauna indicates that the sea was connected with the ancient Caspian and Baku basins.
In ancient Euxinian times, the Black Sea was connected to the Mediterranean through the Dardanelles. The so-called Uzunlar Sea came to replace the Ancient Euxinian Sea. Due to water penetration mediterranean sea there is a gradual salinization of the Uzunlar Sea and a rise in its level. The latter led to the flooding of the lower parts of the coast and estuaries. The formation of the estuaries of the Dnieper, Don and other rivers of the Azov-Black Sea basin dates back to this time. The Manych Strait, which previously connected the Ancient Euxinian and Ancient Caspian Seas, ceases to exist at this time.
The Uzunlar Sea was replaced by the salty Karangat Sea, the formation of which was accompanied by large subsidence in the area of the Sea of Azov and the Crimea.
These sinkings caused the transgression of saline waters and the penetration into the Karangat basin of marine fauna richer in species than the modern Black Sea.
During the last glaciation, the Karangat Sea was replaced by the semi-fresh Novoevksinsky lake-sea. At that time, the Khvalyn Sea stretched in the neighboring Caspian region, which, judging by the similarity of the faunas of both seas, connected with the Novoevksinsky. The New Euxinian regressive stage in the development of the sea gave way to the Old Black Sea and New Black Sea stages of its expansion.
The last, New Black Sea, stage of the development of the Sea of Azov is divided by scientists into several independent stages, namely: the stage of maximum development of the New Black Sea transgression, when the sea level was 2.5-3 m higher than the current one, the Meotic stage, which took place already at the beginning of historical time, and nymphal stage. In the Meotic stage, the Sea of Azov, according to the description of the ancient Greeks, was a freshwater and marshy lake. In the Nymphean stage, the formation of the modern outlines of the coastline took place, and in particular the formation of most of the spits of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
Sea of Azov - geography
Bathymetry of the Sea of Azov
The underwater relief of the Sea of Azov is relatively simple. As you move away from the coast, the depths slowly and smoothly increase, reaching 14.4 meters in the central part of the sea. The main area of the bottom of the Sea of Azov is characterized by a depth of 5-13 meters. The area of greatest depths is located in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their slight elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. The isobath of 5 meters is located about 2 kilometers from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Bay, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2-3 meters) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8-9 meters at the border of the bay with the sea.
In the relief of the bottom of the Sea of Azov, systems of underwater heights are noted, elongated along the eastern (Zhelezinskaya bank) and western (Marskaya and Arabatskaya banks) coasts, the depths above which decrease from 8-9 to 3-5 meters. The underwater coastal slope of the northern coast is characterized by wide shallow water (20-30 kilometers) with depths of 6-7 meters, for the southern coast - a steep underwater slope to depths of 11-12 meters. The catchment area of the Sea of Azov Basin is 586,000 square kilometers.
The sea shores are mostly flat and sandy, only on the southern coast there are hills of volcanic origin, which in some places turn into steep frontal mountains.
Sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeast and southwest winds blowing here and therefore change direction very often. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of Azov counterclockwise.
Geographical features of the Sea of Azov
Large or special geographical features are listed in clockwise order along the coast of the Sea of Azov, starting from the Kerch Strait.
Bays and estuaries of the Sea of Azov:
Ukraine:
In the southwest: Kazantip Bay, Arabatsky Bay;
In the west: Sivash Bay;
In the north-west: Utlyuk estuary, Molochny estuary, Obitochny - bay, Berdyansk bay;
Russia:
In the northeast: the Taganrog Bay, the Miussky Estuary, the Yeysky Estuary;
In the east: Yasenskiy bay, Beisugskiy estuary, Akhtarskiy estuary;
In the south-east: Temryuk Bay.
Spit and capes of the Sea of Azov:
Ukraine:
In the south-west: Cape Khroni, Cape Zyuk, Cape Chagany and Cape Kazantip (Kazantip Bay);
In the west: Arabatskaya Strelka spit (Sivash Bay);
In the north-west: Fedotova Spit and Spit Biryuchy Ostrov (Utlyuk Estuary), Obitochnaya Spit (Obitochny Bay), Berdyansk Spit (Berdyansk Bay);
In the northeast: Belosarayskaya Spit, Curve Spit;
In the Kerch Strait: Tuzla Spit.
Russia:
In the northeast: Beglitskaya spit;
In the east: Cape Chumbursky, Glafirovskaya spit, Long spit, Kamyshevatskaya spit, Yasenskaya spit (Beisugsky estuary), Achuevskaya spit (Akhtarsky estuary);
In the southeast: Cape Achuevsky and Cape Kamenny (Temryuk Bay).
In the Kerch Strait: Chushka Spit.
Rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov:
Ukraine:
In the northwest: Maly Utlyuk, Molochnaya, Korsak, Lozovatka, Obitochnaya, Berda, Kalmius, Gruzsky Elanchik;
Russia:
In the northeast: Wet Elanchik, Mius, Sambek, Don, Kagalnik, Wet Chuburka, Eya;
In the southeast: Protoka, Kuban.
Sea of Azov coast
The coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is less picturesque and diverse than the Black Sea. But it also has its own unique beauty. The steppes come close to the sea, and in some places the floodplains overgrown with reeds. The shores are treeless, they are either low and gentle, with a sandy-shell beach, or low, but steep, composed of yellow loess-like loams. The coastline of the sea forms rather smooth bends, and only long sandy spits give it some indentation. A large number of braid is one of the characteristic features of the shores of the Sea of Azov.
Western coast of the Sea of Azov
The western shore of the Sea of Azov is represented by a long oblique - the Arabat arrow. It stretched along the seashore for 112 kilometers, separating the shallow Sivash Bay from it. The width of this flat sand-shell spit ranges from 270 meters in the southern and middle parts to 7 kilometers in the northern, where there are several small hills. The Arabat arrow is a huge natural beach. Parallel to it, a series of long shoals stretched. They are perfectly visible from the walls of the old Genoese fortress, located near the village of Arabat, or directly from the elevated native shore. In calm sunny weather, the greenish-blue waves of the sea with a slight noise gently run onto the sandy-shell beach and the light foam of the surf borders it, like a narrow white lace. Rolling on the wing, white-winged gulls glide low over the water. In the distance, on the spit, salt extracted from Sivash dazzlingly shines under the rays of the hot sun. The Sea of Azov is beautiful even in a storm. When the fierce nordost blows, it darkens, becomes severe. With an angry noise, boiling with white foam, steep-walled waves fall on the shores. You can spend hours admiring the foamy expanse of the sea, the swift running and the stormy surf of the waves of the Sea of Azov.
Any person who has visited the Sea of Azov will forever have memories of its discreet, but soul-stirring beauty.
On Arabat Spit open hot mineral water, in terms of its chemical composition and healing properties superior to Matsesta. Based on these healing waters, it is planned to create new resort- Azov Matsesta.
Southern coast of the Sea of Azov
The southern coast of the Sea of Azov is represented by the territory of the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, between which the Kerch Strait is located, connecting the Azov and Black Sea. The Kerch Peninsula is the eastern tip of Crimea. Its area is about 3 thousand square kilometers. In the bowels of the peninsula, large deposits of iron ores have been discovered that feed the metallurgy of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, oil and natural gas. The northern and northeastern parts of the Kerch Peninsula are composed of marls, clays, limestones; Tertiary sandstones occur in places. The western part of the Kerch Peninsula is flat, the eastern part is hilly. Within the peninsula, the southern coast of the Sea of Azov for the most part drops steeply into the sea, leaving only a narrow strip of beach. In some places, the steep banks are composed of bryozoan limestones, which staunchly resist the onslaught of sea waves. Such, for example, is Cape Kazantip, at the base of which lies a bryozoan reef - an atoll. To the west of this cape is Arabatsky Bay, to the east - Kazantipsky. To the east of Cape Kazantip stretches a low-lying alluvial stretch of coast. The shores of both bays are composed of soft clayey rocks. south of the cape Kazantip - Aktash salt Lake. This is a relic lake. It is a remnant of the Kazantip Bay, which once jutted far into the land.
In the middle of the Kerch Peninsula, a low Parpach ridge stretches from west to east. Between this ridge and the coast of the Sea of Azov there is a wide longitudinal valley. In its lower parts there are salt lakes, and in particular Lake Chokrakskoye, known for its healing properties, as well as a number of mud volcanoes.
East of the Kazantip Bay, near the Kerch Strait, the coast of the Sea of Azov is calmer, here it is characterized by capes composed of hard bryozoan limestones, for example, capes Zyuk, Tarkhan and others.
The Kerch Strait, which connects the Black and Azov Seas, is shallow and relatively narrow. Its width ranges from 4 to 15 kilometers. The length of the strait is 41 kilometers. The depth is about 4 meters.
In ancient times, the Kerch Strait was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The name itself contains a hint of the shallowness of the strait, since the “bosporus” in translation into Russian means “bull ford”.
The Crimean coast of the strait is steep in places. In its northern part is the port city of Kerch.
The Caucasian coast of the Kerch Strait is low, sandy, sometimes with dunes. The fairway of the strait is cluttered with reefs, sandbars and coastal shoals, which previously hampered navigation. Now a channel has been dug in the strait for the passage of ships with a large draft.
The Taman Peninsula, which is part of the Krasnodar Territory, covers an area of approximately 1,900 square kilometers. Of these, a little more than 900 square meters fall on land. kilometers, and the rest of the territory - estuaries and plavni.
Its nature is unique. From a geological point of view, this is a young peninsula, since it was formed in the Quaternary period. Back in the 1st century AD. in its place there were about five islands, the transformation of which into a peninsula occurred, apparently, in the 5th century AD. under the influence of the accumulative activity of the Kuban River, mud volcanoes and tectonic uplifts. The formation of the Taman Peninsula continues to this day.
The surface of the peninsula is a hilly plain with low domed elevations, elongated in the form of interrupted ridges from the southwest to the northeast. Scattered almost everywhere mud volcanoes and ancient cemeteries - barrows. The landscape is enlivened by numerous estuaries. The floodplains, overgrown with reeds and sedge, are also widespread.
The Taman Peninsula contains in its bowels such natural resources as oil, combustible gases, iron ores, salt, building materials in the form of limestone, clay and gravel.
The climate of the peninsula is moderately warm. The sun generously supplies it with the warmth of its rays, but there is little precipitation here - only 436 millimeters per year - and therefore there is a lack of moisture.
On the peninsula - fertile chernozem-like and chestnut soils, covered with drought-resistant steppe, and along the valley of the Kuban River - with floodplain vegetation.
The shores of the Taman Peninsula are quite diverse, but two types of shores prevail: high, steep - abrasion, that is, formed as a result of the destructive work of sea waves, and low, flat - accumulative. The latter were formed from sandy-argillaceous deposits as a result of the activity of sea waves and currents.
The shore of the Taman Bay, from Cape Tuzla up to the village of Taman, is elevated and steep. On average, its height here ranges from 15 to 30 meters. To the east of the village of Taman, the coast goes down and remains low throughout the southern and eastern coasts of the bay. Only in some places there are steep cliffs, and then often due to the cultural layer of ancient Phanagoria.
The northern shore of the bay is also elevated and in some places abruptly breaks off to the sea.
Spit Chushka, composed largely of quartz sand and broken shells, has low banks.
Further to the east, the coast of the Taman Peninsula is high (up to 50-60 meters above the level of the Sea of Azov) and often has a stepped landslide character. It is composed mainly of loess-like clay and is bordered by a strip of beach, consisting of sandy-clay deposits, in places with an admixture of shells, pebbles and rubble.
Then, up to the village of Golubitskaya, the shore of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov either lowers or rises again, but, starting from this village, it becomes low, and in the area of the delta of the Kuban River it acquires a swampy character.
It is interesting to note that in the area of the village of Kuchugury on the low coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, eolian landforms are observed in the form of low (1-3 meters) sandy mounds - dunes formed under the influence of northern winds.
An attraction of the Taman Peninsula are mud volcanoes (salses), of which there are up to 25. Many of them look like low cones with truncated tops. Some salsas are temporarily inactive. The rest emit dirt and gases such as methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen.
Eruptions of mud volcanoes are usually calm and quiet, but sometimes they resemble eruptions of real volcanoes, as they are accompanied by an explosion, and then the products of volcanic activity are scattered hundreds of meters from the crater, and liquid mud forms large streams.
Very interesting phenomenon represent mud volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of Azov near the shores of the Taman Peninsula. So, intense mud volcanic activity was observed near the village of Golubitskaya. One of the eruptions was noted on September 6, 1799. An underground rumble was heard, then a deafening crack was heard and over the sea, 300 meters from the shore, a column of fire and black smoke rose. The eruption continued for about two hours, leading to the formation of an island of mud with a diameter of over 100 meters and a height of up to 2 meters. A few months later, he disappeared, washed out by the waves of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
Similar eruptions were repeated later - in 1862, 1906, 1924, 1950 and 1952. In 1952, to the west of the village of Golubitskaya, 5 kilometers from the coast, also as a result of mud volcanic activity, a mud island was formed, which was then washed away by the waves of the Sea of Azov.
Eastern coast of the Sea of Azov
The eastern shore of the Sea of Azov, from Temryuk to Primorsko-Akhtarsk, for about 100 kilometers, is a low-lying delta of the Kuban River with numerous estuaries, channels, extensive floodplains overgrown with reeds and sedge. The Kuban River, originating from the glaciers of Mount Elbrus, is one of the largest and high-water rivers North Caucasus. Its length is 870 kilometers. The catchment area is 57,900 square kilometers. Its delta was formed on the site of the Gulf of the Sea of Azov, deeply protruding into the land. Tens of thousands of years ago, this bay extended to the place where Krasnodar is now located. The huge lagoon was separated from the sea by an embankment and then gradually filled with river sediments. A certain role in the formation of the southwestern part of the delta was also played by the activity of mud volcanoes (salses) of the Taman Peninsula, which at that time still had the appearance of an archipelago of small islands. The eruptions of mud volcanoes brought channels between the islands and, along with river sediments, gradually filled the lagoon.
The formation of the delta continues in our time, and it experiences subsidence, which at Achuev is 5-6 millimeters per year, and in other places of the delta - 3 millimeters per year.
The Kuban River annually discharges into the Sea of Azov an average of 11.4 billion cubic meters of water, containing in total over 3 million tons of dissolved substances and a lot of turbidity. The water in the river is muddy all year round, but it carries a lot of sediment during floods, which in the Kuban are observed on average 6-7 per year. The total amount of solids carried by the river (the so-called solid runoff) is 8.7 million tons per year. Over 52,000 freight wagons would be required to transport such a load. Due to these sediments, the Kuban delta is growing. Now the Kuban delta, covering an area of 4,300 square kilometers, begins at the so-called Raz-der, near the city of Slavyansk, where an arm of the Protoka separates from the Kuban to the right (to the north). The latter carries about 40-50% of the Kuban water and flows into the Sea of Azov near Achuev.
Below the Protoka, not far from the mouth, the Kuban is still divided into a number of branches, of which the largest are the Petrushin sleeve and the Cossack erik. The Petrushin branch, representing here the main navigable channel of the Kuban River, goes past Temryuk and flows into the Sea of Azov.
Cossack erik is the left-bank branch of the Kuban, it carries its waters to the large Akhtanizovsky estuary, which has a connection with the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov through the Peresyp arm.
The modern delta of the Kuban River is a whole labyrinth of shallow lakes or estuaries, interconnected by channels, or, in the local language, eriks, which form bizarre loops between low-lying swampy land.
In the Kuban Delta, vast areas are occupied by floodplains that stretch for tens of kilometers. The floodplains of the Kuban delta, adjacent to the Sea of Azov, are called the Sea of Azov. They are divided by the Protoka river into two massifs: the Azov floodplains proper in the western part and the Angelino-Cheburgolsky in the eastern part.
The Azov floodplains are bizarre labyrinths of swamps and estuaries of various sizes with fresh, semi-salty and salt water, overgrown with surface and underwater vegetation. The former is dominated by reeds, reeds, sedges, cattails and burdocks. Underwater, or “soft” vegetation of estuaries is charophytes, pondweeds, hornwort, water lilies, etc.
In the Azov estuaries there are thickets of a wonderful plant - lotus. During the flowering period, large pink flowers rise on stems above the spreading emerald leaves. amazing beauty flowers with a strong fragrance. This tropical newcomer, brought to us from Africa, is a useful medicinal and food plant.
The estuaries of the Kuban delta are rich in fish. More than 70 species of fish are found here, including ram, bream, pike perch, shad, sprat, carp weighing up to 15 kilograms, catfish weighing up to 100 kilograms.
To the north of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, up to the Don delta, floodplains are found only in the mouths of the Azov steppe rivers - Beisug and Chelbas.
The shores of the Sea of Azov are represented in this area by low and gently sloping sandy spits, but for the most part the coast here is steep or steeply descending to the sea. It is complex, like the coastal plain, with loess and loess-like loams and clays of the late glacial period. Loess is a rock that is easily washed away by waves, and therefore the seashore here is quickly destroyed. average speed destruction along the entire coast is 3 meters per year. Maximum up to 18 meters. The soils of this part of the Sea of Azov are represented by fertile chernozems, calcareous Western Ciscaucasian. Previously, this entire area was a feather-grass-forb steppe, on which herds of wild tarpan horses and herds of swift-footed saigas grazed. There were even moose. Now these lands are plowed up, and in the summer an boundless yellow-green sea of \u200b\u200bcorn sways here, fields of corn and sunflowers are spread out.
In addition to the Kuban River, such steppe rivers (counting from south to north) flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov from the east, such as Kirpili, pouring their waters into the Kirpilsky estuary; Beisug, which flows into the Beisug estuary; Chelbas, flowing into the sweet estuary; Eya, which carries water to the large Yeisk estuary, and, finally, the small rivers Wet Chuburka and Kagalnik, which flow directly into the Sea of Azov.
A characteristic feature of the landscape of the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov, as noted above, is the presence of numerous estuaries.
Don Delta
In its northeastern part, the Sea of Azov forms a vast, strongly elongated Taganrog Bay, into which one of the largest rivers in the European part of Russia, the Don, flows. Its length is 1870 kilometers, and the catchment area is 422,000 square kilometers. Don annually takes out to the sea an average of about 28.6 cubic kilometers of water. Significant masses of river water greatly desalinate the Taganrog Bay, and the sediment carried by the river shallows it and leads to the growth of the Don Delta, which covers an area of 340 square kilometers. The modern Don delta begins 6 kilometers below Rostov-on-Don, where the non-navigable branch of the Dead Donets separates from the river to the right.
There is always a lot of activity on the Don River; various and numerous ships float up and down the stream. The calm expanse of the mighty river is cut through by passenger ships, cargo ships and fishing boats.
Below the village of Elizavetinskaya, the Don begins to wind strongly along a wide low-lying valley, breaking up into numerous branches and channels, which, in the local language, are called eriks. There are more and more of these branches and eriks as we approach the Sea of Azov.
The landscape here is unique. Everywhere you can see islands slightly rising above the water with intricately indented shores, covered with dense thickets of reeds. Islands close to the sea are constantly flooded sea water vegetation is sparse or non-existent. With strong western winds, the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov rush to the mouth of the Don, prop up the river waters, the Don overflows its banks, flooding not only the delta, but also the site almost 100 kilometers upstream.
East winds blowing downstream of the Don have the opposite effect. There is a surge of water, and sometimes so strong that not only the branches of the river, but also the Taganrog Bay become shallow, which disrupts normal navigation. The amplitude of surge phenomena is +3, -2 meters.
The Don brings to the Sea of Azov an average of about 14 million tons of river sediment and about 9.5 million tons of dissolved minerals. Due to sediments, the Don Delta is growing, gradually moving further and further into the sea at a speed of about 1 kilometer per century.
Northern coast of the Sea of Azov
The northern coast of the Sea of Azov stretched from the mouth of the Don to the city of Genichesk. A number of small rivers flow into the Sea of Azov in this section. Originating in the spurs of the Donetsk Ridge, the rivers Mius and Kalmius carry their waters to the sea. Originating on the low Azov Upland, the rivers Berdya, Obitochnaya, Korsak and a number of small rivers that dry up in summer flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The northern coast is characterized by the presence of a number of sandbars, elongated mainly from the north and northeast to the south and southwest, and the braids bend to the west with their ends, for example, Curve, Belosaraiskaya, Berdyanskaya.
Between the spits and the native coast of the Sea of Azov, bays and estuaries are formed, for example, Berdyansk and Obitochny. If we exclude alluvial spits, then the rest of the northern shore of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is a flat steppe, for the most part descending to the sea by a cliff. The spits and the narrow coastal strip of the Sea of Azov are composed mainly of Quaternary marine deposits. To the north, the plain is composed of loess, loess-like loams and clays of the late glacial period. Fertile chernozems have developed on these rocks. Even in the last century, boundless feather grass-forb steppes stretched here, and in the western half - feather grass-fescue steppes. Tarpans, feral camels grazed in them, and even earlier there were even noble deer and elks. There were beavers in the rivers. During the flowering period, these steppes, according to N.V. Gogol, represented a green-golden ocean, over which millions of flowers splashed. However, such steppes have long disappeared, they are almost completely plowed up. They were replaced by endless fields of wheat, corn, sunflowers, orchards and vineyards.
Sea of Azov - water
The hydrochemical features of the Sea of Azov are formed primarily under the influence of an abundant inflow of river waters (up to 12% of the water volume) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea. The salinity of the Sea of Azov before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm near the Kerch Strait. After the creation of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov began to increase (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity rarely reach 1%.
Water contains little salt. For this reason, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov freezes easily, and therefore, before the advent of icebreakers, it was not navigable from December to mid-April.
During the 20th century, almost all more or less large rivers flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This led to a significant reduction in the discharge of fresh water and silt into the Sea of Azov.
Water regime of the Sea of Azov
The water regime of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov depends mainly on the influx of fresh river water, precipitation over the sea and the salt water of the Black Sea entering it, on the one hand, and on the flow of water from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov for evaporation and runoff through the Kerch Strait into the Black Sea - with another. The water balance of the Sea of Azov is as follows. Don, Kuban and other rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov bring 38.8 cubic kilometers of water. The average long-term volume of atmospheric precipitation on its surface is 13.8 cubic kilometers. 31.2 cubic kilometers of Black Sea water flows through the Kerch Strait annually, in addition, 0.3 cubic kilometers of water enters the sea through the Thin Strait from Sivash. The total inflow of water is only 84.1 cubic kilometers. The flow of water from the Sea of Azov consists of 35.3 cubic kilometers of evaporation from its surface, 47.4 cubic kilometers of flow through the Kerch Strait into the Black Sea, and 1.4 cubic kilometers of flow through the Thin Strait into Sivash. The total discharge of the waters of the Sea of Azov is also 84.1 cubic kilometers. With a small size, the Sea of Azov receives a relatively large amount of river water, the amount of which is about 12% of its volume. The ratio of river runoff to the volume of the Sea of Azov is the largest of all seas the globe. The excess of the inflow of river and atmospheric waters over evaporation from the sea surface would lead to its increasing desalination and increase in its level if there were no water exchange with the Black Sea. As a result of this water exchange, salinity was established in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, favorable for the habitat of valuable commercial fish in it.
Oxygen regime
Due to the shallowness of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, its waters, as already noted, usually mix well, therefore oxygen is present in sufficient quantities in the entire water column. The content of dissolved oxygen reaches 7-8 cubic centimeters per liter. However, in the summer, there is often a lack of oxygen. This is due to a number of factors. Great importance has a slowdown in the vertical circulation of water in hot summers with calm, when the upper, somewhat desalinated layer of sea water becomes lighter than those lying deeper, and there is no excitement. This prevents aeration of the lower horizons. Favorable conditions for the occurrence of oxygen deficiency are also created by silt deposits rich in organic matter. If, after a significant wave, calm weather sets in, then the disturbed particles of silt remain suspended in the near-bottom layer of water for a long time and a lot of oxygen is spent on the oxidation of organic substances.
The lack of oxygen causes the phenomenon of the so-called "zamora", that is, the death of part of the animals of the sea that inhabit the bottom and the water column.
Chemical composition
A large influx of river waters into the Sea of Azov and its difficult water exchange with the Black Sea are reflected in the chemical composition of the Azov water. The Don, Kuban and other rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov bring into it over 15 million tons of salts, which are dominated by HCO3, SO4 and Ca ions. More than 760 thousand tons of salts enter the sea with atmospheric precipitation, with almost the same ratio of ions as in river waters. But water rich in Cl, Na, and K ions comes from the Black Sea. It brings over 556 million tons of salts to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Yes salty water from Sivash contributes about 6 million tons of salts. As a result of the mixing of these waters of different composition and the removal of more than 570 million tons of salts from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov to the Black and Sivash, the modern chemical composition of the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is formed. On average, the surface layers of the waters of the open part of the sea contain the following number of ions (in grams per 1 kilogram of water): sodium - 3.496, potassium - 0.132, magnesium - 0.428, calcium - 0.172, chlorine - 6.536, bromine - 0.021, sulfate ion - 0.929 , bicarbonate ion - 0.169, and only 11.885.
A comparison of the waters of the Sea of Azov and the ocean shows the similarity of their chemical composition. In the water of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, chlorides predominate, as in the ocean. But unlike ocean water, the salinity of the Sea of Azov is much lower and the constancy of the ratio of the main salt-forming elements characteristic of the ocean is somewhat disturbed. In particular, compared with the ocean, the relative content of calcium, carbonates and sulfates in the Azov water is increased, and chlorine, sodium and potassium is reduced.
At present, the salinity of the Azov waters is distributed as follows. At the depths of the Kerch region of the Sea of Azov, where more salty Black Sea water enters, salinity reaches 17.5%. The entire central part of the sea is very uniform in salinity, here it is 12-12.5%. Only a small area here has a salinity of 13°/oo. In the Taganrog Bay, salinity decreases to 1.3% towards the mouth of the Don.
In spring and early summer, due to the melting of ice and a large influx of river water, salinity decreases. In autumn and winter, it is almost the same from the surface to the bottom of the sea for a long distance. The highest salinity is observed in a separate shallow bay of the Sea of Azov Sivash, the lowest - in the Taganrog Bay. In addition to minerals, the waters of the Sea of Azov contain many biogenic elements (that is, elements of organic origin) brought into the sea mainly by rivers. These elements include phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon. Scientists have calculated that the rivers and waters of the Black Sea and atmospheric precipitation bring 17139 tons of phosphorus, 75316 tons of nitrogen and 119694 tons of silicon to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Some of these substances are taken out to the Black Sea, some are withdrawn from the sea along with the caught fish, but most of them are deposited in the soil at the bottom of the Sea of Azov. So, about 13 thousand tons of phosphorus, about 31 thousand tons of nitrogen and over 82 thousand tons of silicon are deposited.
The richness of the Sea of Azov in biogenic substances creates favorable conditions for the development of life in this sea. This is due to shallow water, high biological productivity. All this creates favorable conditions for recovery processes.
Sea of Azov - climate and temperature regime
The climate of the Sea of Azov is significantly influenced by the vast steppes surrounding it in southern Ukraine, Ciscaucasia and Crimea with their rather dry climate. In the Sea of Azov, the average July temperatures range from +22 to +24°, January temperatures from 0 to +6°, and the average annual precipitation is 300-500 mm.
Of course, the Sea of Azov also has a certain positive effect on the climate of the territories surrounding it, going towards a softening of continentality. However, due to the small area of the Sea of Azov, this influence is not particularly strong and affects mainly the coastal areas, not extending far into the depths of the wall spaces.
In relation to major meteorological processes, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is in unfavorable conditions, namely: in winter, a front of increased atmospheric pressure passes to the north of it (the so-called “Voyeikov axis”), from which cold continental air rushes to the sea, which leads to freezing of the Azov Sea. seas.
Eastern and northeastern winds blow over the Sea of Azov in winter, and southern, southwestern and western winds blow in summer, usually associated with the passage of subtropical cyclones and the establishment of a monsoon stream from the Atlantic Ocean.
In summer, when the barometric pressure regime is set close to normal or slightly higher than normal, and cyclones pass less frequently, local circulation develops in the sea in the form of breezes, that is, winds blowing from the sea to land during the day, and from land to sea at night.
The Sea of Azov is characterized by relatively cold but short winters, mild summers with even temperature distribution, warm autumns compared to spring, and high relative air humidity. The average annual air temperature in the Sea of Azov ranges from +9 to +11°. In summer, the temperature for all areas is almost the same. Maximum temperature in July +35 - +40°. The transition from summer to winter is gradual. The first frosts in the Taganrog Bay on the northern coast come in October, and in the southern part of the sea - in the first half of November. In winter, the temperature can drop to -25 - -30°, and only in the Kerch region does frost usually not exceed -8° (although in some years it can also reach -25 - -30°). In the coldest month of the year, in January, the average monthly sea air temperature ranges from -1° on the southern coast of the Sea of Azov to -6° on the northern coast.
Relative humidity in the Sea of Azov is high all year round. Even in the warmest months, it averages at least 75-85%.
Frequent winds increase evaporation, which for the entire Sea of Azov is about 1000 millimeters per year.
The lowest temperatures of the surface water layer are observed in the northern and eastern parts Sea of Azov. Winter temperatures - for December-February here range from 0 to +1°, summer - for July-August - from +22 to +25°. The temperature of the surface layer of the Sea of Azov in the western and southern coastal regions is higher and fluctuates from 0 to +3°C in winter, and rises to +26°C in summer.
The average annual water temperature of the Sea of Azov in the north is +11°, and in the south about +12°. In summer, the sea warms up very strongly and often near the coast the water temperature reaches + 30 - + 32 °, and in the middle part + 24 - + 25 °. In winter, when the water cools below zero, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is covered with ice. Freezing in other years lasts 4-4.5 months, from December to March. The thickness of the ice reaches 80-90 cm. First of all, ice appears in the Taganrog Bay, then in the Utlyuk, Yeysk, Beisug and Akhtar estuaries.
The coastal parts of the Sea of Azov and the Taganrog Bay are covered with a continuous ice cover. In the central part of the Sea of Azov and in the Kerch region, ice is floating.
Sea of Azov - wildlife
Along the banks of rivers and reservoirs, on the spits of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov there are a lot of waterfowl - geese, ducks, steppe waders, lapwings, red-breasted geese, mute swans, curlews, black-headed gulls, gull-gulls, ferns. The marsh turtle, lake frog, pond frog, some mollusks - coil, pond snail, meadow grass, crayfish and about 30 species of fish live in steppe reservoirs.
The catch of fish per hectare of the surface in the Sea of Azov is 80 kilograms, for comparison, in the Black Sea - 2 kilograms, in the Mediterranean - 0.5 kilograms.
The Sea of Azov is called sea of shellfish. It is an important food source for fish. The most important representatives of molluscs are the cockle, sendesmia, mussel.
In terms of biological productivity, the Sea of Azov ranks first in the world. The most developed are phytoplankton and benthos. Phytoplankton consists (in%) of: diatoms - 55, peridinium - 41.2, and blue-green algae - 2.2. Among the biomass of benthos, mollusks occupy a dominant position. Their skeletal remains, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant share in the formation of modern bottom sediments and accumulative surface bodies.
The ichthyofauna is of particular interest. More than 70 species of various fish live directly in the Sea of Azov, including: beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, flounder, mullet, tyulka, anchovy, ram, fish, shemaya, various types of gobies.
Tyulka is the most numerous fish in the Sea of Azov, its catch in some years reached 120 thousand tons. If we distribute all the Azov seals among 6.5 billion inhabitants of the planet, then each will get 15 fish.
In the Sea of Azov and in the mouths of the rivers flowing into it, as well as in the estuaries, there are 114 species and subspecies of fish.
The following groups of fish are distinguished:
Fish spawning in floodplains (migratory fish) - sturgeons (beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, fish, shemaya). These are the most valuable species of commercial fish.
Fish spawning in the lower reaches of the rivers (semi-anadromous fish) - pike perch, bream, ram, carp.
Fish that do not leave the sea area (marine) - sprat, goby, flounder.
Fish migrating to the Black Sea (marine) - anchovy, herring.
Among the Azov fish there are predators - pike perch, sterlet, beluga. But the bulk of the fish feed on plankton - sprat, anchovy, goby, bream. In the late 60-70s, the salinity of the sea reached 14% due to the arrival Black Sea waters, along with which jellyfish got into the sea, the main diet of which is also plankton.
It is interesting to see how the number of Mediterranean animal and plant species decreases from west to east. More than 6,000 species of organisms are found in the Mediterranean Sea, 1,500 in the Black Sea, 200 in the Azov Sea, 28 in the Caspian Sea, and only 2 species of Mediterranean organisms in the Aral Sea. This suggests that these seas gradually separated from the Mediterranean Sea in the distant past.
Mullet, herring and anchovies in the spring they go from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov for feeding. In autumn, when the water temperature drops to 6°, the fish returns to the Black Sea. Sturgeon fish spawn in the rivers Don, Kuban, Dnieper.
flounder- flat fish, often lying on the ground, are distinguished by the ability to quickly change color to match the color of the underlying surface. In the skin of a flounder there are separate colored cells that, when moving, change its color. Scientists put colored glasses on flounders, and the fish tried to copy the color of their glasses. Interestingly, blind flounders are always black. They seem to see darkness in front of them and accordingly change the color of the body. For some reason, flounder is considered one-eyed. This is not true, she actually has two eyes. The weight of a flounder is up to 15 kilograms, it lives up to 25 years. Interestingly, its fry have a body shape flattened in a vertical plane; gradually one side of the body of the fish begins to develop faster than the other, and the flounder, as it were, lies on its side.
Belugas, in addition to their large weight, are also distinguished by their longevity. They live 70 - 80 years. True, compared with a pike living up to 200 years, and sea turtle living 400 - 500 years, the age of the beluga is small, but compared to the life expectancy of other marine fish, it is still significant. Probably, not many people know that the age of fish is determined by the scales and by the cut of the bones. On these parts of the body of the fish there are annual rings, the same as on trees. Beluga spawns in the same rivers as other sturgeons. Their caviar is highly valued.
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