Which ocean does the Sea of ​​Japan enter. Tides in the Sea of ​​Japan. Water circulation and currents

The Sea of ​​Japan is a marginal sea Pacific Ocean and is bounded by the coasts of Japan, Russia and Korea. The Sea of ​​Japan communicates through the Korea Strait in the south with the East China and Yellow Seas, through the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait in the East with the Pacific Ocean, and through the La Perouse and Tatar Straits in the north with Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Square Sea of ​​Japan 980,000 km2, average depth 1361 m. northern border The Sea of ​​Japan runs along 51 ° 45 "N (from Cape Tyk on Sakhalin to Cape Yuzhny on the mainland). The southern border runs from Kyushu to the Goto Islands and from there to Korea [Cape Kolcholkap (Izgunov)]

The Sea of ​​Japan has an almost elliptical shape with a major axis in the southwest to northeast direction. Along the coast there are a number of islands or island groups - these are the islands of Iki and Tsushima in the middle part of the Korean Strait. (between Korea and the island of Kyushu), Ulleungdo and Takashima off the east coast of Korea, Oki and Sado off the west coast of the island of Honshu (Hondo) and Tobi Island off the northwestern coast of Honshu (Hondo).


Bottom relief

The straits connecting the Sea of ​​Japan with the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by shallow depths; only the Korea Strait has depths of more than 100 m. Bathymetrically, the Sea of ​​Japan can be divided by 40°N. sh. into two parts: north and south.

The northern part has a relatively flat bottom relief and is characterized by a general smooth slope. The maximum depth (4224 m) is observed in the region of 43°00" N, 137°39" E. d.
The bottom relief of the southern part of the Sea of ​​Japan is quite complex. In addition to the shallow waters around the islands of Iki, Tsushima, Oki, Takashima and Ulleungdo, there are two large isolated
banks separated by deep grooves. This is the Yamato Bank, opened in 1924, in the region of 39°N, 135°E. and the Shunpu Bank (also called the Yamato North Bank), discovered in 1930 and located at about 40 ° N. sh., 134 ° in. e. The smallest depths of the first and second banks are 285 and 435 m, respectively. A depression more than 3000 m deep was found between the Yamato Bank and the island of Honshu.

Hydrological regime

Water masses, temperature and salinity. The Sea of ​​Japan can be divided into two sectors: warm (from the side of Japan) and cold (from the side of Korea and Russia (Primorsky Territory). The boundary between the sectors is the polar front, which runs approximately along the parallel 38-40 ° N, i.e., almost along the same latitudes along which the polar front passes in the Pacific Ocean east of Japan.

water masses

Sea of ​​Japan can be divided into surface, intermediate and deep. The surface water mass occupies a layer up to approximately 25 m and is separated from the underlying waters in summer by a clearly defined thermocline layer. The surface water mass in the warm sector of the Sea of ​​Japan is formed by the mixing of surface waters of high temperature and low salinity coming from East China Sea, and coastal waters of the area Japanese islands, in the cold sector - a mixture of waters formed during the melting of ice in the period from early summer to autumn, and the waters of Siberian rivers.

For the surface water mass, the most big fluctuations temperature and salinity depending on the season of the year and area. Thus, in the Korea Strait, the salinity of surface waters in April and May exceeds 35.0 ppm. which is higher than the salinity in the deeper layers, but in August and September the salinity of surface waters drops to 32.5 ppm. At the same time, in the area of ​​the island of Hokkaido, salinity varies only from 33.7 to 34.1 ppm. In summer surface water temperature 25°C, but in winter it varies from 15°C in the Korea Strait to 5°C near the sea. Hokkaido. IN coastal areas in Korea and Primorye, changes in salinity are small (33.7-34 ppm). The intermediate water mass below the surface water in the warm sector of the Sea of ​​Japan has a high temperature and salinity. It is formed in the intermediate layers of Kuroshio west of Kyushu and flows from there into the Sea of ​​Japan from early winter to early summer.

However, according to the distribution of dissolved oxygen, intermediate water can also be observed in the cold sector. In the warm sector, the core of the intermediate water mass is located approximately in the 50 m layer; salinity is about 34.5 ppm. The intermediate water mass is characterized by a rather strong decrease in temperature along the vertical - from 17 ° C at a depth of 25 m to 2 ° C at a depth of 200 m. The thickness of the layer of intermediate water decreases from the warm sector to the cold; in this case, the vertical temperature gradient for the latter becomes much more pronounced. The salinity of intermediate waters is 34.5–34.8 ppm. in the warm sector and about 34.1 prom. in the cold. The highest salinity values ​​are noted here at all depths - from the surface to the bottom.

The deep water mass, commonly referred to as the water of the Sea of ​​Japan itself, has extremely uniform temperature (about 0-0.5 ° C) and salinity (34.0-34.1 ppm). More detailed studies by K. Nishida, however, showed that the temperature of deep waters below 1500 m rises slightly due to adiabatic heating. At the same horizon, a decrease in the oxygen content to a minimum is observed, in connection with which it is more logical to consider waters above 1500 m as deep, and below 1500 m as near-bottom. Compared with the waters of other seas, the oxygen content in the Sea of ​​Japan at the same depths is exceptionally high (5.8–6.0 cm3/l), which indicates an active renewal of water in the deep layers of the Sea of ​​Japan. The deep waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are formed mainly in February and March as a result of the subsidence of surface waters in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan due to horizontal diffusion, cooling in winter period and subsequent convection, after which their salinity rises to approximately 34.0 ppm.

Sometimes surface waters of low salinity in the cold sector (1–4°C, 33.9 p.m.) wedged into the polar front and deepened into southbound, going under the intermediate waters of the warm sector. This phenomenon is analogous to the intrusion of subarctic intermediate water below the warm Kuroshio layer in the Pacific Ocean in the area north of Japan.

In spring and summer, the salinity of warm waters from the East China Sea and cold waters east of Korea decreases due to precipitation and ice melt. These less saline waters mix with the surrounding waters and the overall salinity of the surface waters of the Sea of ​​Japan decreases. In addition, these surface waters gradually warm up during the warmer months. As a result, the density of surface waters decreases, which leads to the formation of a well-defined upper thermocline layer separating surface waters from underlying intermediate waters. The upper thermocline layer is located in summer season at a depth of 25 m. In autumn, heat is transferred from the sea surface to the atmosphere. As a result of mixing with the underlying water masses, the temperature of surface waters decreases, and their salinity increases. The emerging intense convection leads to the deepening of the upper thermocline layer to 25–50 m in September and 50–100 m in November. In autumn, the intermediate waters of the warm sector are characterized by a decrease in salinity due to the inflow of waters from the Tsushima Current with lower salinity. At the same time, convection in the surface water layer intensifies during this period. As a result, the thickness of the intermediate water layer decreases. In November, the layer of the upper thermocline disappears completely due to the mixing of the overlying and underlying waters. Therefore, in autumn and spring, only the upper homogeneous layer of water and the underlying cold layer are observed, separated by a layer of the lower thermocline. The latter for most of the warm sector is located at a depth of 200–250, but to the north it rises and near the coast of Hokkaido is located at a depth of about 100 m. In the warm sector of the surface layer, temperatures reach a maximum in mid-August, although in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan they spread to the depths. The minimum temperature is observed in February-March. On the other hand, the maximum temperature of the surface layer near the coast of Korea is observed in August. However, due to the strong development of the upper thermocline layer, only a very thin layer warms up. surface layer. Thus, temperature changes in the 50–100 m layer are almost entirely due to advection. Because of low temperatures, characteristic of most of the Sea of ​​Japan for enough great depths, the waters of the Tsushima Current, as they move to the North, are strongly cooled.

The waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are characterized by exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, partly due to abundant phytoplankton. The oxygen content at almost all horizons is about 6 cm3/l and more. Particularly high oxygen content is observed in surface and intermediate waters, with maximum value at the horizon of 200 m (8 cm3/l). These values ​​are much higher than at the same and lower levels in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (1-2 cm3/l).

Surface and intermediate waters are most saturated with oxygen. The saturation percentage in the warm sector is 100% or slightly lower, and the waters near Primorsky Krai and Korea are supersaturated with oxygen due to low temperatures. north coast In Korea, it is 110% and even higher. In deep waters, there is a very high oxygen content to the very bottom.

Color and transparency

The color of the water of the Sea of ​​Japan (according to the color scale) in the warm sector is more blue than in the cold one, corresponding to the region of 36-38 ° N. latitude, 133–136° E e. index III and even II. In the cold sector, this is mainly the color of indices IV-VI, and in the Vladivostok region it is above III. A greenish color is noted in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan sea ​​water. Transparency (according to the white disk) in the region of the Tsushima current is more than 25 m. In the cold sector, it sometimes drops to 10 m.

Currents of the Sea of ​​Japan

The main current of the Sea of ​​Japan is the Tsushima Current, which originates in the East China Sea. It is intensified mainly by the branch of the Kuroshio current, going to the SOUTH-WEST from about. Kyushu, as well as partly by coastal runoff from China. The Tsushima Current contains surface and intermediate water masses. The current enters the Sea of ​​Japan through the Korea Strait and flows along northwest coast Japan. In the same place, a branch of the warm current, called the East Korean Current, separates from it, which goes in the north, to the coast of Korea, to the Korean Bay and Ulleungdo Island, then turns to the SE and connects with the main stream.

The Tsushima Current, about 200 km wide, washes the coast of Japan and moves further to the NE at a speed of 0.5 to 1.0 knots. Then it is divided into two branches - the warm Sangara current and the warm La Perouse current, which exit respectively into the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru (Sangarsky) Strait and into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk through the La Perouse Strait. Both of these currents, after passing through the straits, turn to the east and run respectively near the eastern coast of the island of Honshu and the northern coast of the island of Hokkaido.

Three cold currents are observed in the Sea of ​​Japan: the Liman current, which moves at low speed to the southwest in the area north of Primorsky Krai, the North Korean current, which goes south in the Vladivostok region to eastern Korea, and the Primorskoye, or cold current in the middle part of the Sea of ​​Japan, which originates in the area Tatar Strait and goes to the central part of the Sea of ​​Japan, mainly to the entrance to the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait. These cold currents form a counterclockwise circulation and in the cold sector of the Sea of ​​Japan contains clearly defined layers of surface and intermediate water masses. Between the warm and cold currents there is a clear boundary of the "polar" front.

Since the Tsushima current contains surface and intermediate water masses, which are about 200 m thick, and is separated from the underlying deep water, the thickness of this current is basically of the same order.

The current velocity to a depth of 25 m is almost constant, and then decreases with depth to 1/6 of the surface value at a depth of 75 m. The flow rate of the Tsushima Current is less than 1/20 of the Kuroshio Current flow rate.

The speed of cold currents is about 0.3 knots for the Liman Current and less than 0.3 knots for the Primorsky Current. The cold North Korea Current, which is the strongest, has a speed of 0.5 knots. This current is 100 km wide and 50 m thick. In general, cold currents in the Sea of ​​Japan are much weaker than warm ones. average speed The Tsushima Current passing through the Korean Strait is smaller in winter, and increases to 1.5 knots in summer (in August). For the Tsushima current, interannual changes are also noted, with a clear period of 7 years being distinguished. The inflow of water into the Sea of ​​Japan mainly occurs through the Korea Strait, since the inflow through the Tatar Strait is very insignificant. The flow of water from the Sea of ​​Japan occurs through the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait and La Perouse.

Tides and tidal currents

For the Sea of ​​Japan, the tides are small. While off the coast of the Pacific Ocean the tide is 1–2 m, in the Sea of ​​Japan it reaches only 0.2 m. In the straits, the tide increases, reaching in some places more than 2 m.

Tidal waves propagate at right angles to these cotidal lines. To the west of Sakhalin and in the area of ​​the Korean Strait. two points of amphidromy are observed. A similar cotidal map can be constructed for the lunisolar diurnal tide. In this case, the point of amphidromy is in the Korea Strait. Since total area cross section of the La Perouse and Tsugaru straits is only 1/8 of the cross section of the Korea Strait, and the cross section of the Tatar Strait is generally insignificant, then the tidal wave comes here from the East China Sea mainly through east passage(Tsushima Strait). The magnitude of forced fluctuations in the mass of water in the entire Sea of ​​Japan is practically negligible. The resulting component of tidal currents and the Tsushima Current going to the east sometimes reaches 2.8 knots. In the Tsugaru (Soigaru) Strait, a diurnal tidal current prevails, but the magnitude of the semidiurnal tide is greater here.

In tidal currents, diurnal inequality is clearly expressed. tidal current in the La Perouse Strait is less pronounced due to the difference in levels between the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. There is also a daily disparity here. In the La Perouse Strait, the current is directed mainly to the east; its speed sometimes exceeds 3.5 knots.

Ice Conditions

The freezing of the Sea of ​​Japan begins in mid-November in the region of the Tatar Strait and in early December in the upper reaches of Peter the Great Bay. In mid-December, areas near the northern part of Primorsky Krai and Peter the Great Bay freeze over. In mid-December, ice appears in the coastal regions of Primorsky Krai. In January, the area of ​​ice cover increases further from the coast towards high seas. With the formation of ice, navigation in these areas naturally becomes difficult or stops. Freezing of the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan is somewhat late: it begins in early to mid-February.

The melting of ice begins in the areas most distant from the coast. In the second half of March, the Sea of ​​Japan, with the exception of areas close to the coast, is already free of ice. In the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, ice off the coast usually melts in mid-April, at which time navigation resumes in Vladivostok. The last ice in the Tatar Strait is observed in early-mid May. The period of ice cover along the coast of Primorsky Krai is 120 days, and at the De-Kastri harbor in the Tatar Strait - 201 days. Along northern shores North Korea a large number ice is not observed. Near the western coast of Sakhalin, only the city of Kholmsk is free of ice, since a branch of the Tsushima Current enters this area. The remaining areas of this coast freeze for almost 3 months, during which navigation stops.

Geology

The continental slopes of the Japanese Sea basin are characterized by many submarine canyons. From the side of the mainland, these canyons stretch to depths of more than 2000 m, and from the side of the Japanese islands, only up to 800 m. The Sea of ​​Japan is composed of bedrocks consisting of Precambrian granites and other Paleozoic rocks and overlying igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Neogene. According to paleogeographic studies, the southern part of the modern Sea of ​​Japan, probably in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic and during most of the Paleogene, was dry land. From this it follows that the Sea of ​​Japan was formed during the Neogene and early Quaternary period. The absence of a granite layer in the earth's crust in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan indicates the transformation of the granite layer into a basalt layer due to basification, accompanied by the subsidence of the earth's crust. The presence of a "new" oceanic crust here can be explained by the stretching of the continents that accompanies the general expansion of the Earth (Agayed's theory).

Thus, it can be concluded that Northern part The Sea of ​​Japan was once dry land. The present presence of such a large amount of continental material at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Japan at depths of more than 3000 m should indicate that the land was lowered to a depth of 2000–3000 m in the Pleistocene.

The Sea of ​​Japan is currently connected to the Pacific Ocean and the marginal seas surrounding it through the Korean, Tsugaru (Saigarsky), La Perouse and Tatar Straits. However, the formation of these four straits took place in very recent geological periods. The oldest strait is the Tsugaru (Sangara) strait; it already existed during the Wisconsin glaciation, although after that it may have been repeatedly clogged with ice and used in the migration of land animals. The Korea Strait was also dry land at the end of the Tertiary period, and through it the migration of elephants of the southern breed to the Japanese islands was carried out. This strait opened only at the beginning of the Wisconsin glaciation. The La Perouse Strait is the youngest. Fossilized remains of mammoths found on the island of Hokkaido indicate the existence of an isthmus. land on the site of this strait until the end of the Wisconsin glaciation

The Sea of ​​Japan is considered one of the largest and deep seas worldwide. It is a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

Origin

The first information about this sea was obtained from Chinese sources in the 2nd century BC. Historically, it is believed that this reservoir was formed as a result of the melting of the glacier and the rise in the water level in the oceans.

Historical events

In the 14th-16th centuries, pirates seized power at sea. All maritime trade was under their control. From 1603 to 1867, the Sea of ​​Japan was one of the busiest transport links and the main entry route for Dutch and Korean embassies.

Sea of ​​Japan on the map photo

The Sea of ​​Japan witnessed the Russo-Japanese War (1901-1902). Today, the Sea of ​​Japan is an important domestic and international transport artery.

Characteristic

The main characteristics of the Sea of ​​Japan:

  • Area 1062,000 square km
  • Average depth sea: 1536 m.
  • Maximum depth: 3742 m.
  • Salinity: 34-35‰.
  • Length: from north to south 2,255 km, from west to east about 1,070 km.
  • IN winter time part of the Sea of ​​Japan freezes - Russian coastal side, but the ice may break periodically;
  • Average annual temperature: in the north 0-12C, in the south 17-26C.

shore of the Sea of ​​Japan photo

currents

The main course of the Sea of ​​Japan is the Tsushima, which is approximately 200 km wide. This current contains surface and intermediate water masses. In addition, the following cold currents are observed in the Sea of ​​Japan:

  • Limanskoye, moving at low speed to the southwest;
  • North Korean, going south;
  • Seaside, or cold current, going to the central part.

Japanese Sea. Primorsky Krai photo

These cold currents form a cycle counterclockwise. The warm Kuroshio current prevails in the southern part of the sea.

What rivers flow

Few rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Japan, although they are all mountainous. Let's take a look at the biggest ones:

  • Partisan;
  • Tumnin;
  • Samarga;
  • Rudnaya.

Where does the Sea of ​​Japan flow into?

Through the straits, the waters of the sea enter:

  • through the Nevelsky Strait to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
  • through the Sangar Strait to the Pacific Ocean;
  • through the Korea Strait to the East China Sea.

Japanese Sea. storm photo

Climate

The climate of the sea is monsoonal, temperate. The western and northern parts of the sea are much colder than the southern and eastern parts. The temperature difference reaches +27 C. Hurricanes and typhoons often pass over the sea surface.

Despite the fact that the sea is separated from the ocean by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin, storms and hurricanes often rage in the northern part of the sea, especially in autumn. Such a polo can last up to three days, and the waves reach 12 meters in height. The Siberian anticyclone brings such weather. For this reason, the Sea of ​​Japan is not very calm for navigation.


Japanese Sea. port of Vladivostok photo

In November, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice; in March-April, the ice breaks up. In summer, the weather is cloudy, weak monsoon winds from the southeast prevail.

Relief

The bottom relief of the Sea of ​​Japan is divided into:

  • the northern part (a wide trough that narrows and rises to the north);
  • the central part (deep closed basin, elongated in a northeasterly direction);
  • the southern part (the relief is complex, shallow water alternates with gutters).

coast this sea mostly mountainous. Low-lying coasts are extremely rare. Coastline fairly flat on Sakhalin. The shores of Primorye are more indented.


underwater world of the Sea of ​​Japan photo

Cities and ports

We note the more significant Russian port cities located in the Sea of ​​Japan:

  • Vladivostok;
  • Nakhodka;
  • Oriental;
  • Sovetskaya Gavan;
  • Vanino;
  • Shakhtersk.

Flora and fauna

Brown algae and kelp grow abundantly along the seashores. The Sea of ​​Japan is very rich in fish fauna due to the abundance of oxygen and food. Approximately 610 species of fish live here. The main types of fish fauna are:

  • In the southern part of the sea - anchovy, sardine, horse mackerel, mackerel.
  • In the northern regions - flounder, herring, salmon, greenling, mussels, saury, hammerhead fish, tuna.

Fishing in the Sea of ​​Japan lasts all year round. IN this region There are 6 species of seals, 12 species of sharks that are not dangerous to humans, squids and octopuses.

Few people know the following Interesting Facts about the Sea of ​​Japan:

  • Inhabitants North Korea this sea is called the Korean East Sea;
  • Inhabitants South Korea- East Sea.
  • Here you can meet representatives of 31 orders of fish from 34 orders that exist in the world;
  • The Sea of ​​Japan leads in the diversity of fish among all the seas of the Russian Federation;
  • A small jellyfish lives in the algae of the sea, capable of infecting the central nervous system, and upon repeated contact, its poison can be fatal. famous resorts not here, but the Sea of ​​Japan is very important for the trade and economy of several countries, including Russia.

The Sea of ​​Japan is a sea within the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin Island. It is connected with other seas and the Pacific Ocean through 4 straits: Korean (Tsushima), Sangar (Tsugaru), La Perouse (Soya), Nevelsky (Mamiya). It washes the shores of Russia, Korea, Japan and North Korea. In the south, a branch of the warm current Kuroshio enters.

Climatic features The climate of the Sea of ​​Japan is temperate, monsoonal. The northern and western parts of the sea are much colder than the southern and eastern parts. In the coldest months (January-February), the average air temperature in the northern part of the sea is about -20 °C, and in the south about +5 °C. The summer monsoon brings with it warm and humid air. average temperature the air of the warmest month (August) in the northern part is about +15 °C, in the southern regions it is about +25 °C. In autumn, the number of typhoons caused by hurricane winds. The largest waves have a height of 8-10 m, and during typhoons, the maximum waves reach a height of 12 m.

currents Surface currents form a circulation, which consists of the warm Tsushima current in the east and the cold Primorsky current in the west. In winter, the surface water temperature rises from -1-0°C in the north and northwest to +10-+14°C in the south and southeast. Spring warming entails a fairly rapid increase in water temperature throughout the sea. In summer, the surface water temperature rises from 18-20 °C in the north to 25-27 °C in the south of the sea. The vertical distribution of temperature is not the same in different seasons in different areas seas. Summer in northern regions The temperature of the sea is 18-10 °C in the 10-15 m layer, then it drops sharply to +4 °C at the 50 m horizon and, starting from a depth of 250 m, the temperature remains constant at about +1 °C. In the central and southern parts In the sea, the water temperature decreases rather smoothly with depth and reaches +6 °C at a depth of 200 m, starting from a depth of 250 m, the temperature stays around 0 °C.

Flora and fauna The underwater world of northern and southern regions The Sea of ​​Japan is very different. In the cold northern and northwestern regions the flora and fauna of temperate latitudes have formed, and in the southern part of the sea, south of Vladivostok, a warm-water faunal complex predominates. Off the coast Far East there is a mixture of warm-water and temperate fauna. Here you can meet octopuses and squids - typical representatives warm seas. At the same time, vertical walls covered with sea anemones, gardens of brown algae - kelp - all this resembles the landscapes of the White and Barents Seas. Great abundance in the Sea of ​​Japan starfish And sea ​​urchins, of different colors and different sizes, there are brittle stars, shrimps, small crabs (King crabs are found here only in May, and then they go further into the sea). Bright red sea squirts live on rocks and stones. Of the mollusks, scallops are the most common. Of the fish, blennies and sea ruffs are often found.

And the Japanese islands are the frontiers delimiting the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan from the Pacific basin. The Sea of ​​Japan is predominantly natural boundaries, only some areas are separated by imaginary lines. The Sea of ​​Japan, although it is the smallest of the Far Eastern seas, belongs to the largest. The area of ​​the water surface is 1062 thousand km2, while the volume of water is about 1630 thousand km3. The depth of the Sea of ​​Japan averages 1535 m, maximum depth- 3699 m. This sea belongs to the marginal oceanic seas.

A small number of rivers carry their waters to the Sea of ​​Japan. by the most big rivers are: Rudnaya, Samarga, Partizanskaya and Tumnin. Mostly all of this. During the year it is about 210 km 3. Throughout the year fresh water evenly flows into the sea. In July, the full flow of the rivers reaches its maximum. Between the Pacific Ocean and the water exchange is carried out only in the upper layers.

The Sea of ​​Japan belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin and is a marginal sea, which is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin Island. The Sea of ​​Japan washes the shores of Russia and Japan.

Sea characteristic

The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Japan is 1062 sq. km. The volume of water is 1630 thousand cubic kilometers. The depth of the sea ranges from 1753 to 3742 meters.
The northern water area of ​​the Sea of ​​Japan is covered with ice in winter.

Large port cities on the sea: Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vanino and Sovetskaya Gavan.

The coastline of the sea is slightly indented, but has several bays, the largest of which are the bays of Olga, Peter the Great, Ishikari and East Korea Bay.

More than 600 species of fish live in the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan.

Economic use of the sea

For economic purposes, the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are used in two directions - industrial fishing And transport shipping.

Along with industrial fishing, mussels, scallops, squid and seaweed (kelp and seaweed) are harvested.
Vladivostok is final destination Trans-Siberian railway line, where the transshipment base is located, where cargo is reloaded from railway wagons to sea cargo ships.

Ecology of the Sea of ​​Japan

Due to the large number of sea transport vessels and oil tankers in the waters of port cities, cases of oil pollution of the sea waters are not uncommon. The waste products of people and port industrial enterprises also contribute to the pollution.
Archaeological research in the Sea of ​​Japan.

In ancient times, tribes of the Mongolian race lived on the western shores of the Sea of ​​Japan. At the same time, the Japanese islands were settled by the ancestors of the Japanese - the Malay and Polynesian Yamato tribes.


In Russia, for the first time, information about the Sea of ​​Japan appeared in the 17th century, after the famous Russian traveler Vasily Poluyarkov in 1644-1645 carried out rafting down the Amur to its mouth.

Archaeological research for the first time on Sakhalin Island was carried out in 1867, then during archaeological sites at the southern tip near Lake Lebyazhye, the first artifacts were found confirming the existence of ancient settlements on Sakhalin Island.