The northwestern part of the Black Sea on the map. The depth of the Black Sea - useful information
Published: 11.03.2018 Category: Author's essay / Republic of Crimea“Bay” is a word derived from the German Bucht (a separate part of land). Such pieces of coastline, isolated by relief features, can have large bodies of water. The bays of Crimea (there are 75 significant ones) have a variety of attractions. Some of them have been turned into a series of convenient beaches.
Details about swimming recreation can be found at http://hochu-na-yuga.ru/krym/. And here we will only give general information about the Tauride waters, sometimes very stingy. It is worth noting that the peculiarity of the peninsula is that not a single mini-bay is similar to the other. For convenience, all bays are divided by geographical location, and the bays of Sevastopol are placed in a separate section. In the review we move from the East Bank through the South Bank to the West Bank.
Bays of eastern Crimea
The eastern bays of Crimea lie in two coastal landscapes - steppe (around the city of Kerch and in the Leninsky region), as well as small-rocky (southwest of the city of Feodosia).
Kazantipskaya
A huge inlet in the Sea of Azov - between the cape of the same name and the Chagany Peninsula. The length of the coast is 28 kilometers (it is already considered a bay, but the second in size - after Feodosia). The average depth is 8 meters. On its different sides there are such settlements as Mysovoe and Novootradnoe. The sea edge is shell-sand. The entry into the water here is quite shallow, “childish”. There are small coves inside. About them below.
Arabatskaya
In terms of the length of the water's edge it ranks 2nd (in the ranking of eastern Crimea) - after Kazantip. Popular vacation spot. After all, in summer, in local shallow waters, the temperature of Azov water reaches +29°C. In the west it abuts an elongated spit with the same name. The surface is mainly shell rock. You get here through the villages of Kamenskoye and Zavodskoye. In the east it borders the Aktash Upland.
Russian
This is a cove in the west of Cape Kazantip. On its shell rock there is a resort village. It is known only thanks to the elite guest house “Russian Bay” and its proximity to some beaches in the village of Shchelkino. The length of the edge is only 4 kilometers.
Tatar
It is located, on the contrary, in the east of Kazantip (the village of Azovskoe), also being part of it. The shell is small. Very clean. The sea is shallow. The place was chosen by windsurfers.
Wide
This is the harbor of the resort village of Semenovka and the adjacent garden plots.
Turquoise
Southern continuation of Shirokaya Bay (still Semenovka). There is a famous hotel here. Arriving here, you can explore all the iron ore deposits of the Kerch Peninsula. Just look closely at the different layers of the 20-meter ravine, the “wall” of the bay.
Kitenskaya
Holidays in the bays of Crimea for some tourists consist of enjoying the “golden” sands. Some of them run in an arc between capes Kiten and Krasny Kut (between the villages of Semenovka and Zavodskoye). The highlight of the location is the 30 m wide sandy beaches.
Bulganak (Rifov)
This place was nicknamed Reef Bay because of the underwater rocks. Thanks to them, many ships ran aground (this point is interesting for divers). In the south and southwest the banks are steep and steep. On the south-eastern side stands the Yurkino farm. In the background is the city of Temir-Oba.
Marine Corps (Chokrak)
Southern end of Perekop Bay
The northernmost bay of the western coast (of those that have recreational significance) is a highly dissected water area, in the north of which stands the city of Krasnoperekopsk. In the extreme south of the bay (Portovoe village, Lebyazhi Islands) there are sandy beaches. And the sand here is snow-white, although it is mixed with various plant deposits and shells! In fact, this is the southern section of the Perekop Bay.
Bays of Sevastopol
Those bays of Crimea that are located within the Sevastopol metropolis are the closest. It is not for nothing that the aborigines conventionally divide the city into their coastlines. The settlement was created as the largest Crimean port - just taking into account the amazing features of the local (exceptionally rocky) coast.
Sevastopol
We're talking about the biggest bay Black Sea, because its area is 8 square kilometers, and its length coastline– almost 25.5 kilometers. It is of strategic importance for the Russian Federation - the main base of our fleet is located here. The not least important commercial port is also located here. There are marine factories and enterprises. Inside this water area (like in a large nesting doll) there are several more bays hidden. The eastern end of this basin is the estuary of the Chernaya River. And in terms of ease of navigation, only the bays of Hong Kong and Sydney can compare with this corner of the world's oceans.
South
The remaining bays of Sevastopol, lying inside the Sevastopol Bay, do not have such monumental significance. This is the most prestigious place in the city (Marine and Railway Stations, Grafskaya Pier, Lenin Street and many other “business card” objects are located here).
Quarantine
These bays of Sevastopol (Yuzhnaya and Karantinnaya) are separated by the insignificant Artillery Bay. Unlike the first, the second is two-section.
Sand (New)
Further to the west, the southern side of the Sevastopol Bay continues with this water area. The boulevard of the park named after A. Akhmatova and st. Efremova. There is a beach here. It consists of imported sand. This explains the name of the “new” harbor.
Streletskaya
The “deep” bays of Crimea continue to move west, the longest being Streletskaya. Around it are Fisherman's Wharf Avenue and the Presidential Cadet School.
Holland
This is the only bay of Sevastopol known to tourists, lying on the northern side of the Sevastopol Bay. On its embankments there is the Poklonny Cross, the Kurchatov Street square, and a noisy beach.
Cossack
Some Crimean bays are branches of larger bases. For example, Cossack Harbor is the eastern part of Double Bay. Popular for the excavations of Strabonov Chersonese, an abandoned airfield, three beaches, and also for water parachuting.
Marble (Moon)
It is located far south of the center of the agglomeration - 2.5 kilometers east of Cape Fiolent. Pink limestone, very similar to marble, is mined here. Reminds me of a sickle.
The city district also includes four more famous bays of Sevastopol:
- Kamyshovaya – coordinates 44.584000, 33.424937. Oil piers, Rybakov street.
- Solenaya – coordinates 44.575320, 33.404096. 4 beaches, dolphinarium, airfield museum.
- Artilleryskaya - coordinates 44.613761, 33.518766. Kornilov and Klokachevo embankments, the Southern Hermitage, a dolphinarium and a zoo, 7 prestigious restaurants.
- Round – coordinates 44.601562, 33.444970. Yacht club, Parus stadium, Omega beach, Green Theater, ruins of ancient settlements, sanatorium, hotel, 3 restaurants and arboretum (located on Heroes of Stalingrad Avenue).
So, we have chosen for you the most interesting (from the point of view of travelers) bays of Crimea. Photos are attached to those that are awarded a big story. And theoretically, the role of bays can be played by some lakes, with their ends already resting on the sea, but that’s a completely different story...
0The archives contain documents confirming that the first information about the Black Sea dates back to the 5th century. BC. It was along this route that the fearless Argonauts, led by Jason, set off to Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece, overcoming numerous obstacles. How has it not changed its name since then! The Black Sea ranks first in the world in this indicator. Since its first mention in documents, the name has changed about 20 times.
Where did the modern name come from?
There are various versions about its origin. The ancient Greeks called this sea Pont Aksinsky, which means “Inhospitable”. This name appeared due to problems with navigation among ancient sailors, despite the small size of the Black Sea in comparison with others. As soon as the colonists mastered the coast, it changed to Pont Euxine, which translates as “Hospitable”. In the 10th-16th centuries, the Russians called it the “Russian Sea” or “Scythian Sea”. The current name of this reservoir is Black.
Where does this name come from? The first sources of this name date back to the 13th century, although it is possible that it appeared much earlier. One hypothesis suggests that the name arose from a revolt of indigenous peoples against their conquerors. "Kara Denise" - "black, inhospitable." According to another version, migrants from southern countries who observed during a storm the dark sky merging with sea water. The reservoir actually looks black during thunderstorms.
Another theory modern name arose due to the specific property of a reservoir to “blacken” anchors and other objects at depth. This occurs due to the influence of hydrogen sulfide. According to other theories, the sea acquired its name because of the black silt that periodically washes up on the shore during a storm.
width Length
Herodotus tried to calculate the size of Pontus, measuring it in stages, which were calculated by the orgies (distance) traveled by the ship during the day. Its length, according to Herodotus, was 11,100 stadia, and its width at its most spacious was 3,300 stadia. Modern scientists are able to calculate the size of the Black Sea with an accuracy of up to a kilometer. Its greatest extent from east to west is a distance of over 1150 km, from the coast of Bulgaria to the coast of Georgia.
From the Ukrainian village of Koblevo to the coast of Turkey, the Black Sea measures (km) -616, from north to south. The shortest length is about 265 km. Geographers still cannot decide on the area, despite the known size of the Black Sea. According to some calculations, it occupies 422,000 km², and according to others - 436,400 km². The total length of the coastline is about 4100 km. The volume of water it can hold is about 555,000 cubic kilometers.
Since the dimensions of the Black Sea (width, length, depth) are relatively small, insignificant ebbs and flows are formed compared to other open water bodies. This is due to low water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean. The sea occupies a huge tectonic pit, the maximum depth of which is about 2245 m. In the west and north-west there are low coasts, but there are also steep areas. In Crimea they are predominantly low-lying, not counting the southern mountain coasts. On the eastern and southern sides, the Caucasus and Pontic mountains approach the sea.
At the confluence of rivers, shallow bays are formed - estuaries: Dniester, Khadzhibey, Kuyalnitsky, Tiligulsky, and Dnieper. The largest peninsula of the Black Sea is the Crimean peninsula, connected to the mainland thanks to the Perekop Isthmus. There are few islands in the Black Sea. The largest among them are Berezan and Zmeiny, each with an area of less than 1 km². The Kerch Strait, with a depth of 4 to 18 meters, connects the Black Sea with the Azov Sea. The Bosphorus and Dardanelles through the Marmara and Aegean Seas connect it with the Mediterranean.
Scientists have more than once considered theories that the Black Sea arose approximately 6000-8000 years ago, when the level of the world's oceans rose due to the melting of glaciers. With its rise in the Mediterranean Sea, it overcame a natural dam, which was today's Bosporus. After the breakthrough, a gigantic flow of water equal to the power of 200 Niagara Falls filled the current sea basin. This natural disaster is similar to the common version of the Flood, which is depicted in the Old Testament. It is important that the timing of this major natural disaster completely coincides with scientific and religious sources.
Hydrogen sulfide in the Black Sea
- one of the most famous and unusual properties of the sea. But the excess of hydrogen sulfide in the deep waters of the Black Sea is only one of the consequences of the fact that deeper than 200 meters - there is no oxygen in the Black Sea water; neither animals nor plants can live there. At depths from 200 meters to the very bottom of the Black Sea, only bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide live. There is no other sea like this in the world.
It turns out like this:
Oxygen penetrates into water through the surface of the sea - from the air; and also - it is formed in the upper illuminated layer of water (photic zone) when photosynthesis of algae plankton.
In order for oxygen to reach the depths, the sea must mix - due to waves and vertical currents. And in the Black Sea, the water mixes very weakly; It takes hundreds of years for water from the surface to reach the bottom. Reasons for this unusual phenomenon the following:
In the Black Sea, due to its desalination by rivers, there are two masses, two layers of water that weakly mix with each other.
Surface layer black sea water- to a depth of approximately 100 meters - mainly of river origin. At the same time, saltier (and therefore heavier) water from the Sea of Marmara enters the depths of the sea - it flows along the bottom of the Bosphorus Strait (Lower Bosphorus Current) and sinks deeper. Therefore, the salinity of the bottom layers of the Black Sea water reaches 30‰ (grams of salt per liter of water).
The change in water properties with depth is not smooth: from the surface to 50-100 meters salinity changes quickly - from 17 to 21 ‰, and then further - to the bottom - it increases evenly. In accordance with the salinity, the density of water.
Temperature on the sea surface is always determined by air temperature. And the temperature of the deep waters of the Black Sea is 8-9 o C all year round. From the surface to a depth of 50-100 meters, the temperature, like salinity, changes quickly - and then remains constant until the very bottom.
These are the two masses of Black Sea water: superficial- desalinated, lighter and closer in temperature to air (in summer it is warmer than deep waters, and in winter it is colder); And deep- saltier and heavier, with a constant temperature.
The layer of water from 50 to 100 meters is called the boundary layer- this is the boundary between two masses of Black Sea water, a boundary that prevents mixing. Its more accurate name is cold boundary layer: it is always colder than deep waters, since, cooling in winter to 5-6 o C, it does not have time to warm up during the summer.
A layer of water in which its temperature changes sharply is called thermocline; layer of rapid salinity change - halocline, water density - pycnocline. All these sharp changes in the properties of water in the Black Sea are concentrated in the boundary layer region.
Delamination - stratification of Black Sea water by salinity, density and temperature - prevents vertical mixing of the sea and enrichment of the depths with oxygen. In addition, all the rapidly developing Black Sea life breathes - planktonic crustaceans, jellyfish, crabs, fish, dolphins breathe, even the algae themselves breathe - they consume oxygen.
When living organisms die, their remains become food for saprotrophic bacteria. During bacterial decomposition of the dead organic matter(rotting) uses oxygen. With depth, decomposition begins to dominate the processes of creating living matter by planktonic algae, and oxygen consumption during respiration and decay becomes more intense than its production during photosynthesis. Therefore, the further from the surface of the sea, the less oxygen remains in the water. In the aphotic zone, the sea (where sunlight does not penetrate), under cold intermediate layer- below 100 meters depth, oxygen is no longer produced, but only consumed; It does not penetrate here due to mixing - this is prevented by the stratification of waters.
As a result, there is only enough oxygen for animal and plant life in the upper 150 meters of the Black Sea. Its concentration decreases with depth, and the bulk of life in the sea - the biomass of the Black Sea - is concentrated above 100 meters depth.
In the depths of the Black Sea, below 200 meters, there is no oxygen at all, and only anaerobic saprotrophic bacteria live there, continuing the decomposition of the remains of living things sinking from the upper layer of the sea. During anaerobic (oxygen-free) decomposition of the remains, hydrogen sulfide is formed - a substance that is toxic to both animals and plants (it blocks the respiratory chain of mitochondria). The source of sulfur is sulfur-containing amino acids of proteins, and, to a lesser extent, seawater sulfates, used by some types of bacteria to oxidize organic matter.
This is how it turns out that 90% of the water mass of the Black Sea is almost lifeless. But in any other sea or ocean, almost all life is concentrated in the upper, 100-200-meter layer of water - just like here. True, due to the lack of oxygen and the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the water, there is no deep-sea fauna in the Black Sea , this reduces its biodiversity even further, in addition to the effects of low salinity. For example, there are no predatory fish of the deep with huge toothy mouths, in front of which luminous baits are hung.
Sometimes they say that hydrogen sulfide appeared in the Black Sea as a result of its pollution, that hydrogen sulfide is becoming more and more abundant, that the sea is on the verge of disaster... Indeed, overfertilization - eutrophication of the Black Sea by runoff from agricultural fields in the 1970s-80s, caused a rapid growth of “weed” marine vegetation - some types of phytoplankton, filamentous algae - “mud”, more organic remains began to form, from which hydrogen sulfide is formed during decay (more on this at the end of the page Changes in the Black Sea ecosystem). But this “extra” hydrogen sulfide did not bring significant changes to the equilibrium that had developed over millennia. And certainly - there is no danger of an explosion of hydrogen sulfide - in order for a gas bubble to form, the concentration of molecules of this substance in water must be orders of magnitude greater than the real one (8-10 mg/l at depths of 1000-2000m) - check using formulas from school chemistry courses and physics.
In summer, especially near the coast, a variable summer thermocline- the boundary between the sun-warmed surface water in which people swim and the cold deep water. The thermocline drops as the water warms up in the summer, sometimes reaching depths of more than 40 meters in August.
Summer thermocline - a thin layer of water, from a few centimeters to several meters thick; often - it is clearly visible under water, and is very well felt by divers - by diving a few meters towards the bottom, you can get from 20-degree to 12-degree water.
The summer coastal thermocline is easily destroyed by a storm or strong wind blowing from the shore - the water near the shore cools.
Bottom relief of the Black Sea . The Black Sea is deep; The central part of its bottom is occupied by a muddy abyssal (i.e., deep) plain lying at a two-kilometer depth, and the slopes of the Black Sea depression are steep. The maximum depth of the Black Sea is 2210 m.
Black Sea shelf - gentle underwater slope, continuation of the coast under water to a depth of 100-150m - near mountainous coasts (Caucasus, Crimea, Anatolia) - no more than a few kilometers from the coastline. Further - it is very steep (up to 20-30 o) continental slope- cliff to depths of more than 1000 meters. The exception is the shallow Northwestern part of the Black Sea - it all belongs to the shelf zone, and, in fact, is not part of the Black Sea depression.
Such a bottom topography also does little to promote intensive exchange of water between the depths of the sea and its surface, since the surface of the sea turns out to be small relative to its volume. The smaller the sea surface for a given volume, the less oxygen per unit volume of sea enters the sea from the air and is created by algae in the illuminated layer of water. Therefore, the shape of the Black Sea depression is not conducive to enriching its depths with oxygen.
Bottom sediments of the Black Sea: whatever the shores and beaches are - sandy, pebble, or rocky - starting from a depth of 25-50 meters, at the bottom of the Black Sea there is sand or gravel. With increasing depth, the surface is covered with fragments of mussel valves, and even deeper - modiola Modiolus phaseolinus, which form phaseolin silt of the shelf.
Data from geological studies of the Black Sea bottom indicate that thickness of the bottom sediment layer accumulated on the abyssal plain over the entire history of the Black Sea - from 8 to 16 km; that is, the depth of sediments is 4-8 times greater than the depth of the water column of the Black Sea. The thickness of the sediment layer is 1.5-2 times greater in the western part of the Black Sea, separated by the central Black Sea meridional uplift - from Anatolia to Crimea. The thickness of the sediment layer on the abyssal plain, accumulated over the last 3000 years of the history of the modern Black Sea, is from 20 to 80 cm in different parts of the bottom.
The Black Sea sediment layer lies on a 5-10 km thick basalt plate covering the Earth's mantle. The Black Sea is characterized by the absence of a continuous intermediate layer of granite between the sediments and the basalt platform; the granite layer is common in continental seas. Elements of the granite layer were found by geologists only in the eastern part of the abyssal plain. Such the bottom structure, like in the Black Sea, is characteristic of the oceans.
Main Black Sea Current directed counterclockwise along the entire perimeter of the sea, forming two noticeable rings (“Knipovich glasses”, named after one of the hydrologists who described these currents). Map of the Black Sea This movement of water and its direction is based on the acceleration given to water by the rotation of the Earth - Coriolis force. However, in such a relatively small water area as the Black Sea, the direction and strength of the wind are no less important. Therefore, the Rim Current is very variable, sometimes it becomes poorly distinguishable against the background of currents of a smaller scale, and sometimes the speed of the jet of the main Black Sea current reaches 100 cm/s.
In the coastal waters of the Black Sea, eddies of the opposite direction to the Rim Current are formed - anticyclonic gyres , they are especially pronounced along the Caucasian and Anatolian coasts. Local alongshore currents in the surface layer of water are usually determined by the wind; their direction can change during the day.
A special type of local flow - draft- forms on flat sandy shores during strong sea waves: the water flowing onto the shore does not retreat evenly, but along channels formed in the sandy bottom. Getting caught in such a current is dangerous - despite the efforts of the swimmer, he can be carried away from the shore; to get out, you need to swim not straight to the shore, but diagonally.
Average level Black Sea has increased over the past century by 12cm; this change is masked by strong fluctuations in sea level (up to 20 cm throughout the year) associated with interannual variability of river flow. Recent satellite altimetry data have shown a strong acceleration in Black Sea level rise: up to 20cm/decade(secular trend) in the central part of the sea. A more conservative estimate is 3-4cm/decade. Many experts associate this phenomenon with the melting of polar ice as a result of global warming.
Tidal fluctuations the level of the Black Sea does not exceed 10 cm, since Mediterranean tidal waves are attenuated by the straits, and the size of the Black Sea itself is not large enough for the development of strong tides.
The most noticeable rapid changes in sea level are due to the action of wind. A strong, steady wind from the shore creates surge current: the sea moves away from the coast, its level in a given place decreases, sometimes by up to 30 cm per day. For changing surface water water rises from the depths. With a steady wind from the sea, the opposite phenomenon is observed - wind surge, sea level rise offshore.
These are - very briefly - the main properties of the modern Black Sea. But it was not always as we know it today; The geography, hydrology, and ecology of the Black Sea have changed many times and greatly. The Black Sea continues to change today:
Considering relief the Black Sea bottom, we can distinguish:
- shelf;
- extended continental slope;
- deep basin.
The widest part of the shelf (about 200 km) is located in the north-west of the Black Sea. The thickness of the water layer here is 110 – 160 meters. The depth of water above the shelf in other places of the sea is less and, as a rule, does not exceed 110 m. The width is from 10 to 15 km (off the Turkish coast - 2.5 km).
The continental slope is heterogeneous, strongly dissected by submarine valleys and canyons. Its steepness in some areas reaches 20-30°. From Sinop to Samsun, a system of deep ridges stretches almost parallel to the coast. Their total length is about 150 km. The bottom of the basin is an accumulative plain, flatly deepening towards the center up to 2000 m. Maximum depth of the Black Sea– 2211 m.
The seabed consists of parts of different ages and geologically heterogeneous. The larger portion of the basin is located in the Alpine geosynclinal region. The earth's crust underneath consists of many layers, which can be divided into “sedimentary” and “basaltic”. The sedimentary layers are about 16 km thick, with their upper, 4 km, part located horizontally. In the central part of the basin, the density of the earth's crust reaches 25 km. Along the periphery, the basalt layer is hidden under a 35-kilometer granite layer. The northwestern section of the Black Sea shelf covers the EpiPaleozoic Scythian platform and the south of the East European platform.
Coastal zone Black Sea- These are coarse sediments such as pebbles, gravels and sands. Moving away from the coast, these deposits are replaced by silts and fine-grained sands. In the northwestern region of the Black Sea, there is an abundant formation of shell rock and jars inhabited by oysters, mussels and other mollusks.
In the Black Sea there are deposits of minerals - oil and gas. Their main reserves are concentrated in the northwestern part of the basin. In addition, the coastal zones of Taman and the Caucasus boast placers of titanomagnetite sands.
The territory of the modern Black Sea has a complex geological past. Scientists are still discovering under calm sea waves traces of certain natural disasters.
Forty million years ago, at the beginning of the Tertiary period, Asia and southern Europe were the bottom huge ocean basin, called the Tethys Sea. With a giant canal, this sea connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean. In the middle of the Tertiary period, movements of the earth's crust separated Tethys from Pacific Ocean, and then from the Atlantic.
Active mountain-building movements in Eurasia began about seven million years ago, during the Miocene period. Over four million years they formed Carpathians, Alps, Balkans and the Caucasus Mountains. The area of the Tethys Sea decreased, and separate basins formed from it. One of these basins was the Sarmatian Sea, stretching from the foothills of the Tien Shan to modern Vienna.
At the beginning of the Pliocene period (1.5 - 3 million years ago), the Sarmatian Sea decreased in size, first becoming salty Meotic sea, and later - the almost fresh Pontic lake-sea. One million years ago, the size of this lake was comparable to the size of Lake Chaudin.
About 500 thousand years ago, the Mindelian glaciation ended. The glaciers began to melt. Their waters flowed in streams into Lake Chauda, filling it and turning it into Ancient Euxinian basin. Its area was close to that of the modern Black Sea.
150 thousand years ago, the Karangata Sea was formed from the Ancient Euxinian basin. The salinity of the water in it was much higher than the salinity of the water in the Black Sea today.
20 thousand years ago, the Karangat Sea slowly “turned” into the New Euxinian Sea. Its appearance coincided with the end of the last Würm glaciation. The transformation of the Novoeksinsky Sea lasted 10 thousand years, after which a new one began, modern stage life of the Black Sea. And at this stage, we, people, are actively helping nature to “accelerate” the course of Black Sea history...
This sea is perhaps closest to us. It was once called “Russian” - these are echoes of Soviet times, when the Black Sea was the most “popular”. Today the sea washes the shores of seven countries: Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Georgia and Abkhazia.
Hospitable or inhospitable?
The Black Sea had a huge number of names. The very first one that has survived to this day was given to him by the ancient Greeks. By the way, it was along the Black Sea that Jason and the Argonauts set sail for the Golden Fleece.
The Greeks nicknamed it Pont Aksinsky, which means “inhospitable sea.” And all because it was not so easy to approach it: the shores of the Black Sea in those days were inhabited by warring tribes, zealously guarding the territory. And navigating the pond was quite difficult. Later, after the conquest and development of its coast, the sea became “hospitable” or Pontus Evsinsky. In addition, his other names are known: Temarun, Akhshaena, Cimmerian, Blue, Ocean, Tauride, Holy, Surozh. Well, in Rus' the Black Sea was called “Scythian” or “Russian” from the 10th to the 16th centuries.
Why black
In fact, there is no exact explanation why the reservoir was nicknamed “black”. There are at least two versions of the origin.
In the old days, parts of the world were designated by colors: black meant the North, and white meant the South. According to this theory, the body of water located in the north was called the “Black Sea”. By the way, the Mediterranean Sea in Turkish is known as the “White Sea”, that is, the sea that is located in the south.
Well, the second version says that the reservoir received its name because of the abundance of hydrogen sulfide in its depths, which has an unusual property. The fact is that any metal object (for example, an anchor) when lowered into deep waters (more than 150 meters) long time covered with a black coating.
The currents have an unusual shape
The pattern of the Black Sea currents is unusual: these are two looped whirlpools, reminiscent of glasses. True, they are gigantic: their wavelength reaches about 300-400 kilometers. By the way, they are called Knipovich glasses in honor of the oceanologist who first described them.
About the sea depths of the Black Sea
The maximum depth of the Black Sea is 2210 meters. The average depth is 1240 meters. The deepest places (and not only the deepest in fact) have their own peculiarity: there is no life here. For this feature, the reservoir even received another name, an ominous one - “the sea of dead depths.”
The thing is that once upon a time there was a freshwater lake on the site of the Black Sea. True, a very long time ago: about 7500 years ago. Freshwater inhabitants lived in it. And it was the deepest freshwater lake on Earth.
But then cataclysms occurred: perhaps, due to the Ice Age, the level of the world's oceans rose significantly, flooding the lake and turning it into a sea (the reservoir increased by about one and a half times!), or an earthquake contributed to the water breakthrough. Or maybe both natural disasters happened at once. Because of this, many freshwater inhabitants died, contaminating the waters with hydrogen sulfide. And hydrogen sulfide is nothing more than a product of the vital activity of bacteria, or rather, a product of the decomposition of the remains of animal organisms.
Well, we see the result today: at a depth of more than 150-200 meters in the Black Sea there is practically no life. There are only bacteria here.
By the way, perhaps this tragedy served as the basis for the Great Flood. After all, it was widespread locally, especially among the peoples of the Middle East.
Sharks that can cure cancer
Despite the contamination with hydrogen sulfide, the Black Sea has its own inhabitants, and very interesting ones.
So, there are harmless katrana sharks here. They are small, do not exceed a meter in length, and do not pose a danger to vacationers: they practically do not approach the shore and live mainly in cold waters, and they are afraid of people.
However, they may pose some threat to fishermen. The fact is that on their dorsal fin there are large spines that can cause injury.
Catran sharks are also used in pharmacology. Their fat has healing properties, and a substance found in their liver can cure some forms of cancer. Therefore, on its basis, a drug to combat tumors, Katrex, was developed.
Other inhabitants of the Black Sea
In addition to small sharks, the Black Sea is home to approximately 2,500 species of animals. But this is very small: for example, in the Mediterranean there are about 9 thousand species of animals.
The most dangerous of the Black Sea inhabitants is the big sea Dragon or sea dragon. It has poisonous spines on its dorsal fin. And this is the most poisonous fish that lives off the coast of Europe. The dragonet's bite is very painful, and several deaths have even been reported. But besides him there are two more dangerous inhabitant: Black Sea scorpionfish and stingray.
Of the mammals in the Black Sea, two species of dolphins live, the white-bellied seal and the porpoise. Some animals enter the reservoir through the Bosphorus Strait.
Well, among the algae there are very unusual look- sea candle. This algae is capable of bioluminescence: their accumulation at the surface of the water causes interesting phenomenon- glow of the sea. It can be observed in August.
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