Climatic conditions of the Caucasus. Give a description of the climate of the Greater Caucasus, explain how the climate of the foothills differs from the highlands. Health-improving winter holidays in the Caucasus

The climate of the Caucasus is very diverse, which is primarily due to the influence of the relief.

The Caucasus is located on the border of the temperate and subtropical climatic zones. The differences between them are intensified by the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, which hinder the transfer of cold air masses from the north to the Transcaucasus and warm air masses from the south to the Ciscaucasia. The North Caucasus belongs to temperate zone, Transcaucasia - to subtropical. The differences between them are especially noticeable in air temperature.In the North Caucasus, everywhere, with the exception of the highlands, there is a lot of heat. On the plains, the average temperatures in July everywhere exceed 20°, and summer lasts from 4.5 to 5.5 months. The average January temperatures fluctuate in different areas from -10° to +6°, and winter lasts only two to three months. The rest of the year is occupied by transitional seasons - spring and autumn.

In the Greater Caucasus, starting from a height of about 2000 m, and in the Transcaucasian Highlands, the role belongs to the western air transport, in connection with which the influence of the Atlantic and mediterranean sea. Therefore, the climate is more humid in the highlands.

The complex mountainous relief creates a wide variety of local climates in the Caucasus, and the previously outlined large geomorphoslogical units differ in climatic terms.

The diversity of the climate of the Caucasus determines the differences in the agricultural use of its territory. Especially great is the economic importance of the Transcaucasian subtropical regions protected by the Greater Caucasus mountain barrier, where a whole range of subtropical climates is observed, ranging from humid, which allows the cultivation of tea and citrus fruits, to dry, suitable for growing cotton and other crops that require an abundance of sunlight.

The Caucasus cannot be attributed to one climatic region. To the north of the axial belt of the Greater Caucasus - a temperate climate, in Transcaucasia - subtropical. Within them there are differences due to the nature of the relief, position in relation to air currents, position relative to the Black and Caspian Seas, and local circulation.

The climate of the Caucasus is changing in three directions:

from west to east - in the direction of increasing continentality,

from north to south - in the direction of increasing amounts of radiative heat

in the high-altitude direction - an increase in precipitation and a decrease in temperatures.

Cloudiness plays a special role - with an increase in the mountains and in the western regions of the Caucasus, due to its increase, the annual values ​​of solar radiation are less than average.

In the summer months, the radiation balance in the Caucasus is close to tropical, local VMs transform into tropical ones.

Circulation: continental air of temperate latitudes dominates in the North Caucasus, subtropical in Transcaucasia. Alpine zones under the influence of western directions.

IN winter months the territory is located south of the "major axis"; areas are formed over the Black and the south of the Caspian reduced pressure. The result is an outflow of dense cold masses of the "great axis" to the Caucasus. However, the mountain wall prevents penetration to the south, it is still possible to bypass along the coasts of the seas - "nords" and "boron". In the west, there is a lot of snow in the mountains. To the east, the influence of southwestern transport weakens and the influence of the Asian anticyclone intensifies, snowfall decreases. A local anticyclone forms over the Armenian Highlands in winter.

IN summer time over Asia they form an area of ​​low pressure. The western currents of sea air of temperate latitudes from the North Atlantic are intensifying, which capture the Caucasus. They give up precipitation on windward slopes. In the second half, the Azorean maximum shifts to the north and often captures the Caucasus.

The role of foehns, mountain-valley winds and breezes, the formation of a center of low pressure over the Armenian Highlands is noticeable. Sea basins moderate the temperature.

In general, the southern slopes are characterized by higher (summer and winter) temperatures. The annual amount of precipitation increases with elevation to the mountains and decreases at all levels from west to east.

The Caucasus is located on the border of the temperate and subtropical zones. The influx of solar radiation is so significant that in the summer a local center for the formation of tropical air masses is created in Transcaucasia. The boundary of the temperate and subtropical belts runs along the axial part of the Greater Caucasus. Radiation balance 2300 MJ / m 2 / year (west) - 1800 (east) MJ / m 2 / year.

In winter, the continental air of temperate latitudes (CLA) spreads to Ciscaucasia from the Voeikov axis. East and northeast winds prevail. Cold air entering Ciscaucasia lingers on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, not rising above 700-800 m. And only in the northwestern part of the Black Sea chain, where the height of the ridges is less than 1000 m, cold air crosses them. Over the water area of ​​the Black Sea in winter, low pressure is established, so cold heavy air rushes towards it at high speed, literally falling from the mountains. Strong cold winds arise, the so-called Novorossiysk bora. The air temperature during boron drops to -15...-20°С. Bora is observed in the Anapa-Tuapse section.

The upper parts of the mountains are located in the free atmosphere zone, where the prevailing role belongs to the western winds. In winter, the western transport dominates at an altitude of more than 1.5-2 km, and in summer - 3.5-4 km.

Great influence on the formation climatic conditions cold period has cyclonic activity that develops on the Mediterranean branch of the polar front. The trajectories of the Mediterranean cyclones are directed to the northeast of the Black Sea and cross the Caucasus in its western part. Their advance through the Caucasus leads to tropical air advection, which causes intense thaws, snow cover snow avalanches in the mountains and the formation of foehns on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. With the development of hair dryers, the air temperature can rise to +15...+20°C. As the height of the mountains increases, the absolute maximum temperature decreases in winter and becomes negative at Elbrus station (-2...-3°C).

Frequent advection of heat, the influence of the sea determine the positive average monthly air temperature for Black Sea coast Caucasus. The average January temperature in Novorossiysk is +2°С, in Sochi +6.1°С. In Ciscaucasia, the average air temperature is -1...-2°C in the western regions, dropping to -4...-4.5°C in the center and rising again to the Caspian Sea to -2...0°C. In the mountains, the temperature decreases with height, reaching -12 ... -14 ° C in the highlands, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bperpetual snow and glaciers.

When cold air masses break through from the north, the temperature in Ciscaucasia can drop to -30...-36°C. Even in Anapa, the absolute minimum is -26°C, and in Sochi - -15°C.

The intensification of cyclonic activity in the cold season causes the winter maximum precipitation on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. In the rest of the territory, the maximum precipitation occurs in the summer.

In winter, snow cover sets in on the plains and in the mountains of the Caucasus. It first appears on the plains with relatively warm winter only in the second half of December. In some winters, stable snow cover does not form. Snow falls repeatedly during cooling and melts during thaws. The thickness of the snow cover on the plains is 10-15 cm. On the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains (Achishkho), due to the abundance of winter precipitation and the decrease in the frequency of winter thaws, the snow thickness reaches 3-4 m. In the mountains of the eastern part of the Caucasus, it is reduced to 1 m (Myachkova N.A., 1983). The number of days with snow cover on the Stavropol Upland is 70-80, decreasing to the west and east of it to 50-40 and increasing in the mountains to 80-110 days due to the long cold period. On the lower border of the highland zone, snow lies 120 days a year.

In the Javakheti-Armenian Highlands, an area of ​​high pressure is formed at this time. From here, the cold continental air of Asia Minor (temperature -12°C) is taken out, penetrating into the middle part of the Riono-Kura corridor, but quickly transforming as it moves east. Colchis is filled with sea air masses of temperate latitudes, coming here with Mediterranean cyclones (t 4-6o). In winter, they constantly cross the Black Sea, where the pressure is low, and, as it were, fall into a trap between the B. and M. Caucasus ranges. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in late summer (August-September), as well as in late autumn - early winter. In other regions of the Caucasus, there is no precipitation at this time, with the exception of the Kuro-Araks lowland. Here, autumn-winter precipitation and partly spring precipitation are associated with a branch of the Iranian polar front, along the line of which cyclonic activity develops. It increases significantly on the slopes of Talysh and along the outskirts of this lowland.

In summer, the formation of the climate in the Caucasus is significantly affected by the frequency of humid Atlantic air masses and dry continental air masses, which form over the spaces of the interior regions of Eurasia and come from the east. In connection with this, the importance of the submeridional climate division (the transverse uplift of the Stavropol Upland - the Central Caucasus) is enhanced. On the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in the Western Ciscaucasia, the air warms up to 22-23°C. In the highest parts of the Stavropol Upland and in the Mineralovodsky region average temperature July is 20-21°C. In the east of Ciscaucasia, the air warms up to 24-25°C. In the mountains, the air temperature decreases with height, reaching 10°C at an altitude of about 2500 m and 7°C at an altitude of 3000 m. At the Elbrus station (altitude 4250 m), the average July temperature is only 1.4°C.

In the first half of summer in Ciscaucasia, the influence of Atlantic cyclones, which determine the June maximum precipitation, increases. Later, the transformation of air masses over the southeast of the Russian Plain increases, therefore, already in the middle of summer, the amount of precipitation decreases, and conditions are often created for the formation of dry winds and droughts, the frequency of which increases in the east.

The annual amount of precipitation increases from the foothills to the mountains and with the rise up the slopes, but at the same time it noticeably decreases when moving from west to east. On the Kuban-Azov lowland, the annual amount of precipitation is 550-600 mm, on the Stavropol Upland it increases to 700-800 mm and decreases to 500-350 mm in the Eastern Ciscaucasia. On the Black Sea coast, the amount of precipitation increases rapidly from north to south (from 700 mm northwest of Novorossiysk to 1650 mm in the Sochi region). In the highlands of the western part of the Greater Caucasus, 2000-3000 mm of precipitation falls, and in the eastern part - only 1000-1500 mm. The amount of precipitation also decreases in the depression between the Rocky and Lateral Ranges, especially in the "shadow" of the Rocky Range, amounting to 650-700 mm. The largest annual amount of precipitation is observed on the windward southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. At the Achishkho station, it is over 3700 mm per year. This - the largest number precipitation not only in the Caucasus, but throughout Russia.

Average annual precipitation: Colchis, southern slope of the Western Caucasus - 1.5-2 thousand mm, Western and Middle Ciscaucasia 450-600 mm, Eastern Ciscaucasia, Terek-Kuma lowland -200-350 mm, Kuro-Araks lowland - 200-300 mm, Javakheti-Armenian highland 450-600 mm, Lankaran lowland - 1200 mm. It is warmest in summer in the Kuro-Araks lowland (26-28°C), in the rest of the territory 23-25°C, in the Javakheti-Armenian Highlands 18°C. However, temperature and precipitation are subject to change depending on the height of the mountains, forming altitudinal climatic zonality. So, the average annual temperature on the Black Sea coast is 12-14°С, in the foothills of the Caucasus it is 7-8°С, at an altitude of 2-3 thousand m -3-0°С. In summer, despite the increase in solar radiation with height, the temperature drops by an average of 0.5-0.6 ° C every 100 m, and by 0.3-0.4 ° C in winter. When climbing the mountains, the average annual positive temperature persists only up to a height of 2300-2500 m. On Elbrus it is -10°C. Similar regularities are preserved for average monthly air temperatures. Thus, the average temperature in January in the Ciscaucasia is -2-7 ° С, in the middle and high mountains - from -8 to -13°C; on Elbrus -19°С; in Novorossiysk 3°С, Sochi 5°С. In July, the temperature is 23-25°С everywhere, at an altitude of 2-2.5 thousand m -18°С, 4000 m -2°С.

Quantity precipitation also changes with height. If in the northeastern Ciscaucasia they fall less than 300 m, further to the west 300-400 mm, and in the Western Ciscaucasia 400-500 mm, then already in the low-mountain regions of Stavropol - Nalchik 500-800 mm, at the latitude and height of Vladikavkaz - 800-1000 m (1.5 thousand m), at an altitude of 2 thousand m, an average of 1000-1500 mm; higher the amount of precipitation decreases: Terskol - (3050 m) - 930 mm.

The height of the snow line is 2800-3000 m, in the western part - 3200-3500 m, in the eastern part of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus glaciation is negligible - 3 square meters. km. On B.K. - 1420 km 2, their total number is 2200. Of these, 70% is located on the northern slope, 30% - on the southern. Types of glaciers - mountain-valley (20% of the area), cirque and hanging. Glaciation centers - Elbrus, Kazbek, other peaks of the Central Caucasus in M.K. - Aragats, Zangezur ridge, Javakheti ridge. All glaciers are in retreat (10-20 m/year).

The climate and features of the relief of the Caucasus determine its modern glaciation. There are 1498 glaciers in the Caucasus within Russia with total area glaciation 993.6 km 2, which is 70% of the total number of glaciers and the area of ​​glaciation of the Greater Caucasus. The sharp predominance of glaciers on the northern slope is due to orographic features, blizzard transport of snow by western winds beyond the barrier of the Dividing Range, and slightly less insolation than on the southern slope. The snow limit lies at 2800-3200 m in the western part of the Caucasus and rises to 3600-4000 m in the east.

The greatest glaciation is concentrated in the Central Caucasus. The largest massif of modern glaciation is the Elbrus glacial complex (area 122.6 km 2). The two-headed Elbrus is covered with a firn-ice cap about 10 km in diameter, which feeds more than 50 glacial streams radially diverging from it. The largest complex valley glacier in the Caucasus is the Bezengi glacier (length 17.6 km, area 36.2 km 2), located at the foot of the Bezengi wall and feeding the Cherek-Bezengi river. It is followed by the Dykh-Su glaciers (length 13.3 km, area 34.0 km2) and Karaugom (length 13.3 km, area 26.6 km2).

In the Western Caucasus, due to the low height of the mountains, glaciation is small. Its largest areas are concentrated in the Kuban basin near the highest mountain peaks - Dombai-Ulgen, Pshish, etc. The glaciation of the Eastern Caucasus is less significant due to the great dryness of the climate and is mainly represented by small glaciers - cirque, hanging, caro-valley.

The total area of ​​glaciers is 1965 km2. Glaciation reaches its greatest development between Elbrus and Kazbek, from here it gradually decreases to the west and sharply to the east. The most common car and hanging. 20% - valley glaciers. Everyone regresses.

Many factors influence the climate of the Caucasus. The most important of them are latitudinal zonality and vertical zonality. However, the actions of these main factors are largely corrected by the characteristics geographical location and relief.

In addition, the climate different parts Caucasus is greatly influenced by the proximity of the Black and Seas of Azov in the west and the Caspian Sea in the east. All these factors have created a variety of climatic and forest conditions in the Caucasus.

The high mountain ranges in the Caucasus influence the advancement and distribution of baric phenomena. Thus, the main Caucasian ridge protects the territory of Transcaucasia from the invasion of cold air masses approaching from the north. These air masses flow around the ridge and enter Transcaucasia from the west and east, being moistened due to contact with the Black and Caspian Seas and somewhat warming up under the influence of the warm land surface.

Mountains, cutting in different directions the territory of Transcaucasia, and solar radiation continue to modify the climate of the Caucasus, affecting the direction and speed of air masses, their rise, etc.

All this creates the complexity and diversity of climate elements - air and soil temperatures, the amount, intensity and distribution of precipitation, relative humidity air, wind direction and speed, etc.

The intensity of solar radiation increases with the elevation of the terrain. However the main role does not belong to the sum of heat and solar radiation, but to air and soil temperature. Due to the intensity of solar radiation in the mountains, there are large fluctuations in air temperatures during the day.

The soil gets very warm on sunny days, especially on the slopes of southern exposure. As a result, the soil temperature changes less with increasing altitude than the air temperature, and the difference between air and soil temperatures becomes very small. At night, the surface layer of soil on the slopes noticeably cools, but in deeper layers its temperature exceeds the air temperature.

According to the degree of moisture in the Caucasus, there are: humid subtropical regions of the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory, Western Georgia and South-East Azerbaijan; humid regions of the Northern and Western Caucasus; dry regions of Eastern Georgia, Western Azerbaijan, Armenia, Dagestan.

The climate of the Caucasus can be traced with each rise in altitude, according to scientists, for every 100 meters of rise, the amount of precipitation increases by 20%, in the Crimea by 14-15%.

Precipitation and rainy days are greatly influenced by local geographic factors. Thus, under the influence of the Black Sea in the adjacent areas of Western Georgia and the Krasnodar Territory, the average annual precipitation exceeds 1000 mm, reaching 3000 mm in the coastal strip of Adjara. In dry mountainous areas, the average annual precipitation is 300-350 mm, decreasing in some years to 100 mm.

The climatic region of the natural region of the Caucasus is different: Ciscaucasia occupies a temperate climate region, and Transcaucasia is subtropical. climatic regions different, because different terrain, air currents, local circulation. Changes in climatic conditions in the Caucasus occur in three directions. From the western part of the Caucasus towards the east, the continentality of the climate increases. The total solar radiation increases from north to south. The higher the mountains, the lower the temperature and the more precipitation. In the North Caucasus, solar radiation is 1.5 times more than in the Moscow region, per 1 cm2 per year. surface 120-140 kC. Depending on the season, the radiation flux is different: in summer the heat balance is positive, and in winter it is negative, since a certain percentage of radiation is reflected by the snow cover. Summer is long. The fluctuation of temperatures in July on the plains is more than +20 degrees. In January, the temperature ranges from -10 to +6 degrees Celsius.

In the north of the Caucasus, the continental air of temperate latitudes dominates. Transcaucasia is a zone of subtropical air masses. The north is devoid of orographic obstacles, and the south has high mountains, so during the year various air masses penetrate here - cold arctic air, humid air of the Mediterranean tropics, Atlantic humid air masses or dry and dusty Asiatic and Middle Eastern air. In the Ciscaucasia, winter is dominated mainly by continental air from temperate latitudes. IN winter time areas are formed over the Black and Caspian Seas low pressure, so there are strong cold winds. The Asian anticyclone is moving to the east, which reduces the amount of snow. IN winter period a local anticyclone is forming over the Armenian Highlands. In the Ciscaucasia, the temperature drops to 30-36 with a minus mark due to the cold northern air. The minimum temperature in Anapa is 260C, in Sochi - 150C.

In the cold season, the influence of cyclones on the Black Sea coast increases, so the amount of precipitation during this period is the largest. In the rest of the territory, the maximum precipitation is observed in summer period. In winter, snow falls in the mountains of the Caucasus and on the plains. There are snowless winters. The thickness of the snow cover on the plains is from 10 to 15 cm. The southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus are covered with a 3-4 meter snow blanket. The summer climate of the Caucasus is formed mainly by humid air from the Atlantic and dry continental air. The air temperature of the Western Ciscaucasia and the Black Sea coast reaches + 22, +23 degrees, the eastern Ciscaucasia reaches +24, + 25 degrees. There is a noticeable drop in temperature with height. On Elbrus, the average thermometer is only +1.4 degrees.

In Ciscaucasia, Atlantic cyclones carry in the first half of summer maximum amount precipitation. In the middle of summer, air masses transform over the southeast of the East European Plain, which leads to a decrease in precipitation and the formation of dry winds with droughts. Rising from the foothills to the mountains, the amount of precipitation increases, but in the eastern part it decreases significantly. The annual indicator of the Kuban-Azov lowland reaches 550-600 mm of precipitation. If we consider the Sochi region, then the figure will be equal to 1650 mm. In the west of the Greater Caucasus mountains, on average, 2000-3000 mm of precipitation falls, and in the eastern region the figure is 1000-1500 mm. The greatest amount of precipitation was noted on the windward slopes of the Greater Caucasus from the southwestern side. For example, at the Achishkho station, the largest amount of precipitation falls not only in the Caucasus region, but also in all of Russia taken together. This figure reaches more than 3700 mm per year.

The modern glaciation of the Caucasus is associated with its climate and relief features. There are 1498 glaciers in the Russian Caucasus, which is 70% of the total number of glaciers, as well as the glaciation area of ​​the Greater Caucasus.

Rivers of the Caucasus

The mountains of the Caucasus gather in themselves a large number of moisture. These are rains, snow, glaciers. It is in the mountains that the sources of all Caucasian rivers are located. Through the flat territories of Ciscaucasia, the waters of the rivers enter the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas. Mostly mountain rivers with a rapid current. There are also lowland rivers in the Caucasus, which have a slow flow and a small flood. The Stavropol Upland is the starting point for part of the lowland rivers. In summer, they dry up, forming a kind of chain of lakes. The upper reaches of the rivers Kuban, Kuma, Rioni, Terek, Kura, Araks are located in the mountains, and the lower reaches are on the plains. These rivers are fed by rain and groundwater. Downpours feed the rivers located between Tuapse and Sochi, turning them into swift streams. When there is no rain, rivers turn into streams. The sources of the mountain rivers Bzyb, Kodor, Inguri are located at an altitude of 2 to 3 thousand meters. Sulak and Terek flow at high speed through deep canyon-like gorges. These rivers have rapids and waterfalls.

The density of the river network of valleys is uneven and reaches only 0.05 km/sq. km. The southern slope of the mountain system has a dense river network. The rivers of the Caucasus, especially in Dagestan, are muddy, as rocks are washed out, as well as various sediments. The most muddy waters of the Kura and Terek rivers. The Kuban, Kagalnik, Western Manych, Chelbas and Beisug flow into the Black Sea. The rivers of the Caspian Sea basin are Samur, Terek, Sulak, East Manych, Kuma and Kalaus.

The Caucasian rivers have an insignificant transport function. The Kura, Rioni, Kuban can be attributed to the category of navigable. They use rivers for the purpose of irrigating territories, and it is also convenient to float timber along them. There are hydroelectric power stations on many Caucasian rivers.

Lakes of the Caucasus

There are few lakes in the Caucasus. The total number is about 2 thousand. The area of ​​lakes is small. An exception can be considered the mountain lake Sevan, the height of the water surface of which is 1916 m, and the greatest depth is 99 m. The area and depth of the lake have slightly decreased due to the construction of a hydroelectric power station on it. This factor affected not only the lake, but also the nature of the adjacent territory. Some species of animals have disappeared, the number of fish has decreased, and bare peat bogs have formed on the ground.

The plains of the coasts of the Azov and Caspian Seas contain lagoonal and estuary lakes. Manych lakes formed a whole system. Certain lakes in this system sometimes dry up during the summer.

The foothills and lower slopes of lakes do not have, but there are many of them in the mountains. The basins of mountain lakes are different in origin. Most of them are tectonic, but there are also karst, volcanic and cirque. Lakes of volcanic origin are marked by damming. River basin Teberdy is famous for its lakes of glacial origin that have survived to this day. The floodplains of flat rivers are decorated with original lakes. For example, such is the dammed lake Ritsa, located in the mountains.

Summer everywhere, with the exception of the highlands, is hot. Thus, the average temperature in the plains in summer is about 25 °C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 °C.

The abundance of heat and light ensures the development of vegetation in the steppe zone for seven months, foothills - eight, and on the Black Sea coast - up to eleven. (T not lower than +10).

Winters in the Ciscaucasia are quite warm (the average temperature in January is -5ºC). This is facilitated by the warm temperatures coming from the Atlantic Ocean. air masses. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average temperature in January is + 3ºС). In mountainous areas, the temperature is naturally below -4 - 8 ° C.

Precipitation.

The decisive influence on the distribution of precipitation is exerted by dry Central Asian winds penetrating through the Caspian Sea, and humid Black Sea winds.

Precipitation this territory is mainly due to coming from the west cyclones, as a result of which their number gradually decreases towards the east. Most of the precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. (2600mm) (most of all in our country). To the east, rainfall drops to 600 mm per year.

Their number on the Kuban plain is approximately 400 mm. The Stavropol plateau serves not only as a watershed, but also as a barrier limiting the influence of the Black Sea winds in the east of the region. Therefore, the southwestern regions North Caucasus sufficiently moist (Sochi receives 1410 mm of precipitation per year), the eastern ones are arid (Kizlyar - 340 mm).