Sea of Okhotsk description. Sea of Okhotsk: resources, description, features and interesting facts. Traveling to Okhotsk - for extreme sports enthusiasts
The area of the Sea of Okhotsk is 1.603 million square meters. km. Average depth 1780 m maximum depth 3521 m. The western part of the sea has shallow depth and is located on the continental shelf. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depression (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part there is the Kuril Basin, where the depth is maximum.
From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze.
The coast in the north is heavily indented; in the northeast of the Sea of Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays in the northern part, the most famous are the Eirine Bay and the bays of Sheltinga, Zabiyaka, Babushkina, Kekurny, Odessa Bay on the island of Iturup. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. In the southwest, the largest are Aniva and Terpeniya bays.
Fishing (salmon, herring, pollock, capelin, navaga, etc.).
Main ports: on the mainland - Magadan, Ayan, Okhotsk (port point); on the island of Sakhalin - Korsakov, on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.
The Sea of Okhotsk is named after the Okhot River, which in turn comes from the Even word okat - “river”. The Japanese traditionally called this sea "Hokkai" (北海), literally "North Sea". But since now this name refers to the North Sea Atlantic Ocean, then they changed the name of the Sea of Okhotsk to “Ohotsuku-kai” (オホーツク海), which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.
The sea is located on the Okhotsk subplate, which is part of the Eurasian plate. The crust under most of the Sea of Okhotsk is of continental type.
The Sea of Okhotsk, whose resources are of great importance for states, is one of the most large seas related to the pool Pacific Ocean. Located off the coast of Asia. It is separated from the ocean and islands - Hokkaido, east coast Sakhalin and the chain of Kuril lands.
It is worth noting that this sea is considered the coldest of all located on Far East. Even in summer, the temperature above it does not exceed 18 degrees on the southern side, and in the northeast thermometers show 10 degrees - this is the maximum.
Brief description of the Sea of Okhotsk
It is cold and powerful. The Sea of Okhotsk washes the shores of Japan and Russia. In its outline, the reservoir resembles an ordinary trapezoid. The sea stretches from southwest to northeast. The maximum length is 2,463 km and the maximum width is 1,500 km. The coastline is more than 10,000 km long. The depth of the Sea of Okhotsk (an indicator of the maximum depression) is almost 4,000 km. The type of reservoir adjacent to the outskirts of the mainland is mixed.
Volcanic activity extends both to the surface and to the bottom of the sea. When seismic movement or the explosion of an underwater volcano occurs underwater, it can cause huge tsunami waves.
Hydronym
The Sea of Okhotsk, whose resources are used in the economic spheres of two countries (Russia and Japan), received its name from the name of the Okhota River. By official sources previously it was called Lamsky and Kamchatsky. In Japan, for a long time the sea was called “Northern”. But due to confusion with another body of water of the same name, the hydronym was adapted and now the Sea is called the Sea of Okhotsk.
The importance of the Sea of Okhotsk for Russia
It cannot be overestimated. Since 2014, the Sea of Okhotsk has been classified as inland waters Russian Federation. The state makes full use of its resources. First of all, it is the main supplier of salmon species. These are chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon and other representatives of the family. Caviar production is organized here, which is highly valued. It is not for nothing that Russia is considered one of the largest suppliers of this product.
The problems of the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as other bodies of water, have led to a significant decline in populations. It was for this reason that the state had to limit fishing. And this applies not only to the salmon family, but also to other species, such as herring, flounder, and cod.
Industry
Russia has achieved great results in the development of industry on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk. First of all, these are ship repair enterprises and, of course, fish processing factories. These two areas were modernized in the 90s and are now of great importance for economic development states. Nowadays, many commercial enterprises have appeared here.
Industry is also developing quite well on the island. Sakhalin. Previously, in tsarist times, it was perceived negatively, since it served as a place for exile for people disliked by the rule. Now the picture has changed radically. The industry is thriving, people themselves are eager to come here in order to earn big money.
Kamchatka seafood processing enterprises have entered the world market. Their products are highly appreciated abroad. It meets the standards and is quite popular in many countries.
Thanks to oil and gas fields, Russia is a monopolist in this area. There is not a single state that could supply the same volumes of oil and gas to Europe. That is why a lot of money from the state treasury is invested in these enterprises.
Islands
There are few islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, the largest of which is Sakhalin. Its coastline is heterogeneous: in the northeast there is a lowland, in the southeast it is slightly elevated above sea level, and in the west there is a sandbank.
The Kuril Islands are of particular interest. They are small in size; there are about 30 large ones, but there are also smaller ones. All together they form a seismic belt - the largest on the planet. There are about 100 volcanoes on the Kuril Islands. Moreover, 30 of them are active: they can constantly “disturb” the Sea of Okhotsk.
Resources Shantar Islands- seals. The largest concentration of this species is observed here. However, recently their production has been regulated in order to avoid complete extermination.
Bays
The shoreline of the reservoir is slightly indented, although it is of great length. There are practically no bays or coves in this area. The Sea of Okhotsk basin is divided into three basins: the Kuril, TINRO and Deryugin depressions.
The largest bays are: Sakhalinsky, Tugursky, Shelikhova, etc. There are also several lips here - sea bays cutting deeply into the land, which form the depression of large rivers. Among them, Penzhinskaya, Gizhiginskaya, Udskaya, and Tauyskaya are distinguished. Thanks to the bays, water exchange in the seas also occurs. And on this moment Scientists call this issue quite problematic.
Straits
They are part of the Okhotsk basin. This is the important element that connects the reservoir with and also with the Pacific Ocean. In addition, low and shallow water and Nevelskoy are observed. They do not play a special role, since they are quite small. But the Kruzenshtern and Bussol straits are distinguished by their large area, while their maximum depth reaches 500 meters. In many ways, they regulate the salinity of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Bottom and coastline
The depths of the Sea of Okhotsk are varied. On the side of Sakhalin and the mainland, the bottom is represented by a sandbank - a continuation of the Asian part of the mainland. Its width is approximately 100 km. The rest of the bottom (about 70%) is represented by the continental slope. Near the Kuril Islands, next to the island. Iturup is a sore cavity. In this place, the depth of the Sea of Okhotsk reaches 2,500 meters. At the bottom of the reservoir, there are two large, elevated sections of relief with rather original names: the hill of the Institute of Oceanology and the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk belongs to different geomorphological forms. Most of them are high and steep slopes. Only western territory Kamchatka and the east of the island. Sakhalin have a lowland character. But the northern coast is significantly rugged.
Water exchange
Continental water flow is small. This happens for the reason that all the rivers flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk are not full of water and cannot play a significant role. The most important is r. Amur, it is here that more than half of the total waste flow falls. There are others regarding large rivers. This is Okhota, Uda, Bolshaya, Penzhina.
Hydrological characteristics
The reservoir is complete because the salinity of the Sea of Okhotsk is quite high. It is 32-34 ppm. It decreases closer to the shore, reaching 30 ‰, and in the intermediate layer - 34 ‰.
Most of the territory is covered with floating ice in winter. The lowest water temperature in the cold season ranges from -1 to +2 degrees. In summer depths of the sea warm up to 10-18ºC.
Interesting fact: at a depth of 100 meters there is an intermediate layer of water, the temperature of which does not change throughout the year and is 1.7°C below zero.
Climate Features
The Sea of Okhotsk is located in temperate latitudes. This fact has a great influence on mainland, providing In the cold part of the year, the Aleutian minimum dominates the territory of the reservoir. It greatly influences north winds, causing storms that continue throughout the winter.
In the warm season, weak south-easterly winds come from the mainland. Thanks to them, the air temperature increases significantly. However, along with them come cyclones, which can subsequently form typhoons. The duration of such a typhoon can be from 5 to 8 days.
Sea of Okhotsk: resources
They will be discussed further. It is known that Natural resources The Sea of Okhotsk is still poorly explored. The most valuable is the sea shelf with its hydrocarbon reserves. Nowadays, 7 are open in Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk Territory and Magadan Territory administrative center. The development of these deposits began back in the 70s. However, besides oil, the main wealth of the Sea of Okhotsk is flora and fauna. They are extremely diverse. Therefore, fishing is significantly developed here. The Sea of Okhotsk is home to the most valuable species of salmon fish. Squid are harvested in the depths, and the reservoir ranks first in the world in terms of catching crabs. Recently, mining conditions have become more strict and harsh. And restrictions were introduced on the catch of some fish.
Fur seals, whales, and seals live in the northern waters of the sea. Catching these representatives of the animal world is strictly prohibited. Recently, fishing for sea urchins and shellfish has become increasingly popular. From flora matter different types seaweed. Speaking about the use of the sea, it is worth noting its importance in the transport sector. It is a priority. There are important sea trade routes that connect big cities Korsakov (Sakhalin), Magadan, Okhotsk and others.
Ecological problems
The Sea of Okhotsk, like other waters of the World Ocean, suffers from human activity. Recorded here ecological problems in the form of waste products of oil refining and residual gas compounds. Waste from industrial and household enterprises is also quite problematic.
The coastal zone began to become polluted since the development of the first shelf deposits, but until the end of the 80s it did not occur on such a large scale. Now, anthropogenic human activity has reached a critical point and requires immediate resolution. Highest concentration waste and pollution is concentrated off the coast of Sakhalin. This is mainly due to rich oil deposits.
] . The western part of the sea is located above the gentle continuation of the continent and has shallow depth. In the center of the sea are the Deryugin depression (in the south) and the TINRO depression. In the eastern part there is the Kuril Basin, where the depth is maximum. From October to May - June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze. The coast in the north is heavily indented; in the northeast of the Sea of Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay. Of the smaller bays in the northern part, the most famous are the Eirine Bay and the bays of Sheltinga, Zabiyaka, Babushkina, and Kekurny. In the east, the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula is practically devoid of bays. In the west, the coastline is strongly indented, forming the Sakhalin Bay and the Shantar Sea. In the south, the largest are Aniva and Terpeniya bays, Odessa Bay on the island of Iturup. The rivers Amur, Okhota, and Kukhtui flow into it.
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The Sea of Okhotsk is named after the Okhota River, which in turn comes from Evensk. okat - “river”. Previously it was called Lamsky (from Evensk. Lam - “sea”), as well as the Kamchatka Sea. The Japanese traditionally called this sea Hokkai (北海), literally "North Sea". But since now this name refers to the North Sea of the Atlantic Ocean, they changed the name of the Sea of Okhotsk to Ohotsuku-kai (オホーツク海), which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.
Legal regime
The water area of the Sea of Okhotsk consists of inland waters, a territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of two coastal states - Russia and Japan. In terms of its international legal status, the Sea of Okhotsk is closest to a semi-enclosed sea (Article 122 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), since it is surrounded by two or more states and mainly consists of the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone of two states, but it is not such, since connected to the rest of the world's oceans not by a single narrow passage, but by a series of passages. In the central part of the sea, at a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines, there is a section elongated in the meridional direction, traditionally called Peanut Hole in English literature, which is not included in the exclusive economic zone and is an open sea outside the jurisdiction of Russia; in particular, any country in the world has the right here to fish and conduct other activities permitted by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, excluding activities on the shelf. Since this region is an important element for the reproduction of the population of some species of commercial fish, the governments of some countries directly prohibit their vessels from fishing in this area of the sea.
On November 13-14, 2013, the Subcommission established within the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf agreed with the arguments of the Russian delegation as part of the consideration of the Russian Federation’s application for recognition of the bottom of the above-mentioned area open sea continuation of the Russian continental shelf. On March 15, 2014, the 33rd session of the Commission in 2014 adopted a positive decision on the Russian application, first submitted in 2001, and submitted in a new version at the beginning of 2013, and the central part of the Sea of Okhotsk outside the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation was recognized continental shelf of Russia. Consequently, in the central part, other states are prohibited from mining “sedentary” biological resources(e.g. crab, shellfish) and mining. The fishing of other biological resources, such as fish, is not subject to restrictions on the continental shelf. Consideration of the application on its merits became possible thanks to the position of Japan, which, with an official note dated May 23, 2013, confirmed its consent to the Commission’s consideration of the essence of the application, regardless of the resolution of the issue of the Kuril Islands.
Temperature and salinity
15 ships carrying about 700 people were captured by ice.
The operation was carried out by an icebreaker flotilla: the icebreakers Admiral Makarov and Krasin, the icebreaker Magadan and the tanker Victoria served as auxiliary vessels. Coordination headquarters rescue operation was located in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, work was carried out under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Viktor Olersky.
Most of the ships got out on their own, icebreakers rescued four ships: the trawler "Cape Elizabeth", the research vessel "Professor Kiesewetter" (first half of January, "Admiral Makarov"), the refrigerator "Coast of Hope" and the floating base "Commonwealth".
The second ship to be released was the Professor Kiesewetter, whose captain, as a result of the investigation, was deprived of his diploma for six months.
In the area of January 14, icebreakers brought together the remaining ships in distress, after which the icebreakers escorted both ships of the caravan in a coupled manner.
After the “whiskers” of the “Commonwealth” broke, it was decided to first move the refrigerator through the heavy ice.
Wiring was suspended around January 20 due to weather conditions, but on January 24 it was possible to bring the “Coast of Hope” refrigerator to clean water.
On January 26, the towing “whiskers” broke again, and we had to lose time to deliver new ones by helicopter.
On January 31, the floating base "Commonwealth" was also removed from ice captivity; the operation ended at 11:00 Vladivostok time.
Notes
- Old maps of cities of Russia from ancient times to our days (undefined) . www.retromap.ru. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- The Sea of Okhotsk is our everything (undefined) . // rg.ru. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
- FAO: World review of highly migratory species and straddling stocks…
- Scheme Peanut Hole
Sea of Okhotsk located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Asia and is separated from the ocean by the chain of the Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula. From the south and west it is limited by the coast of the island of Hokkaido, the eastern coast of the island of Sakhalin and the coast of the Asian continent. The sea extends significantly from southwest to northeast within a spherical trapezoid with coordinates 43°43"–62°42" N. w. and 135°10"–164°45" E. d. The greatest length of the water area in this direction is 2463 km, and the width reaches 1,500 km. The area of the sea surface is 1603 thousand km2, the length coastline- 10,460 km, and the total volume of sea waters is 1316 thousand km3. In my own way geographical location it belongs to the marginal seas of the mixed continental-marginal type. The Sea of Okhotsk is connected to the Pacific Ocean by numerous straits of the Kuril Island chain, and to the Sea of Japan - through the La Perouse Strait and through the Amur Estuary - by the Nevelsky and Tatar Straits. The average sea depth is 821 m, and the greatest is 3521 m (in the Kuril Basin).
The main morphological zones in the bottom topography are: the shelf (the mainland and island shoals of Sakhalin Island), the continental slope, on which individual underwater hills, depressions and islands are distinguished, and the deep-sea basin. The shelf zone (0–200 m) has a width of 180–250 km and occupies about 20% of the sea area. The wide and gentle continental slope (200–2000 m) in the central part of the basin occupies about 65%, and the deepest basin (more than 2500 m), located in the southern part of the sea, occupies 8% of the sea area. Within the area of the continental slope, several hills and depressions are distinguished, where the depths change sharply (the rise of the Academy of Sciences, the rise of the Institute of Oceanology and the Deryugin Basin). The bottom of the deep-sea Kuril Basin is a flat abyssal plain, and the Kuril ridge is a natural threshold that fences off the sea basin from the ocean.
The Sea of Okhotsk is connected to the Sea of Japan through the Amur Estuary, Nevelskogo in the north and La Perouse in the south, and the numerous Kuril Straits are connected to the Pacific Ocean. The chain of the Kuril Islands is separated from the island of Hokkaido by the Izmena Strait, and from the Kamchatka Peninsula by the First Kuril Strait. The straits connecting the Sea of Okhotsk with adjacent areas of the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean provide the possibility of water exchange between basins, which, in turn, have a significant impact on the distribution of hydrological characteristics. The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits are relatively narrow and shallow, which is the reason for the relatively weak water exchange with the Sea of Japan. The straits of the Kuril island chain, which stretches for about 1200 km, on the contrary, are deeper, and their total width is 500 km. The deepest waters are the Bussol (2318 m) and Kruzenshtern (1920 m) straits.
The northwestern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk is practically devoid of large bays, while the northern coast is significantly indented. The Taui Bay juts into it, the shores of which are indented by bays and bays. The bay is separated from the Sea of Okhotsk by the Koni Peninsula.
The largest bay of the Sea of Okhotsk lies in its northeastern part, extending 315 km into the mainland. This is Shelikhov Bay with Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya bays. The Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya bays are separated by the elevated Taygonos Peninsula. In the southwestern part of Shelikhov Bay, north of the Pyagina Peninsula, there is a small Yamskaya Bay.
West Coast Kamchatka Peninsula is leveled and practically devoid of bays.The shores of the Kuril Islands are complex in their outline and form small bays. On the Sea of Okhotsk side, the largest bays are located near the island of Iturup, which are deep and have a very complexly dissected bottom.
Quite a lot of mostly small rivers flow into the Sea of Okhotsk, therefore, despite the significant volume of its waters, the continental flow is relatively small. It is approximately 600 km3 per year, with about 65% of the flow coming from the Amur River. Other relatively large rivers - Penzhina, Okhota, Uda, Bolshaya (in Kamchatka) - bring significantly less fresh water to the sea. The flow comes mainly in spring and early summer. At this time, its greatest influence is felt mainly in the coastal zone, near the mouths of large rivers.
Shores The Sea of Okhotsk in different areas belongs to different geomorphological types. For the most part, these are abrasive shores modified by the sea, and only on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Sakhalin Island are there accumulative shores. The sea is mostly surrounded by high and steep shores. In the north and northwest, rocky ledges descend directly to the sea. Along the Sakhalin Bay the shores are low. The southeastern coast of Sakhalin is low, and the northeastern coast is low. The shores of the Kuril Islands are very steep. The northeastern coast of Hokkaido is predominantly low-lying. The coast of the southern part of Western Kamchatka has the same character, but the shores of its northern part are somewhat elevated.
According to the characteristics of composition and distribution bottom sediments Three main zones can be distinguished: the central zone, which is composed predominantly of diatomaceous silt, silty-clayey and partially clayey silts; zone of distribution of hemipelagic and pelagic clays in the western, eastern and northern parts of the Sea of Okhotsk; as well as a zone of distribution of heterogeneous sands, sandstones, gravel and silts - in the northeast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Coarse clastic material, which is the result of ice rafting, is ubiquitous.
The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the monsoon zone climate temperate latitudes. A significant part of the sea in the west extends deep into the mainland and lies relatively close to the cold pole of the Asian landmass, so the main source of cold for the Sea of Okhotsk is located to the west of it. The relatively high ridges of Kamchatka make it difficult for warm Pacific air to penetrate. Only in the southeast and south is the sea open to the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, from where a significant amount of heat enters it. However, the influence of cooling factors is stronger than warming ones, so the Sea of Okhotsk is generally cold.
In the cold part of the year (from October to April), the sea is affected by the Siberian Anticyclone and the Aleutian Low. The influence of the latter extends mainly to the southeastern part of the sea. This distribution of large-scale pressure systems causes strong, sustained northwest and northerly winds, often reaching gale force. In winter, the wind speed is usually 10–11 m/s.
In the coldest month - January - average temperature air in the northwest of the sea is –20...–25°С, in central regions- –10...–15°С, and in the south-eastern part of the sea - –5...–6°С.
In autumn winter time cyclones are predominantly of continental origin. They bring with them increased wind, sometimes a decrease in air temperature, but the weather remains clear and dry, as continental air arrives from the cooled mainland. In March - April, a restructuring of large-scale pressure fields occurs, the Siberian anticyclone is destroyed, and the Hawaiian maximum intensifies. As a result, during the warm season (from May to October), the Sea of Okhotsk is influenced by the Hawaiian High and the low pressure area located over Eastern Siberia. At the same time, weak south-easterly winds prevail over the sea. Their speed usually does not exceed 6–7 m/s. These winds are most common in June and July, although stronger northwest and northerly winds are sometimes observed during these months. In general, the Pacific (summer) monsoon is weaker than the Asian (winter) monsoon, since in the warm season the horizontal pressure gradients are smoothed out.
In summer, the average monthly air temperature in August decreases from the southwest to the northeast (from 18°C to 10–10.5°C).In the warm season, tropical cyclones - typhoons - quite often pass over the southern part of the sea. They are associated with increased winds to storm force, which can last up to 5–8 days. The predominance of south-eastern winds in the spring-summer season leads to significant cloudiness, precipitation, and fog.
Monsoon winds and stronger winter cooling of the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk compared to the eastern are important climatic features of this sea.Geographical location, large length along the meridian, monsoon wind changes and good connection between the sea and the Pacific Ocean through the Kuril Straits are the main natural factors that most significantly influence the formation hydrological conditions Sea of Okhotsk.
The flow of surface Pacific waters into the Sea of Okhotsk occurs mainly through the northern straits, in particular through the First Kuril Strait.
In the upper layers of the southern part Kuril ridge The flow of the Sea of Okhotsk waters predominates, and in the upper layers of the northern part of the ridge there is an influx of Pacific waters. In the deep layers, the influx of Pacific waters predominates.
The influx of Pacific waters significantly affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, the formation of the structure and general circulation of the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk.
The following water masses are distinguished in the Sea of Okhotsk:
– surface water mass that has spring, summer and autumn modifications. It is a thin heated layer 15–30 m thick, which limits the upper maximum of stability, mainly determined by temperature;
– the Sea of Okhotsk water mass is formed in winter from surface water and in spring, summer and autumn appears in the form of a cold intermediate layer lying between horizons of 40–150 m. This water mass is characterized by a fairly uniform salinity (31–32‰) and varying temperatures;
– the intermediate water mass is formed mainly due to the descent of water along underwater slopes, within the sea, located from 100–150 to 400–700 m, and is characterized by a temperature of 1.5 ° C and a salinity of 33.7‰. This body of water is distributed almost everywhere;
– the deep Pacific water mass is the water of the lower part of the warm layer of the Pacific Ocean, entering the Sea of Okhotsk at horizons below 800–1000 m. This water mass is located at horizons of 600–1350 m, has a temperature of 2.3 ° C and a salinity of 34.3 ‰.The water mass of the southern basin is of Pacific origin and represents deep water of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean near the 2300 m horizon. This water mass fills the basin from the 1350 m horizon to the bottom and is characterized by a temperature of 1.85 ° C and a salinity of 34.7‰, which change only slightly with depth.
Water temperature on the surface of the sea it decreases from south to north. In winter, almost everywhere the surface layers are cooled to a freezing temperature of –1.5...–1.8°C. Only in the southeastern part of the sea does it remain around 0°C, and near the northern Kuril Straits, under the influence of Pacific waters, the water temperature reaches 1–2°C.
Spring warming at the beginning of the season mainly leads to the melting of ice, only towards the end of it does the water temperature begin to rise.In summer, the distribution of water temperature on the sea surface is quite varied. In August, the warmest waters (up to 18–19°C) are those adjacent to the island of Hokkaido. In the central regions of the sea, the water temperature is 11–12°C. The coldest surface waters are observed off the island of Jonah, off Cape Pyagin and near the Krusenstern Strait. In these areas, the water temperature is between 6–7°C. The formation of local centers of increased and decreased water temperatures on the surface is mainly associated with the redistribution of heat by currents.
The vertical distribution of water temperature varies from season to season and from place to place. In the cold season, temperature changes with depth are less complex and varied than in warm seasons.
In winter, in the northern and central regions of the sea, water cooling extends to horizons of 500–600 m. The water temperature is relatively uniform and varies from –1.5...–1.7°С on the surface to –0.25°С at horizons of 500– 600 m, deeper it rises to 1–0°С, in the southern part of the sea and near the Kuril Straits the water temperature from 2.5–3°С on the surface decreases to 1–1.4°С at horizons of 300–400 m and further gradually increases to 1.9–2.4°C in the bottom layer.
In summer, surface waters are heated to a temperature of 10–12°C. In the subsurface layers, the water temperature is slightly lower than on the surface. A sharp drop in temperature to –1...–1.2°С is observed between horizons of 50–75 m; deeper, to horizons of 150–200 m, the temperature quickly rises to 0.5–1°С, and then it rises more smoothly , and at horizons of 200–250 m is equal to 1.5–2°С. Further, the water temperature remains almost unchanged until the bottom. In the southern and southeastern parts of the sea, along the Kuril Islands, the water temperature from 10–14°С on the surface drops to 3–8°С at a horizon of 25 m, then to 1.6–2.4°С at a horizon of 100 m and up to 1.4–2°С at the bottom. The vertical temperature distribution in summer is characterized by a cold intermediate layer. In the northern and central regions of the sea the temperature is negative, and only near the Kuril Straits it has positive values. In different areas of the sea, the depth of the cold intermediate layer is different and varies from year to year.
Distribution salinity in the Sea of Okhotsk changes relatively little between seasons. Salinity increases in the eastern part, which is under the influence of Pacific waters, and decreases in the western part, desalinated by continental runoff. In the western part, the surface salinity is 28–31‰, and in the eastern part it is 31–32‰ and more (up to 33‰ near the Kuril ridge).
In the northwestern part of the sea, due to desalination, the salinity on the surface is 25‰ or less, and the thickness of the desalinated layer is about 30–40 m.
Salinity increases with depth in the Sea of Okhotsk. At horizons of 300–400 m in the western part of the sea, salinity is 33.5‰, and in the eastern part it is about 33.8‰. At a horizon of 100 m, salinity is 34‰ and then towards the bottom it increases slightly, by only 0.5–0.6‰.In individual bays and straits, the value of salinity and its stratification may differ significantly from the waters of the open sea, depending on local conditions.
In accordance with temperature and salinity, denser waters are observed in winter in the northern and central areas of the sea, covered with ice. The density is somewhat lower in the relatively warm Kuril region. In summer, the density of water decreases, its lowest values are confined to zones of influence of coastal runoff, and the highest are observed in areas of distribution of Pacific waters. In winter, it rises slightly from the surface to the bottom. In summer, its distribution depends on temperature in the upper layers, and on salinity in the middle and lower layers. IN summer time a noticeable density stratification of waters is created vertically, the density increases especially noticeably at horizons of 25–50 m, which is associated with the heating of waters in open areas and desalination near the coast.
Intense ice formation over most of the sea stimulates enhanced thermohaline winter vertical circulation. At depths of up to 250–300 m, it spreads to the bottom, and below it is prevented by the maximum stability that exists here. In areas with rugged bottom topography, the spread of density mixing into the lower horizons is facilitated by the sliding of water along the slopes.
Under the influence of winds and the influx of water through the Kuril Straits, the characteristic features of a system of non-periodic currents Sea of Okhotsk. The main one is a cyclonic system of currents, covering almost the entire sea. It is caused by the predominance of cyclonic atmospheric circulation over the sea and the adjacent part of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, stable anticyclonic gyres can be traced in the sea.
Strong currents move around the sea along the coastline counterclockwise: the warm Kamchatka Current, the stable East Sakhalin Current and the rather strong Soya Current.
And finally, another feature of the circulation of the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk is two-way stable currents in most of the Kuril Straits.Currents on the surface of the Sea of Okhotsk are most intense off the western coast of Kamchatka (11–20 cm/s), in the Sakhalin Bay (30–45 cm/s), in the area of the Kuril Straits (15–40 cm/s), over the Kuril Basin (11 –20 cm/s) and during the Soya River (up to 50–90 cm/s).
In the Sea of Okhotsk, various types of periodic tidal currents: semi-diurnal, diurnal and mixed with a predominance of semi-diurnal or diurnal components. Tidal current velocities range from a few centimeters to 4 m/s. Far from the coast, current speeds are low - 5–10 cm/s. In straits, bays and off the coast, their speeds increase significantly. For example, in the Kuril Straits, current speeds reach 2–4 m/s.
In general, tidal level fluctuations in the Sea of Okhotsk are very significant and have a significant impact on its hydrological regime, especially in the coastal zone.
In addition to tidal fluctuations, surge level fluctuations are also well developed here. They occur mainly when deep cyclones pass over the sea. Surge increases in level reach 1.5–2 m. The largest surges are noted on the coast of Kamchatka and in Terpeniya Bay.Significant size and great depths Sea of Okhotsk, frequent and strong winds above it determine the development of large waves here. The sea is especially rough in the fall, and in some areas in the winter. These seasons account for 55–70% of storm waves, including those with wave heights of 4–6 m, and the highest wave heights reach 10–11 m. The most turbulent are the southern and southeastern regions of the sea, where the average frequency of storm waves is 35 –40%, and in the northwestern part it decreases to 25–30%.
In normal years southern border relatively stable ice cover bends to the north and runs from the La Perouse Strait to Cape Lopatka.
The extreme southern part of the sea never freezes. However, thanks to the winds, significant masses of ice are carried into it from the north, often accumulating near the Kuril Islands.Ice cover in the Sea of Okhotsk lasts for 6–7 months. Floating ice covers more than 75% of the sea surface. The compact ice of the northern part of the sea poses serious obstacles to navigation even for icebreakers. The total duration of the ice period in the northern part of the sea reaches 280 days a year. Some of the ice from the Sea of Okhotsk is carried into the ocean, where it almost immediately collapses and melts.
Forecast resources hydrocarbons The Sea of Okhotsk is estimated at 6.56 billion tons of oil equivalent, proven reserves are over 4 billion tons. The largest fields are on the shelves (along the coast of Sakhalin Island, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Khabarovsk Territory and Magadan region). The deposits of Sakhalin Island are the most studied. Exploration work on the island's shelf began in the 70s. XX century, by the end of the 90s, seven large fields (6 oil and gas condensate and 1 gas condensate) and a small gas field in the Tatar Strait were discovered on the shelf of North-Eastern Sakhalin. Total gas reserves on the Sakhalin shelf are estimated at 3.5 trillion m3.
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Vegetation and animal world are very diverse. The sea ranks first in the world in terms of commercial crab reserves. Salmon fish are of great value: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon - a source of red caviar. Intensive fishing is carried out for herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, etc. The sea is inhabited by whales, seals, sea lions, and fur seals. Fishing for mollusks and sea urchins is becoming increasingly interesting. Various algae are ubiquitous in the littoral zone.
Due to the poor development of the surrounding territories, maritime transport has become of primary importance. Important sea routes lead to Korsakov on Sakhalin Island, Magadan, Okhotsk and other settlements.The greatest anthropogenic load The areas of Tauyskaya Bay in the northern part of the sea and the shelf areas of Sakhalin Island are exposed. IN northern part About 23 tons of petroleum products enter the sea annually, with 70–80% coming from river runoff. Pollutants enter Tauyskaya Bay from coastal industrial and municipal facilities, and Magadan wastewater enters the coastal zone practically without treatment.
The shelf zone of Sakhalin Island is polluted by coal, oil and gas production enterprises, pulp and paper mills, fishing and processing vessels and enterprises, and wastewater from municipal facilities. The annual supply of petroleum products to the southwestern part of the sea is estimated at approximately 1.1 thousand tons, with 75–85% from river runoff.
Petrocarbons enter the Sakhalin Bay mainly with the runoff of the Amur River, so their maximum concentrations are usually observed in the central and western parts of the bay along the axis of the incoming Amur waters.The eastern part of the sea - the shelf of the Kamchatka Peninsula - is polluted by river runoff, with which the bulk of petroleum carbons enter the marine environment. Due to the reduction in work at fish canning enterprises on the peninsula since 1991, there has been a decrease in the volume of wastewater discharged into the coastal zone of the sea.
The northern part of the sea - Shelikhov Bay, Tauyskaya and Penzhinskaya bays - is the most polluted area of the sea with the average content of petroleum carbons in water 1–5 times higher than the permissible concentration limit. This is determined not only by the anthropogenic load on the water area, but also by low average annual water temperatures and, consequently, the low ability of the ecosystem to self-purify. The highest level of pollution in the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk was noted in the period from 1989 to 1991.
The southern part of the sea - the La Perouse Strait and Aniva Bay - are subject to intense oil pollution in the spring and summer by commercial and fishing fleets. On average, the content of petroleum carbons in the La Perouse Strait does not exceed the permissible concentration limit. Aniva Bay is slightly more polluted. The highest level of pollution in this area was observed near the port of Korsakov, once again confirming that the port is a source of intense pollution of the marine environment.
Pollution of the coastal zone of the sea along the north-eastern part of Sakhalin Island is mainly associated with the exploration and production of oil and gas on the shelf of the island and until the end of the 80s of the last century did not exceed the maximum permissible concentration..gif)
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The Sea of Okhotsk is a semi-enclosed sea located in the northern hemisphere, part of the Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of Russia and Japan.
Previously, this sea was called “Kamchatka”. The Japanese called this sea "Hokkai", which literally translates as "North Sea", but the traditional name eventually changed to the Sea of Okhotsk.
What rivers flow into
The following flow into the Sea of Okhotsk: big rivers:
- Kukhtui (a river whose length reaches 384 kilometers, it is located in the Khabarovsk Territory, just like the Okhota River);
- Okhota (a small river in the Khabarovsk Territory, the length of which reaches almost 400 kilometers);
- Amur (the length of the river reaches almost 2900 km, which makes this waterway quite large and important in Eastern Russia and China for infrastructure).
Relief of the Sea of Okhotsk
The western part of the bottom is a flat slab and is located at a fairly shallow depth. In the very center there are large depressions. However, the maximum depth was recorded in the so-called Kuril Basin, which is located in the eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. The bottom can be sandy, rocky, muddy-sandy.
The seashores are mostly high and rocky. In the southwest of Kamchatka the shores have low relief. There are volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk, and there are also on the islands. 70 are considered extinct, 30 are considered active.
The southeastern part of the sea almost never freezes - even in winter, which cannot be said about the northern part of the sea, where ice persists from October to June. North coast the sea is heavily indented, which is why a lot of natural bays, the largest of which is called Sherikhov Bay. In the west of the sea there are also many bays, the largest of which are the Shantar Sea and Sakhalin Bay.
Cities
Located on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk small town called Okhotsk, which became the first Russian settlement built on the Pacific coast. Magadan with a population of more than 90 thousand inhabitants is considered one of the largest cities on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Kholmsk photo On the seashore there is also a relatively small town of Kholmsk with a population of 28 thousand inhabitants. Well, the last one " big city» on the Sea of Okhotsk can be called Korsakov with a population of 33 thousand people. The city is actively involved in fishing and fish processing.
Flora and fauna of the Sea of Okhotsk
The number of fish species in the Sea of Okhotsk is large; there has always been a fair amount of it, which is why the sea has become an important industrial site. IN the greatest number The Sea of Okhotsk is home to herring, capelin, salmon, pollock and navaga. Among other valuable seafood, one can also highlight Kamchatka crab - they reach truly enormous sizes and are a delicacy for humans.
Beluga whale in the Sea of Okhotsk photoThey live here sea urchins, starfish, shrimp and crabs, mussels, jellyfish, corals. The Kamchatka crab is one of the largest representatives of crustaceans in the Far Eastern waters.
As in many northern waters, the Sea of Okhotsk is home to several species of whales, including the rare fin whale, as well as the largest creatures on the planet to ever exist, blue whales. The waters of the sea are inhabited by beluga whales, seals and seals.
depths of the Sea of Okhotsk photo The world of birds is diverse and numerous. On the islands of the Sea of Okhotsk, large colonies of gulls, cormorants, guillemots, guillemots, mottled guillemots, petrels, geese, etc. nest in large colonies.
birds on the Sea of Okhotsk photo Sea vegetation: brown and green algae, red algae, kelp, in some places there are abundant thickets of sea grass - zoster.
Characteristics of the Sea of Okhotsk
The area of the Sea of Okhotsk reaches 1,603,000 square kilometers, and its volume exceeds 1,300,000 cubic meters. The average depth of the sea is quite large - approximately 1,700 meters, and the most deep point the seabed is located at a depth of 3,916 meters.
In summer, the sea surface temperature is 18 degrees Celsius. And in winter it is colder - 2 degrees Celsius, and sometimes it can drop to sub-zero temperatures of -1.8 degrees. As for the climate, it is monsoonal, very harsh due to northern winds, only in the south the air temperature is relatively high.
Sea of Okhotsk in winter photo If we compare the Sea of Okhotsk with the neighboring seas: the Japanese and Bering seas, then it will be the coldest of them. In winter, the Sea of Okhotsk is tormented by strong northern winds and thereby makes the climate even more severe. The minimum air temperature comes with January and reaches an average of -25 degrees. In summer, the temperature rarely exceeds +15 degrees.
Quite often, storms occur on the Sea of Okhotsk that last more than one week. They come to the southern part of the sea from the Pacific Ocean. The waves are high and the storms are long. In very severe winters, ice forms - both floating and also stationary. Ice floes float along Sakhalin and the Amur region, often even in summer.
Sakhalin photo Coastal waters are the least saline and generally do not reach even 30%. But in the rest of the sea, the salt level sometimes reaches up to 34%. Surface waters are the least saline - no more than 32-33%, while already at depth the salinity exceeds 34%.
There are also islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, but their number is extremely small. The largest one is Sakhalin Island. Most of the islands are located in a seismically active zone.