INSTRUCTIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE Blessed MOTHER ALIPIA GOLOSEEVSKY, Kyiv...
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the largest water bodies on the planet. It is also one of the richest in terms of biological resources. The sea provides about 60% of the entire Russian Federation. Rare and endangered species live in its waters, and there are noisy "bird markets" on the banks.
The western border of the Sea of Okhotsk is drawn along the eastern coast of two islands: Sakhalin and Hokkaido. According to its physical and geographical characteristics, it is an inland sea. The Sea of Okhotsk also belongs to the seas of the so-called mixed continental-marginal type. Its area is 1603 thousand square meters. km. And the average depth is 821 m. The maximum depth of the Sea of Okhotsk is 3916 m.
Straits of the Sea of Okhotsk
The Amur estuary, and also - these are the channels through which the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk connects with the Sea of \u200b\u200bJapan. Which ocean gives rise Sea of Japan? It, like the Okhotsk, belongs to the waters of the Pacific Ocean. With the help of a huge number of Kuril straits, the sea is also connected to the Pacific Ocean. The deepest are the straits of the Bussol and Krusenstern islands. According to the classification of geographer N. Zubov, the Sea of Okhotsk belongs to the category of basin seas. The depth of its straits is much less than the depth of the basin.
Islands of the Sea of Okhotsk
The part of which ocean the Sea of Okhotsk is, also determines its shape. In this part of the Pacific Ocean there are a large number of islands of various origins. But the coastline itself is considered relatively flat. The islands of the sea differ in their shape. There are also those that are located in the waters in compactly compressed groups. There are also singles. The map of the Sea of Okhotsk is dotted with many islands, including those that are in the zone of seismic activity (for example, these are the Kuriles). Scientists also distinguish the so-called islands of the transition zone. The first group includes those that are formed by a single lithospheric plate with the mainland.
And the second geographers include those that have the shape of elongated archipelagos. The first group includes small islands located near East Sakhalin. These are Seals and the Stone of Danger. Seal Island has a flat surface and steep banks. And the Danger Stone, in fact, is a group of bare stones located in the La Perouse Strait. Two hundred kilometers. from about. Sakhalin is located on Iona with rocky shores. Its height is about 150 m. And in the northwest is the Shantar archipelago, which includes about 15 islands, the territory of which is 2.5 km 2. The islands of the so-called Great Kuril Ridge are included in the Southern Kuriles.
Salinity and temperature
The salinity of the waters is determined by the part of which ocean the Sea of Okhotsk is. The salinity of the sea is in many ways similar to the data of the Pacific Ocean. The surface waters of the Sea of Okhotsk have a salinity of 32.8-33.8 ppm. The intermediate layer has a salinity of 34.5 ppm. It is known that in the Pacific Ocean this figure is on average 30-35 ppm. The temperature at the surface of the water in the sea during the cold season ranges from -1.8°С to +2°С. In summer, the figures rise to + 18 ° С. But at a depth of about 50-150 meters, the water temperature remains constant year-round. It is about -1.7°C. Warmer waters with a temperature of about 2-3°C enter the sea through the Kuril Straits.
Sea ownership
Since March 2003, Russia has been recognized as the official right to the enclave of the sea. The Sea of Okhotsk, or rather, a significant part of its shelf with an area of \u200b\u200babout 52 thousand square meters. km. is now in the possession of the Russian Federation. This event was especially important for local fishermen. After all, before they could not fish anywhere in the sea. After the transfer of the Sea of Okhotsk to Russia, they will no longer have competitors from other countries who previously had to give away part of the fish they caught. In addition, other workers in the industrial industry since then have been able to cross the sea area along the most convenient route.
Biodiversity
"The Sea of Okhotsk - the basin of which ocean?" - this question is also often asked in connection with the description of its marine wealth. The fauna of the sea is rich in species that came to these waters from the Pacific territories. There are crabs, shrimps, sea urchins and stars, seals, whales, fur seals. According to some estimates, it ranks first in the world in terms of the number of crabs. It is in the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk that the giant king crab lives, the leg span of which can reach 1.5 m.
About 200 species of fish are also found in the sea - these are herring, cod, navaga, pollock, capelin. Also in this area you can often meet sharks. Their species composition is similar to the Bering Sea: there is a katran, polar and salmon sharks.
Other riches
The Sea of Okhotsk is rich not only in fish stocks, crabs and various shellfish. Geologists say that about 40% of the territory of its shelf are sources of black gold - oil. There are also rich deposits of natural gas. Many experts tend to believe that the amount of oil deposits at the bottom of the sea exceeds three billion barrels. But the complete transfer of the sea to Russia also means some obligations for Russia. The state must protect against poachers who hunt illegally on the territory of the sea.
Bottom Features
The bottom of the sea is very diverse. There are depressions, and gutters, and many hills. The part of which ocean the Sea of Okhotsk is, also determines the nature of its shelf. According to its characteristics, it is related to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. It is known that the Pacific Ocean is the most big number deep sea trenches on the planet. The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the transition zone between the Asian continent and the Pacific Ocean. The sea region is a huge lithospheric plate, which is located between the Eurasian, North American and Pacific plates. The Pacific Ocean on the world map is separated from the Sea of Okhotsk by the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-sea trench.
This natural reservoir is considered one of the deepest and largest in Russia. The coolest Far Eastern sea is located between the waters of the Bering and the Sea of Japan.
The Sea of Okhotsk divides the territories Russian Federation and Japan and is the most important port point for our country.
After reviewing the information in the article, you can learn about the richest resources of the Sea of Okhotsk and the history of the formation of the reservoir.
About the name
Previously, the sea had other names: Kamchatskoe, Lamskoe, Hokkai among the Japanese.
The current name of the sea was given by the name of the Okhota River, which in turn comes from the Even word "okat", which translates as "river". Former name(Lamskoe) also came from the Even word "lam" (translated as "sea"). Hokkai literally translates to "North Sea" in Japanese. However, due to the fact that this Japanese name now refers to the North Sea Atlantic Ocean, its name was changed to Ohotsuku-kai, which is an adaptation of the Russian name to the norms of Japanese phonetics.
Geography
Before proceeding to the description of the richest resources of the Sea of Okhotsk, we briefly present its geographical position.
The reservoir, located between the Bering and the Seas of Japan, strongly goes into the land of the mainland. Arc Kuril Islands the waters of the sea are separated from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The reservoir has for the most part natural boundaries, and its conditional boundaries are with the Sea of Japan.
The Kuriles, which are about 3 dozen small areas of land and separating the ocean from the sea, are located in a seismically hazardous zone due to the presence of a large number of volcanoes on them. In addition, the waters of these two natural reservoirs are separated by the island of Hokkaido and Kamchatka. largest island Sea of Okhotsk - Sakhalin. The largest rivers flowing into the sea are Amur, Okhota, Bolshaya and Penzhina.
Description
The area of the sea is approximately 1603 thousand square meters. km, the volume of water - 1318 thousand cubic meters. km. The maximum depth is 3916 meters, the average is 821 m. The type of sea is mixed, continental-marginal.
Several bays pass along the rather even coastal boundary of the reservoir. The northern part of the coast is represented by many rocks and rather sharp cliffs. Storm is a frequent and quite common occurrence for this sea.
Features of nature and all resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are partly related to climate conditions and unusual terrain.
For the most part, the seashores are rocky and high. From the sea, from afar on the horizon, they are distinguished by black stripes, framed on top by brownish green spots of sparse vegetation. Only in some places (the western coast of Kamchatka, the northern part of Sakhalin), the coastline is low, fairly wide areas.
The bottom in some respects is similar to the bottom of the Sea of Japan: in many places there are hollows under water, which indicate that the area of \u200b\u200bthe present sea in the Quaternary period was above sea level, and huge rivers flowed in this place - Penzhina and Amur.
Sometimes, during earthquakes, waves appear in the ocean, reaching several tens of meters in height. There is an interesting historical fact connected with this. In 1780, one of these waves during an earthquake deep into the island of Urup (300 meters from the coast) brought the ship "Natalia", which remained on land. This fact is confirmed by the record preserved from those times.
Geologists believe that the territory of the eastern part of the sea is one of the most "troubled" areas on the globe. And today quite large movements of the earth's crust are taking place here. In this part of the ocean, underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are often observed.
A bit of history
The rich natural resources of the Sea of Okhotsk began to attract the attention of people from its very discovery, which occurred during the first campaigns of the Cossacks to the Pacific Ocean through Siberia. It was then called the Lam Sea. Then, after the discovery of Kamchatka, trips by sea and coast to this richest peninsula and to the mouth of the river. Penzhins have become more frequent. In those days, the sea already bore the names Penzhinskoe and Kamchatskoe.
After leaving Yakutsk, the Cossacks moved east not straight through the taiga and mountains, but along the winding rivers and channels between them. Such a caravan path eventually led them to a river called the Hunt, and along it they were already moving to the seashore. That is why this reservoir was named Okhotsk. Since then, many significant and important large centers have arisen on the sea coast. The name that has survived since then testifies to the important historical role ports and rivers, from which people began the development of this huge, richest sea area.
Features of nature
The natural resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are quite attractive. This is especially true for the regions of the Kuril Islands. This is a very special world, consisting of a total of 30 large and small islands. This range also includes rocks of volcanic origin. Today, there are active volcanoes on the islands (about 30), which clearly indicates that the bowels of the earth are restless here and now.
Some islands have underground hot springs (temperature up to 30-70°C), many of which have healing properties.
Very severe climatic conditions for life on the Kuril Islands (especially in the northern part). Fogs linger here for a long time, and in winter time very often there are strong storms.
Rivers
Many rivers, mostly small ones, flow into the Sea of Okhotsk. This is the reason for the relatively small continental flow (about 600 cubic km per year) of water into it, and about 65% of it belongs to the Amur River.
Other relatively large rivers are Penzhina, Uda, Okhota, Bolshaya (in Kamchatka), which carry a much smaller volume into the sea. fresh water. Water flows to a greater extent in spring and early summer.
Fauna
The biological resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are very diverse. This is the most biologically productive sea in Russia. It provides 40% of domestic and more than half of the Far Eastern catches of fish, crustaceans and mollusks. At the same time, it is believed that the biological potential of the sea is underutilized today.
A huge variety of depths and bottom topography, hydrological and climatic conditions in some parts of the sea, a good supply of fish food - all this led to the richness of the ichthyofauna of these places. The northern part of the sea contains 123 species of fish in its waters, the southern part - 300 species. Approximately 85 species are endemic. This sea is a real paradise for lovers of sea fishing.
Fishing, seafood production and production of salmon caviar are actively developing on the territory of the sea. The inhabitants of the sea waters of this region: pink salmon, chum salmon, cod, sockeye salmon, flounder, coho, pollock, herring, saffron cod, chinook salmon, squid, crabs. On the Shantar Islands, hunting (limited) for fur seals is carried out, and the extraction of kelp, mollusks and sea urchins is also becoming popular.
Of the animals, the white whale, seal and seal are of particular commercial value.
Flora
The resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are inexhaustible. Vegetable world reservoir: in the northern part, arctic species predominate, in the southern part - to a greater extent, species of the temperate region. Plankton (larvae, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.) provides abundant food for fish throughout the year. The phytoplankton of the sea is represented mainly by diatoms, and the bottom flora contains many species of red, brown and green algae, as well as extensive meadows of sea grass. In total, the composition of the coastal flora of the Sea of Okhotsk includes about 300 species of vegetation.
In comparison with the Bering Sea, the benthic fauna here is more diverse, and in comparison with the Sea of Japan, it is less rich. The main food fields for deep-sea fish are the northern shallow waters, as well as the East Sakhalin and western Kamchatka shelves.
Mineral resources
The mineral resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are especially rich. Only the water of the sea contains almost all the elements of the table of D. I. Mendeleev.
The bottom of the sea has exceptional reserves of globigerin and diamond silts, consisting mainly of shells of unicellular tiny algae and protozoa. Silts are a valuable raw material for the production of insulating building materials and high quality cement.
The shelf of the sea is also promising for prospecting for hydrocarbon deposits. The rivers of the Aldan-Okhotsk watershed and the lower reaches of the Amur have been famous for placers since ancient times. precious metals, which suggests that there is a possibility of finding underwater ore deposits in the sea. Perhaps there are many more untapped raw materials Sea of Okhotsk.
It is known that the lower shelf horizons and part of the continental slope adjoining them are enriched in phosphorite concretions. There is another more realistic prospect - the extraction of rare elements contained in the bone remains of mammals and fish, and such accumulations are found in deep-sea sediments of the Yuzhno-Okhotskaya basin.
It is impossible to remain silent about amber. The very first finds of this mineral on the eastern coast of Sakhalin date back to the middle of the 19th century. At that time, representatives of the Amur expedition worked here. It should be noted that Sakhalin amber is very beautiful - it is perfectly polished, cherry-red and highly appreciated by experts. The largest pieces of wood fossil resin (up to 0.5 kg) were discovered by geologists near the village of Ostromysovsky. Amber is also found in the oldest deposits of the Taigonos Peninsula, as well as in Kamchatka.
Conclusion
In short, the resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are extremely rich and diverse, it is impossible to list all of them, let alone describe them.
Today, the value of the Sea of Okhotsk in national economy determined by the use of his wealthiest natural resources and sea transport. The main wealth of this sea are game animals, primarily fish. However, today it is enough high level the danger of pollution of commercial areas of the sea with oil products as a result of discharges of oily waters by fishing vessels creates a situation that requires certain measures to increase the level environmental safety ongoing work.
The Sea of Okhotsk was discovered during the first campaigns of the Cossacks through Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.
The local hunting tribes called it Lam - which means: “water”, “sea”, and from this word one of the first names of the sea came from among Russian sailors - “Lamskoye”, and the name of the coastal Tungus - “Lamuts”. Sometimes the sea was also called Tunguska.
However, another name gradually came into use and was fixed, namely, the Sea of Okhotsk. The water area is 1603 thousand km².
Vsevolod Sibi...
The coldest...
Islands of the Hunts...
Subsequently, when Kamchatka was discovered and trips along the coast and the sea to this rich peninsula and to the mouth of the Penzhina River became more frequent, other names for the sea began to be used - "Kamchatka" and "Penzhina". However, these names did not take root.
It would seem, why should the sea be named after a small river that flows into it between 59 and 60 degrees north latitude? You can find much larger and full-flowing rivers flowing into this sea - like the same Penzhina. Why was their name not associated with the name of the sea? AT this case the matter depended not on the size of the river, but on its role in the life of explorers of the coast.
The Cossacks, having left Yakutsk, moved east not straight through the mountains and taiga, but along a winding path along the rivers and portages between them. The caravan trail eventually led them to the Okhota River, and along it to the seashore.
Now Okhotsk is one of the ordinary port points and has lost its former significance. Other, much larger and more important centers arose along the coast.
But the surviving name of the sea testifies to the historical role of the river and the port, from which the Russian people began the development of a large sea area.
Almost everywhere the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk are high and rocky. From afar, from the sea, they stand out on the horizon with black stripes framed on top by brown-green patches of vegetation. Only in some places - off the western coast of Kamchatka, off the northern part of Sakhalin - wide low-lying areas approach the sea.
The bottom of the Sea of Okhotsk is similar in some respects to the bottom of the Sea of Japan: both here and there, despite the great depths, there are underwater hollows, indicating that even in the Quaternary period, the area of \u200b\u200bthe current sea stood high above ocean level and two huge rivers flowed through it - Cupid and Penzhina. Then a geological catastrophe occurred - part of the mainland sank and was flooded with the ocean. This is how the relatively young Sea of Okhotsk was formed.
According to geologists, the eastern part of the Sea of Okhotsk is one of the "restless" areas the globe. Until now, there are large fluctuations - shifts of the earth's crust.
We can feel and see them through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, changes in the shape of islands.
Academician A. Zavaritsky believes that the Kamchatka-Kuril region is the most interesting region of the globe for science.
Often in this part of the Pacific Ocean there are underwater volcanic eruptions and underwater earthquakes. The originality of the area on the Kuril Islands is especially noticeable.
The ridge of the Kuril Islands, lying on the border between the Sea of Okhotsk and the open part of the ocean, represents a very special world. About thirty large and small islands and many rocks of volcanic origin are included in this range. Many islands are crowned high mountains, up to one and a half to two kilometers high. On many islands, hot springs spring from underground with a water temperature of 35 to 70 °. Some of the springs have healing properties. Smoke rises above some mountains that are active volcanoes.
There are about 30 islands active volcanoes. This shows that in the bowels of the earth here and now it is restless. Sometimes earthquakes in the ocean produce waves several tens of meters high, which roll over an enormous distance. One of these waves, the ship "Natalia" in 1780 was thrown into the depths of the island of Urup 300 meters from the coast. The ship remained ashore. A laconic entry has been preserved about this: “January 8th. In 1780, there was a severe earthquake, the sea rose so high that the gukor - that is, the ship that was in the harbor - was carried to the middle of the island.
Severe living conditions on the Kuril Islands, especially in the northern ones. Ocean waves crash against the rocky shores, breaking into millions of splashes. Droplets of water, picked up by the wind, rush through the islands. Fogs linger here for a long time. Strong storms often occur in winter.
Video: Sea of Okhotsk:...
The Sea of Okhotsk juts out rather deeply into the land and is noticeably elongated from the southwest to the northeast. It has coastlines almost everywhere. It is separated from the Sea of Japan by about. Sakhalin and conditional lines of Cape Suschev - Cape Tyk (Nevelskoy Strait), and in the La Perouse Strait - Cape Soya - Cape Crillon. The southeastern boundary of the sea runs from Cape Nosappu (Hokkaido Island) and through the Kuril Islands to Cape Lopatka (Kamchatka Peninsula).
The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 1,603 thousand km 2, volume - 1,316 thousand km 3, average depth - 821 m, maximum depth - 3,521 m.
The Sea of Okhotsk belongs to marginal seas mixed continental-ocean type. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Kuril ridge, which has about 30 large, many small islands and rocks. The Kuril Islands are located in the seismic activity belt, which includes more than 30 active and 70 extinct volcanoes. Seismic activity is manifested on the islands and under water. In the latter case, tsunami waves often form. In the sea there is a group of Shantarsky islands, the Spafaryev, Zavyalov, Yamsky islands and the small island of Iona - the only one of all remote from the coast. With a large length, the coastline is indented relatively weakly. At the same time, it forms several large bays (Aniva, Patience, Sakhalin, Academies, Tugursky, Ayan, Shelikhov) and bays (Udskaya, Tauiskaya, Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya).
The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits are comparatively narrow and shallow. The width of the Nevelskoy Strait (between Capes Lazarev and Pogibi) is only about 7 km. The width of the La Perouse Strait is 43-186 km, the depth is 53-118 m.
The total width of the Kuril Straits is about 500 km, and the maximum depth of the deepest of them, the Bussol Strait, exceeds 2300 m. Thus, the possibility of water exchange between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk is incomparably less than between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean.
However, even the depth of the deepest of the Kuril straits is much less than the maximum depth of the sea, and therefore the Kuril ridge is a huge threshold that separates the sea basin from the ocean.
The most important for water exchange with the ocean are the straits of Bussol and Krusenstern, since they have largest area and depth. The depth of the Bussol Strait was indicated above, and the depth of the Kruzenshtern Strait is 1920 m. The Frieze, Fourth Kuril, Rikord and Nadezhda straits are of less importance, the depths of which are more than 500 m. The depths of the remaining straits generally do not exceed 200 m, and their areas are insignificant.
On distant shores
The coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk in different regions belong to different geomorphological types. For the most part, these are abrasion shores altered by the sea, and only in Kamchatka and Sakhalin are accumulative shores found. In general, the sea is surrounded by high and steep shores. In the north and northwest, rocky ledges descend directly to the sea. The coasts along the Sakhalin Bay 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 coast of its northern part rises somewhat.
Shores of the Sea of Okhotsk
Bottom relief
The bottom relief of the Sea of Okhotsk is varied. The northern part of the sea is a continental shelf - an underwater continuation of the Asian continent. The width of the continental shoal in the area of the Ayano-Okhotsk coast is approximately 185 km, in the area of the Uda Bay - 260 km. Between the meridians of Okhotsk and Magadan, the width of the shoal increases to 370 km. From the western edge of the sea basin there is an island sandbar of Sakhalin, from the east - a sandbank of Kamchatka. The shelf occupies about 22% of the bottom area. The rest most of(about 70%) of the sea is located within the continental slope (from 200 to 1500 m), on which separate underwater heights, depressions and trenches stand out.
The deepest, southern part of the sea (more than 2500 m), which is a part of the bed, occupies 8% of the total area of the sea. It is stretched as a strip along the Kuril Islands and gradually narrows from 200 km against about. Iturup up to 80 km against the Krusenstern Strait. Great depths and significant slopes of the bottom distinguish the southwestern part of the sea from the northeastern part, which lies on the continental shelf.
Of the major elements of the relief of the bottom of the central part of the sea, two underwater hills stand out - the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology. Together with the protrusion of the continental slope, they divide the sea basin into three basins: the northeastern one - the TINRO basin, the northwestern one - the Deryugin basin, and the southern deep-water basin - the Kuril basin. The depressions are connected by gutters: Makarov, P. Schmidt and Lebed. To the northeast of the TINRO depression, the Shelikhov Bay trough extends.
The least deep is the TINRO basin, located to the west of Kamchatka. Its bottom is a plain lying at a depth of about 850 m, with a maximum depth of 990 m.
The Deryugin depression is located to the east of the Sakhalin submerged base. Its bottom is a flat, elevated plain at the edges, lying on average at a depth of 1700 m, the maximum depth of the depression is 1744 m.
The deepest Kuril depression. This is a huge flat plain lying at a depth of about 3300 m. Its width in the western part is about 212 km, and its length in the northeast direction is about 870 km.
Bottom relief and currents of the Sea of Okhotsk
currents
Under the influence of winds and water inflow through the Kuril Straits, character traits systems of non-periodic currents of the Sea of Okhotsk. The main one is the cyclonic system of currents, covering almost the entire sea. It is due to the predominance of cyclonic circulation of the atmosphere over the sea and the adjacent part of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, stable anticyclonic gyres are traced in the sea: to the west of the southern tip of Kamchatka (approximately between 50-52°N and 155-156°E); above the TINRO depression (55-57°N and 150-154°E); in the area of the Southern Basin (45-47°N and 144-148°E). In addition, a vast area of cyclonic water circulation is observed in the central part of the sea (47-53° N and 144-154° E), and cyclonic circulation is observed to the east and northeast of northern tip about. Sakhalin (54-56°N and 143-149°E).
Strong currents bypass the sea along the coastline counterclockwise: the warm Kamchatka Current, directed northward into Shelikhov Bay; flow of western and then south-western direction along the northern and northwestern coasts of the sea; the steady East Sakhalin Current going south, and the rather strong Soya Current entering the Sea of Okhotsk through the Laperouse Strait.
On the southeastern periphery of the cyclonic gyre in the central part of the sea, a branch of the Northeast Current is distinguished, which is opposite in direction to the Kuril Current in the Pacific Ocean. As a result of the existence of these streams, stable areas of convergence of currents are formed in some of the Kuril Straits, which leads to subsidence of waters and has a significant effect on the distribution of oceanological characteristics not only in the straits, but also in the sea itself. And finally, one more feature of the water circulation in the Sea of Okhotsk is two-way stable currents in most of the Kuril straits.
Surface currents on the surface of the Sea of Okhotsk are most intense near 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 South Basin ( 11-20 cm/s) and during the Soya (up to 50-90 cm/s). In the central part of the cyclonic region, the intensity of horizontal transport is much less than on its periphery. In the central part of the sea, velocities vary from 2 to 10 cm/s, with velocities below 5 cm/s predominating. A similar picture is observed in Shelikhov Bay: rather strong currents near the coast (up to 20–30 cm/s) and low velocities in the central part of the cyclonic gyre.
In the Sea of Okhotsk, various types of periodic tidal currents are well expressed: semidiurnal, diurnal, and mixed with a predominance of semidiurnal or diurnal components. The velocities of tidal currents range from a few centimeters to 4 m/s. Away from the coast, the current velocities are small - 5-10 cm/s. In straits, bays and off the coast, their speeds increase significantly. For example, in the Kuril Straits, current velocities reach 2-4 m/s.
The tides of the Sea of Okhotsk have a very complex character. A tidal wave enters from the south and southeast from the Pacific Ocean. The semidiurnal wave moves to the north, and at the 50° parallel it is divided into two parts: the western one turns to the northwest, the eastern one moves towards Shelikhov Bay. The diurnal wave also moves to the north, but at the latitude of the northern tip of Sakhalin it is divided into two parts: one enters Shelikhov Bay, the other reaches the northwestern coast.
Diurnal tides are the most widespread in the Sea of Okhotsk. They are developed in the Amur Estuary, Sakhalin Bay, on the coast of the Kuril Islands, off the western coast of Kamchatka and in Penzhinsky Bay. Mixed tides are observed on the northern and northwestern coasts of the sea and in the area of the Shantar Islands.
The highest tides (up to 13 m) were recorded in the Penzhina Bay (cape Astronomichesky). In the area of the Shantar Islands, the tide exceeds 7 m. The tides are significant in the Sakhalin Bay and in the Kuril Straits. In the northern part of the sea, their size reaches 5 m.
Fur seal rookery
The lowest tides were observed off the eastern coast of Sakhalin, in the area of the La Perouse Strait. In the southern part of the sea, the tides are 0.8-2.5 m.
In general, tidal level fluctuations in the Sea of Okhotsk are very significant and have a significant impact on its hydrological regime, especially in coastal zone.
In addition to tidal fluctuations, surge fluctuations in the level are also well developed here. They occur mainly during the passage of deep cyclones over the sea. Surge rises in the level reach 1.5-2 m. The largest surges are noted on the coast of Kamchatka and in the Gulf of Patience.
The significant size and great depths of the Sea of Okhotsk, frequent and strong winds over it determine the development of large waves here. The sea is especially stormy in autumn, and in ice-free areas in 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 restless 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%. With strong excitement in the straits between the Shantar Islands, a crowd is formed.
Climate
The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the monsoon climate zone temperate latitudes. A significant part of the sea in the west deeply protrudes into the mainland and lies relatively close to the cold pole of the Asian land, 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 factors, so the Sea of Okhotsk is generally cold. At the same time, due to the large meridional extent, there are significant differences in the synoptic situation and meteorological conditions. In the cold part of the year (from October to April), the Siberian anticyclone and the Aleutian low act on the sea. The influence of the latter extends mainly to the southeastern part of the sea. This distribution of large-scale baric systems causes strong persistent northwesterly and northerly winds, often reaching storm strength. Low winds and calms are almost completely absent, especially in January and February. In winter, the wind speed is usually 10-11 m/s.
The dry and cold Asian winter monsoon significantly cools the air over the northern and northwestern regions of the sea. In the coldest month - January - average temperature air in the northwest of the sea is -20 - 25°, in the central regions -10 - 15°, and in the southeastern part of the sea it is -5 - 6°.
In autumn and winter, cyclones of predominantly continental origin come out to sea. They bring with them an increase in wind, sometimes a decrease in air temperature, but the weather remains clear and dry, as continental air comes from the cooled mainland. In March-April, large-scale baric fields are restructured. The Siberian anticyclone is collapsing, and the Hawaiian high is intensifying. As a result, in the warm season (from May to October), the Sea of Okhotsk is under the influence of the Hawaiian maximum and the area of low pressure located above Eastern Siberia. At this time, weak southeasterly winds prevail over the sea. Their speed usually does not exceed 6-7 m/s. Most often, these winds are observed in June and July, although stronger northwesterly and northerly winds are sometimes observed in these months. In general, the Pacific (summer) monsoon is weaker than the Asian (winter) monsoon, since the horizontal pressure gradients are smoothed out in the warm season.
In summer, the average monthly air temperature in August decreases from the southwest (from 18°) to the northeast (up to 10-10.5°).
In the warm season, tropical cyclones - typhoons quite often pass over the southern part of the sea. They are associated with an increase in wind to a storm, which can last up to 5-8 days. The predominance of southeasterly 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 part are important climatic features of this sea.
Quite a few mostly small rivers flow into the Sea of Okhotsk, therefore, with a significant volume of its waters, the continental runoff is relatively small. It is equal to about 600 km 3 /year, while about 65% of the flow comes from the Amur. Others comparatively major rivers- Penzhina, Okhota, Uda, Bolshaya (in Kamchatka) - bring much less fresh water into 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 mouth areas of large rivers.
Hydrology and water circulation
Geographical position, large length along the meridian, monsoonal change of winds and good connection of the sea with the Pacific Ocean through the Kuril Straits are the main natural factors, which most significantly affect the formation of the hydrological conditions of the Sea of Okhotsk. The values of heat input and output in the sea are determined mainly by the rational heating and cooling of the sea. The heat brought by the Pacific waters is of subordinate importance. However, for water balance sea inflow and outflow of waters through the Kuril Straits plays a decisive role.
The flow of surface Pacific waters into the Sea of Okhotsk occurs mainly through the northern straits, in particular through the First Kuril. In the straits of the middle part of the ridge, both the inflow of Pacific waters and the outflow of Okhotsk waters are observed. So, in the surface layers of the Third and Fourth straits, apparently, there is a runoff of water from the Sea of Okhotsk, in the near-bottom ones - an inflow, and in the Bussol Strait - on the contrary: in the surface layers - an inflow, in the deep - a drain. In the southern part of the ridge, mainly through the straits of Ekaterina and Friza, there is mainly a runoff of water from the Sea of Okhotsk. The intensity of water exchange through the straits can vary significantly.
In the upper layers of the southern part of the Kuril ridge, the runoff of hunting sea waters, and in the upper layers of the northern part of the ridge, Pacific waters enter. In the deep layers, the inflow of Pacific waters prevails.
Water temperature and salinity
The inflow of Pacific waters significantly affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, formation of the structure and general circulation of the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk. It is characterized by a subarctic structure of waters, in which cold and warm intermediate layers are well expressed in summer. A more detailed study of the subarctic structure in this sea has shown that the Sea of Okhotsk, Pacific, and Kuril varieties of the subarctic water structure exist in it. With the same nature of the vertical structure, they have quantitative differences in the characteristics of water masses.
The following water masses are distinguished in the Sea of Okhotsk:
surface water mass with spring, summer and autumn modifications. It is a thin heated layer 15-30 m thick, which limits the upper maximum of stability, mainly due to temperature. This water mass is characterized by temperature and salinity corresponding to each season;
the Sea of Okhotsk water mass is formed in winter from surface water and in spring, summer and autumn it manifests itself in the form of a cold intermediate layer occurring between horizons of 40–150 m. This water mass is characterized by a fairly uniform salinity (31–32.9‰) and different temperature. In most of the sea, its temperature is below 0 ° and reaches -1.7 °, and in the region of the Kuril Straits it is above 1 °;
the intermediate water mass is formed mainly due to the sinking of waters along the underwater slopes, located within the sea from 100-150 to 400-700 m, and is characterized by a temperature of 1.5 ° and a salinity of 33.7‰. This water mass is distributed almost everywhere, except for the northern part of the sea, Shelikhov Bay and some areas along the coast of Sakhalin, where the Sea of Okhotsk water mass reaches the bottom. The thickness of the intermediate water mass layer decreases from south to north;
the deep Pacific water mass is the water of the lower part of the warm layer of the Pacific Ocean, which enters the Sea of Okhotsk at horizons below 800-1000 m, i.e. below the depth of the waters descending in the straits, and in the sea it appears as a warm intermediate layer. This water mass is located on the horizons of 600-1350 m, has a temperature of 2.3°C and a salinity of 34.3‰. However, its characteristics change in space. The highest values of temperature and salinity are observed in the northeastern and partly in the northwestern regions, which is associated here with the rise of waters, and the smallest values of the characteristics are characteristic of the western and southern regions, where the waters sink.
The water mass of the southern basin is of Pacific origin and represents the deep water of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean near the horizon of 2300 m, i.e. horizon corresponding to the maximum depth of the threshold in the Kuril Straits, located in the Bussol Strait. This water mass fills the basin from a horizon of 1350 m to the bottom and is characterized by a temperature of 1.85° and a salinity of 34.7‰, which vary only slightly with depth.
Among the identified water masses, the Sea of Okhotsk and the deep Pacific Ocean are the main ones; they differ from each other not only in thermohaline, but also in hydrochemical and biological indicators.
The water temperature on the sea surface decreases from south to north. In winter, almost everywhere, the surface layers cool down to a freezing temperature of -1.5-1.8°. Only in the southeastern part of the sea does it remain around 0°, and near the northern Kuril Straits, under the influence of Pacific waters, the water temperature reaches 1-2°.
Spring warming at the beginning of the season mainly goes 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 diverse. In August, the waters adjacent to about. Hokkaido. In the central regions of the sea, the water temperature is 11-12°. The coldest surface waters are observed near about. Iona, near Cape Pyagin and near the Kruzenshtern Strait. In these areas, the water temperature is kept within 6-7 °. The formation of local centers of increased and decreased water temperature 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, the change in temperature with depth is 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 ° on the surface to rises to 1-0°, in the southern part of the sea and near the Kuril Straits, the water temperature drops from 2.5-3° on the surface to 1-1.4° at the horizons of 300-400 m and then gradually rises to 1.9-2 ,4° in the bottom layer.
In summer, surface waters are warmed up to a temperature of 10-12°C. In the subsurface layers, the water temperature is slightly lower than on the surface. A sharp decrease in temperature to -1 - 1.2 ° is observed between horizons of 50-75 m, deeper, up to horizons of 150-200 m, the temperature quickly rises to 0.5 - 1 °, and then it rises more smoothly, and at horizons of 200 - 250 m is equal to 1.5 - 2 °. Further, the temperature of the water almost does not change to the bottom. In the southern and southeastern parts of the sea, along the Kuril Islands, the water temperature drops from 10-14° on the surface to 3-8° at the 25-m horizon, then to 1.6-2.4° at the 100-m horizon and down to 1 ,4-2° 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 in it is negative, and only near the Kuril Straits does it have positive values. In different areas of the sea, the depth of the cold intermediate layer is different and varies from year to year.
The distribution of salinity in the Sea of Okhotsk varies relatively little from season to season. Salinity increases in the eastern part, which is under the influence of Pacific waters, and decreases in the western part, which is desalinated by continental runoff. In the western part, salinity on the surface is 28-31‰, and in the eastern part - 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 the horizons of 300-400 m in the western part of the sea, the salinity is 33.5‰, and in the eastern part it is about 33.8‰. At a horizon of 100 m, salinity is 34‰ and further towards the bottom it increases slightly, by only 0.5-0.6‰.
In some bays and straits, the salinity value, its stratification can differ significantly from the waters high seas depending on local conditions.
In accordance with temperature and salinity, denser waters are observed in winter in the northern and central regions of the sea covered with ice. The density is somewhat less in the relatively warm Kuril region. In summer, the water density decreases, its lowest values are confined to the zones of influence of coastal runoff, and the highest values are observed in the 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 horizons. AT summer time a noticeable density stratification of waters along the vertical is created, the density increases especially noticeably at the horizons of 25-50 m, which is associated with the heating of waters in open areas and desalination near the coast.
Wind mixing is carried out in the ice-free season. It flows most intensively in spring and autumn, when strong winds blow over the sea, and the stratification of waters is not yet very pronounced. At this time, wind mixing extends to horizons of 20-25 m from the surface.
Intense ice formation over most of the sea excites an enhanced thermohaline winter vertical circulation. At depths 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 a rugged bottom topography, the spread of density mixing into the lower horizons is facilitated by the sliding of water along the slopes.
ice coverage
Severe and long winters with strong northwest winds contribute to the development of large masses of ice in the sea. The ice of the Sea of Okhotsk is exclusively of local formation. There are both fixed ice - fast ice, and floating ice, which is the main form of sea ice.
In different amounts, ice is found in all areas of the sea, but in summer the entire sea is cleared of ice. The exception is the region of the Shantar Islands, where ice can persist in summer.
Ice formation begins in November in the bays and bays of the northern part of the sea, in the coastal part of the island. Sakhalin and Kamchatka. Then ice appears in the open part of the sea. In January and February, ice covers the entire northern and middle parts of the sea.
In ordinary years, the southern boundary of a 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, due to the winds, significant masses of ice are carried into it from the north, often accumulating near the Kuril Islands.
From April to June there is a destruction and gradual disappearance of the ice cover. On average, the ice in the sea disappears in late May - early June. The northwestern part of the sea, due to the currents and the configuration of the coasts, is most of all clogged with ice, which persists until July. The ice cover in the Sea of Okhotsk lasts for 6-7 months. More than 3/4 of the sea surface is covered with floating ice. Close-knit ice in the northern part of the sea presents 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.
The southern coast of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are areas with low ice coverage: here, on average, ice stays for no more than three months a year. The thickness of the ice growing during the winter reaches 0.8-1 m.
Severe storms and tidal currents break the ice cover in many areas of the sea, forming hummocks and large leads. In the open part of the sea, solid immovable ice is never observed, usually drifting ice here, in the form of vast fields with numerous leads.
Part of the ice from the Sea of Okhotsk is carried into the ocean, where it breaks up and melts almost immediately. In severe winters, floating ice is pressed against the Kuril Islands by northwestern winds and clogs some of the straits.
Economic importance
There are about 300 species of fish in the Sea of Okhotsk. Of these, about 40 species are commercial. The main commercial fish are pollock, herring, cod, navaga, flounder, sea bass, capelin. Catches of salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon) are small.
1. Sea of Okhotsk.
2. The sea enters the Pacific basin.
3. Located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido.
4. Located between 43° and 62° parallel north latitude.
5. Position of the sea between 135° and 165° meridians east longitude.
6. The length of the sea in directions in degrees and kilometers:
The extent of the sea from south to north is 19° degrees, i.e. approximately 2100 km;
The length of the sea from east to west is 20° degrees, 1575 km.
The length in km was calculated based on the length between parallels and meridians on a map with a scale of 1:35,000,000.
7. Washes the shores of Russia and Japan: the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, about. Hokkaido, oh Sakhalin, Shantar Islands.
8. Neighboring seas: the La Perouse Strait and the Tatar Strait (through the Amur Estuary) connect the Sea of Okhotsk with the Sea of Japan.
Neighbor Ocean: The First Kuril Strait and a number of straits in the chain of the Kuril Islands, such as the Fourth Kuril Strait, the Krusenstern Strait, the Bussol Strait and the Friza Strait, connect the Sea of Okhotsk to the Pacific Ocean.
9. View of the sea: marginal sea.
10. In winter, the water temperature at the sea surface ranges from -1.8° to 2.0° C, in summer surface waters warm up to 10° C and above.
11. The maximum depth of the sea: 3521 m (in the Kuril basin), in some sources there is a depth of 3916 m, but I did not find this figure on the map, so you can operate with it if it is in your textbook.
Fig. 12. Distribution of depths The shelf zone (0–200 m) occupies about 20% of the sea area, the continental slope (200–2000 m), on which separate underwater heights, depressions and islands are distinguished by a sharp change in depths, and the deep-sea basin occupies about 65%, and the deepest basin (more than 2500 m), located in the southern part of the sea - 8% of the sea area.
13. Distribution of water salinity: according to the map of the average annual salinity of the surface waters of the World Ocean, in the northern and eastern parts of the sea, the salinity of surface waters is up to 32 ppm, and in the central, western and southern parts sea surface water salinity up to 33 ppm.
14. The Sea of Okhotsk is located in the temperate climatic zone, while its eastern part (in the region of the Kuril Islands) is located in the marine area temperate climate, and the rest in the temperate monsoon region.
15. Features of the structure of the bottom:
The bottom is a wide range of different underwater elevations, depressions and trenches. The northern part of the sea is located on the continental shelf. In the western part of the sea there is a sandbank of Sakhalin, located near the island. In the east of the sea is the continental shelf of Kamchatka. As indicated in paragraph 12, most of the water expanses are located on the continental slope. The southern edge of the sea is the deepest zone; this part of the sea is a bed that is located along the Kuril Islands. The southwestern part of the sea is characterized by deep depressions and slopes. In the central zone of the sea there are two elevations: the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, they divide the marine underwater space into 3 basins: the northeastern TINRO basin (small depth of about 850 m, flat terrain), which is located west of Kamchatka. The second basin is the Deryugin depression, located east of Sakhalin, the water depth here reaches 1700 m, the bottom is a plain, the edges of which are somewhat elevated. The third basin - the Kuril - is the deepest (about 3300 m) of these three.
16. Features of the organic world.
Vegetation and animal world on the one hand, they are distinguished by great diversity, and on the other hand, by an uneven distribution of this diversity. If in the southern, warmer part, the number of fish species is about 300, then in the northern, colder part, the number of species is more than two times less, only about 123 species. Nevertheless, in terms of stocks of commercial crab, the sea ranks first in the world. Salmon fish are of great value: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook, sockeye salmon as a source of red caviar. There is also intensive fishing for herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, etc. Whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals live in the sea. Out of the flora huge amount green, brown and red medicinal algae.
