Tidal currents. Sea of ​​Okhotsk: resources, description, features and interesting facts

This sea has several names - the Evenks called it the Lama Sea (lam in Evenki means sea), sometimes it is called the Kamchatka Sea. The Japanese call the sea "Hakkai" - the northern sea. The name Okhotsk is associated with the name of the Okhota River flowing into it.

Water area Sea of ​​Okhotsk located near the Eurasian continent between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the mainland. In the south it is delimited with the Pacific Ocean by the chain of the Kuril Islands, the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, with Sea of ​​Japan connected through the La Perouse and Nevelskoy straits. The sea covers an area of ​​1,583 thousand sq. km, its average depth is 177 m, the greatest is 3,372 m (in the Kuril Basin area).

Location of the sea full map Pacific Ocean - .

There are many bays along the coastline, the largest being Shelikhova, Sakhalinsky, Udskaya Bay, Tauyskaya Bay, etc. The shores are mostly rocky, only the coast of Hokkaido, the areas of the mouths of flowing rivers, and the northern coast of Sakhalin are flat. Large rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: Amur, Okhota, Uda, Gizhiga, Penzhina.
There are many islands in the shelf zone: Shantarskie, Zavyalova, Spafareva, etc.

The bottom relief is smoother than that of its neighbor - Bering Sea. Only in the south is the deep-sea Kuril Basin located. The northern, shelf part of the seabed is shallow. In the continental shelf zone, sandy, pebble-sandy, rocky and silty-sandy soils predominate, and in the deep-water zone - silty soils.

The climate of the area where the sea is located is moderate. For most of the year, cold, dry winds blow from Eurasia, cooling the sea, especially its northern regions. In winter, in some places the air temperature drops below 20 degrees C, in summer it warms up to +12-+18 degrees C. The upper layers of water have a temperature in winter slightly above zero; in summer they can warm up to 15 degrees C (in the south).
Currents are directed counterclockwise (cyclonic). Tides vary greatly in different areas.
The maximum height of tides (more than 12 meters) is observed in Penzhinskaya Bay.
The northern part of the sea has been covered with ice since November, the southern and central parts remain open, but severe and prolonged storms often rage here.

Animal and vegetable world The Sea of ​​Okhotsk has an arctic character, but to the south there are more and more representatives of temperate flora and fauna.

The phytoplankton of the sea is dominated by diatoms. Thanks to good conditions for the development of phytoplankton (water temperature, good mixing of surface layers with deeper ones), phytoalgae develop rapidly. Zooplankton, the main consumer of phytoalgae, is represented by small organisms - copepods, jellyfish, larvae of mollusks and worms, etc.
The richest and most widespread group of plant organisms in the coastal zone are brown algae, including such a valuable representative as seaweed (or kelp). This algae is widely used in both the food industry and medicine. Red algae are also common in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and green algae in the northwestern part.

Coastal and shelf areas of the sea are inhabited by various mollusks (mussels, littorinas, cephalopods, etc.), crustaceans (crabs, shrimp, etc.), echinoderms (sea urchins, sea ​​stars) and other invertebrate living creatures. There are also many different bottom-dwelling fish species (gobies, flounders, etc.)

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is especially rich in crabs - it ranks first in the world in terms of reserves of commercial species of these crustaceans. More than 80% of the famous Kamchatka crab, which is also found in the Sea of ​​Japan and in the south of the Bering Sea. This huge crab (though not even a crab, but a sea crayfish - it has ten legs, like crayfish), reaches a leg span of 1.5 meters! True, the body itself (cephalothorax) is not so impressive - up to a quarter of a meter in diameter. The Kamchatka crustacean miracle weighs up to 7 kg.

Marine mammals also live here: whales (humpback whales, gray whales, sperm whales, killer whales), seals (steller sea lions), fur seals.

Coastal cliffs, as in many northern seas, often become places for sea birds to establish bird colonies.

The fish world of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is represented by more than 200 species of fish, including many valuable commercial ones. Here they catch herring, cod, flounder, navaga, pollock, and capelin. The most valuable species of commercial fish are salmon (pink salmon, chum salmon, chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon).

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk was discovered during the first campaigns of the Cossacks through Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.

Local hunting tribes called it Lam - which means “water”, “sea”, and from this word came one of the first names of the sea among Russian sailors - “Lamskoye”, and the name of the coastal Tungus - “Lamuts”. Sometimes the sea was also called the Tunguska Sea.

However, another name gradually came into use and stuck, namely the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The water area is 1603 thousand km².

Vsevolod Sibi... The coldest... Hunt Islands...

Subsequently, when Kamchatka was discovered and trips along the coast and 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 catch on.

It would seem, why on earth should we give the sea a name after a small river flowing 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? In this case, the matter depended not on the size of the river, but on its role in the life of coastal explorers.

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 on the coast.

But the preserved name of the sea testifies to the historical role of the river and 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 a distance, from the sea, they stand out on the horizon as 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 - are wide low-lying areas approaching the sea.

The bottom of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is similar in some respects to the bottom of the Sea of ​​Japan: in both places, despite the great depths, there are underwater depressions, indicating that even in the Quaternary period the area of ​​​​the present sea stood high above ocean level and two huge rivers flowed through it - Cupid and Penzhina. Then a geological catastrophe occurred - part of the continent sank and was flooded by 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 “turbulent” areas globe. Until now, large fluctuations have been occurring here - movements of the earth's crust.

We can feel and see them through earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and 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.

Underwater volcanic eruptions and underwater earthquakes often occur in this part of the Pacific Ocean. The originality of the region on the Kuril Islands is especially noticeable.

The chain of 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 ridge. Many islands are topped high mountains, up to one and a half to two kilometers in height. On many islands, hot springs emerge from the ground with water temperatures ranging from 35 to 70°. Some of the springs have healing properties. Smoke smokes over some mountains that are active volcanoes.

There are about thirty on the islands active volcanoes. This shows that in the bowels of the earth there is unrest here and now. Sometimes earthquakes in the ocean produce waves several tens of meters high that roll over enormous distances. In 1780, one of these waves threw the ship “Natalia” deep into the island of Urup, 300 meters from the shore. The ship remained on dry land. A terse note about this has been preserved: “January eighth. In 1780 there was a severe earthquake, the sea rose so high that the gukor, that is, the ship standing in the harbor, was carried into the middle of the island.”

Living conditions on the Kuril Islands are harsh, especially in the northern ones. Ocean waves noisily hit the rocky shores, breaking into millions of splashes. Droplets of water, picked up by the wind, rush across the islands. Fogs linger here for a long time. Strong storms often occur in winter.

Video: Sea of ​​Okhotsk:...

1. Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

2. The sea enters the Pacific Ocean basin.

3. Located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido.

4. Located between 43° and 62° parallels north latitude.

5. The position of the sea is between 135° and 165° meridians of eastern longitude.

6. Length of the sea in directions in degrees and kilometers:

The length 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 distance between parallels and meridians on a map with a scale of 1:35,000,000.

7. Washes the shores of Russia and Japan: Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, o. Hokkaido, o. Sakhalin, Shantar Islands.

8. Neighboring seas: the La Perouse Strait and the Tatar Strait (via the Amur Estuary) connect the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the Sea of ​​Japan.

Neighboring Ocean: The First Kuril Strait and a number of straits in the Kuril Island chain, such as the Fourth Kuril Strait, Kruzenshtern Strait, Bussol and Frieza Straits connect the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the Pacific Ocean.

9. Type of 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 higher.

11. Maximum sea depth: 3521 m (in the Kuril Basin), some sources indicate a depth of 3916 m, but I did not find this figure on the map, so you can use it if it is in your textbook.

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 individual underwater hills, depressions and islands are distinguished by a sharp change in depth, 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 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 of the sea the salinity of surface waters is up to 33 ppm.

14. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in a temperate climatic zone, while its eastern part (in the region of the Kuril Islands) is located in the maritime region of a temperate climate, and the rest in the monsoon region of a temperate climate.

15. Features of the bottom structure:

The bottom is a wide range of different underwater rises, depressions and trenches. The northern part of the sea is located on the continental shallows. In the western part of the sea there is a sandbank of Sakhalin, located near the island. In the east of the sea there is a continental shelf of Kamchatka. As noted 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 hills: the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, they divide the underwater sea space into 3 basins: the northeastern depression of TINRO (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 Basin, 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 the 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 half that, only about 123 species. Nevertheless, 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, and sockeye salmon as a source of red caviar. There is also intensive fishing for herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, etc. The sea is inhabited by whales, seals, sea lions, and fur seals. Stands out from the flora a huge number green, brown and red medicinal algae.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is a sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido.
The sea washes the shores of Russia and Japan.
Area - 1603 thousand km². The average depth is 1780 m, the maximum depth is 3916 m. West Side The sea is located above a 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.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk map Far East

In the chain of our Far Eastern seas, it occupies a middle position, protrudes quite deeply into the Asian continent, and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the arc of the Kuril Islands. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk has natural boundaries almost everywhere and only in the southwest from the Sea of ​​Japan it is separated by conventional lines: Cape Yuzhny - Cape Tyk and in the La Perouse Strait Cape Crillon - Cape Soya. The southeastern border of the sea runs from Cape Nosyappu (Hokkaido Island) through the Kuril Islands to Cape Lopatka (Kamchatka), while all passages between the island. Hokkaido and Kamchatka are included in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Within these limits, the sea extends from north to south from 62°42′ to 43°43′ N. w. and from west to east from 134°50′ to 164°45′ E. d. The sea is significantly elongated from southwest to northeast and expanded approximately in its central part.

GENERAL DATA, GEOGRAPHY, ISLANDS
The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is one of the largest and deepest seas in our country. Its area is 1603 thousand km2, volume 1318 thousand km3, average depth 821 m, greatest depth 3916 m. geographical location, the predominance of depths up to 500 m and significant spaces occupied by great depths, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk belongs to the marginal seas of a mixed continental-marginal type.

There are few islands in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The largest border island is Sakhalin. The Kuril ridge has about 30 large and many small islands and rocks. The Kuril Islands are located in a belt of seismic activity, which includes more than 30 active and 70 extinct volcanoes. Seismic activity occurs on the islands and underwater. In the latter case, tsunami waves are formed. In addition to the named “marginal” islands in the sea there are the islands of Shantarskie, Spafareva, Zavyalova, Yamskie and the small island of Jonah - the only one of them remote from the coast.
Although the coastline is long, it is relatively weakly indented. At the same time, it forms several large bays (Aniva, Terpeniya, Sakhalinsky, Academy, Tugursky, Ayan, Shelikhova) and lips (Udskaya, Tauyskaya, Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya).

Atsonopuri volcano, Iturup island, Kuril Islands

From October to May - June Northern part 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 heavily 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.

Fishing (salmon, herring, pollock, capelin, navaga, etc.), seafood (Kamchatka crab).

Hydrocarbon production on the Sakhalin shelf.

The Amur, Okhota, and Kukhtui rivers flow into it.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk Cape Velikan, Sakhalin Island

Main ports:
on the mainland - Magadan, Ayan, Okhotsk (port point); on the island of Sakhalin - Korsakov, on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.
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 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 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.

Cape Medyay Sea of ​​Okhotsk

Territorial regime
The Sea of ​​Okhotsk consists of internal waters, the 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 original lines there is a section elongated in the meridional direction, traditionally called Peanut Hole in English-language literature, which is not included in the exclusive economic zone and is the 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 created 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 extracting “sessile” biological resources (for example, crab) and from subsoil development. 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, by 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. Sea of ​​Okhotsk

Temperature and salinity
In winter, the water temperature at the sea surface ranges from −1.8 to 2.0 °C; in summer, the temperature rises to 10-18 °C.
Below the surface layer, at depths of about 50-150 meters, there is an intermediate cold layer of water, the temperature of which does not change throughout the year and is about −1.7 °C.
The waters of the Pacific Ocean entering the sea through the Kuril Straits form deep water masses with a temperature of 2.5 - 2.7 °C (at the very bottom - 1.5-1.8 °C). In coastal areas with significant river flow, the water temperature in winter is about 0 °C, in summer - 8-15 °C.
The salinity of surface sea waters is 32.8–33.8 ppm. The salinity of the intermediate layer is 34.5‰. Deep waters have a salinity of 34.3 - 34.4 ‰. Coastal waters have a salinity of less than 30 ‰.

RESCUE OPERATION
Incident in December 2010 - January 2011
Icebreaker "Krasin" (built in 1976), an analogue of the icebreaker "Admiral Makarov" (built in 1975)

From December 30, 2010 to January 31, 2011, a rescue operation was carried out in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which received widespread media coverage.
The operation itself was large-scale; according to Deputy Minister of Transport Viktor Olersky and head of Rosrybolovstvo Andrei Krainiy, rescue operations on such a scale have not been carried out in Russia for 40 years.
The cost of the operation was between 150 and 250 million rubles, and 6,600 tons of diesel fuel were consumed.
15 ships carrying about 700 people were captured in the 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. The coordination headquarters of the rescue operation was located in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the work was carried out under the leadership of the 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 first help was provided to the seiner "Cape Elizabeth", whose captain sailed his ship after the ban on entry into the area was imposed.
As a result, “Cape Elizabeth” was frozen into ice in the Sakhalin Bay area. Sea of ​​Okhotsk

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 vessels in distress, after which the icebreakers escorted both vessels 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 Shore of Hope refrigerator to clean water.
On January 25, after bunkering, the Admiral Makarov returned to escort the mother ship.
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.

HOKKAIDO ISLAND
Hokkaido (Japanese: “Government of the North Sea”), formerly known as Ezo, in the old Russian transcription Iesso, Ieddo, Iedzo, is the second largest island of Japan. Until 1859, it was also called Matsumae after the surname of the ruling feudal clan, which owned the castle town of Matsumae - in the old Russian transcription - Matsmai, Matsmai.
It is separated from the island of Honshu by the Sangar Strait, but the Seikan Tunnel is built between these islands under the seabed. The largest city Hokkaido and the administrative center of the prefecture of the same name is Sapporo. North coast The island is washed by the cold Sea of ​​Okhotsk and faces the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East. The territory of Hokkaido is almost equally divided between mountains and plains. Moreover, the mountains are located in the center of the island and stretch in ridges from north to south. The most high peak— Mount Asahi (2290 m). In the western part of the island, along the Ishikari River (length 265 km), there is a valley of the same name, in the eastern part, along the Tokachi River (156 km) there is another valley. The southern part of Hokkaido forms the Oshima Peninsula, separated by the Sangar Strait from Honshu.
The island has the extreme eastern point Japan - Cape Nosappu-Saki. It also contains the extreme northern point Japan - Cape Soya.

Cape Krasny, Three Brothers Islands

SHELEKHOV BAY
Shelikhov Bay is a bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk between the coast of Asia and the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The bay received its name in honor of G.I. Shelikhov.
Length - 650 km, width at the entrance - 130 km, maximum width - 300 km, depth up to 350 m.
In the northern part of the peninsula, Taigonos is divided into Gizhiginskaya Bay and Penzhinskaya Bay. The rivers Gizhiga, Penzhina, Yama, and Malkachan flow into the bay.
Covered with ice from December to May. Tides are irregular, semidiurnal. In Penzhinskaya Bay they reach their maximum values ​​for the Pacific Ocean.
The bay is rich in fish resources. Fishing objects include herring, halibut, flounder, and Far Eastern navaga.
In the southern part of Shelikhov Bay there is a small archipelago of the Yamsky Islands.
In Shelikhov Bay, tides reach 14 m.

Sakhalin Bay, swans have arrived Sea of ​​Okhotsk

SAKHALIN GULF
Sakhalin Bay is a bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk between the coast of Asia north of the mouth of the Amur and the northern tip of Sakhalin Island.
In the northern part it is wide, to the south it narrows and passes into the Amur Estuary. Width up to 160 km, the Nevelskoy Strait is connected to the Tatar Strait and the Sea of ​​Japan.
From November to June it is covered with ice.
Tides are irregular daily, up to 2-3 m.
Industrial fishing (salmon, cod) is carried out in the waters of the bay.
The port of Moskalvo is located on the shore of the bay.

Aniva Bay, Korsakov port, Sakhalin Island

ANIVA BAY
Aniva is a bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, near south coast Sakhalin Island, between the Krillonsky and Tonino-Anivsky peninsulas. From the south it is wide open into the La Perouse Strait.
The origin of the bay's name is most likely related to the Ainu words "an" and "iva". The first is usually translated as “available, located”, and the second as “ mountain range, rock, peak"; thus, "Aniva" can be translated as "having ridges" or "located among ridges (mountains)."
Width 104 km, length 90 km, greatest depth 93 meters. The narrowed part of the bay is known as Salmon Bay. The warm Soya current influences the temperature regime and the dynamics of currents inside the bay, which are variable.

Sakhalin (Japanese: 樺太，Chinese: 库页/庫頁) is an island off the eastern coast of Asia. It is part of the Sakhalin region. Largest island Russia. It is washed by the Seas of Okhotsk and Japan. It is separated from mainland Asia by the Tatar Strait (in its narrowest part, the Nevelskoy Strait, it is 7.3 km wide and freezes in winter); from Japanese island Hokkaido - La Perouse Strait.

The island got its name from the Manchu name of the Amur River - “Sakhalyan-ulla”, which translated means “Black River” - this name, printed on the map, was mistakenly attributed to Sakhalin, and in subsequent editions of maps it was printed as the name of the island.

The Japanese call Sakhalin Karafuto, this name goes back to the Ainu “kamuy-kara-puto-ya-mosir”, which means “land of the god of the mouth”. In 1805, a Russian ship under the command of I. F. Krusenstern explored most of the coast of Sakhalin and concluded that Sakhalin was a peninsula. In 1808, Japanese expeditions led by Matsuda Denjuro and Mamiya Rinzou proved that Sakhalin is an island. Most European cartographers were skeptical of the Japanese data. For a long time, on various maps Sakhalin was designated either an island or a peninsula. Only in 1849 did an expedition under the command of G.I. Nevelsky put a final point on this issue, passing on the military transport ship “Baikal” between Sakhalin and the mainland. This strait was subsequently named after Nevelsky.

The island extends meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. Length 948 km, width from 26 km (Poyasok isthmus) to 160 km (at the latitude of the village of Lesogorskoye), area 76.4 thousand km².

BAY OF PATIENCE
Terpeniya Bay is a bay of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk near the south- eastern shore Sakhalin Islands. In the eastern part it is partially limited by the Terpeniya Peninsula.
The bay was discovered in 1643 by the Dutch navigator M. G. De Vries and was named Terpeniya Bay by him, since his expedition had to wait out thick fog here for a long time, which made it impossible to continue sailing.
The length of the bay is 65 km, width is about 130 km, depth is up to 50 m. The Poronai River flows into the bay.
In winter the bay freezes.
The waters of the bay are rich in biological resources, including chum salmon and pink salmon.
The port of Poronaysk is located in Terpeniya Bay. Sea of ​​Okhotsk

- a chain of islands between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the island of Hokkaido, separating the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean with a slightly convex arc.
Length - about 1200 km. The total area is 10.5 thousand km². To the south of them lies the state border Russian Federation with Japan.
The islands form two parallel ridges: the Greater Kuril and the Lesser Kuril. Includes 56 islands. They have important military-strategic and economic significance. The Kuril Islands are part of Sakhalin region Russia. Southern Islands archipelago - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group - are disputed by Japan, which includes them in the Hokkaido Prefecture.

Belongs to the regions of the Far North
The climate on the islands is maritime, quite harsh, with cold and long winters, cool summer, high air humidity. The mainland monsoon climate undergoes significant changes here. In the southern part of the Kuril Islands, frosts in winter can reach −25 °C, average temperature February - −8 °C. In the northern part, winter is milder, with frosts down to −16 °C and −7 °C in February.
In winter, the islands are affected by the Aleutian baric minimum, the effect of which weakens by June.
The average August temperature in the southern part of the Kuril Islands is +17 °C, in the northern part - +10 °C.

List of islands with an area greater than 1 km² in a north-south direction.
Name, Area, km², height, Latitude, Longitude
Great Kuril Ridge
Northern group
Atlasova 150 2339 50°52" 155°34"
Shumshu 388 189 50°45" 156°21"
Paramushir 2053 1816 50°23" 155°41"
Antsiferova 7 747 50°12" 154°59"
Makanrushi 49 1169 49°46" 154°26"
Onekotan 425 1324 49°27" 154°46"
Kharimkotan 68 1157 49°07" 154°32"
Chirinkotan 6 724 48°59" 153°29"
Ekarma 30 1170 48°57" 153°57"
Shiashkotan 122 934 48°49" 154°06"

Middle group
Raikoke 4.6 551 48°17" 153°15"
Matua 52 1446 48°05" 153°13"
Rashua 67 948 47°45" 153°01"
Ushishir Islands 5 388 — —
Ryponkich 1.3 121 47°32" 152°50"
Yankich 3.7 388 47°31" 152°49"
Ketoy 73 1166 47°20" 152°31"
Simushir 353 1539 46°58" 152°00"
Broughton 7 800 46°43" 150°44"
Black Brothers Islands 37,749 — —
Chirpoy 21 691 46°30" 150°55"
Brat-Chirpoev 16 749 46°28" 150°50"

Southern group
Urup 1450 1426 45°54" 149°59"
Iturup 3318.8 1634 45°00" 147°53"
Kunashir 1495.24 1819 44°05" 145°59"

Small Kuril ridge
Shikotan 264.13 412 43°48" 146°45"
Polonsky 11.57 16 43°38" 146°19"
Green 58.72 24 43°30" 146°08"
Tanfilyeva 12.92 15 43°26" 145°55"
Yuri 10.32 44 43°25" 146°04"
Anuchina 2.35 33 43°22" 146°00"

Geological structure
The Kuril Islands are a typical ensimatic island arc on the edge of the Okhotsk plate. It lies above a subduction zone in which the Pacific plate is being absorbed. Most of the islands are mountainous. The highest altitude is 2339 m - Atlasov Island, Alaid Volcano. The Kuril Islands are located in the Pacific volcanic ring of fire in a zone of high seismic activity: out of 68 volcanoes, 36 are active, there are hot mineral springs. Large tsunamis are common. The best known are the tsunami of November 5, 1952 at Paramushir and the Shikotan tsunami of October 5, 1994. The last major tsunami occurred on November 15, 2006 in Simushir.

DETAILED GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA OF OKHOTSK, DESCRIPTION OF THE SEA
Main physical and geographical features.
The straits connecting the Sea of ​​Okhotsk with the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Japan, and their depths, are very important, as they determine the possibility of water exchange. The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits are relatively 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 slightly larger - about 40 km, and the greatest depth is 53 m.

At the same time, the total width of the Kuril Straits is about 500 km, and the maximum depth of the deepest of them (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 significantly less than the maximum depth of the sea, therefore g, fencing off the sea depression from the ocean.
The most important for water exchange with the ocean are the Bussol and Krusenstern straits, since they have the largest area and depth. The depth of the Bussol Strait was indicated above, and the depth of the Kruzenshtern Strait is 1920 m. Of less importance are the Frieza, Fourth Kurilsky, Ricord and Nadezhda straits, whose depths are more than 500 m. The depths of the remaining straits generally do not exceed 200 m, and the areas are insignificant.

The shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, which are different in external shape and structure in different areas, belong to different geomorphological types. From Fig. 38 it is clear that for the most part these are abrasive shores modified by the sea; only in the west of Kamchatka and in the east of Sakhalin 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. A less high, and then low, continental coast approaches the sea near Sakhalin Bay. The southeastern coast of Sakhalin is low, and the northeastern coast is low. 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 its northern part is distinguished by some elevation of the coast.

The bottom topography of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is varied and uneven. In general, it is characterized by the following main features. The northern part of the sea is a continental shelf - an underwater continuation of the Asian continent. The width of the continental shelf in the area of ​​the Ayano-Okhotsk coast is approximately 100 miles, in the area of ​​Udskaya Bay - 140 miles. Between the meridians of Okhotsk and Magadan its width increases to 200 miles. On the western edge of the sea basin there is the island sandbank of Sakhalin, on the eastern edge there is the mainland sandbank of Kamchatka. The shelf occupies about 22% of the bottom area. The rest, most (about 70%) of the sea is located within the continental slope (from 200 to 1500 m), on which individual underwater hills, depressions and trenches are distinguished.
The deepest southern part of the sea, deeper than 2500 m, which is the bed area, occupies 8% total area. It stretches as a strip along the Kuril Islands, gradually narrowing from 200 km against the island. Iturup up to 80 km against the Krusenstern Strait. Great depths and significant bottom slopes distinguish the southwestern part of the sea from the northeastern part, which lies on the continental shallows.
Of the large elements of the bottom relief of the central part of the sea, two underwater hills stand out - the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and the Institute of Oceanology. Together with the protrusion of the continental slope, they determine the division of the sea basin into three basins: the northeastern TINRO depression, the northwestern Deryugin depression and the southern deep-sea Kuril Basin. The depressions are connected by gutters: Makarov, P. Schmidt and Lebed. To the northeast of the TINRO depression, the Shelikhov Bay trench extends.

Kamchatka, race on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Berengia 2013

Least deep depression TINRO is located 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 east of the underwater base of Sakhalin. Its bottom is a flat plain, raised at the edges, lying on average at a depth of 1700 m, the maximum depth of the depression is 1744 m. The Kuril Basin is the deepest. This is a huge flat plain lying at a depth of about 3300 m. Its width in the western part is about 120 miles, and its length in a northeast direction is about 600 miles.

The hill of the Institute of Oceanology has a rounded outline; it is elongated in the latitudinal direction for almost 200 miles, and in the meridional direction for about 130 miles. The minimum depth above it is about 900 m. The heights of the USSR Academy of Sciences are cut by the tops of underwater valleys. A remarkable feature of the topography of the hills is the presence of flat peaks that occupy a large area.

CLIMATE OF THE SEA OF OKHOTSK
By its location, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is located in the monsoon climate zone of temperate latitudes, which is significantly influenced by the physical and geographical features of the sea. Thus, a significant part of it 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 in the west, and not in the north. 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 as a whole is the coldest of the Far Eastern seas. At the same time, its large meridional extent causes significant spatial differences in synoptic conditions and meteorological indicators in each season. 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 determines the dominance of strong stable northwestern and northern winds, often reaching storm force. Little wind and calm are almost completely absent, especially in January and February. In winter, 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), the average air temperature in the north-west of the sea is −20-25°, in central regions−10–15°, only in the southeastern part of the sea it is −5–6°, which is explained by the warming influence of the Pacific Ocean.

The autumn-winter season is characterized by the occurrence of cyclones of predominantly continental origin. They entail stronger winds and sometimes a drop in air temperature, but the weather remains clear and dry, as they bring in continental air from the cooled mainland of Asia. In March - April, a restructuring of large-scale pressure fields occurs. The Siberian anticyclone is collapsing, and the Honolulu high is intensifying. As a result, during the warm season (from May to October), the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is under the influence of the Honolulu High and the low pressure area located above Eastern Siberia. In accordance with this distribution of centers of atmospheric action, weak southeast winds prevail over the sea at this time. 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 small.

Nagaevo Bay

In summer, the air warms up unevenly over the entire sea. The average monthly air temperature in August decreases from southwest to northeast from 18° in the south, to 12–14° in the center and to 10–10.5° in the northeast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In the warm season above southern part The seas quite often experience oceanic cyclones, which are associated with increased winds to storm force winds, 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 part are important climatic features of this sea.
Quite a lot of mostly small rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, therefore, with such a significant volume of its waters, the continental flow is relatively small. It is approximately 600 km3/year, with about 65% coming from the Amur. Others comparatively large rivers- Penzhina, Okhota, Uda, Bolshaya (in Kamchatka) - bring significantly less fresh water to the sea. It arrives mainly in spring and early summer. At this time, the influence of continental runoff is most noticeable, mainly in the coastal zone, near the mouths of large rivers.

Geographical location, large length along the meridian, monsoon wind changes and good connection seas with the Pacific Ocean through the Kuril Straits - the main natural factors, which most significantly influence the formation of the hydrological conditions of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The amounts of heat inflow and outflow into the sea are determined mainly by radiation heating and cooling of the sea. The heat brought by Pacific waters is of subordinate importance. However, for the water balance of the sea, the arrival and flow of water through the Kuril Straits plays a decisive role. The details and quantitative indicators of water exchange through the Kuril Straits have not yet been sufficiently studied, however, the main routes of water exchange through the straits are known. 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 straits of the middle part of the ridge, both the influx of Pacific waters and the outflow of Okhotsk waters are observed. Thus, in the surface layers of the Third and Fourth Kuril Straits, apparently, there is a drainage of water from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, while in the bottom layers there is an influx, and in the Bussol Strait, on the contrary: in the surface layers there is an inflow, in the deep layers there is a runoff. In the southern part of the ridge, mainly through the Ekaterina and Frieze straits, water predominantly drains from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The intensity of water exchange through the straits can vary significantly. Generally 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 generally predominates.
The influx of Pacific waters largely affects the distribution of temperature, salinity, formation of the structure and general circulation of the waters of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk.

Cape Stolbchaty, Kunashir Island, Kuril Islands

Hydrological characteristics.
Sea surface water temperatures generally decrease from south to north. In winter, almost everywhere the surface layers are cooled 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, the water temperature under the influence of Pacific waters penetrating here reaches 1-2°.

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 (Fig. 39). In August, the waters adjacent to the island are the warmest (up to 18-19°). Hokkaido. In the central regions of the sea, the water temperature is 11-12°. The coldest surface waters are observed near the island. Iona, near Cape Pyagin and near the Krusenstern Strait. In these areas, the water temperature stays between 6-7°. 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 100–200 m. The water temperature is relatively uniform and drops from −1.7–1.5° on the surface to −0.25° at horizons of 500–600 m, deeper rises to 1-2° in the southern part of the sea, near the Kuril Straits the water temperature from 2.5-3.0° on the surface drops to 1.0-1.4° at horizons of 300-400 m and then gradually rises to 1, 9-2.4° at the bottom.

In summer, surface waters are heated to a temperature of 10-12°. In the subsurface layers, the water temperature is slightly lower than on the surface. A sharp decrease in temperature to values ​​of −1.0–1.2° is observed between horizons of 50–75 m; deeper to horizons of 150–200 m the temperature rises to 0.5–1.0°, and then its increase occurs more smoothly and at at horizons of 200–250 m it is 1.5–2.0°. From here the water temperature remains almost unchanged to the bottom. In the southern and southeastern parts of the sea, along the Kuril Islands, the water temperature from 10-14° on the surface drops to 3-8° at a horizon of 25 m, then to 1.6-2.4° at a horizon of 100 m and to 1 .4-2.0° at the bottom. The vertical distribution of temperature in summer is characterized by a cold intermediate layer - a remnant of the winter cooling of the sea (see Fig. 39). 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.

The distribution of salinity in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk changes relatively little over the seasons and is characterized by its increase in the eastern part, which is under the influence of Pacific waters, and its decrease in the western part, desalinated by continental runoff (Fig. 40). 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 34.0‰ and further 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 open sea, depending on local hydrological conditions.

Temperature and salinity determine the magnitude and density distribution of the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Accordingly, denser waters are observed in winter in the northern and central ice-covered areas of the sea. 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. Density increases with depth. In winter, it rises relatively slightly from the surface to the bottom. In summer, its distribution depends in the upper layers on temperature values, and in the middle and lower horizons on salinity. IN summer time a noticeable density stratification of waters is created vertically, the density increases especially significantly at horizons of 25-35-50 m, which is associated with the heating of waters in open areas and desalination near the coast.

Cape Nyuklya (sleeping Dragon) near Magadan

The possibilities for the development of mixing of waters in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are largely related to the peculiarities of the vertical distribution of oceanological characteristics. Wind mixing occurs during the ice-free season. It occurs most intensely 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 a horizon of 20-25 m from the surface. Strong cooling and powerful ice formation in autumn winter time promotes the development of convection in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. However, it flows differently in its different areas, which is explained by the peculiarities of the bottom topography, climatic differences, inflow of Pacific waters and other factors. Thermal convection in most of the sea penetrates up to 50-60 m, since the summer heating of surface waters, and in zones influenced by coastal runoff and significant desalination, cause vertical stratification of water, which is most pronounced at these horizons. The increase in the density of surface waters due to cooling and the resulting convection are not able to overcome the maximum stability located at the mentioned horizons. In the southeastern part of the sea, where Pacific waters predominantly spread, a relatively weak vertical stratification is observed, so thermal convection extends here to horizons of 150-200 m, where it is limited by the density structure of the waters.
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 its penetration to greater depths is prevented by the maximum stability existing 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. In general, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is characterized by good mixing of its waters.

Features of the vertical distribution of oceanological characteristics, mainly water temperature, indicate that the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is characterized by a subarctic structure of waters, in which cold and warm intermediate layers are well defined in summer. A more detailed study of the subarctic structure in this sea showed that there are Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Pacific and Kuril varieties of the subarctic water structure. Although they have the same vertical structure, they have quantitative differences in the characteristics of water masses.

Based on the analysis of T and S-curves in combination with consideration of the vertical distribution of oceanological characteristics in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the following water masses are distinguished. Surface water mass that has spring, summer and autumn modifications. It represents the upper maximum of stability, determined mainly by temperature. This water mass is characterized by temperature and salinity values ​​corresponding to each season, on the basis of which its mentioned modifications are distinguished.
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, flying between horizons of 40-150 m. This water mass is characterized by a fairly uniform salinity (about 32.9-31.0‰) and varying from place to place temperature. In most of the sea, its temperature is below 0° and reaches −1.7°, and in the area of ​​the Kuril Straits it is above 1°.

The intermediate water mass is formed mainly due to the sinking of water along the slopes of the bottom; within the sea it is located 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 northwestern 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 generally 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, entering the Sea of ​​Okhotsk at horizons below 800-2000 m, i.e. below the depth of the waters descending in the straits, and appears in the sea as a warm intermediate layer. This water mass is located at horizons of 600–1350 m, has a temperature of 2.3° and a salinity of 34.3‰. However, its characteristics change in space. Most high values temperatures and salinities are observed in the northeastern and partly in the northwestern regions, which is associated here with rising waters, and the lowest values ​​of the characteristics are characteristic of the western and southern regions, where subsidence of waters occurs.
The water mass of the Southern Basin is of Pacific origin and represents deep water of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean from a horizon of 2300 m, corresponding to the maximum depth of the threshold in the Kuril Straits (Bussol Strait). The water mass in question generally fills the named basin from a horizon of 1350 m to the bottom. It 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 are the main ones and differ from each other not only in thermohaline, but also in hydrochemical and biological parameters.

Under the influence of winds and the influx of water through the Kuril Straits, the characteristic features of the system of non-periodic currents of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are formed (Fig. 41). The main one is a cyclonic system of currents that covers almost the entire sea. It is caused by the predominance of cyclonic circulation of the atmosphere over the sea and the adjacent part of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, stable anticyclonic gyres and vast areas of cyclonic water circulation can be traced in the sea.

At the same time, a narrow strip of stronger coastal currents stands out quite clearly, which, continuing each other, seem to bypass coastline seas counterclockwise; warm Kamchatka Current directed north to Shelikhov Bay; Western flow and then southwest direction along the northern and northwestern shores of the sea; the stable East Sakhalin Current going south, and the rather strong Soya Current entering the Sea of ​​Okhotsk through the La Perouse Strait.
On the southeastern periphery of the cyclonic circulation of the Central part of the sea, a branch of the Northeast Current is distinguished, opposite in direction to the Kuril Current (or Oyashio) in the Pacific Ocean. As a result of the existence of these flows, stable areas of current convergence are formed in some of the Kuril Straits, which leads to lowering of waters and has a significant impact on the distribution of oceanological characteristics not only in the straits, but also in the sea itself. 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.

Non-periodic 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 Gulf (30-45 cm/s), in the Kuril Straits area (15-40 cm/s), over the Southern 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 at its periphery. In the central part of the sea, velocities vary from 2 to 10 cm/s, with the predominant velocities being less than 5 cm/s. A similar picture is observed in Shelikhov Bay, rather strong currents off the coast (up to 20-30 cm/s) and low speeds in the central part of the cyclonic gyre.

Periodic (tidal) currents are also well expressed in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Here their various types are observed: semidiurnal, diurnal and mixed with a predominance of semidiurnal or diurnal components. The speeds of tidal currents vary - 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, the speeds of tidal currents increase significantly, for example in the Kuril Straits they reach 2-4 m/s.
The tides of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk are very complex. The tidal wave enters from the south and southeast from the Pacific Ocean. The semi-diurnal wave moves north, and at the 50° parallel it divides into two branches: the western one turns to the northwest, forming amphidromic areas north of Terpeniya Cape and in the northern part of Sakhalin Bay, the eastern one moves towards Shelikhov Bay, at the entrance to which it appears another amphidromy. The daily wave also moves 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.

There are two main types of tides in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk: daily and mixed. The most common are diurnal tides. They are observed in the Amur Estuary, Sakhalin Bay, on the Kuril Islands, off the western coast of Kamchatka and in the Gulf of Penzhin. Mixed tides are observed on the northern and northwestern coasts of the sea and in the area of ​​the Shantar Islands.
The highest tides were recorded in Penzhinskaya Bay near Astronomichesky Cape (up to 13 m). These are the highest tides for the entire coast of the USSR. In second place is the area of ​​the Shantar Islands, where the tide exceeds 7 m. The tides in the Sakhalin Bay and the Kuril Straits are very significant. In the northern part of the sea, the tides reach up to 5 m. 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 tide ranges from 0.8 to 2.5 m. In general, tidal fluctuations in the level 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.

The considerable size and great depths of the 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 ice-free areas even in winter. These seasons account for 55–70% of storm waves, including those with wave heights of 4–6 m, and highest altitudes waves reach 10–11 m. The most turbulent are the southern and southeastern regions of the sea, where the average frequency of storm waves is 35–50%, and in the northwestern part it decreases to 25–30%, with strong waves in the straits between the Kuril islands and between the Shantar Islands a crowd forms.

Severe and long winters with strong northwest winds contribute to the development of intense ice formation in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The ice of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is exclusively local in origin. Here there are both fixed ice (fast ice) and floating ice, which represents the main form of sea ice. Ice is found in varying quantities in all areas of the sea, but in summer the entire sea is cleared of ice. The exception is the area of ​​the Shantar Islands, where ice can persist in the summer.
Ice formation begins in November in the bays and lips 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 part of the sea. In normal years, the southern border of the relatively stable ice cover runs, curving to the north, 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.

From April to June, destruction and gradual disappearance of the ice cover occurs. On average, sea ice disappears at the end of May - beginning of June. The northwestern part of the sea, due to currents and the configuration of the shores, is most clogged with ice, which remains there until July. Consequently, the ice cover in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk remains for 6-7 months. Floating ice covers more than three quarters of the sea surface. The compact ice of the northern part of the sea poses a serious obstacle 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 belong to areas with little ice cover; here the ice lasts on average no more than three months a year. The thickness of the ice that grows during the winter reaches 0.8–1.0 m. Strong storms and tidal currents break up the ice cover in many areas of the sea, forming hummocks and large open waters. In the open part of the sea, continuous, motionless ice is never observed; here the ice usually drifts in the form of vast fields with numerous leads. Some of the ice from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is carried into the ocean, where it almost immediately collapses and melts. In harsh winters floating ice northwest winds press them against the Kuril Islands and clog some straits. Thus, in winter there is no place in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk where encountering ice would be completely excluded.

Hydrochemical conditions.
Due to constant water exchange with the Pacific Ocean through the deep Kuril Straits, the chemical composition of the waters of the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk is generally no different from the ocean. The values ​​and distribution of dissolved gases and nutrients in open areas of the sea are determined by the influx of Pacific waters, and in the coastal part, coastal runoff has a certain influence.

The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is rich in oxygen, but its content is not the same in different areas of the sea and changes with depth. A large amount of oxygen is dissolved in the waters of the northern and central parts of the sea, which is explained by the abundance of oxygen-producing phytoplankton here. In particular, in the central part of the sea, the development of plant organisms is associated with the rise of deep waters in zones of convergence of currents. The waters of the southern regions of the sea contain less oxygen, since the Pacific waters that are relatively poor in phytoplankton flow here. The highest content (7-9 ml/l) of oxygen is observed in the surface layer; deeper it gradually decreases and at a horizon of 100 m it is 6-7 ml/l, and at a horizon of 500 m it is 3.2-4.7 ml/l. then the amount of this gas decreases very quickly with depth and reaches a minimum at horizons of 1000–1300 m (1.2–1.4 ml/l), but in deeper layers it increases to 1.3–2.0 ml/l. The oxygen minimum is confined to the deep Pacific water mass.

The surface layer of the sea contains 2-3 µg/l of nitrites and 3-15 µg/l of nitrates. With depth, their concentration increases, and the content of nitrites reaches a maximum at horizons of 25-50 m, and the amount of nitrates here increases sharply, but the greatest values ​​of these substances are observed at horizons of 800-1000 m, from where they slowly decrease towards the bottom. The vertical distribution of phosphates is characterized by an increase in their content with depth, especially noticeable from horizons of 50-60 m, and the maximum concentration of these substances is observed in the bottom layers. In general, the amount of nitrites, nitrates and phosphates dissolved in sea waters increases from north to south, which is mainly due to the rise of deep waters. Local features of hydrological and biological conditions (water circulation, tides, degree of development of organisms, etc.) form the regional hydrochemical features of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Economic use.
The economic importance of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk is determined by its use natural resources and sea transport. The main wealth of this sea is game animals, primarily fish. Here, mainly its most valuable species are caught - salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon) and their caviar. Currently, salmon stocks have decreased, and therefore their production has decreased. Fishing for this fish is limited. In addition, herring, cod, flounder and other species are caught in the sea in limited quantities. sea ​​fish. The Sea of ​​Okhotsk is the main crab fishing area. Squid are being harvested in the sea. One of the largest herds of fur seals is concentrated on the Shantar Islands, the hunting of which is strictly regulated.

Sea transport lines connect the Okhotsk ports of Magadan, Nagaevo, Ayan, Okhotsk with other Soviet and foreign ports. Various cargoes arrive here from different regions of the Soviet Union and foreign countries.

The largely studied Sea of ​​Okhotsk still needs to solve various natural problems. In terms of their hydrological aspects, studies of water exchange between the sea and the Pacific Ocean, general circulation, including vertical movements of water, their fine structure and eddy-like movements, ice conditions, especially in the prognostic direction of the timing of ice formation, the direction of ice drift, etc., occupy an essential place. Solving these and other problems will contribute to the further development of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://tapemark.narod.ru/more/18.html
Melnikov A.V. Geographical names of the Russian Far East: Toponymic Dictionary. — Blagoveshchensk: Interra-Plus (Interra+), 2009. — 55 p.
Shamraev Yu. I., Shishkina L. A. Oceanology. L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980.
Lithosphere of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk
The Sea of ​​Okhotsk in the book: A. D. Dobrovolsky, B. S. Zalogin. Seas of the USSR. Publishing house Moscow. University, 1982.
Leontyev V.V., Novikova K.A. Toponymic dictionary of the north-east of the USSR. - Magadan: Magadan Book Publishing House, 1989, page 86
Leonov A.K. Regional oceanography. - Leningrad, Gidrometeoizdat, 1960. - T. 1. - P. 164.
Wikipedia website.
Magidovich I. P., Magidovich V. I. Essays on history geographical discoveries. - Enlightenment, 1985. - T. 4.
http://www.photosight.ru/
photo: O. Smoliy, A. Afanasyev, A. Gill, L. Golubtsova, A. Panfilov, T. Selena.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk (from the name of the river Okhota)

Lama Sea (from Evenki lama - sea), Kamchatka Sea, semi-enclosed sea in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, limited east coast mainland Asia from Cape Lazarev to the mouth of the Penzhina River, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, Hokkaido and Sakhalin. It washes the coasts of the USSR and Japan (Hokkaido Island). It is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Kuril Straits, and to the Sea of ​​Japan through the Nevelskoy and La Perouse Straits. Length from north to south 2445 km, maximum width 1407 km. Area 1583 thousand. km 2, average water volume 1365 thousand. km 3, average depth 177 m, largest - 3372 m(Kuril Basin).

The coastline is slightly indented, its length is 10460 km. The largest bays are: Shelikhova (with Gizhiginskaya and Penzhinskaya bays), Sakhalinsky, Udskaya bay, Tauyskaya bay, Academy, etc. On the southeastern coast of the island. Sakhalin - Aniva and Terpeniya bays. Most of the northern, northwestern and northeastern coasts are elevated and rocky. In the mouth areas of large rivers, as well as in western Kamchatka, in the northern part of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, the banks are predominantly low-lying. Almost all the islands: Shantarskie, Zavyalova, Spafareva, Yamskie and others are located off the coast, and only the Iona islands are in the open sea. Large rivers flow into the Omsk: Amur, Uda, Okhota, Gizhiga, and Penzhina.

Relief and geology of the bottom. O. m. is located in the zone of transition of the continent to the ocean floor. The sea basin is divided into two parts: northern and southern. The first is immersed (up to 1000 m) continental shelf; within its boundaries there are: the hills of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oceanology, occupying the central part of the sea, the Deryugin depression (near Sakhalin) and Tinro (near Kamchatka). South part The ocean is occupied by the deep-sea Kuril Basin, which is separated from the ocean by the Kuril island ridge. Coastal sediments are terrigenous coarse-grained, in the central part of the sea - diatomaceous silts.

The earth's crust under the ocean is represented by continental and subcontinental types in the northern part and suboceanic type in the southern part. The formation of the Omsk basin in the northern part occurred in Anthropocene times, as a result of the subsidence of large blocks of continental crust. The deep-sea Kuril Basin is much more ancient; it was formed either as a result of the subsidence of a continental block, or as a result of the separation of part of the ocean floor. Climate. O. M. lies in the monsoon climate zone of temperate latitudes. For most of the year, cold, dry winds blow from the mainland, cooling the northern half of the sea. From October to April, negative air temperatures and stable ice cover are observed here. On the north-east average monthly air temperatures in January - February from - 14 to - 20 ° C, in the north and west from - 20 to - 24 ° C, in the southern and eastern parts of the sea from - 5 to - 7 ° C; average monthly temperatures in July and August, respectively, are 10-12° C, 11-14° C, 11-18° C. Annual precipitation is from 300-500 mm O. M. lies in the monsoon climate zone of temperate latitudes. For most of the year, cold, dry winds blow from the mainland, cooling the northern half of the sea. From October to April, negative air temperatures and stable ice cover are observed here. On the north-east average monthly air temperatures in January - February from - 14 to - 20 ° C, in the north and west from - 20 to - 24 ° C, in the southern and eastern parts of the sea from - 5 to - 7 ° C; average monthly temperatures in July and August, respectively, are 10-12° C, 11-14° C, 11-18° C. Annual precipitation is from 300-500 in the north up to 600-800 in the west, in the southern and southeastern parts of the sea - over 1000 mm.

In the northern half of the sea, cloudiness is less than in the southern half, increasing from west to east. In the water balance of the ocean, surface runoff, precipitation, and evaporation play an insignificant role; its main part is formed by the inflow and outflow of Pacific water and the influx of water from the Sea of ​​Japan through the La Perouse Strait. Pacific deep water enters through the straits of the Kuril Islands below 1000-1300 m. m Its temperature (about 1.8-2.3 ° C) and salinity (about 34.4-34.7 ‰) change little throughout the year. Surface water of Okhotsk occupies a layer with a depth of up to 300-500 m and with the exception of the coastal zone, it is observed throughout the entire sea. Its temperature in winter is from - 1.8 to 2 ° C, in summer from - 1.5 to 15 ° C, salinity is from 32.8 to 33.8 ‰. As a result of winter convection, an intermediate layer of water with a thickness of 150-900 is formed between the lower boundary of surface water and the upper boundary of deep Pacific water. with temperatures throughout the year from - 1.7 to 2.2 ° C and salinity from 33.2 to 34.5 ‰. In the Omsk region there is a pronounced, although with numerous local deviations, cyclonic system of currents with small (up to 2-10) cm/sec speeds away from the coast. In narrow places and straits strong tidal currents (up to 3.5 in the Kuril Straits and in the area of ​​the Shantar Islands). In the ocean, tides of mixed type, predominantly irregular diurnal, predominate. Maximum tide (12.9 m) is observed in Penzhinskaya Bay, minimal (0.8 m) - near the southeastern part of Sakhalin. In November, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice, while the middle and southern parts, exposed to incoming cyclones and occasionally typhoons, become the site of severe storms that often do not subside from 7 to 10 days. Water transparency Om. far from the shores is 10-17 m, near the coast it decreases to 6-8 m and less. O. m. is characterized by the phenomenon of glow of water and ice.

Vegetation and fauna. Based on the species composition of organisms living in the Arctic Ocean, it has an arctic character. Species of the temperate (boreal) zone, due to the thermal effects of oceanic waters, are inhabited mainly by the southern and southeastern parts of the sea. The phytoplankton of the sea is dominated by diatoms, while the zooplankton is dominated by copepods and jellyfish, larvae of mollusks and worms. In the littoral zone (See Littoral) there are numerous settlements of mussels, littorinas and other mollusks, barnacles, balanus, sea ​​urchins, among crustaceans there are many amphinodes and crabs. On great depths A rich fauna of invertebrates (glass sponges, sea cucumbers, deep-sea eight-rayed corals, decapod crustaceans) and fish was discovered in the region. The richest and most widespread group of plant organisms in the littoral zone are brown algae. Red algae are also widespread in the Omsk region, and green algae are widespread in the northwestern part. Of the fish, the most valuable are salmon: chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, and sockeye salmon. Commercial concentrations of herring, pollock, flounder, cod, navaga, capelin, and smelt are known. Mammals live here - whales, seals, sea lions, fur seals. Kamchatka crabs, blue crabs, or flat-footed crabs (the O. m. ranks first in the world in terms of commercial crab reserves) and salmon fish are of great economic importance.

Important sea routes linking Vladivostok with northern regions Far East and Kuril Islands. Major ports on the coast of the mainland - Magadan (in Nagaev Bay), Okhotsk, on the island of Sakhalin - Korsakov, on the Kuril Islands - Severo-Kurilsk.

O. m. was opened in the 2nd quarter of the 17th century. Russian explorers I. Yu. Moskvitin and V. D. Poyarkov. In 1733, the work of the Second Kamchatka Expedition began, whose participants photographed almost all the shores of the Sea. In 1805, I. F. Kruzenshtern carried out an inventory of the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island. During 1849-55, G. I. Nevelskoy undertook a survey of the southwestern shores of the O. m. and the mouth of the river. The Amur proved that there is a strait between Sakhalin and the mainland. The first complete summary of sea hydrology was given by S. O. Makarov (1894). From works of the early 20th century. The studies of V. K. Brazhnikov (1899-1902) and N. K. Soldatov (1907-13) are of great importance for knowledge of the fauna of the ocean. From foreign expeditions of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. It should be noted the American expeditions of Ringald, Rogers and the US Fisheries Commission on the ship "Albatross", the Japanese expedition of 1915-1917 under the leadership of H. Marukawa. After the October Revolution of 1917, comprehensive research papers under the leadership of K. M. Deryugin a and P. Yu. Shmidt a. In 1932, a complex expedition of the State Hydrological Institute and the Pacific Institute of Fisheries worked in Omsk on the ship Gagara. After this expedition, systematic research in the ocean was carried out for a number of years by the Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography. Since 1947, oceanic oceans began to be studied by the Institute of Oceanology of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the ship “Vityaz” (1949–54), by ships of the State Oceanographic Institute, the Vladivostok Hydrometeorological Administration, and other institutions.

Lit.: Makarov S. O., “Vityaz” and the Pacific Ocean, vol. 1-2, St. Petersburg, 1894; Leonov A.K., Regional oceanography, part 1, Leningrad, 1960.

T. I. Supranovich, V. F. Kanaev.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Big Soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what the “Sea of ​​Okhotsk” is in other dictionaries:

Sea of ​​Okhotsk ... Wikipedia

Pacific Ocean, near the east. coast of the Asian part of Russia. The name appeared in the middle of the 18th century. Given from the Okhotsk fort (modern Okhotsk), which is named after the Okhota River (distorted Evensk okat river). In the XVII-XVIII centuries. also called Tunguska... ... Geographical encyclopedia

SEA OF OKHOTSK, a semi-enclosed sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Asia. Separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the ridge of the Kuril Islands and the island. Hokkaido. The Nevelsk, Tatar and La Perouse straits communicate with the Sea of ​​Japan, the Kuril Strait with the Pacific... ... Russian history

Sea of ​​Okhotsk- (Tunguzskoye or Lamutskoye), borders the shores of Sakhalin, Primorsky region. and Kamchatka and the Kurilsk chain. oh wow; Tatarsky and Laperuzov. It connects with Japan through straits. sea, and nearby straits between Kurilsk. about you and Tikh. ok m. V… … Military encyclopedia

Semi-enclosed sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Asia. Separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the ridge of the Kuril Islands and the island. Hokkaido. Prol. Nevelskoy, Tatarskiy and La Perouse are connected to the Japanese metro station and the Kuril Strait. with Quiet approx. 1603 thousand km².… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

The semi-enclosed sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Asia. Separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island. Hokkaido. The Nevelsk, Tatar and La Perouse straits communicate with the Sea of ​​Japan, the Kuril Straits with the Pacific Ocean... encyclopedic Dictionary

Sea of ​​Okhotsk- Coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. SEA OF OKHOTSK, Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Eurasia. Separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and the island of Hokkaido. Area 1603 thousand km 2. Depth up to 3521 m. Shantar Islands. Large bays of Shelikhov... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

A vast basin located in NE Asia, belonging to the Pacific Ocean. It is located between parallels 44° and 62° 16 s. w. and meridians 135° 15th and 163° 15th century. d. The sea is most extended along the meridian; so from Penzhinskaya Bay to the south. borders... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

SEA OF OKHOTSK- a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the chain of the Kuril Islands and the Hokkaido Island. It is connected to the Japanese Cape by narrow and shallow straits. Nevelskoy and La Perouse, with the Quiet approx. prol. Kuril ridge. Avg. depth 821 m, max... Marine encyclopedic reference book

 

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