What is the temperature of the water in the Sea of Azov? And in Black? Where to go anyway? Probably, now all these issues are as relevant as possible. The time has come for summer vacations and everyone wants to go to the sea for at least a week, take a break from the city bustle, din and constant rush.
Water temperature in the Sea of Azov. General description of the object
If you delve into history, you can quickly find out that in ancient times no Sea of Azov existed, and
the Don River simply flowed into the Black Sea at the site of the modern Kerch Strait.
In ancient times, the Greeks called it Meotian Lake, a little later the Romans renamed it the eponymous swamp.
Throughout history, the sea has been renamed more than once: Balyk-Dengiz, Mayutis, Saksin Sea, Salakar, Samakush, Chabak-Dengiz. And only in the second half of the 18th century the name of the Sea of Azov was assigned to the reservoir, which probably occurred on behalf of the Polovtsian prince Azum (Azuf) killed on its banks.
The Sea of Azov can be attributed to the category of inland seas located in the eastern part of Europe. According to experts, only having understood its nature and characteristic features, we can draw the correct conclusion about the temperature differences of this reservoir.
First of all, it should be noted that the Sea of Azov is considered the shallowest in the world, its depth does not exceed fourteen meters, while the average, fluctuating within the limits of 6.8-8 m, is 7.4 m.
Water temperature in the Sea of Azov. What is it due to?
From the point of view of scientists, this object is characterized by both high temporal and spatial variability of the basic thermal conditions. This feature can be explained by the presence of several factors at once:
- geographical position, as the sea is located right on the border of two types of seas: freezing and non-freezing;
- significant shallow water;
- sufficient rugged coast;
- low salinity.
The main source of heat, which is plentifully supplied to the sea surface, is solar radiation. If we calculate as a whole, then Azov is capable of absorbing 4000 MJ / m2 of the energy of the celestial body in a year. Of this amount, 2200 MJ / m2 is necessary for the implementation of evaporation, 1500 MJ / m2 is used for effective radiation and only 300 MJ / m2 is used for contact heat exchange with the environment.
A significant role is also played by the water exchange with the Black Sea located next door, as well as the runoff of two full-flowing rivers - the Kuban and Don. Although their influence is different. For example, the Kuban and the Black Sea make the waters of Azov warmer, but the Don, on the contrary, significantly cools.
Not so long ago, scientists conducted a selective analysis of data in different squares of a reservoir. As a result, it turned out that the water temperature on the Sea of Azov can also be characterized from the point of view of vertical thermal structure. The most stable indicators were observed from May to July, when the water, starting from shallow water, gradually warmed up, reaching its maximum value. Further, the process of stable cooling is observed, and finally, in October, stratification becomes completely unstable.
Water temperature in the Sea of Azov in the warm and cold season
The monthly temperature values of water are very variable, in contrast to the average annual values, which, according to experts, are quite stable. The water temperature of the Sea of Azov is controlled by two hydrometeorological stations located in Berdyansk and Mysovoy. Installed modern devices show that standard monthly deviations range from 0.7 to 2.2 ° C.
Their highest coefficients are in April and October, i.e., precisely at the time when the most intense seasonal changes in temperature are observed.
The smallest can be noted in the summer and at the very beginning of autumn. At this time, the rate of seasonal changes in water temperature is underestimated. The same situation is observed in January-February, but only in Berdyansk, because here the ice cover significantly stabilizes the temperature.
Note that the highest temperature values of water are in the range of 29.3-32.8 ° C. The lowest are from about -2.4 ° C in the city of Genichesk to about -0.5 ° C in the city of Taganrog.