Does the Black Sea freeze in winter: climatic features of the reservoir

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

For most people, the sea is associated with summer, heat and the beach. But some seaside resorts are located in areas where the air temperature drops below zero in winter. For example, in the Black Sea resorts the season is open from May to October. In winter, not only the air cools, but also the water. But to what extent its temperature drops, not everyone knows. Therefore, many people who do not have summer holidays are interested in whether the Black Sea freezes in winter. In fact, only a small part of the Black Sea coast is warm all year round, so for winter holidays it is better to choose more southern regions.

General characteristics of the Black Sea

This is one of the most amazing places on earth. Its origin hides many secrets and mysteries. Many scientists believe that the Black Sea used to be part of the ocean. When it split into separate bodies of water, it became a freshwater lake. Approximately 8 thousand years agoafter a great earthquake, the Bosphorus strait arose, which connected the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. The penetration of s alt water led to the death of all freshwater inhabitants of the reservoir. This caused a lot of methane and hydrogen sulfide to form in its lower layers. Therefore, depths of more than 150-200 meters in the Black Sea are uninhabited.

Although this body of water is an inland sea, it belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin. Its area is more than 420 thousand square kilometers, and the coastline stretches for almost 3.5 thousand kilometers. The Black Sea washes the shores of several countries: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania.

Features of the freezing of sea water

The physical characteristics of sea water are very different from fresh water. Due to the fact that it is s alty and many microelements are dissolved in it, it behaves in a special way in different conditions. First of all, the freezing point is very different. If freshwater freezes at 0°C, seawater needs a lower temperature to form ice.

But it is impossible to say for sure when it will freeze, as it depends on salinity. Each sea has its own salinity. For example, in the B altic Gulf, only 5%, and in the Mediterranean Sea - 26%. The Red and Dead Seas are considered to be s alty. And on average, the salinity of the world's oceans is 34-35%. The temperature of the water in it must drop to -2 ° C for it to freeze.

But the freezing process itself also has some peculiarities. When water is cooled to -2°, needle-like crystals first form. They do not contain s alt, so the salinity of the surrounding water increases. Such crystals float in it, forming an ice suspension. As the temperature drops further, they freeze. Therefore, the ice on the surface of the sea is never smooth.

The Black Sea has a salinity of about 18%. Therefore, for its freezing, a higher temperature is needed: about -1 ° C. Therefore, in order to answer the question of whether the Black Sea freezes in winter, you need to find out what the air temperature is in this region. Moreover, there is no single answer, since the climatic conditions are different on the northern and southern coasts.

Does the Black Sea freeze in winter

Climatic conditions in countries that are washed by this sea are not the same. The air temperature in different seasons is also different. Therefore, it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer whether the Black Sea freezes in winter. It is generally believed that its southern coast is never covered with ice. In the north and west, during the cold period, a narrow strip of water near the coast can freeze. Usually this happens in the Odessa area, and then, the ice is formed for a short time. But usually ice floes that are found in the Black Sea are brought from the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait.

Normally it does not freeze, but there are winters when it is completely covered with ice. In addition, the Sea of Azov is very shallow and the water salinity is low. Therefore, even with not very large frosts, thick ice forms on it. It can be carried through the Kerch Strait to the Black Sea. But usually it is found only off the coast. Crimea. The coast of Turkey and the Caucasus almost never freezes through, but this happens along the northwestern coast. The Dniester estuary, the Dnieper-Bugsky, a strip of water near the mouth of the Danube may freeze. Many people wonder if the Black Sea freezes in winter in Sochi. After all, this resort town is popular with tourists all year round.

Water doesn't usually freeze here. But it is known from history that there was a time when the Black Sea froze completely. Such cases are described in historical chronicles. Based on this information, we can conclude that this happens approximately every 60-80 years. The last cold winter in this region was in 1953-1954. At this time, the entire Sea of Azov froze, and the entire northern part of the Black Sea froze.

Climate of the Black Sea coast

Most of the territories washed by the Black Sea have a continental climate. This means that the weather here is dry and warm in summer and wet and cool in winter. The average winter temperature on the northern coast is -2 °C. Basically, this is the coast of the Caucasus and the Crimea. Those areas that are not covered by mountains are exposed to northern winds, where the temperature can drop to -30 ° С.

But the Atlantic Ocean has a great influence on the climate of the Black Sea coast. It brings cyclones that cause severe winter storms. Usually they come in several at once, so the bad weather on the coast often lasts all winter.

Does the Black Sea freeze in Crimea in winter

It is in this place that ice most often forms on the surface of the sea. Although the air temperature in Crimea rarely drops below 0 in winter, there are winters when a narrow strip of water near the coast freezes. This is especially true on the West Coast. But the ice can even reach Evpatoria.

The sea in this region freezes during especially severe winters, which happens infrequently. In historical chronicles, several such cases are known when the Kerch Strait and the northern part of the Black Sea were completely frozen. In the twentieth century, this also happened several times, for example, in 1942, in 1954, 2012.

Winter in other Black Sea resorts

The holiday season in different countries continues in different ways. It depends on the temperature of the water. In the most famous Black Sea resorts, it usually does not freeze. But when the temperature drops below 15 degrees, you can no longer swim. Therefore, there are almost no tourists here in winter, and local residents do not go to the sea. But when a particularly cold winter sets in and the water freezes, it's an amazing sight. Usually this happens only on the northern and western coasts, the southern and eastern regions are characterized by warm winters. In different countries located on the Black Sea coast, the climate is different:

• The winter in Bulgaria is not very cold. The sea here cools down quickly, already in mid-October it is impossible to swim. But in winter the temperature usually drops to +7. In especially severe years, a narrow strip of water near the coast can freeze, the last time this happened in 2016-2017.
• Black Sea coastRussia is located in the east of the sea. The climate here is mild, close to the Mediterranean. Therefore, the answer to the question whether the Black Sea freezes in winter in Novorossiysk is most often negative. But there were especially severe winters when sea water froze. The last time this happened was in 2012. But usually the water temperature does not fall below +2. The air can be colder due to northerly winds, water spray freezes causing ships to ice up, but the water itself is rarely covered with ice. The same can be said about whether the Black Sea freezes in Gelendzhik in winter. The air temperature here usually stays around 0 °C, so the water does not freeze through.
• The sea also does not freeze off the coast of Georgia and Turkey. The climate here is Mediterranean, so it is warm in winter. Rarely even ice floes appear here, forming in the north of the sea.