The Sea of Azov in Russia became known in the 1st century AD. e. Our ancestors called it the Blue Sea. Later, after the Tmutarakan principality was formed, it received a new name - Russian. With the fall of this principality, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was repeatedly renamed. It was called Mayutis, Salakar, Samakush, etc. At the beginning of the 13th century, the designation Saksinskoye Sea appeared. The Tatar-Mongol conquerors added to the list. They called it Balyk-dengiz (in translation - "fish sea"), as well as Chabak-dengiz (bream, chabache sea). According to some reports, as a result of the transformation, the word "chabak" turned into "Azov", from which the current name comes. However, these guesses have not been substantiated by anything significant.
The most reliable is the origin of the modern name from the city of Azov. Only during the famous Azov campaigns committed by Peter I, this name was assigned to the reservoir.
Salinity of the Sea of Azov before and after Don regulation
Primarily influenced by the influx of water fromrivers (comprising up to 12% of the total volume of water), as well as the complexity of the exchange with the Black Sea, the hydrochemical features of such a reservoir as the Sea of Azov are formed. Its salinity was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean before the regulation of the Don. From 1 ppm to 10.5 and 11.5 (respectively, at the mouth of the Don, in the central part and near the Kerch Strait), its value changed. However, after the Tsimlyansky hydroelectric complex was created, the salinity of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov began to rise sharply, amounting to 13 ppm in the central part. In this case, seasonal fluctuations of 1% rarely reach.
Water of the Sea of Azov today
The Sea of Azov contains little s alt in its water. Salinity is the main factor that makes it freeze easily. Before the advent of icebreakers, the reservoir of interest to us was not navigable from December to mid-April. The water resources of the Sea of Azov were therefore used as a sea route only in the warm season.
Practically all of the major rivers flowing into it were dammed over the course of the 20th century to create reservoirs. This fact has led to the fact that the discharge of silt and fresh water has been significantly reduced.
Water balance
Basically, the water regime of such a reservoir as the Sea of Azov, salinity whom weinterested. The following is its water balance. The Kuban, Don and other rivers flowing into this sea bring a total of 38.8 cubic kilometers of fresh water. 13, 8 is its average long-term precipitation from the atmosphere on the surface. Every year, about 31.2 cubic meters of water flows through the Kerch Strait. km. These are the resources of the Black Sea. From Sivash through the strait called Thin, in addition, about 0.3 cubic kilometers enter the sea. 84.1 km is the total inflow of water. The discharge consists of the amount of evaporation from the surface (about 35.5 cubic km) of the runoff through the aforementioned Kerch Strait (47.4 cubic km), as well as the flow into the Sivash through the Tonkiy Strait (1.4 cubic km). That is, it also equals 84, 1.
The ratio of river flow to its total volume
At the same time, the ratio of river flow to the total volume of the sea is the largest of all the other seas on the planet. If the inflow of atmospheric and river waters exceeded their evaporation from the surface, this would lead to an increase in the level and increasing desalination, if there was no water exchange with the Black Sea, as a result of which salinity was established favorable for the habitat of commercial fish.
Distribution of salinity of Azov waters
Salinity is currently distributed in such a body of water as the Sea of Azov. It reaches 17.5% at the depths of the Kerch region. It is here that the most s alty water from the Black Sea comes. Here the salinity is 17.5%. The central part of this parameterhomogeneous. This figure is 12-12.5% here. Only a small area has 13%. The salinity of the water in the Taganrog Bay to the mouth of the Don (the river that flows into the Sea of Azov) drops to 1.3%.
At the beginning of summer and spring, due to the melting of ice, as well as a significant influx of river water into the sea, salinity decreases somewhat. In winter and autumn, it is approximately the same from the surface to the bottom. The highest salinity of the Sea of Azov is observed in Sivash, a separate shallow bay, and the lowest in the Taganrog Bay.
The depth of the Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov is flat. It is a shallow body of water with low slopes of the coast.
The greatest depth of the Sea of Azov usually does not exceed 15 meters, and the average is at about 8. Depths up to 5 meters occupy an area of more than half of its area. The volume of the sea is also small, it is 320 cubic meters. Let's say for comparison that the Aral Sea surpasses it by almost 2 times in this parameter. Almost 11 times more than the Azov Black, and in terms of volume - as much as 1678 times.
The Sea of Azov, however, is not so small at all. For example, it would freely accommodate two such European states as Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The greatest length of this sea is 380 kilometers, and the width is 200. 2686 kilometers is the total length that the coastline has.
Underwater terrain
The underwater relief of this sea is quite simple. ATBasically, the depths gradually and slowly increase with distance from the coast. The characteristic of the Sea of Azov from the point of view of the relief is as follows. In the center of it are the greatest depths. The bottom is almost flat. The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is made up of several bays, the largest of which are Temryuk, Taganrog, and also Sivash, which is very isolated. The latter would be more correct to consider as an estuary. There are practically no large islands in the Sea of Azov. There are a number of shoals here, which are partially flooded with water. They are located near the coast. For example, these are Turtle, Biryuchy and others islands.
This is the main characteristic of the Sea of Azov in terms of salinity, depth and topography.
Recovery at sea
Because, as we have already mentioned, the Sea of Azov is very shallow, the water stays warm during the summer months. It is always several degrees warmer than, for example, in Chernoy. The mild climate and wonderful weather make resorts located on the coast optimal for relaxation.
The water of this sea is considered healing. In addition, the sand also contains many substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body. The waters, on the other hand, have a large number of useful chemical elements that perfectly penetrate into the body through the surface of the skin during bathing.
Bathing in the sea, in addition, is an excellent hydromassage. Moderate and stable regime of solar radiation, which is typical for the Azov region, allows you to take courses of sunbathing regularly. A great place for this is the beaches of the Sea of Azov.
From all this we can conclude that the body of interest to us is an excellent place for healing. Rest here is suitable for the prevention of various cardiovascular diseases, and will also positively affect the respiratory system of the body, increase its tone.
