Just 8,000 years ago it was a lake (it did not have access to the World Ocean) and today it is considered one of the youngest seas on our planet (despite the fact that it is surrounded on all sides by land, two straits - the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus - connect it with the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea).

Due to the fact that it occupies a fairly small area (438,600 sq. km.) and is protected on the northern coast by mountains, the wind does not have time to swing the waves strongly enough, so a storm here is a fairly rare occurrence. The concentration of salt in the water is insignificant (it doesn’t sting the eyes), and there are practically no animals dangerous to humans, so it is considered that a holiday on the Black Sea is suitable for children- here they can dive and frolic without fear, becoming acquainted with the marine world for the first time.

Features of the Black Sea

The water on the surface of the Black Sea has a very low concentration of salt, and, therefore, less dense, i.e. light: does not mix with deep layers of water. At any time of the year, the temperature at the sea surface close to air temperature. But water at a depth (more than 100-150 meters) has a completely different density, practically does not contain oxygen (as a result, almost only bacteria live at depth, which produce hydrogen sulfide in the process of their life activity) and, in addition, at any time of the year it has constant temperature +9°C (average depth 1239 m, maximum depth 2208 m).

Quite rarely, but still on the Black Sea you can observe such a frightening and fascinating natural phenomenon as a tornado. As a result constant collision of air masses(one of which is formed above the surface Black Sea, and the other in the coastal mountains) the climate here is comfortable for most vacationers and local residents: it is never cold in winter, and the constant sea breeze in summer smoothes out the influence high temperatures and the southern sun.

Countries with beaches on the Black Sea coast

It can be proud of the diversity of its beaches. In the western part on the coast of Crimea and Bulgaria, the beaches are sandy. To the east - in Russia, Abkhazia and Georgia - almost all beaches are pebble (small or large pebbles), with the exception of the Taman Peninsula - the capital sandy beaches Black Sea Russia.

Flora and fauna of the Black Sea

Habitat conditions in waters and on the coast Black Sea unique: despite the fact that living organisms are almost completely absent in the depths of sea waters, the number of plant species and living creatures in the coastal zone is enormous! The Black Sea is the only natural body of water on the planet that has a deep division into oxygen (up to 200 m deep) and hydrogen sulfide (at great depths) zones. Moreover, hydrogen sulfide is practically lifeless zone, is 88% of the total volume of the sea.

It is in the remaining layer (12% of the total volume of water) that plant and organic life boils. But how diverse it is! Hundreds of species of plankton, about a thousand species of benthic algae, animals and about 2700 species! Only fish - almost 200 species, invertebrates - about 2100! IN Black Sea There are 4 species of mammals. And all this diversity adapts to such harsh conditions, How:

• different salinity of water in Black Sea V different regions and depths (very few animals can withstand such changes);
• relatively low temperature surface water for most of the calendar year;
• Hydrogen sulfide and the lack of oxygen at great depths are the main obstacle to the development of organic life in the form familiar on Earth.

One of the most interesting and fascinating phenomena on the Black Sea is its autumn “glow”. The reason for this is the unique pyridenea algae floating in the water. The names of the most common algae in Black Sea sound fabulous: Laurencia, Cystoseira or Coraline. Sea grapes and phyllophora live at depth. By the way, the reason for the glow Black Sea in autumn, not only in algae - some very small predators also glow - nightlights (noctilucas).

Dolphin is one of the main symbols of everything Black Sea coast and many cities. And there are simply countless souvenirs with the image of this mammal sold at coastal markets. You can find out more about this amazing animal, as well as get to know the Black Sea dolphinariums in a special material "

Another name for the Black Sea sounds very ominous - “the sea of ​​dead depths.” Indeed, the waters of the Black Sea have unusual characteristics. The depths of the Black Sea are divided into two levels. Below 150-200 meters there is practically no life here due to the high percentage of hydrogen sulfide contained in the deep layers of water.

Over the years of its existence, the Black Sea has accumulated more than a billion tons of this substance, which is a product of bacterial activity.

According to one version, the very appearance of the Black Sea (7500 years ago) was associated with the mass death of the freshwater inhabitants of the Black Sea lake that was once here. Because of this, reserves of hydrogen sulfide and methane began to accumulate at its bottom. However, scientists do not yet have a consensus on the origin of the huge volume of hydrogen sulfide in the waters of the Black Sea. Approximate quantity hydrogen sulfide in the Black Sea is 3.1 billion tons.

Research recent years also allow us to talk about the Black Sea as a giant reservoir of not only hydrogen sulfide, but also methane. It is the detonation of methane due to movements of lithospheric plates that today explains the strange phenomenon that occurred during the earthquake of September 11, 1927.

Well-known researcher of Crimea, professor-geologist S.P. Popov described this phenomenon as follows: “... during the earthquake, observers of three lighthouses on the western coast of the Black Sea noticed a giant fiery stripe 55 kilometers from the coast over a long distance between Sevastopol and Cape Lucullus.” Subsequent interviews made it possible to establish that the fire was not isolated - observers noticed three explosions.

Black Sea- this is the inland sea of ​​the basin Atlantic Ocean.

History of the Black Sea

The emergence of the Black Sea began with Ocean Tatis, named after the goddess of the sea, Tetis, - approximately 300 million years ago it was on the site of the current Mediterranean, Marmara, Azov, Caspian and Aral seas.

8-10 million years ago freshwater was formed Pontic Sea as a result of progress earth's crust, then it united the current Black and Caspian seas. We can say that the Pontic Sea is an outdated name for the Black Sea.

Later, the Black Sea more than once merged with the saltier Mediterranean. The last such merger occurred 7-8 thousand years ago, which can be considered the age of the modern Black Sea. It became approximately the same as we see it on modern maps.

Then the salty waters of the Mediterranean Sea poured into the sea, which caused the death of many species of fauna. Decomposing into deep sea deprived of oxygen, the biomass began to release huge amounts of hydrogen sulfide, which caused modern features the bottom of the Black Sea.

Black Sea bottom

The Black Sea bowl is deep-sea, with relatively steep slopes. However, greater depth (100 meters or more) does not begin immediately off the coast, but after 10 - 15 kilometers. And only in some places great depths begin after 200 meters (northwestern part) and 1 km (Crimea).

The maximum known depth of the Black Sea is 2211 meters.

Hydrogen sulfide layer

Hydrogen sulfide in the Black Sea is of biochemical origin: living in large quantities in the depths of the sea, bacteria living in an oxygen-free environment decompose the corpses of animals and plants and release hydrogen sulfide. And since the water in the Black Sea does not mix well, hydrogen sulfide accumulates at the bottom. The hydrogen sulfide layer of the Black Sea begins at a depth of 150-200 meters; only bacteria live in this layer and there is no other life. Over millions of years, more than a billion tons of hydrogen sulfide have accumulated in the sea.

Hydrogen sulfide- poisonous explosive gas.

Black Sea climate

The formation of the climate of the Black Sea is ensured by air masses coming from the north and south, relief features, as well as sea currents.

The Main Caucasus Range closes the northern coast of the Black Time from the northern winds and forms high humidity. Where the Caucasus Mountains are small, the climate is the driest, but also the coolest (Anapa). But where the Caucasus is already high (Abkhazia) - the weather is warmest and humid there.

The climate of the southern Black Sea coast is formed by winds blowing from the Mediterranean.

Tornadoes, atmospheric whirlwinds or tornadoes in the Black Sea are a fairly common occurrence, but they occur mainly only in the summer and autumn: in August and September, at the height of the holiday season.

Freezing of the Black Sea

The sea never freezes, but an exception is the short-term establishment of ice cover in the northern parts of the sea, which happens once every few decades.

Ebbs and flows on the Black Sea

The ebb and flow of the Black Sea is not very pronounced and the magnitude of water level fluctuations is only 3-10 cm, since for normal development due to the ebb and flow of tides, they do not have enough water area, and the small width and shallow depth of the Dardanelles, Bosporus and Strait of Gibraltar straits “do not allow” large volumes of water into the Black Sea.

Flora and fauna of the Black Sea

The Black Sea is one of the most sparsely inhabited seas on earth. There are only 37 kilograms of biomass per cubic kilometer of water. Life in the Black Sea is concentrated only in a narrow coastal strip in the area of ​​shallow depths, and below two hundred meters there is no life due to the hydrogen sulfide layer.

Vegetable world

There are more than 250 species of algae in the Black Sea. There are algae that live near the shore - coraline, cystosera, sea ​​salad, Laurencia, there are those that need depth - phyllophora, or sea grapes, and there are those that simply float in the water, for example peridenea.

Animal world

In the sea there are jellyfish with the names Aurelia and Cornerot. Cornerot is the largest Black Sea jellyfish and can cause burns, while Aurelia is harmless.

The most common shellfish in the Black Sea are mussels, brine, oysters and scallops.

There are crabs in the Black Sea - there are 18 species of them. The largest is the redbark, but it rarely reaches a size larger than 20 cm in diameter.

The Black Sea is home to approximately 180 species of fish.

Beluga, sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, herring, anchovy (Black Sea anchovy), sprat, sprat, mullet, red mullet, horse mackerel, mackerel, flounder, bonito, tuna. It is extremely rare for a swordfish to swim into the Black Sea. There are also eels in the sea - river and sea. Among the fish that are not of great commercial importance, one can note the goby, the ruffe, the pipefish, the seahorse, the stickleback, the sea dragon, the greenfinch - a small bright fish capable of cracking shells of mollusks with its teeth, the gurnard (trigla), and monkfish.

In addition, there are 3 species of mullet, stargazer or sea cow, pipefish, and seahorse.

There are two types of sharks in the Black Sea:

• Katran (spiny shark, sea dog) can grow up to 2 meters.
• Small spotted shark scyllium (cat shark).

Three species of dolphins live permanently in the Black Sea:

• guinea pig (Azovka)
• bottlenose dolphin
• common white sided

Over the past 80 years, whales have been spotted in the Black Sea twice.

Dangerous inhabitants of the Black Sea

There are no inhabitants in the Black Sea that are dangerous to human life, however, there are animals and fish that can cause serious injuries, such as cuts, burns or poisoning.

Dangerous inhabitants of the Black Sea include:

• Sharks: Katran and spotted (cat). Black Sea sharks are not dangerous and do not swim close to the shore, but nevertheless you should be careful of them in the water, since they are still a predator.
• Jellyfish: aurelia and cornerot. Aurelia is safe, but a larger cornet can cause burns.
• Sea ruff or black sea scorpionfish: located at the bottom in the rocks, it can be caught with a fishing rod. The fish itself is not dangerous; the danger is caused by the needles on the fish's comb. If cut by these needles, swelling and fever may occur, and children may require medical attention.
• Sea dragon- This is the most dangerous Black Sea fish. When poison gets into a wound, it forms strong pain, tumor, tachycardia, pulmonary spasm, you must immediately consult a doctor.
• stingray grows up to one and a half meters and likes to swim close to the shore in September-October to bask in the sun. He himself is never the first to attack and avoids crowded places, but you can accidentally step on him in the water.

Fortunately, collisions with dangerous fish and animals in the Black Sea are practically impossible for vacationers and swimmers, but nevertheless, be careful when entering the water.

Remember that animal poisoning can cause allergic reactions up to anaphylactic shock, so in any case you should consult a doctor.

• The mountains around the Black Sea are constantly growing, and the sea itself is increasing in size at a rate of 20-25 cm per 100 years.
• The glow of the Black Sea at night in August is caused by the oribatid flagellate Noctiluca.
• Waves in the Black Sea have their own direction: from the countries of Eastern Europe and Turkey - from the north and northeast; near Crimea and the Caucasus - from the west and south.
• In addition to dolphins, there are other mammals in the sea: porpoise and white-bellied seal.
• The most dangerous fish in the Black Sea is the sea dragon.
• There is a katran shark in the Black Sea, but it is not dangerous to humans.
• The Black Sea is home to 2,500 species of animals, which is almost 4 times less than in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Over the past 80 years, whales have entered the sea twice.
• Seemingly traditional rapana clam appeared in the sea relatively recently and was brought by ships from the Far East.
• In the Black Sea there are two closed gyre currents called Knilovich Points, in honor of the oceanologist who described them.

As the Black Sea used to be called.

At different periods of human history, this sea was called differently: Pontus Euxine, which in Greek means a hospitable sea, Scythian, Sarmatian, Cimmerian, Russian Sea, Sourozh, Tauride. It was called black, according to one version, because, according to another, due to the fact that metal objects lowered to great depths turn black.

What was on the site of the Black Sea in ancient times.

To solve this mystery, let's turn to the history of the sea. The Black Sea was formed on the site of the ancient Tethys Ocean several million years ago, when volcanic eruptions began, and the Caucasus Mountains rose from the bottom of the sea in smoke and flame. Initially, a huge freshwater lake was formed, which included the Black, Caspian and Aral seas. And modern Crimean and Caucasus Mountains were just islands. But the land gradually rose, and the seas separated. Throughout its geological history, the Black Sea was either a freshwater lake or a sea, when due to faults in the earth's crust, a connection with the ocean appeared.

Two three million years ago, huge whales swam in the Black Sea. Their fossilized skeletons have survived to this day. When the sea again became a freshwater lake, they died, and only a few adapted to live in both salt and water. fresh water. These ancient species, which have survived to this day, are now called Sarmatian relics. Among them is the famous Azov-Black Sea sturgeon. adapted to live in salty sea ​​water, and sturgeon caviar and fry survive only in fresh water, so the Black Sea sturgeon comes to the Don and Kuban to spawn.

When was the Black Sea formed?

Scientists suggest that some 6-8 thousand years ago the Black Sea was a freshwater lake, but due to strong earthquake The Bosporus Strait emerged. Through it, salty waters from the Mediterranean Sea flowed into the Black Sea, giving birth to the legend of the worldwide flow. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but the fact is that most of the inhabitants of the Black Sea, accustomed to fresh water, were unable to adapt to the new conditions and died This is true. The remains of the former inhabitants, having sank to the bottom, are still there, and due to their decomposition at the bottom in large quantities hydrogen sulfide is formed(gas with unpleasant smell). Only upper layer The Black Sea - approximately 150-200 meters - is inhabited. Below live only bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide.

Why is the water in the Black Sea not as salty as in the ocean?

Many rivers flow into the sea, like the Mediterranean, and especially the ocean. Rivers flowing into the sea carry with them a lot nutrients. Therefore, in the Black Sea there is a high density of green mass of plankton and algae. Some reach a length of up to 10 meters. There are even completely fantastic algae that glow at night. The Black Sea coast in some places is simply strewn with shells - houses of dead mollusks that lived or still live in the sea. The brightest of them are rapana. More on that in the next article.

How old is the Black Sea?

Tens of millions of years in what is now Southern Europe and North Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, the Tethys Ocean spread across the planet. About eight million years ago, its huge mirror began to fragment, and the Balkans and Carpathians, Crimea and the Caucasus rose from the bottom in the form of growing young mountains. Scientists believe that during the development of the earth’s crust, the water basin we are talking about merged twice with the Mediterranean Sea and three times with the Caspian Sea. Only 6-7 thousand years have passed since the Black Sea finally acquired modern look.

What is the depth of the Black Sea?

This is one of the deepest inland seas. It contains six times more water than the Caspian Sea and sixteen times more than the Baltic Sea, although the areas of all three bodies of water are approximately the same. The average depth of the Black Sea is 1280 m, and the greatest (noted near the Turkish coast, in the Sinop region) is 2245 m. The flattest coast is in the northern part, near Odessa and North-Western Crimea. On the Evpatoria beaches you can walk along the sand and get to the buoy. Such shallow bays seem to be specially created for those who are just learning to swim.

Where does the most terrible wind come from?

The most evil and dangerous wind on the Black Sea is the Novorossiysk bora. Especially in winter, in frost and ice. Novorossiysk is closed from the northeast by the Varada mountain range, that is, it is, as it were, protected. This “protection” initially holds back the northeast wind, accumulating cold air in a saucer-shaped valley. But gradually the air mass fills the valley and rises above the ridge in order to fall with all its might on the city, on the coast, on boats and ships in the port and on the open sea. The storm tears off the roofs of houses, carries boards and tiles through the air, overturns carriages, and cruelly shakes ships that did not have time to go far out to sea or hide in a safe harbor. How many of them crashed and sank there! More or less strong storms occur in Novorossiysk about ten times a year. There are no tall trees in the vicinity of the city: the wind pulls them out or breaks them at the root. Similar breakthroughs of the northeast wind (only with less force) also occur on the southern coast of Crimea. Having accumulated in the foothills, the cold air flies to the sea through the passes, and through everything at once, as if pouring through giant natural gutters. The wind blows away the clouds hanging on the mountains, and they cover the vault of heaven, escaping in a frantic flock across the sea. The mountains held the siege as long as they could, and then the wind won. The water is calm, with slight ripples, but already a kilometer from the shore it is completely covered with white breakers, and then... Boats and boats stand rooted to the spot at the piers, only the mooring ropes are stretched towards the horizon. There is no need to untie them, much less sit down at the oars: they will be carried away into the open sea! This kind of ominous weather is more typical for our winter. But if it happens in the summer, then, as a rule, at the end of August, as if drawing a line under best time year - warm, carefree, affectionate.

Why are the waves longer on the coasts of the Caucasus than in Crimea or Turkey?

On the coast of the Caucasus, especially in Batumi, the waves arrive, accelerating across the entire sea, from Bulgaria itself. This route to Crimea from Turkey is almost five times shorter.

Do tsunamis happen in the Black Sea?

Tsunami means "harbour wave" in Japanese. Generated by an underwater earthquake or a volcanic eruption, such a wave rushes to the shores at a speed of 50 to 1000 km/h. In the open ocean, it is usually not dangerous, although it grows from 1m to 5m. But near the shore, the water wall reaches 10-15 (and sometimes 50) meters and collapses, sweeping away rocks, piers, houses, trees in its path...

Tsunamis also occurred in the Black Sea, at the bottom of which the epicenters of earthquakes have been and will probably be located. Black Sea shock waves rarely reach even a meter in height, and average speed their speed is 120-160 km/h. But there were exceptions! The worst thing was in the 1st century. BC, when the tsunami killed the city of Dioscuria, located on the site of modern Sukhumi, it was swallowed up by the sea.

Are there tides in the Black Sea?

The reason for these phenomena is the gravitational influence of the Moon, which slightly pulls the water mass towards itself when passing over the ocean (low tide), and releases it when it hides behind the horizon (high tide). On the coasts of oceans and open seas, water levels rise and fall every 12 hours. The Black Sea is inland; The ebb and flow of the tides is so small that it is almost invisible.

What storms happen in the Black Sea?

There are seas that are almost always stormy. These are the ocean areas between the fortieth and fiftieth parallels. Sailors say about those latitudes: the forties are fatal, the fifties are roaring. Conversely, closer to the equator, the ocean is calm most of the year. Magellap's squadron crossed the Great Ocean for 110 days and did not encounter a single storm. For this they called him Quiet.

The Black Sea in summer is also usually calm, as if it was specially created for swimming. In September it begins to wave, and in winter it storms so much that it bends the pillars and breaks the concrete piers - they have to be repaired every holiday season. In the open sea, winter waves reach a height of 6-7 m, and sometimes more, hiding small and medium-sized watercraft up to the masts, and then throwing them up so that the propellers are exposed and buzz madly in the air.

In the winter of 1969, a multi-day, nine-point storm hit Yalta. The waves broke the pier and walked freely along the main pier. There were ships on the stocks for repairs - they were thrown into the sea. Portal cranes fell, rails with torn out blocks of powerful hydraulic concrete bent and tangled like thin reinforcement. The lighthouse keeper on duty did not have time to go ashore, and it was not possible to remove it either by watercraft or by helicopter. Fortunately, the lighthouse survived. But the ships broke away from their anchors and mooring lines, crashed against the pier and each other, and sank. The embankment parapet was cracked; no breakwaters helped. Lanterns scattered, trees and bushes bent under the weight of salty ice...

But time passes and everything is forgotten. Again the moon, the golden path, the barely audible rustling of the waves at the feet of the vacationers. The sea is hospitable.

How are mud volcanic islands formed?

The only true volcano in the Black Sea erupted in the mid-Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era (150-160 million years ago), was extinguished by the sea and formed the protected Kara-Dag mountain range.

But mud volcanoes operate when flammable gases burst out from under the ground at the bottom of the sea. Along with the gases, which sometimes burst into flames, water comes out, carrying away clay, stones, and sand. A hill with a crater grows at the bottom, and if the depth in this place is shallow, it can rise above the surface and form a mud island. Mud volcanoes discovered in the central part of the Black Sea south of Sevastopol are too far from the surface (2000 m). But in shallow waters, in the area Kerch Strait, in the strait itself and in the south of the Azov Sea, periodic outbreaks of gases occur and mud islands are formed. Until these islands are washed away by storms, they can seriously interfere with shipping.

According to the description of an eyewitness, an academician, on September 5, 1799, not far from the city of Temryuk, a terrible explosion occurred in the sea, a column of fire and black smoke rose, and then an island with a diameter of 100 m and a height of 2 m was formed. Even the Zaporozhye Cossacks, famous for their desperate bravery, who shortly before moved to the coast, this explosion and the newly appeared island caused mystical horror.

D. Tarasenko "Mosaic of the Black Sea"