Sea of Japan (shores in Russia). Seas of Russia - Sea of Japan Sea of Japan in which ocean basin is it located?

The Sea of Japan belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin and is a marginal sea, which is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin Island. The Sea of Japan washes the shores of Russia and Japan.

Characteristics of the sea

The area of the Sea of Japan is 1062 sq. km. The volume of water is 1630 thousand cubic km. The depth of the sea ranges from 1753 to 3742 meters.
The northern waters of the Sea of Japan are covered with ice in winter.

Large port cities at sea: Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vanino and Sovetskaya Gavan.

The coastline of the sea is slightly indented, but has several bays, the largest of which are the bays of Olga, Peter the Great, Ishikari and the East Korean Gulf.

More than 600 species of fish live in the waters of the Sea of Japan.

Economic use of the sea

For economic purposes, the waters of the Sea of Japan are used in two directions - industrial fishing And transport shipping.

Along with industrial fishing, mussels, scallops, squid and seaweed (kelp and seaweed) are harvested.
Vladivostok is the terminus of the Trans-Siberian railway, where there is a transshipment base where cargo is reloaded from railway cars to sea cargo ships.

Ecology of the Sea of Japan

Due to the large number of sea transport vessels and oil tankers in the waters of port cities, cases of pollution of sea waters with oil are not uncommon. The waste products of people and port industrial enterprises also contribute their share to the pollution.
Archaeological research on the Sea of Japan.

In ancient times, tribes of the Mongol race lived on the western shores of the Sea of Japan. At the same time, the Japanese islands were populated by the ancestors of the Japanese - the Malay and Polynesian Yamato tribes.

In Russia, information about the Sea of Japan first appeared in the 17th century, after the famous Russian traveler Vasily Poluyarkov rafted down the Amur to its mouth in 1644-1645.

Archaeological research was first carried out on Sakhalin Island in 1867, when during archaeological excavations at the southern tip of Lake Lebyazhye the first artifacts were found confirming the presence of ancient settlements on Sakhalin Island.

The Sea of Japan is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 1062 km2, its volume is 1631 thousand km3, and its greatest depth is 3720 m. This is a marginal oceanic sea.

There are no large islands in the Sea of Japan. Of the small ones, the most significant are the islands of Moneron, Rebun, Rishiri, Okushiri, Sado, and Ulleungdo.

The coastline of the Sea of Japan is relatively slightly indented. The simplest in outline is the coast of Sakhalin Island; the coasts of Primorye and the Japanese Islands are more winding. The large bays of the mainland coast include the following bays: Olga, Peter the Great, East Korean, Ishikari.

A distinctive feature of the Sea of Japan is the relatively small number of rivers flowing into it. Almost all rivers are mountainous. The continental flow into the Sea of Japan, equal to approximately 210 km3 per year, is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.

The main role in the water balance of the sea is played by water exchange through the straits.

The straits vary in length, width and, most importantly, depth, which determines the nature of water exchange in the Sea of Japan. Through the Tsugari (Sangara) Strait, the Sea of Japan communicates directly with. The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits connect the Sea of Japan with the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Korean Strait with. Due to the shallow depths of the straits and the great depths of the sea itself, conditions are created for isolating its deep waters from the Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, which is the most important natural feature of the Sea of Japan.

The coast of the Sea of Japan, varied in structure and external forms in different areas, belongs to different morphometric types of coasts. These are predominantly abrasive shores, mostly little changed by the sea. To a lesser extent, the sea is characterized by shores. In some places, single rocks - kekurs - characteristic formations of the Sea of Japan coast rise from the water. Low-lying shores are found only on certain sections of the coast.

In warm seasons, the sea is affected by the Hawaiian High, and therefore southern and southwestern winds predominate. In summer and early autumn (July–October), the number of typhoons over the sea increases (with a maximum in September), which cause. The average monthly temperature of the warmest month of August is approximately 15°C in the northern part of the sea, and about 25°C in the southern regions.

The circulation of the waters of the Sea of Japan is determined by the influx of Pacific waters through the straits and the circulation over the sea itself. Warm currents in the eastern part of the sea and cold currents passing along its western shores form two cyclonic gyres in the northern and southern parts of the sea.

Water masses are divided into surface, intermediate and deep. The surface mass exhibits the largest temperature fluctuations in both time and space. In summer, the temperature of surface waters in the south is 24–25°C, in winter it varies from 15°C in the Korea Strait to 5°C off the island of Hokkaido. In the northwestern part of the sea, summer temperatures are 13–15°C, and in winter, throughout the convection layer, 0.2–0.4°C. The salinity of surface waters in summer in the south is 33.0–33.4‰, in the north it is about 32.5‰. In winter, in the northwestern part of the sea, salinity increases to 34.0–34.1‰. The intermediate zone has high temperature and salinity. The deep water mass has an extremely uniform temperature (0–0.5°C) and salinity (34.0–34.1‰).

Tidal fluctuations in the level of the Sea of Japan are small and amount to 0.2 m off the coast, 0.4–0.5 m off the coast of the Primorsky Territory, and only in the Korean and Tatar Straits exceed 2 m. The speeds of tidal currents are high only in the straits and can reach 140 cm /With.

The appearance of ice in the Sea of Japan is possible as early as October, and the last ice lingers in the north sometimes until mid-June.

Every year, only the northern bays of the mainland coast freeze completely. In the western part of the sea, floating, stationary ice appears earlier than in the eastern part, and it is more stable. The ice cover reaches its greatest development around mid-February. In the eastern part of the sea, ice melting begins earlier and occurs more intensely than at the same latitudes in the west.

Ice cover in the Sea of Japan varies significantly from year to year. There may be cases when the ice cover in one winter is 2 times or more greater than the ice cover in another.

The fish population of the Sea of Japan includes 615 species. The main commercial species of the southern part of the sea include sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and horse mackerel. In the northern regions, mainly mussels, flounder, herring, greenling and salmon are caught. In summer, tuna, hammerfish, and saury penetrate into the northern part of the sea. The leading place in the species composition of fish catches is occupied by pollock, sardine and anchovy. Fishing in most parts of the sea continues all year round.

It is polluted by wastewater from cities, industrial enterprises and agricultural complexes located on the western coast of Sakhalin Island (area of the city of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky) and on the mainland (Khabarovsk Territory).

For many centuries, Japan was isolated from the Asian continent. The first to try to cross the Sea of Japan were the ubiquitous Mongols. At the end of the 13th century. Genghis Khan's grandson Kublai tried to take possession of the islands twice - in 1274 and 1281. Both attempts were unsuccessful. It was not only the courage of the Japanese that stopped the Mongols. The first time, when attacking the island of Kyushu, the invaders were thwarted by a typhoon, and they retreated.

The second time, having thoroughly prepared, the Mongols assembled an army of one hundred thousand and unleashed a fleet of 4,000 ships on the Japanese. But the Sea of Japan hit them with an even more powerful typhoon than the first time. After seven weeks of fighting, a storm scattered and destroyed the entire Mongol fleet.

This could not be interpreted otherwise as God’s providence. The Japanese called this wind “kamikaze”, which means “divine wind”.

This is one of the few historical dangers that threatened Japan from the outside. Another arose during the Russo-Japanese War. In the waters of the Sea of Japan, near the island of Tsushima, a major battle took place in May 1905, as a result of which the Russian fleet was destroyed.

During the Cold War, both branches of the Korea Strait in the southern Sea of Japan were under US control. The United States Navy, which wanted to maintain control of the Pacific Ocean, monitored the actions of the Soviet fleet in Vladivostok.

Today, only passenger and fishing vessels sail in the peaceful waters of the Sea of Japan.

The surface area of this sea is more than a million square kilometers.

It washes the shores of the Russian Far East, both Korean powers and the island of Japan.

The Sea of Japan is part of the Pacific Ocean, but is separated from it by Sakhalin Island and the Japanese Islands. Through the La Perouse Strait (the Japanese call it Soya) between the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan is connected to the Sea of Okhotsk, through the Korean Strait to the East China Sea, and the Sangar Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu connects it to the Pacific Ocean. On the Russian shore of the Sea of Japan, Vladivostok is the last point of the Trans-Siberian Railway and an important commercial and military port in Russia.

The greatest depth of the Sea of Japan is 3742 m. In the middle of the basin, the bottom rises and forms the ridges of the Yamato underwater rise. The minimum depth in this place is 285 m. The islands of Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu have the craters of 36 still active volcanoes, most of them about 3000 m high. This is one of the areas of the highest seismic activity in the world. Earthquakes often occur here, including underwater ones.

Due to strong geological activity, this area is called the Pacific "hot ring".

On the southwestern coast of the Sea of Japan there are two Korean states - communist North Korea, isolated from the outside world, and South Korea, which is currently experiencing economic prosperity.

The Korea Strait, which separates South Korea from the island of Kyushu, is 180 km wide at its narrowest point, and two currents collide here. Powerful typhoons from the south often besiege Kyushu.

The whole world is in your hands 14-2010

Characteristics of the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan lies between the continent of Asia, the Korean Peninsula, and Sakhalin and the Japanese islands, separating it from the ocean and two neighboring seas. In the north, the border between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk runs along the line between Cape Sushchev and Cape Tyk on Sakhalin. In the La Perouse Strait, the border is the line of Cape Soya-m. Crillon. In the Sangar Strait, the border runs along the line of Cape Syria - Cape Estan, and in the Korean Strait - along the line of Cape Nomo (about Kyushu) - Cape Fukae (about Goto) - about. Jeju - Korean Peninsula.

The Sea of Japan is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 1062 km², volume - 1631 thousand km³, average depth -1536 m, greatest depth - 3699 m. This is a marginal oceanic sea.

There are no large islands in the Sea of Japan. Of the small ones, the most significant are the islands of Moneron, Risirn, Okushiri, Ojima, Sado, Okinoshima, Ullyndo, Askold, Russky, and Putyatina. Tsushima Island is located in the Korea Strait. All islands (except Ulleungdo) are located near the coast. Most of them are located in the eastern part of the sea.

The coastline of the Sea of Japan is relatively slightly indented. The simplest in outline is the coast of Sakhalin; the coasts of Primorye and the Japanese Islands are more winding. The large bays of the mainland coast include De-Kastri, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vladimir, Olyi, Peter the Great Posyet, Koreysky, on the island. Hokkaido - Ishikari, on the island. Honshu - Toyama and Wakasa.

The coastal boundaries are cut through by straits that connect the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the East China Sea. The straits vary in length, width and, most importantly, depth, which determines the nature of water exchange in the Sea of Japan. Through the Sangar Strait, the Sea of Japan communicates directly with the Pacific Ocean. The depth of the strait in the western part is about 130 m, in the eastern part, where its maximal depths are located, about 400 m. The Nevelskoy and La Perouse straits connect the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. The Korea Strait, divided by the islands of Jeju, Tsushima and Ikizuki into the western (Broughton passage with the greatest depth of about 12.5 m) and eastern (Kruzenshtern passage with the greatest depth of about 110 m) parts, connects the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea. The Shimonoseki Strait, with depths of 2-3 m, connects the Sea of Japan with the Inland Sea of Japan. Due to the shallow depths of the straits and the great depths of the sea itself, conditions are created for isolating its deep waters from the Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas, which is the most important natural feature of the Sea of Japan

The coast of the Sea of Japan, varied in structure and external forms in different areas, belongs to different morphometric types of coasts. These are predominantly abrasive, mostly unaltered, shores. To a lesser extent, the Sea of Japan is characterized by accumulative shores. This sea is surrounded by predominantly mountainous shores. In some places, single rocks - kekurs - characteristic formations of the Sea of Japan coast rise from the water. Low-lying shores are found only on certain sections of the coast.

Climate of the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan lies entirely in the monsoon climate zone of temperate latitudes. In the cold season (from October to March) it is influenced by the Siberian anticyclone and the Aleutian low, which is associated with significant horizontal gradients of atmospheric pressure. In this regard, strong northwest winds with speeds of 12-15 m/s and more dominate over the sea. Local conditions change wind conditions. In some areas, under the influence of coastal topography, there is a high frequency of northern winds, while in others, calms are often observed. On the southeast coast, the regularity of the monsoon is disrupted; western and northwestern winds predominate here.

During the cold season, continental cyclones enter the Sea of Japan. They cause strong storms, and sometimes severe hurricanes, which last for 2-3 days. At the beginning of autumn (September), tropical cyclones-typhoons sweep over the sea, accompanied by hurricane winds

The winter monsoon brings dry and cold air to the Sea of Japan, the temperature of which increases from south to north and from west to east. In the coldest months - January and February - the average monthly air temperature in the north is about -20°, and in the south about 5°, although significant deviations from these values are often observed. During the cold seasons, the weather is dry and clear in the northwestern part of the sea, wet and cloudy in the southeast.

In warm seasons, the Sea of Japan is affected by the Hawaiian High and, to a lesser extent, by the depression that forms in the summer over Eastern Siberia. In this regard, southern and southwestern winds prevail over the sea. However, pressure gradients between areas of high and low pressure are relatively small, so wind speeds average 2-7 m/s. A significant increase in wind is associated with the entry of oceanic, and less often continental, cyclones into the sea. In summer and early autumn (July-October), the number of typhoons over the sea increases (with a maximum in September), causing hurricane-force winds. In addition to the summer monsoon, strong and hurricane winds associated with the passage of cyclones and typhoons, local winds are observed in different areas of the sea. They are mainly caused by the peculiarities of coastal orography and are most noticeable in the coastal zone.

The summer monsoon brings warm and humid air. The average monthly temperature of the warmest month - August - in the northern part of the sea is approximately 15°, and in the southern regions about 25°. In the northwestern part of the sea, significant cooling is observed due to the influx of cold air brought by continental cyclones. In spring and summer, cloudy weather with frequent fogs prevails.

A distinctive feature of the Sea of Japan is the relatively small number of rivers flowing into it. The largest of them is Suchan. Almost all rivers are mountainous. Continental flow into the Sea of Japan is approximately 210 km³/year and is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Only in July does the river flow increase slightly

Geographical location, the outlines of the sea basin, separated from the Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas by high thresholds in the straits, pronounced monsoons, water exchange through the straits only in the upper layers - the main factors in the formation of the hydrological conditions of the Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan receives a large amount of heat from the sun. However, the total heat consumption for effective radiation and evaporation exceeds the supply of solar heat; therefore, as a result of processes occurring at the water-air interface, the sea loses heat annually. It is replenished by the heat brought by Pacific waters entering the sea through the straits, therefore, on the average long-term value, the sea is in a state of thermal equilibrium. This indicates the important role of water heat exchange, mainly heat influx from outside.

Significant natural factors are the exchange of water through the straits, the flow of precipitation onto the sea surface and evaporation. The main flow of water into the Sea of Japan occurs through the Korea Strait - about 97% of the total annual amount of incoming water. The largest flow of water flows through the Sangar Strait - 64% of the total flow; 34% flows through the La Perouse and Korean Straits. The share of fresh components of the water balance (continental runoff, precipitation) remains only about 1%. Thus, the main role in the water balance of the sea is played by water exchange through the straits.

Features of the bottom topography, water exchange through the straits, and climatic conditions form the main features of the hydrological structure of the Sea of Japan. It is similar to the subarctic type of structure of the adjacent areas of the Pacific Ocean, but has its own characteristics that have developed under the influence of local conditions.

Temperature and salinity of the Sea of Japan

The entire thickness of its waters is divided into two zones, surface - to a depth of an average of 200 m and deep - from 200 m to the bottom. The waters of the deep zone are relatively uniform in physical properties throughout the year. The characteristics of surface water under the influence of climatic and hydrological factors change in time and space much more intensely.

In the Sea of Japan, three water masses are distinguished: two in the surface zone - the surface Pacific, characteristic of the southeastern part of the sea, and the surface Sea of Japan - for the northwestern part of the sea, and one in the deep part - the deep Sea of Japan water mass.

The surface Pacific water mass is formed by the water of the Tsushima Current; it has the largest volume in the south and southeast of the sea. As you move north, its thickness and area of distribution gradually decrease, and at approximately 48° N, due to a sharp decrease in depth, it pinches out in shallow water. In winter, when the Tsushima Current weakens, the northern boundary of the Pacific waters is located approximately 46-47° from latitude.

Surface Pacific water is characterized by high temperatures (about 15-20°) and salinity (34-34.5°/͚). This water mass contains several layers, the hydrological characteristics of which and thickness vary throughout the year: the surface layer, where the temperature is during the year the temperature varies from 10 to 25°, and the salinity varies from 33.5 to 34.5°/͚. The thickness of the surface layer varies from 10 to 100 m, the upper intermediate layer has a thickness varying from 50 to 150 m. It exhibits significant gradients in temperature, salinity and density, the lower layer has a thickness from 100 to 150 m. Its depth varies throughout the year occurrence and distribution boundaries, temperature varies from 4 to 12°, salinity - from 34 to 34.2°/͚. The lower intermediate layer has very slight vertical gradients in temperature, salinity and density. It separates the surface Pacific water mass from the deep Sea of Japan.

As you move north, the characteristics of Pacific water gradually change under the influence of climatic factors as a result of its mixing with the underlying deep Sea of Japan water. With the cooling and desalination of Pacific water at latitudes 46-48° N, the surface water mass of the Sea of Japan is formed. It is characterized by relatively low temperature (on average about 5-8°) and salinity (32.5-33.5°/͚). The entire thickness of this water mass is divided into three layers: surface, intermediate and deep. As in the Pacific Ocean, in the surface water of the Japanese Sea, the greatest changes in hydrological characteristics occur in the surface layer with a thickness of 10 to 150 m or more. The temperature here varies throughout the year from 0 to 21°, salinity - from 32 to 34°/͚. In the intermediate and deep layers, seasonal changes in hydrological characteristics are insignificant

Deep Sea of Japan water is formed as a result of the transformation of surface waters that descend to depths due to the process of winter convection. The vertical changes in the characteristics of the deep Sea of Japan water are extremely small. The bulk of these waters have a temperature of 0.1-0.2° in winter, 0.3-0.5° in summer, and a salinity throughout the year of 34.1-34.15°/͚.

The structural features of the waters of the Sea of Japan are well illustrated by the distribution of oceanological characteristics in it. Surface water temperatures generally increase from northwest to southeast

In winter, the surface water temperature rises from negative values close to 0° in the north and northwest to 10-14° in the south and southeast. This season is characterized by a well-defined contrast in water temperature between the western and eastern parts of the sea, and in the south it is weaker than in the north and central part of the sea. Thus, at the latitude of Peter the Great Bay, the water temperature in the west is close to 0°, and in the east it reaches 5-6°. This is explained, in particular, by the influence of warm waters moving from south to north in the eastern part of the sea.

As a result of spring warming, the surface water temperature throughout the sea rises quite quickly. At this time, temperature differences between the western and eastern parts of the sea begin to smooth out.

In summer, the surface water temperature rises from 18-20° in the north to 25-27° in the south of the sea. Temperature differences across latitude are relatively small

On the western shores, the surface water temperature is 1-2° lower than on the eastern shores, where warm waters spread from south to north.

In winter, in the northern and northwestern regions of the sea, the vertical water temperature changes slightly, and its values are close to 0.2-0.4°. In the central, southern and southeastern parts of the sea, the change in water temperature with depth is more pronounced. In general, the surface temperature, equal to 8-10°, remains up to horizons of 100-150 m, from which it gradually decreases with depth to approximately 2-4° at horizons of 200-250 m, then it decreases very slowly - to 1-1. 5° at horizons of 400-500 m, deeper the temperature drops slightly (to values less than 1°) and remains approximately the same to the bottom.

In summer, in the north and northwest of the sea, high surface temperature (18-20°) is observed in the 0--15 m layer, from here it drops sharply with a depth of up to 4° at a horizon of 50 m, then its decrease is very slow to a horizon of 250 m where it is approximately 1°, deeper and to the bottom the temperature does not exceed 1°.

In the central and southern parts of the sea, the temperature decreases quite smoothly with depth and at a horizon of 200 m is approximately 6°, from here it decreases somewhat faster and at horizons of 250-260 m it is equal to 1.5-2°, then it decreases very slowly at horizons 750-1500 m (in some areas at horizons of 1000-1500 m) reaches a minimum of 0.04-0.14°, from here the temperature rises towards the bottom to 0.3°. The formation of an intermediate layer of minimum temperature values is presumably associated with the immersion of the waters of the northern part of the sea, cooled during severe winters. This layer is quite stable and is observed all year round.

The average salinity of the Sea of Japan, equal to approximately 34.1°/͚, is slightly lower than the average salinity of the waters of the World Ocean.

In winter, the highest salinity of the surface layer (about 34.5°/͚) is observed in the south. The lowest salinity on the surface (about 33.8°/͚) is observed along the southeastern and southwestern coasts, where some desalination is caused by heavy precipitation. In most of the sea, the salinity is 34.1°/͚. In spring, in the north and northwest, desalination of surface water occurs due to melting ice, and in other areas it is associated with an increase in precipitation. Salinity remains relatively high (34.6-34.7°/͚) in the south, where at this time the influx of saltier waters entering through the Korea Strait increases. In summer, the average salinity on the surface varies from 32.5°/͚ in the north of the Tatar Strait to 34.5°/͚ off the coast of the island. Honshu.

In the central and southern regions of the sea, precipitation significantly exceeds evaporation, which leads to desalination of surface waters. By autumn, the amount of precipitation decreases, the sea begins to cool, and therefore the salinity on the surface increases. The vertical variation of salinity is generally characterized by small changes in its values along the depth. In winter, most of the sea experiences a uniform salinity from surface to bottom, equal to approximately 34.1°/͚. Only in coastal waters is there a weakly expressed minimum salinity in the surface horizons, below which the salinity increases slightly and remains almost the same to the bottom. At this time of year, vertical changes in salinity in most of the sea do not exceed 0.6-0.7°/͚, and in its central part do not reach 0.1°/͚.

Spring-summer desalination of surface waters forms the main features of the summer vertical distribution of salinity.

In summer, minimal salinity is observed on the surface as a result of noticeable desalination of surface waters. In subsurface layers, salinity increases with depth, creating noticeable vertical salinity gradients. The maximum salinity at this time is observed at horizons of 50-100 m in the northern regions and at horizons of 500-1500 m in the southern regions. Below these layers, salinity decreases slightly and remains almost unchanged to the bottom, remaining within the range of 33.9-34.1°/͚. In summer, the salinity of deep waters is 0.1°/͚ less than in winter.

The density of water in the Sea of Japan depends mainly on temperature. The highest density is observed in winter, and the lowest in summer. In the northwestern part of the sea the density is higher than in the southern and southeastern

In winter, the surface density is quite uniform throughout the sea, especially in its northwestern part.

In spring, the uniformity of surface density values is disrupted due to different heating of the upper layer of water.

In summer, horizontal differences in surface density values are greatest. They are especially significant in the area of mixing waters with different characteristics. In winter, the density is approximately the same from surface to bottom in the northwestern part of the sea. In the southeastern regions, the density increases slightly at horizons of 50-100 m; deeper and to the bottom it increases very slightly. Maximum density is observed in March

In summer in the northwest, the waters are noticeably interlayered in density. It is small on the surface, rises sharply at horizons of 50-100 m and increases more gradually deeper to the bottom. In the southwestern part of the sea, the density increases noticeably in the subsurface (up to 50 m) layers, at horizons of 100-150 m it is quite uniform, below the density increases slightly to the bottom. This transition occurs at horizons of 150-200 m in the northwest and at horizons of 300-400 m in the southeast of the sea.

In autumn, the density begins to level out, which means a transition to a winter type of density distribution with depth. Spring-summer density stratification determines a fairly stable state of the waters of the Sea of Japan, although it is expressed to varying degrees in different areas. In accordance with this, more or less favorable preconditions are created in the sea for the emergence and development of mixing.

Due to the predominance of winds of relatively low strength and their significant intensification during the passage of cyclones under conditions of water stratification in the north and northwest of the sea, wind mixing penetrates here to horizons of about 20 m. In the less stratified waters of the southern and southwestern regions, the wind mixes the upper layers to the horizons 25-30 m. In autumn, stratification decreases and winds increase, but at this time of year the thickness of the upper homogeneous layer increases due to density mixing.

Autumn-winter cooling, and in the north, ice formation, cause intense convection in the Sea of Japan. In its northern and northwestern parts, as a result of rapid autumn cooling of the surface, convective mixing develops, which covers deep layers within a short time. With the onset of ice formation, this process intensifies, and in December convection penetrates to the bottom. At great depths, it extends to horizons of 2000-3000 m. In the southern and southeastern regions of the sea, which are cooled to a lesser extent in autumn and winter, convection extends mainly to horizons of 200 m. In areas of sharp changes in depth, convection is enhanced by the sliding of water along the slopes, as a result of which density mixing penetrates to horizons of 300-400 m. Below mixing is limited by the density structure of water, and ventilation of the bottom layers occurs due to turbulence, vertical movements and other dynamic processes.

The nature of the circulation of sea waters is determined not only by the influence of the winds acting directly above the sea, but also by the circulation of the atmosphere over the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, since the strengthening or weakening of the influx of Pacific waters depends on it. In summer, the southeast monsoon increases water circulation due to the influx of large amounts of water. In winter, the persistent northwest monsoon prevents the flow of water into the sea through the Korea Strait, causing a weakening of water circulation.

Through the Korea Strait, the waters of the western branch of the Kuroshio, which passed through the Yellow Sea, enter the Sea of Japan and spread in a wide stream to the northeast along the Japanese islands. This flow is called the Tsushima Current. In the central part of the sea, the Yamato Rise divides the flow of Pacific waters into two branches, forming a divergence zone, which is especially pronounced in the summer. In this zone, deep water rises. Having gone around the hill, both branches connect in an area located in the northwest of the Noto Peninsula.

At a latitude of 38-39°, a small flow separates from the northern branch of the Tsushima Current to the west, towards the Korea Strait, and turns into a countercurrent along the coast of the Korean Peninsula. The bulk of the Pacific waters are carried out from the Sea of Japan through the Sangarsky and La Perouse straits, while some of the waters, having reached the Tatar Strait, give rise to the cold Primorsky Current, moving south. South of Peter the Great Bay, the Primorsky Current turns east and merges with the northern branch of the Tsushima Current. A small part of the water continues to move south to Korea Bay, where it flows into the countercurrent formed by the waters of the Tsushima Current.

Thus, moving along the Japanese Islands from south to north, and along the coast of Primorye - from north to south, the waters of the Sea of Japan form a cyclonic gyre centered in the northwestern part of the sea. In the center of the gyre, rising waters are also possible.

In the Sea of Japan, two frontal zones are distinguished - the main polar front, formed by the warm and salty waters of the Tsushima Current and the cold, less saline waters of the Primorsky Current, and the secondary front, formed by the waters of the Primorsky Current and coastal waters, which in summer have a higher temperature and lower salinity than the waters of the Primorsky Current. In winter, the polar front passes slightly south of the parallel of 40° N. w, and near the Japanese Islands it runs approximately parallel to them almost to the northern tip of the island. Hokkaido. In summer, the location of the front is approximately the same, it only moves slightly to the south, and off the coast of Japan - to the west. The secondary front passes close to the coast. Primorye, approximately parallel to them.

The tides in the Sea of Japan are quite distinct. They are created mainly by the Pacific tidal wave entering the sea through the Korea and Sangar Straits.

The sea experiences semi-diurnal, diurnal and mixed tides. In the Korea Strait and in the north of the Tatar Strait there are semi-diurnal tides, on the eastern coast of Korea, on the coast of Primorye, near the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido - diurnal tides, in Peter the Great and Korean Gulfs - mixed.

The nature of the tide corresponds to tidal currents. In open areas of the sea, semidiurnal tidal currents with speeds of 10-25 cm/s are mainly observed. Tidal currents in the straits are more complex, where they have very significant speeds. Thus, in the Sangar Strait, tidal current speeds reach 100-200 cm/s, in the La Perouse Strait - 50-100, in the Korea Strait - 40-60 cm/s.

The greatest level fluctuations are observed in the extreme southern and northern regions of the sea. At the southern entrance to the Korea Strait, the tide reaches 3 m. As you move north, it quickly decreases and already at Busan it does not exceed 1.5 m.

In the middle part of the sea the tides are low. Along the eastern coasts of the Korean Peninsula and Soviet Primorye, up to the entrance to the Tatar Strait, they are no more than 0.5 m. The tides are of the same magnitude off the western coasts of Honshu, Hokkaido and Southwestern Sakhalin. In the Tatar Strait, the tide height is 2.3-2.8 m. In the northern part of the Tatar Strait, the tide heights increase, which is determined by its funnel-shaped shape.

In addition to tidal fluctuations, seasonal level fluctuations are well expressed in the Sea of Japan. In summer (August - September) the maximum rise in level is observed on all shores of the sea; in winter and early spring (January - April) the minimum level is observed.

In the Sea of Japan, surge level fluctuations are observed. During the winter monsoon off the western coast of Japan, the level can rise by 20-25 cm, and off the mainland coast it can drop by the same amount. In summer, on the contrary, off the coast of North Korea and Primorye the level rises by 20-25 cm, and off the Japanese coast it drops by the same amount.

Strong winds caused by the passage of cyclones and especially typhoons over the sea develop very significant waves, while monsoons cause less strong waves. In the northwestern part of the sea, northwestern waves predominate in autumn and winter, and eastern waves predominate in spring and summer. Most often, disturbances with a force of 1-3 points are observed, the frequency of which varies from 60 to 80% per year. In winter, strong waves prevail - 6 points or more, the frequency of which is about 10%.

In the southeastern part of the sea, thanks to the stable northwest monsoon, waves from the northwest and north develop in winter. In summer, weak, most often southwesterly, waves prevail. The largest waves have a height of 8-10 m, and during typhoons, the maximum waves reach a height of 12 m. Tsunami waves are observed in the Sea of Japan.

The northern and northwestern parts of the sea, adjacent to the mainland coast, are covered with ice annually for 4-5 months, the area of which occupies about 1/4 of the entire sea.

The appearance of ice in the Sea of Japan is possible as early as October, and the last ice lingers in the north sometimes until mid-June. Thus, the sea is completely ice-free only during the summer months - July, August and September.

The first ice in the sea forms in closed bays and bays of the mainland coast, for example in Sovetskaya Gavan Bay, De-Kastri and Olga Bays. In October - November, ice cover mainly develops within bays and bays, and from late November - early December, ice begins to form in the open sea.

At the end of December, ice formation in coastal and open sea areas extends to Peter the Great Bay.

Fast ice is not widespread in the Sea of Japan. It forms first in the bays of De-Kastri, Sovetskaya Gavan and Olga; in the bays of Peter the Great Bay and Posyet it appears after about a month.

Every year, only the northern bays of the mainland coast freeze completely. South of Sovetskaya Gavan, the fast ice in the bays is unstable and can break up repeatedly during the winter. In the western part of the sea, floating and stationary ice appears earlier than in the eastern part; it is more stable. This is explained by the fact that the western part of the sea in winter is under the predominant influence of cold and dry air masses spreading from the mainland. In the east of the sea, the influence of these masses weakens significantly, and at the same time the role of warm and humid marine air masses increases. The ice cover reaches its greatest development around mid-February. From February to May, conditions favorable for ice melting (in situ) are created throughout the sea. In the eastern part of the sea, ice melting begins earlier and occurs more intensely than at the same latitudes in the west.

Ice cover in the Sea of Japan varies significantly from year to year. There may be cases when the ice cover in one winter is 2 times or more greater than the ice cover in another.

The fish population of the Sea of Japan includes 615 species. The main commercial species of the southern part of the sea include sardine, anchovy, mackerel, and horse mackerel. In the northern regions, the main fish caught are mussels, flounder, herring, greenling and salmon. In summer, tuna, hammerfish, and saury penetrate into the northern part of the sea. The leading place in the species composition of fish catches is occupied by pollock, sardine and anchovy.

B.S. Zalogin, A.N. Kosarev "Sea" 1999

The Sea of Japan is characterized by a huge abundance of grasses and algae. In Peter the Great Bay alone, there are more than 200 species of them. These are mainly seaweed and kelp. Sea kale is used for food purposes, which is why it is not only collected in natural areas, but also grown on special plantations. The higher types of herbs include phyllospadix and zoster, which are also numerous in these waters.

The fauna is also very diverse. So, in addition to seals and whales, .

Found in the Sea of Japan and.

The most numerous inhabitants of the Sea of Japan:

Sea anemones

Experienced scuba divers have a wonderful opportunity to admire sea anemones. These are primitive living creatures, close relatives of corals.

Ascidia

While observing the underwater landscape of the bays, you can often find ascidian. Their height is 25 cm.

Shrimps

All kinds of shrimp and crustaceans are found in algae and marine plants at any time of the year. The most famous of them is the grass shrimp. Some of these crustaceans can grow up to 18 cm in length. Juveniles are emerald in color.

Sea cucumbers

Primorsky Krai is famous for its large number of sea cucumbers. There are many of these animals in the Far East and Southeast Asia. They are often called sea ginseng. The habitat of sea cucumbers is rocky placers, boulders and zoster thickets. They feed on microscopic organisms that live on soil particles. Scientists have discovered that the biological active substances secreted by sea cucumbers have antimicrobial and pharmacological effects. Japanese Cucumaria is very similar to sea cucumber. It lives in all Far Eastern seas, but at greater depths than the latter.

Starfish and sea urchins

Species of marine invertebrates include starfish and urchins. Flat urchins are inhabitants of the sandy bottom covered with dark purple hair, while round urchins are the main representatives of the coastal fauna of Primorye. The urchin fishery is extremely developed, as their caviar is a popular delicacy in Asia.
The skeleton of starfish contains calcium carbonate, hence its unusual appearance. In the Sea of Japan there is, for example, the Amur star, which reaches 32 cm in diameter and moves at a speed of 10 cm per minute. Just like the Patiriya star, which can easily be found in the coastal zone after a storm, the Amur star feeds on sluggish mollusks or mollusks attached to stones.

Oysters, mussels and other shellfish

Adult oysters and mussels lead a sedentary lifestyle. Thanks to special threads, frequent inhabitants of shallow waters - Pacific mussels - are able to stay on the stone even when struck by waves and strong gusts of wind. Only a high level of fertility saves them from complete destruction by mollusks, stars and fish.
Mussels are excellent natural filters and help cleanse coastal waters. But on the other hand, they cause a lot of problems, because... hydraulic structures and ships are overgrown with them. The largest mussels live about 100 years and grow up to 20 cm in length. Their meat has good taste and contains useful substances. But you should be careful - mussels grown in environmentally unfavorable areas can accumulate microorganisms harmful to humans.
In the desalinated waters of the bays of the Far East of Russia, China, Japan, and Korea, you can find the giant Pacific oyster. It lives at depths of up to 7 meters. The size of the shell of this mollusk reaches 70 cm. The giant oyster can withstand both winter under ice and the sun's rays at low tides. At the end of summer in Peter the Great Bay you can see oysters spawning. The female throws out up to 100 million microscopic eggs, which together look like a small cloudy cloud. Then the eggs develop into larvae and float in the water for about a month, being transported over long distances by currents. Then the larvae sink to the bottom in search of a place to live. Having found a suitable underwater object, they firmly attach themselves to it.
Scallop farming in the Sea of Japan is of great industrial importance. This mollusk moves due to the flow of water when the valves are abruptly closed.

Kamchatka crab

Another common inhabitant of the local waters is the Kamchatka crab. It can be found from the Korean Peninsula to the Bering Strait, as well as along the American coast at depths of up to 270m. The span of its claws reaches 150 cm. Kamchatka crab is especially numerous off the coast of Western Kamchatka, where its main fishery is concentrated. The crab feeds mainly on various small mollusks, crustaceans, and worms. In spring, schools of king crab approach the shores to breed.

Cephalopods

There is active fishing for octopus and squid in the Sea of Japan. One of the largest species of cephalopods, the giant octopus, is also found here. An adult weighs about 50 kg and reaches 3 meters in length (including tentacles). Giant octopuses live mainly in underwater grottoes, under rocks. They can also be found among piles of stones. Small specimens are found in the empty shells of large mussels. Octopuses feed on fish, shellfish, and crabs. In case of danger, the octopus releases ink liquid for camouflage and changes its color. They are often encountered by divers. Octopuses can stick to a suit or to the skin of a scuba diver with their suction cups on their tentacles, but they do not cause much harm to humans.

Fishes of the Sea of Japan

The Primorsky region is famous for its rich variety of fish. About 900 species of fish live in the Sea of Japan. Of these, 179 species are commercially available. The permanent inhabitants of these waters are pollock, Far Eastern salmon, cod, flounder, navaga, sea chanterelles, and sculpin gobies. In summer, off the coast of Primorye you can find warm-water fish such as mackerel, herring, saury, anchovy, garfish, and half-snout. Quite exotic species also swim into the Sea of Japan. For example: swordfish, sunfish, pufferfish, saberfish, flying fish, hammerhead shark, red barracuda and hedgehogfish.
Among the permanent inhabitants of seaside waters there are also interesting-looking fish. Seahorses, pipefish, various mollusks, butterfly fish, and sea cockerels swim in the coastal thickets. At the bottom of the sea live bright chanterelles - agonomala, golden ruffs.
There are 12 species of sharks living in the Sea of Japan, the most common of which is the Katran shark. The sharks here are not big and are not dangerous to humans.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish have long been used as a food item in Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Ropilema jellyfish is considered one of the most valuable delicacies. However, to prepare it, you need to spend a lot of time (about a month) and effort. In addition, in China, jellyfish are used in medicine (in the treatment of tracheitis and changes in blood pressure).

Fauna of the Sea of Japan

About 30 species of seals, dolphins and whales live in the Sea of Japan. There is no permanent whale fishery here. But during the Second World War, minke whales were caught in Peter the Great Bay. All species of this family are present in the Sea of Japan. Among them: sei whale, blue whale, gray whale, humpback whale, southern right whale, fin whale and minke whale.
In addition, there are many species of odontocetes. Among them: sperm whale, white-winged porpoise, northern swimmer, beluga whale, Pacific white-sided dolphin, killer whale. However, in our times the number of these animals is less than at the beginning of the twentieth century. The populations of minke whales and gray whales have declined greatly. However, in recent decades, the number of cetaceans has begun to recover as intensive whaling has been abolished. Rare species of dolphins and whales can increasingly be observed off the coast of Primorye and in Peter the Great Bay.
Six species of seals live in the waters of the Sea of Japan. Among them: sea hare, sea lion, northern fur seal, akiba, sealed seal and lionfish.

Japanese Sea- a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, located between the mainland of Eurasia, the Korean Peninsula and the islands of Sakhalin, Hokkaido and Honshu. The countries washed by this sea are Russia, Japan, North Korea and South Korea. The Sea of Japan is one of the largest and deepest seas in the world. Its area is 1062 km 2, volume - 1631 thousand km 3, average depth - 1536 m, greatest depth - 3699 m. This is a marginal oceanic sea. There are no large islands in the Sea of Japan. Of the small ones, the most significant are the islands of Moneron, Rishiri, Okushiri, Ojima, Sado, Okinoshima, Ullyndo, Askold, Russky, and Putyatina. Tsushima Island is located in the Korea Strait. Almost all the islands are located near the coast. Most of them are located in the eastern part of the sea. The coastline of the Sea of Japan is relatively slightly indented. The simplest in outline is the coast of Sakhalin; the coasts of Primorye and the Japanese Islands are more winding.

Sailing

The study of the Sea of Japan in Russia began (by the detachments of the Great Northern, or Second Kamchatka, expedition of 1733-43) by determining the geographical location of the islands of Japan and Sakhalin and partially photographing their coasts. In 1806, surveys of the eastern coast of the Sea of Japan were carried out by the expedition of I. F. Krusenstern and Yu. F. Lisyansky during their circumnavigation of the world (1803-1806). The discovery in 1849 by G.I. Nevelsky of the strait between the mainland and the island was important. Sakhalin. Since 1880, a permanent Hydrographic Expedition began its work, ensuring the compilation of accurate navigation maps. Simultaneously with hydrographic work, observations of water temperature and surface currents were carried out. Extensive oceanographic work in the Pacific Ocean and Far Eastern seas began in 1888, with the voyage of S. O. Makarov on the corvette Vityaz. Makarov made careful deep-sea observations in the La Perouse Strait for the first time; Oceanographers still use this data to this day.

During World War II, the study of the sea was sporadic. After the war, especially with the arrival of the special expedition vessel of the Institute of Oceanology of the USSR Academy of Sciences “Vityaz”, research work in the Far Eastern seas reached enormous proportions.

Bottom relief

Based on the nature of the bottom topography, the Sea of Japan is divided into three parts: northern, central and southern. The northern part of the sea is a wide trench, gradually rising and narrowing towards the north. The central part of the sea is a deep closed basin, slightly elongated in the east-northeast direction. The southern part of the sea has a very complex topography with alternating troughs and relatively shallow areas. Here is the vast underwater rise of Yamato.

Climate and hydrological regime

The climate of the Sea of Japan is temperate, monsoonal. The northern and western parts of the sea are much colder than the southern and eastern. In the coldest months (January-February), the average air temperature in the northern part of the sea is about -20 o C, and in the south about +5 o C. The summer monsoon brings with it warm and humid air. The average air temperature of the warmest month (August) in the northern part is approximately +15 o C, in the southern regions about +25 o C. In autumn, the number of typhoons caused by hurricane winds increases. The largest waves have a height of 8-10 m, and during typhoons, the maximum waves reach a height of 12 m.

In winter, the temperature of surface waters from -1 to 0 o C in the north and northwest rises to +10-14 o C in the south and southeast. Spring warming entails a fairly rapid increase in water temperature throughout the sea. In summer, the surface water temperature rises from +18-20 o C in the north to +25-27 o C in the south of the sea. The salinity of the water in the Sea of Japan is 33.7-34.3‰, which is slightly lower than the salinity of the waters of the World Ocean. The tides in the Sea of Japan are distinct, to a greater or lesser extent in different areas. The greatest level fluctuations are observed in the extreme northern and extreme southern regions and reach 3 meters. The appearance of ice in the Sea of Japan is possible as early as October, and the last ice lingers in the north sometimes until mid-June. Every year, only the northern bays of the mainland coast freeze completely. In the western part of the sea, floating, stationary ice appears earlier than in the eastern part, and it is more stable.

Flora and fauna

The Sea of Japan is one of the most productive. Along the coast, algae form powerful thickets; The benthos is diverse and large in biomass. The abundance of food and oxygen, the influx of warm waters create favorable conditions for the development of fish fauna. The fish population of the Sea of Japan includes 615 species. Here you can find octopuses and squids - typical representatives of warm seas. At the same time, vertical walls overgrown with sea anemones, gardens of brown algae - kelp - all this is reminiscent of the landscapes of the White and Barents Seas. In the Sea of Japan there is a huge abundance of starfish and sea urchins, of various colors and sizes, brittle stars, shrimps, and small crabs are found (Kamchatka crabs are found here only in May, and then they move further into the sea). Bright red ascidians live on rocks and stones. The most common shellfish is scallops. Among the fish, blennies and sea ruffes are often found. In the Sea of Japan you can find fur seals that come here for the winter from more northern regions, representatives of earless seals - seals, dolphins and even whales.

Economic importance

The Sea of Japan is characterized by high development of two industries. Fisheries combine fishing (sardine, mackerel, saury and other species) and the extraction of non-fish objects (sea shellfish - mussels, scallops, squid; algae - kelp, seaweed, ahnfeltia). The leading place in the species composition of fish catches is occupied by pollock, sardine and anchovy. Fishing in most parts of the sea continues all year round. In the Sea of Japan, active work is underway to breed mariculture - the most promising method of using marine biological resources. On the shores of the Sea of Japan, in Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian Railway ends. The most significant transshipment transport hub is located here, where cargo is exchanged between rail and sea transport. Further along the Sea of Japan, cargo travels on sea vessels to various foreign and Russian ports, just as they arrive from other ports to the ports of the Sea of Japan: Nakhodka, Vanino, Aleksandrovsk-on-Sakhalin, Kholmsk. These ports provide maritime transport not only in the Sea of Japan, but also beyond it. Since the 1990s, the coast of the Sea of Japan off the coast of Primorye has begun to be actively developed by local and visiting tourists. The impetus was factors such as the abolition or simplification of visiting the border zone, the rise in the cost of passenger transportation around the country, which made it too expensive for Far Easterners to vacation on the Black Sea coast, as well as the greatly increased number of personal vehicles, which made the Primorye coast accessible to residents of Khabarovsk and the Amur region.

The resource base of minerals in the Russian part of the Sea of Japan is insignificant. The Izylmetyevskoe gas field was discovered on the West Sakhalin shelf of the sea, but it is unprofitable for exploitation. Promising areas with sand were identified on the continental shores of the sea.

Ecology

The Sea of Japan abounds in flora and fauna suitable for industrial production. Fishing fleets of states are actively fishing and catching crabs, sea cucumbers, algae, sea urchins and scallops. At the same time, there are problems associated with it. The discrepancy between the amount of fish and shellfish caught and the volume of their natural restoration leads to the death and extinction of some of their species. The share of poaching in this is large. In addition, the fleet pollutes sea waters with waste fuels and lubricants, oil products, waste and sewage. This applies not only to fishing vessels, but also to the merchant and military fleets of the four powers. Nuclear fleet bases in the ports of the Sea of Japan, disposal and disposal of used radioactive substances and ships removed from combat duty require close attention and control.

The main source of pollution is the city of Vladivostok. The wastewater from its industrial enterprises, city sewerage, and products from the economic activities of the port and ship repair yards end up in the waters of the Amur and Ussuri Bays, and most of all, in the aquatic environment of the Golden Horn Bay.