Sea of ​​Japan (shores in Russia). Sea of ​​Japan, map

Separates from him Japanese islands and the island of Sakhalin. It washes the shores of Russia, Korea, Japan, and the DPRK. A branch of the warm Kuroshio Current enters in the south.

Area - 1.062 million sq. km.

The greatest depth is 3742 m.
The northern part of the sea freezes in winter.

Fishing; production of crabs, sea cucumbers, algae.

map of the sea of ​​japan
map of the sea of ​​japan
Main ports: Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vostochny, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vanino, Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Kholmsk, Niigata, Tsuruga, Maizuru, Wonsan, Hungnam, Chongjin, Busan.

Climate of the Sea of ​​Japan

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

In summer, the surface water temperature rises from 18-20°C in the north to 25-27°C in the south of the sea.
Salinity of water Sea of ​​Japan 33.7-34.3%, which is slightly lower than the salinity of the waters of the World Ocean.

Tides in Sea of ​​Japan clearly expressed, to a greater or lesser extent in different areas. The greatest level fluctuations are observed in the extreme northern and extreme southern regions. Seasonal fluctuations in sea level occur simultaneously over the entire surface of the sea; the maximum rise in level is observed in summer.

Flora and fauna

The underwater world of the northern and southern regions Sea of ​​Japan very different. Flora and fauna formed in the cold northern and northwestern regions temperate latitudes, and in the southern part of the sea, south of Vladivostok, a warm-water faunal complex predominates. Off the coast Far East There is a mixture of warm-water and temperate fauna. Here you can find octopuses and squids - typical representatives 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 Sea of ​​Japan great abundance starfish And sea ​​urchins, different colors and different sizes, there are brittle stars, shrimps, small crabs ( Kamchatka crabs They are found here only in May, and then they go further out to 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, the ice cover reaches its maximum development in mid-February. On average, ice covers 52% of the area of ​​the Tatar Strait and 56% of the Peter the Great Bay.

Ice melting begins in the first half of March. In mid-March, the open waters of Peter the Great Bay and the entire coastal coast up to Cape Zolotoy are cleared of ice. The ice boundary in the Tatar Strait retreats to the northwest, and in the eastern part of the strait clearing of ice occurs at this time. Early clearing of the sea from ice occurs in the second ten days of April, later - at the end of May - beginning of June.

Refers to the Pacific Ocean, or more precisely, to its western part. Located near the island of Sakhalin, between Asia and Japan. It washes South and North Korea, Japan and the Russian Federation.

Although the reservoir belongs to the ocean basin, it is well isolated from it. This affects both the salinity of the Sea of ​​Japan and its fauna. The overall balance of water is regulated by outflows and inflows through straits. It practically does not participate in water exchange (small contribution: 1%).

With other bodies of water and Pacific Ocean connected by 4 straits (Tsushima, Soyu, Mamaia, Tsugaru). is about 1062 km 2. The average depth of the Sea of ​​Japan is 1753 m, the greatest is 3742 m. It is difficult to freeze, only its northern part is covered with ice in winter.

The hydronym is generally accepted, but is disputed by the Korean powers. They claim that the name was literally imposed by the Japanese side on the whole world. In South Korea it is called East Sea, and the North uses the name Korean East Sea.

The problems of the Sea of ​​Japan are directly related to ecology. They could be called typical, if not for the fact that the reservoir washes several states at once. They have different policies on the sea, so the influence from people also varies. Among the main problems are the following:

• industrial mining;
• ejection radioactive substances and petroleum products;
• oil spills.

Climatic conditions

According to glaciation, the Sea of ​​Japan is divided into three parts:

• Tatarsky is against;
• Peter the Great Bay;
• area from Povorotny Cape to Belkin.

As already described above, ice is always localized in part of a given strait and bay. In other places it practically does not form (if you do not take into account the bays and northwestern waters).

An interesting fact is that ice initially appears in places where there is fresh water Sea of ​​Japan, and only then does it spread to other parts of the reservoir.

Glaciation lasts in the south for about 80 days, in the north - 170 days; in Peter the Great Bay - 120 days.

If winter is not characterized by severe frosts, then areas are covered with ice in early to late November; If the temperature drops to critical levels, then freezing occurs earlier.

By February, the formation of the cover stops. At this moment, the Tartary Strait is covered by about 50%, and the Peter the Great Gulf by 55%.

Thawing often begins in March. The depth of the Sea of ​​Japan facilitates the rapid process of getting rid of ice. It could start at the end of April. If temperatures remain low, thawing begins in early June. First, parts of the Peter the Great Bay are “opened,” in particular, its open waters, and the coast of the Golden Cape. While the ice in the Tatar Strait begins to retreat, in its eastern part it thaws.

Resources of the Sea of ​​Japan

Biological resources are used by humans to the maximum extent. Fishing is developed near the shelf. Valuable species fish are considered to be herring, tuna and sardine. IN central regions They catch squid, and in the north and southwest - salmon. Algae from the Sea of ​​Japan also play an important role.

Flora and fauna

Biological resources of the Sea of ​​Japan in different parts have their own characteristic features. Due to the climatic conditions in the north and northwest, nature has moderate characteristics; in the south, the faunal complex predominates. Near the Far East there are plants and animals that are characteristic of warm-water and temperate climate. Here you can see squid and octopus. In addition to them, there are brown algae, sea urchins, stars, shrimp and crabs. Still, the resources of the Sea of ​​Japan are bursting with diversity. There are few places where you can find red sea squirts. Scallops, ruffs and dogs are common.

Sea problems

The main problem is the consumption of sea resources due to the constant fishing of fish and crabs, algae, scallops, and sea urchins. Along with state fleets, poaching is flourishing. The overuse of fish and shellfish production leads to the constant extinction of some species of marine animals.

In addition, careless fishing can lead to death. Due to fuel and lubricant waste, waste water and petroleum products, the fish die, mutate or become contaminated, which poses a great danger to consumers.

Several years ago, this problem was overcome thanks to coherent actions and agreements between the Russian Federation and Japan.

Ports of companies, enterprises and settlements- the main source of pollution with water containing chlorine, oil, mercury, nitrogen and others hazardous substances. Due to the high concentration of these substances, blue-green algae develop. Because of them, there is a danger of hydrogen sulfide contamination.

Tides

Complex tides are characteristic of the Sea of ​​Japan. Their cyclicity differs significantly in different regions. The semi-diurnal one is found near the Korea Strait and near the Tatar Strait. Daytime tides are characteristic of areas adjacent to the coast Russian Federation, Republic of Korea and North Korea, as well as near Hokkaido and Honshu (Japan). Near Peter the Great Bay, the tides are mixed.

Tidal levels are low: from 1 to 3 meters. In some areas the amplitude varies from 2.2 to 2.7 m.

Seasonal variations are also not uncommon. They are observed most often in summer; in winter there are fewer of them. The water level is also affected by the nature of the wind and its strength. Why do the resources of the Sea of ​​Japan depend so much?

Transparency

Throughout the entire length of the sea there is water different colors: from blue to blue with green tint. As a rule, transparency remains at a depth of up to 10 m. The waters of the Sea of ​​Japan have a lot of oxygen, which contributes to the development of resources. Phytoplankton is more common in the north and west of the reservoir. On the surface of the water, the oxygen concentration reaches almost 95%, but this figure gradually decreases with depth, and by 3 thousand meters it is 70%.

The Sea of ​​Japan is a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean and is limited by the coasts of Japan, Russia and Korea. The Sea of ​​Japan is connected through the Korea Strait in the south with the East China and Yellow Seas, through the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait in the East with the Pacific Ocean and through the La Perouse and Tatar Straits in the north with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The area of ​​the Sea of ​​Japan is 980,000 km2, the average depth is 1361 m. Northern border The Sea of ​​Japan runs along 51°45" N latitude (from Cape Tyk on Sakhalin to Cape Yuzhny on the mainland). The southern border runs from the island of Kyushu to the Goto Islands and from there to Korea [Cape Kolcholkap (Izgunova)]

The Sea of ​​Japan has an almost elliptical shape with the major axis in the direction from southwest to northeast. Along the coast there are a number of islands or island groups - these are the islands of Iki and Tsushima in the middle part of the Korean Strait. (between Korea and Kyushu Island), Ulleungdo and Takashima east coast Korea, Oki and Sado off the west coast of Honshu Island (Hondo) and Tobi Island off the northwestern coast of Honshu (Hondo).

Bottom relief

The straits connecting the Sea of ​​Japan with the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by shallow depths; only the Korea Strait has depths of more than 100 m. Bathymetrically, the Sea of ​​Japan can be divided by 40° N. w. into two parts: northern and southern.

The northern part has a relatively flat bottom topography and is characterized by an overall smooth slope. The maximum depth (4224 m) is observed in the area of ​​43°00"N, 137°39"E. d.
The bottom topography of the southern part of the Sea of ​​Japan is quite complex. In addition to the shallow waters around the islands of Iki, Tsushima, Oki, Takashima and Ulleungdo, there are two large isolated
jars separated by deep grooves. This is the Yamato Bank, opened in 1924, in the area of ​​39°N, 135°E. etc., and the Shunpu Bank (also called the Northern Yamato Bank), opened in 1930 and located approximately 40° N. latitude, 134° east. d. The smallest depths of the first and second banks are 285 and 435 m, respectively. A depression with a depth of more than 3000 m was discovered between the Yamato Bank and the island of Honshu.

Hydrological regime

Water masses, temperature and salinity. The Sea of ​​Japan can be divided into two sectors: warm (from Japan) and cold (from Korea and Russia (Primorsky Territory). The boundary between the sectors is the polar front, running approximately along the parallel of 38-40 ° N, i.e. almost along the same latitudes along which the polar front passes in the Pacific Ocean east of Japan.

Water masses

The Sea of ​​Japan can be divided into surface, intermediate and deep. The surface water mass occupies a layer up to approximately 25 m and in summer is separated from the underlying waters by a clearly defined thermocline layer. The surface water mass in the warm sector of the Sea of ​​Japan is formed by the mixing of surface waters of high temperature and low salinity coming from the East China Sea, and coastal waters area of ​​the Japanese Islands, in the cold sector - by the mixing of waters formed when ice melts from early summer to autumn, and the waters of Siberian rivers.

The surface water mass exhibits the largest fluctuations in temperature and salinity depending on the season and region. Thus, in the Korea Strait, the salinity of surface waters in April and May exceeds 35.0 ppm. which is higher than the salinity in the deeper layers, but in August and September the salinity of surface waters drops to 32.5 ppm. At the same time, in the area of ​​the island of Hokkaido, salinity varies only from 33.7 to 34.1 ppm. In summer surface water temperature 25°C, but in winter it changes from 15°C in the Korea Strait to 5°C near the island. Hokkaido. In the coastal areas of Korea and Primorye, changes in salinity are small (33.7-34 ppm). The intermediate water mass lying below the surface water in the warm sector of the Sea of ​​Japan has high temperature and salinity. It is formed in intermediate layers The Kuroshio is west of Kyushu and flows from there into the Sea of ​​Japan from early winter to early summer.

However, based on the distribution of dissolved oxygen, intermediate water can also be observed in the cold sector. In the warm sector, the core of the intermediate water mass is located approximately in the 50 m layer; salinity is about 34.5 ppm. The intermediate water mass is characterized by a rather strong decrease in vertical temperature - from 17 ° C at a depth of 25 m to 2 ° C at a depth of 200 m. The thickness of the layer of intermediate water decreases from the warm to the cold sector; in this case, the vertical temperature gradient for the latter becomes much more pronounced. The salinity of intermediate waters is 34.5–34.8 ppm. in the warm sector and about 34.1 industrial. in the cold. Here are the most high values salinity at all depths - from surface to bottom.

The deep water mass, usually called the water of the Sea of ​​Japan itself, has extremely uniform temperature (about 0-0.5 ° C) and salinity (34.0-34.1 ppm). More detailed studies by K. Nishida, however, showed that the temperature of deep waters below 1500 m increases slightly due to adiabatic heating. At the same horizon, a decrease in oxygen content to a minimum is observed, and therefore it is more logical to consider waters above 1500 m as deep, and below 1500 m as bottom. Compared to the waters of other seas, the oxygen content in the Sea of ​​Japan at the same depths is exceptionally high (5.8-6.0 cm3/l), which indicates the active renewal of water in the deep layers of the Sea of ​​Japan. The deep waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are formed mainly in February and March as a result of the subsidence of surface waters in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan due to horizontal diffusion, cooling in winter period and subsequent convection, after which their salinity increases to approximately 34.0 ppm.

Sometimes the low-salinity surface waters of the cold sector (1-4° C, 33.9 ppm) wedge into the polar front and deepen in a southerly direction, going under the intermediate waters of the warm sector. This phenomenon is similar to the penetration of subarctic intermediate water below the warm Kuroshio layer in the Pacific Ocean in the area north of Japan.

Salinity in spring and summer warm waters from the East China Sea and cold waters east of Korea decreases due to precipitation and melting ice. These less saline waters mix with surrounding waters and the overall salinity of the surface waters of the Sea of ​​Japan decreases. In addition, these surface waters gradually warm up over the course of warm months. As a result, the density of surface waters decreases, which leads to the formation of a clearly defined upper thermocline layer that separates the surface waters from the underlying intermediate waters. The upper thermocline layer is located in the summer season at a depth of 25 m. In autumn, heat is transferred from the sea surface to the atmosphere. Due to mixing with underlying water masses, the temperature of surface waters decreases and their salinity increases. The resulting intense convection leads to a deepening of the upper thermocline layer to 25–50 m in September and 50–100 m in November. In autumn, intermediate waters of the warm sector are characterized by a decrease in salinity due to the influx of waters of the Tsushima Current with lower salinity. At the same time, convection in the surface water layer intensifies during this period. As a result, the thickness of the intermediate water layer decreases. In November, the upper thermocline layer disappears completely due to the mixing of overlying and underlying waters. Therefore, in autumn and spring there is only an upper homogeneous layer of water and an underlying cold layer, separated by a layer of lower thermocline. The latter for most of the warm sector is located at a depth of 200-250, but to the north it rises and off the coast of the island of Hokkaido is located at a depth of about 100 m. In the warm sector of the surface layer, temperatures reach a maximum in mid-August, although in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan they spread to the depths. The minimum temperature is observed in February–March. On the other hand, the maximum surface layer temperature off the Korean coast is observed in August. However, due to the strong development of the upper thermocline layer, only a very thin surface layer is heated. Thus, temperature changes in the 50-100 m layer are almost entirely due to advection. Because of low temperatures, characteristic of most of the Sea of ​​Japan at fairly large depths, the waters of the Tsushima Current cool greatly as they move north.

The waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are characterized by exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, partly due to the abundance of phytoplankton. The oxygen content at almost all horizons here is about 6 cm3/l or more. Particularly high oxygen content is observed in surface and intermediate waters, with a maximum value at the horizon of 200 m (8 cm3/l). These values ​​are much higher than at the same and lower horizons in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (1-2 cm3/l).

Surface and intermediate waters are most saturated with oxygen. The percentage of saturation in the warm sector is 100% or slightly lower, and the waters near Primorsky Krai and Korea are oversaturated with oxygen due to low temperatures. Near the northern coast of Korea it is 110% and even higher. In deep waters there is a very high oxygen content right down to the bottom.

Color and transparency

The color of the water of the Sea of ​​Japan (according to the color scale) in the warm sector is bluer than in the cold sector, corresponding to the region of 36-38° N. latitude, 133-136° east. etc. index III and even II. In the cold sector this is mainly the color of indices IV-VI, and in the Vladivostok region it is above III. The northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan shows a greenish color sea ​​water. Transparency (by the white disk) in the Tsushima Current region is more than 25 m. In the cold sector it sometimes drops to 10 m.

Currents of the Sea of ​​Japan

The main current of the Sea of ​​Japan is the Tsushima Current, which originates in the East China Sea. It is strengthened mainly by the branch of the Kuroshio Current, going to the SOUTHWEST of the island. Kyushu, as well as partially by coastal runoff from China. The Tsushima Current contains surface and intermediate water mass. The current enters the Sea of ​​Japan through the Korea Strait and heads along the northwestern coast of Japan. There, a branch of the warm current, called the East Korean Current, separates from it, which goes in the north, to the coast of Korea, to the Korean Gulf and Ulleungdo Island, then turns to the SE and connects with the main flow.

The Tsushima Current, about 200 km wide, washes the shores of Japan and goes further to the NE at a speed of 0.5 to 1.0 knots. Then it divides into two branches - the warm Sangar current and warm current La Perouse, opening respectively into the Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru (Sangarsky) Strait and into the Sea of ​​Okhotsk through the La Perouse Strait. Both of these currents, after passing through the straits, turn east and go, respectively, near the eastern coast of the island of Honshu and the northern coast of the island of Hokkaido.

There are three cold currents in the Sea of ​​Japan: the Liman current, moving at low speed to the southwest in the area north of the Primorsky Territory, the North Korean current, going south in the Vladivostok area to eastern Korea, and the Primorsky current, or the cold current in the middle part of the Sea of ​​Japan, which originates in the area Tatar Strait and goes to the central part of the Sea of ​​Japan, mainly to the entrance to the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait. These cold currents form a counterclockwise circulation and, in the cold sector of the Sea of ​​Japan, contain clearly defined layers of surface and intermediate water masses. There is a clear boundary of the “polar” front between the warm and cold currents.

Because the Tsushima Current contains surface and intermediate water masses that are about 200 m thick and is separated from the underlying deep water, the thickness of this current is basically of the same order.

The current speed is almost constant to a depth of 25 m, and then decreases with depth to 1/6 of the surface value at a depth of 75 m. The flow rate of the Tsushima Current is less than 1/20 of the flow rate of the Kuroshio Current.

The speed of cold currents is about 0.3 knots for the Liman Current and less than 0.3 knots for the Primorsky Current. The cold North Korean Current, which is the strongest, has a speed of 0.5 knots. The width of this current is 100 km, thickness - 50 m. Basically, cold currents in the Sea of ​​​​Japan are much weaker than warm ones. Average speed The Tsushima Current passing through the Korean Strait is less in winter, and in summer it increases to 1.5 knots (in August). For the Tsushima Current, interannual changes are also observed, with a clear period of 7 years being distinguished. The flow of water into the Sea of ​​Japan mainly occurs through the Korea Strait, since the inflow through the Tartary Strait is very insignificant. The flow of water from the Sea of ​​Japan occurs through the Tsugaru (Sangara) and La Perouse Straits.

Tides and tidal currents

Tides are low for the Sea of ​​Japan. While off the coast of the Pacific Ocean the tide is 1-2 m, in the Sea of ​​Japan it reaches only 0.2 m. Slightly higher values ​​are observed off the coast of the Primorsky Territory - up to 0.4-0.5 m. In the Korean and Tatar Territories In the straits, the tide increases, reaching more than 2 m in some places.

Tidal waves propagate at right angles to these cotidal lines. West of Sakhalin and in the area of ​​the Korean Strait. two points of amphidromy are observed. A similar cotidal map can be constructed for the lunisolar diurnal tide. In this case, the amphidromy point is located in the Korea Strait Since total area Since the cross-section of the La Perouse and Tsugaru straits is only 1/8 of the cross-sectional area of ​​the Korea Strait, and the cross-section of the Tartary Strait is generally insignificant, the tidal wave comes here from the East China Sea mainly through the Eastern Passage (Tsushima Strait). Magnitude forced oscillations The mass of water in the entire Sea of ​​Japan is practically negligible. The resulting component of tidal currents and the eastward Tsushima Current sometimes reaches 2.8 knots. In the Tsugaru (Soigarsky) Strait, the tidal current of the diurnal type predominates, but the magnitude of the semidiurnal tide is greater here.

There is a clear diurnal inequality in tidal currents. The tidal current in the La Perouse Strait is less pronounced due to the difference in levels between the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. There is also a diurnal inequality here. In the La Perouse Strait, the current is directed mainly to the east; its speed sometimes exceeds 3.5 knots.

Ice Conditions

Freezing of the Sea of ​​Japan begins in mid-November in the area of ​​the Tatar Strait and in early December in the upper reaches of Peter the Great Bay. In mid-December, areas near the northern part of Primorsky Krai and Peter the Great Bay freeze. In mid-December, ice appears in the coastal areas of Primorsky Krai. In January, the area of ​​ice cover increases further from the coast to the side open sea. With the formation of ice, navigation in these areas naturally becomes difficult or stops. The freezing of the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan is somewhat delayed: it begins in early to mid-February.

Ice melting begins in areas furthest from the coast. In the second half of March, the Sea of ​​Japan, with the exception of areas close to the coast, is already free of ice. In the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan, ice off the coast usually melts in mid-April, at which time navigation in Vladivostok resumes. The last ice in the Tartary Strait is observed in early to mid-May. The period of ice cover along the coast of the Primorsky Territory is 120 days, and near the De-Kastri harbor in the Strait of Tartary - 201 days. Along the northern coast of the DPRK large quantities no ice is observed. On the western coast of Sakhalin, only the city of Kholmsk is free of ice, since a branch of the Tsushima Current enters this area. The remaining areas of this coast freeze for almost 3 months, during which navigation stops.

Geology

The continental slopes of the Sea of ​​Japan basin are characterized by many submarine canyons. On the mainland side, these canyons stretch to depths of more than 2000 m, and on the side of the Japanese Islands only to 800 m. The mainland shallows of the Sea of ​​Japan are poorly developed, the edge runs at a depth of 140 m on the mainland side and at a depth of more than 200 m. Yamato Bank and other banks The Sea of ​​Japan is composed of bedrock consisting of Precambrian granites and other Paleozoic rocks and overlying Neogene igneous and sedimentary rocks. According to paleogeographic studies, southern part The modern Sea of ​​Japan was probably dry land in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic and during most of the Paleogene. It follows from this that the Sea of ​​Japan was formed during the Neogene and early Quaternary periods. The absence of a granite layer in the earth's crust of the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan indicates the transformation of the granite layer into a basaltic layer due to basification, accompanied by subsidence earth's crust. The presence of “new” oceanic crust here can be explained by the stretching of continents accompanying the general expansion of the Earth (Egayed’s theory).

Thus, we can conclude that the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan was once dry land. The current presence of such a large amount of continental material on the bottom of the Sea of ​​Japan at depths of more than 3000 m should indicate that the land subsided to a depth of 2000-3000 m in the Pleistocene.

The Sea of ​​Japan currently has a connection with the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding marginal seas through the Korean, Tsugaru (Saigarsky), La Perouse and Tatar straits. However, the formation of these four straits occurred during very recent geological periods. The oldest strait is the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait; it already existed during the Wisconsinian glaciation, although it may have been filled with ice several times after that and used in the migration of land animals. The Korea Strait was also dry land at the end of the Tertiary period, and through it the migration of southern elephants to the Japanese islands took place; this strait opened only at the beginning of the Wisconsin glaciation. The La Perouse Strait is the youngest. Fossilized remains of mammoths found on the island of Hokkaido indicate the existence of an isthmus. land on the site of this strait until the end of the Wisconsin glaciation

The Sea of ​​Japan is considered one of the largest and deep seas all over the world. It is a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean.

Origin

The first information about this sea was received from Chinese sources in the 2nd century BC. Historically, it is believed that this reservoir was formed as a result of the melting of a glacier and rising water levels in the world's oceans.

Historical events

In the 14th-16th centuries, pirates seized power at sea. All maritime trade was under their control. From 1603 to 1867, the Sea of ​​Japan was one of the busiest transport links and the main route of entry for Dutch and Korean embassies.

Sea of ​​Japan on the map photo

The Sea of ​​Japan witnessed Russo-Japanese War(1901-1902). Today, the Sea of ​​Japan is an important domestic and international transport artery.

Characteristic

Main characteristics of the Sea of ​​Japan:

• Area 1,062,000 square km
• Average sea depth: 1536 m.
• Greatest depth: 3742 m.
• Salinity: 34-35 ‰.
• Length: from north to south 2,255 km, from west to east about 1,070 km.
• IN winter time part of the Sea of ​​Japan freezes - the Russian coastal side, but the ice may break up periodically;
• Average annual temperature: in the north 0-12C, in the south 17-26C.

shore of the Sea of ​​Japan photo

Currents

The main current of the Sea of ​​Japan is the Tsushima, whose width is approximately 200 km. This current contains surface and intermediate water masses. In addition, the following cold currents are observed in the Sea of ​​Japan:

• Limanskoe, moving at low speed to the southwest;
• North Korean, going south;
• Coastal, or cold current, going to the central part.

Sea of ​​Japan. Primorsky Krai photo

These cold currents form a counterclockwise circulation. The warm Kuroshio Current prevails in the southern part of the sea.

What rivers flow into

Few rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Japan, most of them are mountainous. Let us note the largest of them:

• Partisan;
• Tumnin;
• Samarga;
• Rudnaya.

Where does the Sea of ​​Japan flow into?

Through the straits, sea waters enter:

• through the Nevelsky Strait to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk;
• through the Sangar Strait to the Pacific Ocean;
• through the Korea Strait into the East China Sea.

Sea of ​​Japan. storm photo

Climate

The climate of the sea is monsoonal and temperate. The western and northern parts of the sea are much colder than the southern and eastern. The temperature difference reaches +27 C. Hurricanes and typhoons often pass over the sea surface.

Despite the fact that the sea is separated from the ocean by the Japanese islands and Sakhalin, storms and hurricanes often rage in the northern part of the sea, especially in autumn. Such exposure can last up to three days, and the waves reach 12 meters in height. The Siberian anticyclone brings such weather. For this reason, the Sea of ​​Japan is not very calm for shipping.

Sea of ​​Japan. port of Vladivostok photo

In November, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice, and in March-April the ice breaks up. In summer the weather is cloudy, weak weather prevails. monsoon winds from the southeast.

Relief

The bottom topography of the Sea of ​​Japan is divided into:

• the northern part (a wide trench that narrows and rises to the north);
• the central part (a deep closed basin, elongated in a northeast direction);
• southern part (the terrain is complex, alternating shallow water with trenches).

The shores of this sea are mostly mountainous. Low-lying coastlines are extremely rare. Coastline quite flat on Sakhalin. The shores of Primorye are more rugged.

underwater world of the Sea of ​​Japan photo

Cities and ports

Let us note the more significant Russian port cities located in the Sea of ​​Japan:

• Vladivostok;
• Nakhodka;
• Oriental;
• Sovetskaya Gavan;
• Vanino;
• Shakhtersk

Flora and fauna

Brown algae and kelp grow abundantly along the seashores. The Sea of ​​Japan is very rich in fish fauna due to the abundance of oxygen and food. Approximately 610 species of fish live here. The main types of fish fauna are:

• In the southern part of the sea - anchovy, sardine, horse mackerel, mackerel.
• In the northern regions - flounder, herring, salmon, greenling, mussels, saury, hammerfish, tuna.

Fishing in the Sea of ​​Japan continues all year round. This region is home to 6 species of seals, 12 species of sharks that are not dangerous to humans, squid and octopuses.

Few people know the following interesting facts about the Sea of ​​Japan:

• Residents North Korea this sea is called the Korean East Sea;
• Residents South Korea- Eastern Sea.
• Here you can meet representatives of 31 orders of fish out of 34 orders existing in the world;
• The Sea of ​​Japan leads in fish diversity among all the seas of the Russian Federation;
• A small jellyfish lives in the algae of the sea, capable of infecting the central nervous system, and with repeated contact its poison can be fatal. There are no famous resorts here, but the Sea of ​​Japan is very important for the trade and economy of several countries, including Russia.

The main ports of the Sea of ​​Japan are Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vostochny, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vanino, Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Kholmsk, Niigata, Tsuruga, Maizuru, Wonsan, Hungnam, Chongjin and Busan, through which not only a variety of cargo is delivered, but also fish is caught, crabs, sea cucumbers, seaweed, sea urchins, scallops and much more.

The Sea of ​​Japan is temperate and monsoon climate, and its northern parts are much cooler than the southern and eastern ones. The Sea of ​​Japan is also rich in typhoons caused by hurricane winds, which often hit the coasts of countries washed by the sea.

The degree of salinity of the Sea of ​​Japan is slightly lower than that of other waters of the World Ocean - about 33.7-34.3%.

What islands are located in the Sea of ​​Japan

In total, in the Sea of ​​Japan there are over 3 thousand islands of various sizes, the main part of which belongs to the Japanese archipelago.

The main islands of the sea are Hokkaido (an area of ​​83.4 thousand square kilometers, on which 5.5 million people lived in 2010), Honshu (227.969 thousand square kilometers), Shikoku (18.8 thousand square kilometers and 4.141 million people as of 2005) and Kyushu (40.6 thousand square kilometers and 12 million people living on the island by the end of 2010).

The islands of the so-called Inland Sea of ​​Japan, connected to the Pacific Ocean through the four straits of Hayasui, Bungo, Kii and Naruto, include the following - Kasado, Hime, Heigun, Yashiro, Itsukushima (an area of ​​30.39 square kilometers and 2 thousand inhabitants), Nishinomi , Etajima, Kurahashi, Innoshima, Teshima, Shodo and Awaji (592.17 thousand square kilometers and 157 thousand people as of 2005).

It is quite difficult to list the remaining 3 thousand relatively small islands of the Sea of ​​Japan, but geographers divide them into several groups:
- small islands along the island of Hokkaido;
- along the island of Honshu;
- islands of the Korea Strait (connects the Sea of ​​Japan and the East China Sea with a length of 324 kilometers);
- islands of the East China Sea;
- along the island of Shikoku;
- along Kyushu;
- the Ryukyu archipelago (another name is the Lyceum Islands, a total of 96 large and small) also includes several island subgroups - Osumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, Sakishima, Yaeyama, Miyako, Senkaku, Daito and the Borodin Islands.

There are also several artificial islands in the Sea of ​​Japan. One of them, Dejima, is built in the shape of a century and served as a port for Dutch ships from the 17th to the mid-19th century.