Japanese Sea. Sea of ​​Japan (shores in Russia)

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.

Sea characteristic

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

Major 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 East Korea Bay.

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 a transshipment base is located, 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 oil pollution of the sea waters are not uncommon. The waste products of people and port industrial enterprises also contribute to the pollution.
Archaeological research in the Sea of ​​Japan.

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

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

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

Refers to the Pacific Ocean, or rather, to its western part. Located near Sakhalin Island, between Asia and Japan. Washes the 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 (the contribution is small: 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.

Hydronym - generally accepted, but disputed by the Korean powers. They claim that the name is, literally, imposed by the Japanese side on the whole world. In South Korea, it is called the East Sea, while North Korea uses the name East Sea of ​​Korea.

The problems of the Sea of ​​Japan are directly related to the environment. 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 of people also varies. Among the main problems are the following:

• industrial production;
• release of radioactive substances and oil products;
• oil slicks.

Climatic conditions

The Sea of ​​Japan is divided into three parts by glaciation:

• Tatar vs.;
• Gulf of Peter the Great;
• area from Cape Povorotny to Belkin.

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

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

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

If winter is no different severe frosts, then the areas are covered with ice in early-late November; if temperature drops to critical levels are observed, then freezing occurs earlier.

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

Thaw often begins in March. The depth of the Sea of ​​Japan contributes to the rapid process of getting rid of ice. It may start at the end of April. If the temperature is kept low, then thawing begins in early June. First, parts of the Gulf of Peter the Great are "opened", in particular, its open water areas, and the coast of the Golden Cape. While the ice begins to recede in the Tatar Strait, it thaws in its eastern part.

Resources of the Sea of ​​Japan

Biological resources are used by man to the maximum extent. Fishing is developed near the shelf. Valuable fish species are herring, tuna and sardines. In the central regions, squids are caught, in the north and southwest - salmon. Important role algae from the Sea of ​​Japan also play.

Flora and fauna

Biological resources of the Sea of ​​Japan in different parts have their own characteristics. Due to the climatic conditions in the north and northwest, nature has moderate characteristics, in the south the faunistic complex prevails. Near the Far East there are plants and animals that are inherent in the warm-water and temperate climate. Here you can see squids and octopuses. In addition to them, there are brown algae, sea urchins, stars, shrimps and crabs. Yet the resources of the Sea of ​​Japan squeak with diversity. There are few places where you can find red ascidians. Scallops, ruffs and dogs are common.

Sea problems

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

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

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

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

tides

Complex tides are characteristic of the Sea of ​​Japan. Their cyclical different areas is significantly different. Semi-diurnal is found near the Korean Strait and near the Tatar Strait. Daily tides are inherent in 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.

The tide level is low: from 1 to 3 meters. In some areas, the amplitude varies from 2.2 to 2.7 m.

Seasonal fluctuations are also not uncommon. They are observed most often in summer; there are fewer in winter. The nature of the wind, its strength also affects the water level. Why are the resources of the Sea of ​​Japan highly dependent.

Transparency

Throughout the sea, water different color: blue to cyan green tint. As a rule, transparency is maintained at a depth of up to 10 m. There is a lot of oxygen in the waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, 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 already by 3 thousand meters it is 70%.

It is separated from it by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin Island. Washes the shores of Russia, Korea and Japan, North Korea. In the south, a branch of the warm current Kuroshio enters.

Area - 1.062 million sq. km.

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

Fishing; extraction of crabs, trepangs, algae.

sea ​​of ​​japan map
sea ​​of ​​japan map
Main ports: Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vostochny, Sovetskaya Gavan, Vanino, Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, Kholmsk, Niigata, Tsuruga, Maizuru, Wonsan, Hyungnam, 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 parts. In the coldest months (January-February), the average air temperature in the northern part of the sea is about -20°С, and in the south about +5°С. The summer monsoon brings with it a warm and wet air.
average temperature the air of the warmest month (August) in the northern part is about + 15 ° С, in the southern regions about + 25 ° С. In autumn, the number of typhoons caused by hurricane-force 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 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 oceans.

Tides in Sea of ​​Japan expressed distinctly, to a greater or lesser extent in different regions. 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

Underwater world of northern and southern regions Sea of ​​Japan is very different. In the cold northern and northwestern regions, flora and fauna of temperate latitudes have formed, and in the southern part of the sea, south of Vladivostok, a warm-water faunistic complex prevails. Off the coast of the Far East, a mixture of warm-water and temperate fauna occurs. Here you can meet octopuses and squids - typical representatives of warm seas. At the same time, vertical walls covered with sea anemones, gardens of brown algae - kelp - all this resembles the landscapes of the White and Barents Seas.
V Sea of ​​Japan a huge abundance of starfish and sea urchins, of various colors and different sizes, there are brittle stars, shrimps, small crabs (King crabs are found here only in May, and then they go further into the sea). Bright red sea squirts live on rocks and stones. Of the mollusks, scallops are the most common. Of the fish, blennies and sea ruffs are often found.

In the Sea of ​​Japan, the ice cover reaches its maximum development in mid-February. On average, 52% of the area of ​​the Tatar Strait and 56% of the Peter the Great Bay are covered with ice.

The melting of ice begins in the first half of March. In mid-March, the open waters of Peter the Great Bay and the entire seaside coast to Cape Zolotoy are cleared of ice. The boundary of the ice cover in the Tatar Strait recedes to the northwest, and in the eastern part of the strait, ice is clearing at this time. Early clearing of the sea from ice occurs in the second decade of April, later - in late May - early June.

The Sea of ​​Japan is a marginal sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean and is limited by the shores of Japan, Russia and Korea. The Sea of ​​Japan communicates 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. The northern boundary of the Sea of ​​Japan runs along 51 ° 45 "N (from Cape Tyk on Sakhalin to Cape South on the mainland). The southern boundary runs from Kyushu Island to the Goto Islands and from there to Korea [Cape Kolcholkap (Izgunov)]

The Sea of ​​Japan has an almost elliptical shape with a major axis in the southwest to northeast direction. 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 the island of Kyushu), Ulleungdo and Takashima off the east coast of Korea, Oki and Sado off the west coast of the island of Honshu (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. sh. into two parts: north and south.

The northern part has a relatively flat bottom relief and is characterized by a general smooth slope. The maximum depth (4224 m) is observed in the region of 43°00" N, 137°39" E. d.
The bottom relief 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
banks separated by deep grooves. This is the Yamato Bank, opened in 1924, in the region of 39°N, 135°E. and the Shunpu Bank (also called the Yamato North Bank), discovered in 1930 and located at about 40 ° N. sh., 134 ° in. e. The smallest depths of the first and second banks are 285 and 435 m, respectively. A depression more than 3000 m deep was found 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, which runs approximately along the parallel 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

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

For the surface water mass, the largest fluctuations in temperature and salinity are observed depending on the season of the year and the area. 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. Summer surface water temperature 25°C, but in winter it varies from 15°C in the Korea Strait to 5°C near the sea. Hokkaido. In coastal areas near Korea and Primorye, salinity changes are small (33.7-34 ppm). The intermediate water mass below the surface water in the warm sector of the Sea of ​​Japan has high temperature and salinity. It is formed in the intermediate layers of Kuroshio west of Kyushu and flows from there into the Sea of ​​Japan from early winter to early summer.

However, according to 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 temperature along the vertical - 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 sector to the cold; 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 prom. in the cold. The highest salinity values ​​are noted here at all depths - from the surface to the bottom.

The deep water mass, commonly referred to as 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 rises slightly due to adiabatic heating. At the same horizon, a decrease in the oxygen content to a minimum is observed, in connection with which it is more logical to consider waters above 1500 m as deep, and below 1500 m as near-bottom. Compared with 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 an 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 rises to approximately 34.0 ppm.

Sometimes surface waters of low salinity in the cold sector (1-4°C, 33.9 p.m.) wedged into the polar front and deepened to the south, leaving under the intermediate waters of the warm sector. This phenomenon is analogous to the intrusion of subarctic intermediate water below the warm Kuroshio layer in the Pacific Ocean in the region north of Japan.

Salinity in spring and summer warm waters from the East China Sea and cold waters east of Korea is decreasing due to precipitation and ice melting. These less saline waters mix with the surrounding waters and the overall salinity of the surface waters of the Sea of ​​Japan decreases. In addition, these surface waters gradually warm up during the warmer months. As a result, the density of surface waters decreases, which leads to the formation of a well-defined upper thermocline layer separating surface waters from underlying intermediate waters. The upper thermocline layer is located in summer season at a depth of 25 m. In autumn, heat is transferred from the sea surface to the atmosphere. As a result of mixing with the underlying water masses, the temperature of surface waters decreases, and their salinity increases. The emerging intense convection leads to the deepening of the upper thermocline layer to 25–50 m in September and 50–100 m in November. In autumn, the intermediate waters of the warm sector are characterized by a decrease in salinity due to the inflow of waters from 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 layer of the upper thermocline disappears completely due to the mixing of the overlying and underlying waters. Therefore, in autumn and spring, only the upper homogeneous layer of water and the underlying cold layer are observed, separated by a layer of the 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 near the coast 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 temperature of the surface layer near the coast of Korea is observed in August. However, due to strong development layer of the upper thermocline, 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 great depths, the waters of the Tsushima Current cool down as they move to the North.

The waters of the Sea of ​​Japan are characterized by exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, partly due to abundant phytoplankton. The oxygen content at almost all horizons is about 6 cm3/l and more. Particularly high oxygen content is observed in surface and intermediate waters, with maximum value at the horizon of 200 m (8 cm3/l). These values ​​are much higher than at the same and lower levels 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. Off the northern coast of Korea, it is 110% or even higher. In deep waters, there is a very high oxygen content to the very bottom.

Color and transparency

The color of the water of the Sea of ​​Japan (according to the color scale) in the warm sector is more blue than in the cold one, corresponding to the region of 36-38 ° N. latitude, 133–136° E e. 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. A greenish color is noted in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan sea ​​water. Transparency (according to the white disk) in the region of the Tsushima current 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 intensified mainly by the branch of the Kuroshio current, going to the SOUTH-WEST from about. Kyushu, as well as partly by coastal runoff from China. The Tsushima Current contains surface and intermediate water masses. The current enters the Sea of ​​Japan through the Korea Strait and flows along the northwestern coast of Japan. In the same place, 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 Bay and Ulleungdo Island, then turns to the SE and connects with the main stream.

The Tsushima Current, about 200 km wide, washes the coast of Japan and moves further to the NE at a speed of 0.5 to 1.0 knots. Then it is divided into two branches - the warm Sangara current and the warm La Perouse current, which exit 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 to the east and run respectively near the eastern coast of the island of Honshu and the northern coast of the island of Hokkaido.

Three cold currents are observed in the Sea of ​​Japan: the Liman current, which moves at low speed to the southwest in the area north of Primorsky Krai, the North Korean current, which goes south in the Vladivostok region to eastern Korea, and the Primorskoye, or 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 contains clearly defined layers of surface and intermediate water masses. Between the warm and cold currents there is a clear boundary of the "polar" front.

Since the Tsushima current contains surface and intermediate water masses, the thickness of which is about 200 m, and is separated from the underlying deep water, the power of this flow is basically of the same order.

The current velocity to a depth of 25 m is almost constant, 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 Kuroshio Current flow rate.

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 Korea Current, which is the strongest, has a speed of 0.5 knots. This current is 100 km wide and 50 m thick. In general, cold currents in the Sea of ​​Japan are much weaker than warm ones. average speed The Tsushima Current passing through the Korean Strait is smaller in winter, and increases to 1.5 knots in summer (in August). For the Tsushima current, interannual changes are also noted, with a clear period of 7 years being distinguished. The inflow of water into the Sea of ​​Japan mainly occurs through the Korea Strait, since the inflow through the Tatar Strait is very insignificant. The flow of water from the Sea of ​​Japan occurs through the Tsugaru (Sangara) Strait and La Perouse.

Tides and tidal currents

For the Sea of ​​Japan, the tides are small. 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. In the straits, the tide increases, reaching in some places more than 2 m.

Tidal waves propagate at right angles to these cotidal lines. To the 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 amphidromic point is located in the Korea Strait. Since the total area cross section Since the Laperouse and Tsugaru straits make up only 1/8 of the cross-sectional area of ​​the Korea Strait, and the cross section of the Tatar Strait is generally insignificant, the tidal wave comes here from the East China Sea mainly through the Eastern Passage (Tsushima Strait). The magnitude of forced fluctuations in the mass of water in the entire Sea of ​​Japan is practically negligible. The resulting component of tidal currents and the Tsushima Current going to the east sometimes reaches 2.8 knots. In the Tsugaru (Soigaru) Strait, a diurnal tidal current prevails, but the magnitude of the semidiurnal tide is greater here.

In tidal currents, diurnal inequality is clearly expressed. 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 daily disparity here. In the La Perouse Strait, the current is directed mainly to the east; its speed sometimes exceeds 3.5 knots.

Ice Conditions

The freezing of the Sea of ​​Japan begins in mid-November in the region 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 over. In mid-December, ice appears in the coastal regions of Primorsky Krai. In January, the area of ​​ice cover increases further from the coast towards the open sea. With the formation of ice, navigation in these areas naturally becomes difficult or stops. Freezing of the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan is somewhat late: it begins in early to mid-February.

The melting of ice begins in the areas most distant 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 resumes in Vladivostok. The last ice in the Tatar Strait is observed in early-mid May. The period of ice cover along the coast of Primorsky Krai is 120 days, and at the De-Kastri harbor in the Tatar Strait - 201 days. Along the northern coast of the DPRK, a large amount of ice is not observed. Near 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 Japanese Sea basin are characterized by many submarine canyons. From the side of the mainland, these canyons stretch to depths of more than 2000 m, and from the side of the Japanese islands only up to 800 m. The Sea of ​​Japan is composed of bedrocks consisting of Precambrian granites and other Paleozoic rocks and overlying igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Neogene. According to paleogeographic studies, the southern part of the modern Sea of ​​Japan, probably in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic and during most of the Paleogene, was dry land. From this it follows that the Sea of ​​Japan was formed during the Neogene and early Quaternary period. The absence of a granite layer in the earth's crust in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan indicates the transformation of the granite layer into a basalt layer due to basification, accompanied by the subsidence of the earth's crust. The presence of a "new" oceanic crust here can be explained by the stretching of the continents that accompanies the general expansion of the Earth (Agayed's theory).

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

The Sea of ​​Japan is currently connected to the Pacific Ocean and the marginal seas surrounding it through the Korean, Tsugaru (Saigarsky), La Perouse and Tatar Straits. However, the formation of these four straits took place in very recent geological periods. The oldest strait is the Tsugaru (Sangara) strait; it already existed during the Wisconsin glaciation, although after that it may have been repeatedly clogged with ice 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 elephants of the southern breed to the Japanese islands was carried out. 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

Japanese Sea(jap. 日本海 nihonkai, cor. 동해 donghae- "East Sea", in the DPRK it is known as 조선동해, 朝鮮東海 joseon donghae- "East Korean Sea") - a marginal sea in the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Japanese Islands. It is separated from the neighboring Sea of ​​Okhotsk by the island of Sakhalin, from the neighboring Yellow Sea by the Korean Peninsula. By origin, it is a deep-water pseudo-abyssal intrashelf depression connected with other seas and the Pacific Ocean through 4 straits: Korean (Tsushima), Sangara (Tsugaru), La Perouse (Soya), Nevelsky (Mamiya). Washes the shores, and. In the south, a branch of the warm current Kuroshio enters.

The area is 1062 thousand km². The greatest depth - 3742 m ( 41°20' N. sh. 137°42′ E d.). The northern part of the sea freezes in winter.

Climate

Sea of ​​Japan, Antipenko Island

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 parts. In the coldest months (January-February), the average air temperature in the northern part of the sea is about −20 °C, and in the south about +5 °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 about +15 °C, in the southern regions it is about +25 °C. In autumn, the number of typhoons caused by hurricane-force winds increases. The largest waves have a height of 8-10 m, and during typhoons, the maximum waves reach a height of 12 m.

Currents

Surface currents form a circulation, which consists of the warm Tsushima current in the east and the cold Primorsky current in the west. In winter, the surface water temperature rises from −1-0 °C in the north and northwest to +10-+14 °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 °C in the north to 25-27 °C in the south of the sea. The vertical distribution of temperature is not the same in different seasons in different areas of the sea. In summer, in the northern regions of the sea, the temperature is 18-10 °C in a layer of 10-15 m, then it drops sharply to +4 °C at a depth of 50 m and, starting from a depth of 250 m, the temperature remains constant at about +1 °C. In the central and southern parts of the sea, the water temperature decreases rather smoothly with depth and reaches +6 °C at a depth of 200 m, starting from a depth of 250 m, the temperature stays around 0 °C.

Salinity

The salinity of the water of the Sea of ​​Japan is 33.7-34.3‰, which is slightly lower than the salinity of the waters of the World Ocean.

tides

The tides in the Sea of ​​Japan are distinct, to a greater or lesser extent in different regions. 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.

Ice conditions

Toyama Bay on about. Honshu is one of the largest bays in Japan

According to ice conditions, the Sea of ​​Japan can be divided into three areas: the Tatar Strait, the area along the coast of Primorye from Cape Povorotny to Cape Belkin, and Peter the Great Bay. In winter, ice is constantly observed only in the Tatar Strait and Peter the Great Bay, in the rest of the water area, with the exception of closed bays and bays in the northwestern part of the sea, it is not always formed. The coldest region is the Tatar Strait, where more than 90% of all ice observed in the sea is formed and localized in the winter season. According to long-term data, the duration of the period with ice in Peter the Great Bay is 120 days, and in the Tatar Strait - from 40-80 days in the southern part of the strait, to 140-170 days in its northern part.

The first appearance of ice occurs at the tops of bays and gulfs, closed from the wind, waves and having a desalinated surface layer. In moderate winters in Peter the Great Bay, the first ice forms in the second ten days of November, and in the Tatar Strait, in the tops of Sovetskaya Gavan, Chikhachev and Nevelskoy Straits, primary ice forms are observed already in early November. Early ice formation in Peter the Great Bay (Amur Bay) occurs in early November, in the Tatar Strait - in the second half of October. Later - at the end of November. In early December, the development of ice cover along the coast of Sakhalin Island is faster than near the mainland coast. Accordingly, in the eastern part of the Tatar Strait at this time there is more ice than in the western part. By the end of December, the amount of ice in the eastern and western parts levels off, and after reaching the parallel of Cape Surkum, the direction of the edge changes: its displacement along the Sakhalin coast slows down, and along the mainland it becomes more active.

In the Sea of ​​Japan, the ice cover reaches its maximum development in mid-February. On average, 52% of the area of ​​the Tatar Strait and 56% of the Peter the Great Bay are covered with ice.

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

Northwestern coast of the Sea of ​​Japan, in the Dalnegorsk urban district

Flora and fauna

The underwater world of the northern and southern regions of the Sea of ​​Japan is very different. In the cold northern and northwestern regions, the flora and fauna of temperate latitudes has formed, and in the southern part of the sea, south of , a warm-water faunal complex prevails. Off the coast of the Far East, a mixture of warm-water and temperate fauna occurs. Here you can meet octopuses and - typical representatives of the warm seas. At the same time, vertical walls covered with sea anemones, gardens of brown algae - kelp - all this resembles 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 different sizes, there are brittle stars, shrimps, small crabs (King crabs are found here only in May, and then they go further into the sea). Bright red sea squirts live on rocks and stones. Of the mollusks, scallops are the most common. Of the fish, blennies and sea ruffs are often found.

Sea transport

Vladivostok, Golden Horn Bay

Fisheries and sea culture

Fishing; extraction of crabs, trepangs, algae, sea ​​urchin; scallop cultivation.

Recreation and tourism

Since the 1990s, the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan off the coast of Primorye has been actively developed by local and visiting tourists. The impetus was such factors as the cancellation or simplification of visiting the border zone, the rise in passenger transportation around the country, which made the rest of the Far East on the Black Sea coast too expensive, as well as a greatly increased number of personal vehicles, which made the coast of Primorye accessible to residents of Khabarovsk and the Amur region.

International legal status

According to Article 122 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Sea of ​​Japan is a semi-enclosed sea. Article 123 of the Convention provides for the obligation of states to cooperate and coordinate their activities in the management of marine resources, however, due to the conflict situation between , and at present, coordination is not carried out.

Sea naming question

In South Korea, the Sea of ​​Japan is called the "East Sea" (kor. 동해), and in North Korea, the East Sea of ​​Korea (kor. 조선동해). The Korean side claims that the name "Sea of ​​Japan" was imposed on the world community by the Empire of Japan, since in 1910-1945 Korea was occupied and the government of the country could not speak out at the time of approval by the International Hydrographic Society (IHO) in 1929 of the publication "The boundaries of the oceans and seas", the opinion of Korea was not taken into account.

Currently, Korea does not insist on a single variant of the name "East Sea", but only recommends that map publishers use both names in parallel until the dispute is settled. This has led to the fact that the number of countries using both names on their maps at the same time is constantly increasing.

The Japanese side, in turn, shows that the name "Sea of ​​Japan" is found on most maps and is generally accepted and insists on using the name "Sea of ​​Japan" exclusively.

Notes

1. Atlas of oceanography of the Bering, Okhotsk and Japan seas. Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.
2. Limits of Oceans and Seas (Special Publication No. 23): [ English ]: [arch. April 17, 2013] / International Hydrographic Organization. - 3rd edn. - : Imp. Monegasque, 1953. - 39 p.
3. «». East Sea. The name has been used for two millennia.
4. Japanese Sea. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011.

Literature

• Sovetov S. A. Japanese Sea // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Istoshin Yu.V. Japanese Sea. - M. : Geografgiz, 1959. - 80 p. - 25,000 copies.(reg.)
• Shamraev Yu. I., Shishkina L. A. Oceanology: Textbook for Hydrometeorological Colleges / Ed. A. V. Nekrasov, I. P. Karpova. - L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 1980. - 382 p.
• Plants and animals of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2006.
• Sokolovsky A. S. and others. Fishes of the Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2007.
• // Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2004. - V. 1, Part 1 (Russian version).
• Crustaceans (cladocerans, thin-shelled, mysids, euphausiids) and sea spiders// Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan .. - Vladivostok, 2007. - V. 1, Part 2 (English revised version).
• Brachiopods and phoronids// Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2005. - T. 3.
• Caprellidae (sea goats)// Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan.. - Vladivostok, 2006. - T. 4.
• Free-living barnacles and facetects// Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2006. - T. 5.
• Polycladid turbellarians, leeches, oligochaetes, echiurs// Biota of Russian waters of the Sea of ​​Japan. - Vladivostok, 2008. - T. 6.
• Sea of ​​Japan: encyclopedia / ed. and comp. I. S. Zonn and A. G. Kostyanoy; ed. A. N. Kosareva. - M.: Intern. relations, 2009. - 420, p.: ill., cart., portrait. - Bibliography: p. 418-420 (51 titles). - 1000 copies.

Links

• Sea of ​​Japan (physical map, scale 1:5,000,000)// National Atlas of Russia. - M. : Roskartografiya, 2004. - T. 1. - S. 283. - 496 p. - 3000 copies. - ISBN 5-85120-217-3.
• Sea of ​​Japan in the book: A. D. Dobrovolsky, B. S. Zalogin. Seas of the USSR. Moscow publishing house. un-ta, 1982.
• Description of the Sea of ​​Japan.