The Sea of Okhotsk, whose resources are of great importance to the states, is one of the largest seas belonging to the Pacific basin. Located off the coast of Asia. It is separated from the ocean by the Kamchatka Peninsula and the islands of Hokkaido, the eastern coast of Sakhalin and the chain of Kuril lands.
It is worth noting that this sea is considered the coldest of all located in the Far East. Even in summer, the temperature above it does not exceed 18 degrees on the south side, and in the northeast thermometers show 10 degrees - this is the maximum figure.
A brief description of the Sea of Okhotsk
It is cold and powerful. The Sea of Okhotsk washes the shores of Japan and Russia. In its shape, the reservoir resembles an ordinary trapezoid. The sea stretches from southwest to northeast. The maximum length is 2,463 km and the maximum width is 1,500 km. The coastline with a length of more than 10,000 km. The depth of the Sea of Okhotsk (an indicator of the maximum depression) is almost 4,000 km. The type of reservoir adjacent to the outskirts of the mainland is mixed.
Volcanic activity extends both to the surface and to the bottom of the sea. When seismic movement or an explosion of an underwater volcano occurs under water, it can cause huge tsunami waves.
Hydronym
The Sea of Okhotsk, whose resources are used in the national economy of the two countries (Russia and Japan), got its name from the name of the Okhota River. According to official sources, it was previously called Lamsky and Kamchatsky. In Japan, for a long time the sea was called the "North". But due to confusion with another reservoir of the same name, the hydronym was adapted and now the sea is called the Sea of Okhotsk.
The significance of the Sea of Okhotsk for Russia
It cannot be overestimated. Since 2014, the Sea of Okhotsk belongs to the inland waters of the Russian Federation. The state makes full use of its resources. First of all, it is the main supplier of salmon fish species. These are chum salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon and other members of the family. Caviar production is organized here, which is highly appreciated. No wonder Russia is considered one of the largest suppliers of this product.
The problems of the Sea of Okhotsk, however, as well as other water bodies, led to a significant decrease in populations. It was in this state that it was necessary to limit fishing. And this applies not only to the salmon family, but also to other species such as herring, flounder, cod.
Industry
Russia has achieved great results in the development of industry on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk. First of all, these are ship repair enterprises and, of course, fish processing factories. These two areas were modernized in the 90s and are currently of great importance for the economic development of the state. Nowadays, many commercial enterprises have appeared here.
The industry on Fr. Sakhalin. Earlier, in tsarist times, he was perceived negatively, since it served as a place for exile disagreeable to the rule of people. Now the picture has changed radically. Industry is booming, people themselves are eager to come here in order to earn big money.
Kamchatka seafood processing enterprises entered the world market. Their products are highly valued abroad. It meets the standards and is quite popular in many countries.
Thanks to oil and gas fields, Russia is a monopolist in this area. There is not a single state that could supply the same volumes of oil and gas to Europe. That is why a lot of money is invested in these enterprises from the sovereign treasury.
The islands
There are few islands in the Sea of Okhotsk, the largest of them is Sakhalin. Its coastline is heterogeneous: in the northeast there is a lowland, the southeast is slightly elevated above sea level, in the west there is a sandbank.
Of particular interest are the Kuril Islands. In size, they are small, large, there are about 30, but there are fewer. Together, they form a seismic belt - the largest on the planet. On the Kuril Islands there are about 100 volcanoes. Moreover, 30 of them are operational: they can constantly “excite” the Sea of Okhotsk.
The resources of the Shantar Islands are fur seals. The largest cluster of this species is observed here. However, recently their production was regulated in order to avoid complete extermination.
Bays
The coastline of the reservoir is indented weakly, although it has a large extent. There are practically no bays and bays in this area. The basin of the Sea of Okhotsk is divided into three basins: the Kuril, TINRO and the Deryugin Depression.
The largest bays: Sakhalin, Tugur, Shelikhova and others. There are also several lips here - deep bays that cut deep into the land, which form the hollow of large rivers. Among them stand out Penzhinskaya, Gizhiginskaya, Udskaya, Tauiskaya. Thanks to the bays, there is also water exchange in the seas. And at the moment, scientists call this issue quite problematic.
The straits
They are part of the Okhotsk basin. This is an important element that connects the reservoir with the Sea of Japan, as well as with the Pacific Ocean. In addition, there are low and shallow straits: Laperuza and Nevelsky. They do not play a special role, since they are quite small. But the Kruzenshtern and Bussol straits are distinguished by a large area, while their maximum depth reaches 500 meters. In many ways, they regulate the salinity of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Bottom and coastline
The depths of the Sea of Okhotsk are not uniform. From Sakhalin and the mainland, the bottom is represented by a shallow - a continuation of the Asian part of the mainland. Its width is approximately 100 km. The rest of the bottom (about 70%) is represented by the continental slope. Near the Kuril Islands, next to about. Iturup is a diseased cavity. At this point, the depth of the Sea of Okhotsk reaches 2,500 meters. At the bottom of the reservoir there are two large towering relief sections with rather original names: the elevation of the Institute of Oceanology and the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The coastline of the Sea of Okhotsk belongs to different geomorphological forms. Most of them are high and steep slopes. Only the western territory of Kamchatka and the east of about. Sakhalin are low-lying. But the northern coast is significantly rugged.
Water exchange
The continental runoff is small. This is due to the reason that all the rivers flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk do not differ in full water and cannot play a significant role. The most important is r. Amur, it is on it that a large half of the total indicator of effluents falls. There are other relatively large rivers. This is Hunting, Uda, Big, Penzhina.
Hydrological characteristic
The reservoir does not completely freeze, as the salinity of the Sea of Okhotsk is quite high. It is 32-34 ppm. It decreases closer to the coast, reaching a mark of 30 ‰, and in the intermediate layer - 34 ‰.
Most of the territory in winter is covered by floating ice. The maximum low water temperature in the cold season ranges from -1 to +2 degrees. In summer, the sea depths warm up to 10-18ºC.
An interesting fact: at a depth of 100 meters there is an intermediate layer of water, the temperature of which does not change throughout the year and is 1.7 ° C below zero.
Climate features
The Sea of Okhotsk is located in temperate latitudes. This fact has a great influence on the mainland, providing a monsoon climate. In the cold part of the year, the Aleutian minimum dominates in the reservoir. It greatly affects the northerly winds causing storms that continue throughout the winter.
In the warmer months, weak southeast winds come from the mainland. Thanks to them, the air temperature rises significantly. However, along with them come cyclones, which can subsequently form typhoons. The duration of such a typhoon can be from 5 to 8 days.
Sea of Okhotsk: resources
They will be discussed further. It is known that the natural resources of the Sea of Okhotsk are still poorly explored. The shelf of the sea with its hydrocarbon reserves is of the greatest value. Today, 7 oil fields have been discovered in Sakhalin, Kamchatka, the Khabarovsk Territory and the Magadan Administrative Center. These fields began to be developed back in the 70s. However, in addition to oil, the main wealth of the Sea of Okhotsk is flora and fauna. They are very diverse. Because there is significantly developed fishing. The most valuable salmon species are found in the Sea of Okhotsk. Squids are mined in the depths, and by the catch of crabs, the pond is in first place in the world. Recently, mining conditions have become more stringent and harsh. And some fish were subject to restrictions.
Fur seals, whales, seals live in the northern waters of the sea. Catching these representatives of the animal world is strictly prohibited. In recent years, fishing has been gaining popularity - catching sea urchins and mollusks. From the plant world, different types of algae are of importance. Speaking about the use of the sea, it is worth noting its importance in the transport sector. She is a priority. Important sea trade routes have been laid here that connect the large cities of Korsakov (Sakhalin), Magadan, Okhotsk and others.
Environmental problems
The Sea of Okhotsk, like other waters of the World Ocean, suffers from human activities. Here, environmental problems have been fixed in the form of a drain of refined products and residues of gas compounds. Waste from industrial and domestic enterprises is also quite problematic.
The coastal zone began to become polluted since the development of the first offshore fields, but until the end of the 80s it did not have such large-scale dimensions. Now anthropogenic human activity has reached a critical point and requires immediate resolution. The highest concentration of waste and pollution is concentrated off the coast of Sakhalin. This is mainly due to rich oil fields.