Rally of the coastline of the Caspian Sea. Caspian states: borders, card
The Caspian Sea is the largest faceless lake on Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia, called the sea due to the fact that his bed is folded by the earth's crust of the oceanic type. The Caspian Sea is a faceless lake, and the water in it is salty, from 0.05, near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 in the south-east. The water level is susceptible to fluctuations, according to 2009 data was 27.16 m below sea level. The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is about 1,200 kilometers, from the west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, an average of 310-320 kilometers. The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided by physico-geographical conditions on 3 parts - the North Caspian, the average Caspian and South Caspian. The conditional boundary between the Northern and Medium Caspian passes through the line about. Chechen - Cape Tuba-Karagan, between the Middle and South Caspian - on the line about. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The Northern, Middle and South Caspian area is 25, 36, 39 percent, respectively.
The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6500-6700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea for most of its territory - low and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is cut by water ducts and the islands of the Volga and Urals delta, the shores are low and wetlands, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. On the east coast, limestone shores predominate, adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding banks - on the west coast in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula and on the Eastern Coast in the Kazakh Bay area and Kara-Bogaz-goal. The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian.
The Caspian is simultaneously considered both a unaware lake and a full-fledged sea. The causes of this confusion serve saltwaters and hydrological regime similar to sea.
The Caspian Sea is located on the border of Asia and Europe. Its area is about 370 thousand km 2, the extreme depth is just over one kilometer. Caspian has a conditional separation into three almost equal parts: southern (39% area), medium (36%) and north (25%).
The sea is washes at the same time Russian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Iranian shores.
Coast of the Caspian Sea (Caspian) has a length of approximately 7 thousand kilometers, if counting together with the islands. In the north, the low sea coast is covered with swamps and thickets, has multiple water ducts. The Eastern and West Caspian coast has a winding form, in some places covered with limestone.
The Caspian has many islands: Dash-Zire, Cur Dasha, Jambiye, Beyuk-Zirei, Gum, Chigil, Herez-Zirei, Zenbil, Ozurchinsky, seals, Ashur Hell, etc. Peninsula: Mangyshlak, Tuba-Karagan, Absheron and Miankale. Their total area equals approximately 400 km 2.
In the Caspian Sea flows More than a hundred different rivers, the most significant - the Urals, Terek, Volga, Atrek, Emba, Samur. Almost all of them provide the sea 85-95% of the annual drainage.
The largest bays of the Caspian Sea: Kaidak, Agrahan, Kazakh, Dead Cultuk, Turkmenbashi, Mangyshlak, Gizilar, Girkan, Kaidak.
Climate Caspiana
Caspian is located immediately in three climatic zones: subtropical climate in the south, continental in the north and moderate in the middle. In winter, the average temperature varies from -10 to +10 degrees, the air heats up to about +25 degrees. During the year falls from 110 mm precipitation in the East and up to 1500 mm in the West.
The average wind speed is 3-7 m / s, but in the fall and in winter it often increases to 35 m / s. The most thoughtful territories are coastal areas of Makhachkala, Derbent and the Absheron Peninsula.
Sea temperature in the Caspian Sea It ranges from zero to +10 degrees in winter, and from 23 to 28 degrees in the summer months. In some coastal shallow water, water can warm up to 35-40 degrees.
Only the northern part of the sea is susceptible to freezing, but the coastal zones of the middle part are added to its particularly cold winters. Ice cover appears in November and disappears only in March.
Problems of the Caspian region
Pollution of water is one of the main environmental problems of the Caspian Sea. Oil production, various harmful substances from the flowing rivers, waste of the vital activity of nearby cities - all this adversely affects the state of sea water. Additional troubles create poachers whose actions reduce the number of fish defined species that are watering to the Caspian Sea.
Raising sea level also makes serious financial damage to all Caspian countries.
According to modest estimates, the restoration of the destroyed buildings and the implementation of integrated measures to protect the shores from flooding is ten million dollars.
Cities and resorts in the Caspian Sea
The largest city and port of the waters of the Caspian Sea is Baku. Other settlements of Azerbaijan, located in close proximity to the sea, are located in Suggath and Lankaran. The city of Turkmenbashi is located on the eastern shores, and at about ten kilometers away from the sea, a major Turkmen resort of Avaz is located.
From the Russian side, the following cities are located on the seashore: Makhachkala, Election, Derbent, Lagan and Caspian. The city-port is often called Astrakhan, although it is located about 65 kilometers from the northern shores of the Caspian Sea.
Astrakhan
Beach holidays in this region are not provided: only solid reeds have been available along the sea coast. However, tourists go to Astrakhan not for idle lying on the beach, but for fishing and various types of outdoor activities: diving, skating on catamarans, hydrocycles, etc. In July and August, excursion boats are run by Caspian.
Dagestan
For a classic seaside rest, it is better to go to Makhachkala, Caspiysk or Election - it is there that are not only good sandy beaches, but also worthy recreation centers. The range of entertainment on the seashore from the Dagestan side is quite wide: bathing, healing mud sources, windsurfing, kiting, climbing and flights on paragliding.
The only minus of this direction is a weak infrastructure.
In addition, among some Russian tourists there is an opinion that Dagestan is far from the most peaceful territory, which is part of the North Caucasus Federal District.
Kazakhstan
A much calmer atmosphere can be found in the Kazakh resorts of Kuryka, Atyrau and Aktau. The latter is the most popular tourist city of Kazakhstan: there are many good entertainment institutions and comfortable beaches. In the summer there is a very high temperature that gives up to +40 degrees in the daytime, and descending only up to +30 at night.
Disadvantages of Kazakhstan as a tourist country - the same bad infrastructure and rudimentary transport links between the regions.
Azerbaijan
The best places for rest on the Caspian coast are considered Baku, pickup, Lankaran and other Azerbaijani resorts. Fortunately, with infrastructure in this country everything is fine: for example, several modern comfortable hotels with pools and beaches are built in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula.
However, in order to relax in the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, it is necessary to spend a lot of money. In addition, it is possible enough to get enough to the same Baku only by the plane - trains rarely go, and the path itself from Russia takes two-three days.
Tourists should not be forgotten that Dagestan and Azerbaijan are Islamic countries, so all the "unforgettable" need to adjust their usual behavior to local customs.
When complying with simple stays of staying nothing overshadows your holiday in the Caspian Sea.
The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea for most of its territory - low and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is raised with water streams and the islands of the Delta of the Volga and the Urals, the shores are low and wetlands, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. On the east coast, limestone shores predominate, adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding banks - on the west coast in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula and on the Eastern Coast in the Kazakh Bay area and Kara-Bogaz-goal.
Peninsula of the Caspian Sea
Large Peninsula of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrahan Peninsula
* The Absheron Peninsula, located on the West Coast of the Caspian Sea on the territory of Azerbaijan, in the north-east ending of the Greater Caucasus, in its territory there are cities of Baku and Sumgait
* Buzachi
* Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, in its territory is the city of Aktau.
* Miankale
* Tuba Caragan
In the Caspian Sea there is about 50 large and medium-sized islands with a total area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 350 square kilometers.
The largest islands:
* Ashur hell
* Garas.
* Gum
* Dash
* Zeira (Island)
* Ziegil
* Cur Dashia
* Hara-Zira
* SENGI-MUGAN
* Chechen (island)
* Cheyl
Large bays of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrahans Bay,
* Komsomolets (Bay),
* Mangischlak,
* Kazakh (bay),
* Turkmenbashi (bay) (former Krasnovodsk),
* Turkmen (bay),
* Gyzylags,
* Astrakhan (Bay)
* Gyzlar
* Girkan (former Astarabad) and
* Enzeli (former penevia).
Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea
130 rivers fall into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea - Volga, Terek (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Samur (Border of Russia with Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan) and others. The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea - Volga, its average annual drain is 215-224 cubic kilometers. Volga, Urals, Terek and Emba give up to 88 - 90% of the annual drainage of the Caspian Sea.
Pool of the Caspian Sea
The Square Square of the Caspian Sea is approximately 3.1 - 3.5 million square kilometers, which is approximately 10 percent of the world area of \u200b\u200bclosed water basins. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2,500 kilometers, from the west to the east - about 1000 kilometers. The Caspian Sea pool covers 9 states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
Coastal states
The Caspian Sea is washes the shores of five coastal states:
* Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region) - on the Western and Northwest, the length of the coastline 695 kilometers
* Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline 2320 kilometers
* Turkmenistan - in the south-east, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
* Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers
* Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers
Cities on the Caspian Sea coast
The largest city is a port in the Caspian Sea - Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and has 2.070 thousand people (2003). Other major Azerbaijani Caspian cities - Sumgait, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is close to the southern border of Azerbaijan. Southeast of the Absheron Peninsula, there is an area of \u200b\u200boilmen oil stones, the facilities of which are on the artificial islands, overpass and technological sites.
Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the most southern city of Russia Derbent - are located on the west coast of the Caspian Sea. The port city of the Caspian Sea is also considered to be Astrakhan, which, however, is not on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.
On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, the Kazakh city is located in Aktau, in the north in the Ural Delta, 20 km from the sea, is located the city of Atyrau, the south of Kara-Bogaz-goal on the North Bank of the Red Bay - Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, former Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located on the South (Iranian) coast, the largest of them - Enzeli.
Area, depth, water volume
The area and volume of the water of the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on the water level fluctuations. At water level -26.75 m, the area was approximately 392600 square kilometers, the volume of water - 7,8648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's reserves of lake water. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface. In the magnitude of the maximum depth of the Caspian Sea, only Baikal is inferior (1620 m.) And Tanganic (1435 m.). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated on the batigraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, in the northern part of the Caspian Seamy, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the middle depth is 4 meters.
Water fluctuations
The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to significant fluctuations. According to modern science, over the past 3 thousand years, the amplitude of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea amounted to 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its oscillation are conducted since 1837, during which time the highest water level is registered in 1882 (-25.2 m.), The lowest in 1977 (-29.0 m.) Since 1978, the water level has increased and in 1995 reached -26.7 m, since 1996 there was again a tendency to decrease the level of the Caspian Sea. Causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea, scientists are associated with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.
Water temperature
The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most distinctly expressed in the winter period, when the temperature varies from 0-0.5 ° C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 ° C in the south, that is, the temperature difference is about 10 ° C. For shallow regions with depths of less than 25 m, an annual amplitude can reach 25-26 ° C. On average, the water temperature at the western coast is 1-2 ° C higher than that of the East, and the water temperature is higher than that of 2-4 ° C. The character of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability can be distinguished. Temporary segment in the upper 2-meter layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the southern and east, which is particularly well traced in the average Caspian. Two stable quasi-casual zones can be distinguished, where temperatures are elevated. This is, firstly, the border between the Northern and Medium Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the edge of the ice, on the northern front zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 ° C, on the southern front zone, in the region of the Absheron threshold, from 7 to 10 ° C. In this period, the least cooled water in the center of the Southern Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core.
In April-May, the area of \u200b\u200bminimum temperatures moves to the average Caspian, which is associated with a faster warm-water heating in the shallow northern part of the sea. True, at the beginning of the season in the northern part of the sea, a large amount of heat is spent on melting of ice, but in May, the temperature rises here to 16-17 ° C. In the middle part, the temperature at this time is 13-15 ° C, and in the south increases to 17-18 ° C.
Spring water heating lines horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between the coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 ° C. The heating of the surface layer, beginning in March, violates homogeneity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal homogeneity in the temperature distribution in the surface layer is observed. In August, which is the month of the greatest warm-up, the water temperature throughout the sea is 24-26 ° C, and in the southern regions increases to 28 ° C. In August, the temperature of the water in the shallow bays, for example, in Redovodsky, can reach 32 ° C. The main feature of the water temperature field at this time is an upwelling. It is observed annually along the entire east coast of the Middle Caspian Sea and partially penetrates even in the South Caspian.
The rise of cold depths occurs with different intensity as a result of the impact of the northwestern winds prevailing in the summer season. The wind of this direction causes the outflow of warm surface water from the coast and the rise of colder waters from the intermediate layers. The beginning of Apwelling falls on June, but he reaches the greatest intensity in July-August. As a consequence, a decrease in temperature is observed on the surface of the water (7-15 ° C). Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 ° C on the surface and 4.2 ° C at a depth of 20 m.
The focus of the Apwelling gradually shifts from 41-42 °. latitude in June, by 43-45 ° SEV. latitude in September. Summer Apuveling is of great importance to the Caspian Sea, in the root changing dynamic processes at the deepwater water area. In the open areas of the sea at the end of May - early June, the formation of a layer of temperature of the temperature jump, which is most clearly expressed in August. Most often, it is located between the horizons 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the South. Vertical temperature gradients in the leak layer are very significant and can reach several degrees per meter. In the middle part of the sea, due to the corner of the east coast, the jump layer rises close to the surface.
Since in the Caspian Sea there is no stable baroque layer with a large margin of potential energy similar to the main thermoclinicine of the World Ocean, then with the termination of the prevailing winds causing an appeal, and with the beginning of the autumn-winter convection in October-November, there is a quick restructuring of temperature fields to the winter regime. In the open sea, the water temperature in the surface layer decreases in the middle part up to 12-13 ° C, in southern to 16-17 ° C. In the vertical structure, the jump layer is blurred due to the convective mixing and by the end of November disappears.
The composition of water
The salt composition of the water of the closed Caspian Sea differs from the ocean. There are significant differences in the ratios of the concentrations of salt-forming ions especially for water areas under the direct influence of mainland. The process of metamorphization of the sea under the influence of mainland leads to a decrease in the relative chloride content in the total amount of sea water salts, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river water. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative calcium and hydrocarbonate ion. In Caspian, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and the sulfate anion is three times. The potential of water is particularly sharply changed in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1. PSU in the mouths of the Volga and Urals to 10-11 units. PSU on the border with Medium Caspian.
Mineralization in shallow salty salty couplings can reach 60-100 g / kg. In the Northern Caspian, the salty front of the quasisisitory location is observed during the entire underly-long period. The greatest desalination associated with the spread of river runoff along the sea water area is observed in June. At the formation of a field of salinity in the Northern Caspian, the field of wind has a great influence. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, the oscillation of salinity is small. It is mainly 11.2-12.8. PSU, increasing in the southern and eastern directions. With a depth of salinity increases slightly (0.1-0.2 units. PSU).
In the deep-sea part of the Caspian Sea in the vertical profile of salinity, there are characteristic defrits of isholes and local extremums in the area of \u200b\u200bthe eastern mainland slope, which indicate the processes of the bottom weighing of waters in the Eastern shallow water of the Southern Caspian. The magnitude of salinity is also highly dependent on the sea level and (which is interrelated) from the volume of mainland.
Relief DNA
The relief of the northern part of the Caspian Sea - shallow wavy plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian Sea is about 4-8 meters, the maximum does not exceed 25 meters. Mangyshlak threshold separates the Northern Caspian from the average. The average Caspian is quite deep-water, the depth of water in Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Absheron Threshold divides the middle and South Caspian. The South Caspian is considered to be deep, the depth of water in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. In the Caspian shelf, the shell sands are common, deep-sea areas are covered with or solid precipitates, in some sections there is an output of indigenous rocks.
Climate
The climate of the Caspian Sea is continental in the northern part, moderate in the middle and subtropical in the southern part. In the winter period, the average monthly temperature of the Caspian varies from -8 -10 in the northern part to + 8-10 in the southern part, in the summer - from + 24-25 in the northern part to + 26-27 in the southern part. The maximum temperature is fixed on the east coast - 44 degrees.
The average annual precipitation is 200 millimeters per year, from 90-100 millimeters in a arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters in the southwestern subtropical coast. The evaporation of water from the surface of the Caspian Sea is about 1000 millimeters per year, the most intensive evaporation in the region of the Absheron Peninsula and in the eastern part of the South Caspian Sea - up to 1400 millimeters per year.
The winds often blow on the territory of the Caspian Sea, their average annual speed is 3-7 meters per second, northern winds prevail in the wind rose. In autumn and winter months, winds are enhanced, wind speed often reaches 35-40 meters per second. The most windy territories are the Absheron Peninsula and the neighborhood of Makhachkala - Derbent, the highest wave is fixed there - 11 meters.
Flow
Circulation of waters in the Caspian Sea is associated with drain and winds. Since most of the drainage accounted for the Northern Caspian, the northern currents prevail. The intensive North current takes out water from the Northern Caspian along the west coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the flow is divided into two branches, one of which moves further along the West Bank, the other goes to East Caspian.
Animal world
The animal world of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1809 species, of which 415 belong to the vertebral. In the Caspian world, 101 species of fish were registered, most of the world's sturgeon reserves are concentrated, as well as such freshwater fish, like Vobla, Sazan, Sudak. The Caspian Sea - the habitat of such fish, like carp, kefal, spin, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, pike. The Caspian Sea also lives a marine mammal - Caspian seal.c on March 31, 2008 on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan, 363 dead seals were found.
Vegetable world
The vegetation world of the Caspian Sea and its coast is presented with 728 species. From plants in the Caspian Sea, algae predominate - silleneous, diatoms, red, brown, chars and others, from the flowering - Zoster and Ruppius. On the origin of the flora relates mainly to the unicurate age, but some plants were listed in the Caspian Sea by a person consciously either on the bottoms of the courts.
The origin of the Caspian Sea
Caspian has an oceanic origin - its bed is folded by the earth's crust of the ocean type. It formed about 10 million years ago, when the Sarmatian Sea closed, which lost the world's ocean, approximately 70 million years ago, was divided into two parts - the "Caspian Sea" and the Black Sea.
Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea
Finds in the cave of Huto at the southern coast of the Caspian Sea show that a person lived in these edges about 75 thousand years ago. The first mentions of the Caspian Sea and living on his coast of tribes are found at Herodot. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Sakov tribes lived on the Caspian coast. Later, during the resettlement of the Turks, during the period IV-V centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (talysh) lived here. According to the ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, the Russians swam in the Caspian Sea from 9 to 10 century.
Studies of the Caspian Sea
The studies of the Caspian Sea were launched by Peter Great when, according to his order in 1714-1715, an expedition was organized under the leadership of A. Beckovich-Cherkasi. In the 1820s, the hydrographic studies were continued by I. F. Soyomov, later - I. V. Tokmachev, M. I. Winovich and other researchers. In the early 19th century, the instrumental shooting of the coast was carried out by I. F. Kolodkina, in the middle of 19 century. - instrumental geographic survey under the direction of N. A. Ivashinsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expedition research on hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea under the leadership of N. M. Kbepovich was conducted. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power in the Caspian Sea, geological studies of I. M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists, mainly aimed at finding oil, as well as research on the study of water balance and oscillations of the Caspian Sea level were actively guided.
Mining of oil and gas
In the Caspian Sea, many deposits of oil and gas are being developed. Proved oil resources in the Caspian Sea constitute about 10 billion tons, total oil and gas condensate resources are estimated at 18-20 billion tons.
The oil production in the Caspian Sea began in 1820, when the first oil well was drilled on the Absheron shelf. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began in industrial volumes on the Absheron Peninsula, then in other territories.
In addition to the extraction of oil and gas, the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Caspian shelf also produces salt, limestone, stone, sand, clay.
Shipping
Shipping has been developed in the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea applies ferry crossings, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with the Azov Sea through the Volga River, Don and Volga-Don Canal.
Fishing and seafood mining
Fisheries (sturgeon, bream, Sazan, Sudak, Kilka), caviar mining, and also fishing seal. In the Caspian Sea, more than 90 percent of the global sturgeon will be carried out. In addition to industrial production, in the Caspian Sea flourishes illegal mining of sturgeon and their caviar.
Recreational resources
The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, according to the degree of development of the resorts and the tourist industry, the Caspian coast loses noticeably by the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourist industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan.
Ecological problems
The environmental problems of the Caspian Sea are associated with water pollution as a result of oil production and transportation on the continental shelf, the intake of polluting weighs from the Volga and other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the vital activity of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects in connection with the increase in the level of the Caspian Sea. Predatory mining of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and for forced restrictions on their extraction and export.
Border Argument on the status of the Caspian Sea
After the collapse of the USSR, the section of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of non-settlement differences associated with the section of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were held between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on the Caspian Section on the Middle Line, Iran - on the Caspian Section section for one fifth part between all Caspian states. In 2003, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on a partial section of the Caspian Sea in the middle line.
Coordinates: 42.622596 50.041848
V. N. MikhailovCaspian Sea is the largest lake on the planet. This reservoir is called the sea for its huge sizes, brackish water and the regime similar to the sea. The level of the Caspian Sea Lake is much lower than the world's ocean level. In early 2000, he had a mark about - 27 abs. At this level, the Caspian Square is ~ 393 thousand km2 and the volume of water 78,600 km3. The average and maximum depth is 208 and 1025 m, respectively.
The Caspian Sea is stretched from the south to the north (Fig. 1). Caspian washes the coast of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran. The reservoir is rich in fish, its bottom and coast - oil and gas. The Caspian Sea is quite well studied, but in its mode there are a lot of mysteries. The most characteristic feature of the reservoir is the instability of the level with sharp drops and lifts. The last increase in the level of the Caspiana was happening before our eyes from 1978 to 1995. It gave rise to many rumors and speculations. Numerous publications appeared in the press, which referred to catastrophic floods, an ecological catastrophe. Often wrote that the rise of the Caspian level led to the flooding almost the entire Volga delta. What in expressed judgments correspond to reality? What is the reason for such a Caspian behavior?
What happened to the Caspian in the XX century
Systematic observations on the level of the Caspian Sea were started in 1837. In the second half of the XIX century, the average annual values \u200b\u200bof the Caspian level were in the range of marks from - 26 to - 25.5 abs. m and had some tendency to decline. This trend continued in the 20th century (Fig. 2). In the period from 1929 to 1941, the sea level decreased sharply (almost 2 m - from - 25.88 to - 27.84 ABS). In subsequent years, the level continued to fall and, decreased by approximately 1.2 m, reached in 1977 the lowest over the observation period - 29.01 ABS. M. Then the sea level began to quickly increase and, rising by 1995 by 2.35 m, reached the mark - 26.66 ABS. In the next four years, the average sea level fell by almost 30 cm. Its averages amounted to 26.80 in 1996, - 26.95 in 1997, - 26.94 in 1998 and - 27.00 ABS. m in 1999.
Reducing the sea level in 1930-1970 led to the annoying of coastal waters, the nomination of the coastline towards the sea, the formation of wide beaches. The latter was perhaps the only positive consequence of the drop in the level. Negative consequences were significantly more. With a decrease in the level, the forage facilities for the fish herd in the Northern Caspian are declined. The shallow water seaside of the Volga began to quickly overwhelm water vegetation, which worsened the conditions of the passage of fish to spawn in the Volga. Fishes, especially valuable breeds: sturgeon, sterlidi decreased dramatically. Shipping began to endure the damage due to the fact that the depths in suitable channels decreased, especially near the Volga delta.
The rise of the level from 1978 to 1995 was not only unexpected, but also led to even greater negative consequences. After all, the economy and the population of coastal areas have already adapted to the low level.
Many industries began to endure the damage. In the flooding zone and flooding, significant territories were significant, especially in the northern (flat) part of Dagestan, in Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region. The city of Derbent, Caspian, Makhachkala, Sulac, Caspian (Lagan) and dozens of other smaller settlements were injured from lifting level. Flooded and flooded significant areas of agricultural land. Roads and lines of power lines, engineering facilities of industrial enterprises and utility services are destroyed. The threatening position has developed with fishing enterprises. Abrasion processes in the coastal zone and the effect of marine water arrows. In recent years, the flora and the fauna of the seaside and the coastal zone of the Volga delta are tangible damage.
Due to the increase in depths in the shallow water of the Northern Caspian Sea and the reduction of areas employed in these places with water vegetation, the conditions for reproduction of stocks of passing and semi-pass fish and the conditions for their migration in the delta to spawn are somewhat. However, the predominance of negative consequences from the rising sea level made the ecological catastrophe. The development of measures to protect national objects and settlements from the upcoming sea began.
How unusually the modern Caspian behavior?
Answer this question can help research on the history of the life of the Caspian Sea. Of course, there are no data of the direct observations of the Caspian past regime, but there are archaeological, cartographic and other certificates for historical time and the results of paleogeographic studies covering a longer period.
It has been proven that during the Pleistocene (the last 700-500 thousand years), the level of the Caspian Sea has undergone large-scale fluctuations in the range of about 200 m: from -140 to + 50 abs. M. In this period of time in the history of the Caspian Sea, four stages are distinguished: Baku, Khazar, Holy and Novocaspian (Fig. 3). Each stage included several transgressions and regressions. Baku transgression occurred 400-500 thousand years ago, the sea level rose to 5 abs. M. During the Khazar stage there were two transgression: Rannekhazar (250-300 thousand years ago, the maximum level of 10 ABS. m) and the Latehasar (100-200 thousand years ago, the highest level -15 abs. m). The praise stage in the history of the Caspian In the history of the Caspiani included two transgressions: the largest Rannevalna Pleistocene (40-70 thousand years ago, the maximum level of 47 abs. M, which is 74 m above the modern) and the Late Powder (10-20 thousand years ago, lift level up to 0 abs. m). These transgression divided deep Yenotaev regression (22-17 thousand years ago), when the sea level fell to - 64 abs. M and was 37 m below the modern one.
Fig. 4. fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea over the last 10 thousand years. P is the natural range of fluctuations in the Caspian Sea level under climatic conditions, characteristic of the subatlantic era of the Golocene (risk zone). I-IV - Stage of Novocaspian Transgression; M - Mangyshlakskaya, D - Derbent regression
Significant fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea took place during the Novocaspian stage of his story that coincided with the Holocene (last 10 thousand years). After mangischlak regression (10 thousand years ago, a decrease in the level of up to - 50 abs. M) there were five stages of Novocaspian transgression, separated by small regressions (Fig. 4). Following the oscillations of the sea level - its transgression and regression - the outline of the reservoir (Fig. 5) changed.
During the historical time (2000 years), the range of changes in the average level of the Caspian Sea was 7 m - from - 32 to - 25 abs. m (see Fig. 4). The minimum level in the last 2000 years was during Derbent regression (VI-VII century AD), when it decreased to - 32 abs. m. During the time passed after Derbent regression, the average sea level was changed in an even more narrow range - from - 30 to - 25 abs. m. This range of level changes is called the risk zone.
Thus, the Caspian level was experiencing fluctuations before, and in the past they were more significant than in the XX century. Such periodic oscillations are a normal manifestation of an unstable state of a closed reservoir with variable conditions on the outer boundaries. Therefore, there is nothing unusual in lowering and raising the level of the Caspian Sea.
The oscillations of the Caspian level in the past, apparently, did not lead to the irreversible degradation of its biota. Of course, harsh lowers of the sea level created temporary adverse conditions, for example for fish herd. However, with a rise in level, the situation itself was corrected by itself. The natural conditions of the coastal zone (vegetation, bottom animals, fish) are experiencing periodic changes together with fluctuations in sea level and, apparently, have a certain reserve of stability and resistance to external influences. After all, the most valuable sturgee flock was always in the Caspian basin, regardless of the sea level fluctuations quickly overcoming temporary deterioration of the conditions of existence.
Rumors were not confirmed that raising the sea level caused floods throughout the Volga delta. Moreover, it turned out that an increase in water levels even at the bottom of the delta is inadequately lifting the rise of the sea level. The increase in the level of water at the bottom of the delta in the interleavement did not exceed 0.2-0.3 m, and in the flood, almost at all appeared. With the maximum level of the Caspian Sea in 1995, the sub-part of the sea spread through the deep sleeve of Delta Bakhtemir for no more than 90 km, and on other sleeves no more than 30 km. Therefore, only the islands on the seaside and a narrow seaside bar of the delta were flooded. The floodings in the upper and middle parts of the delta were associated with high floors in 1991 and 1995 (which for the Volga delta is a normal phenomenon) and with the unsatisfactory state of protective dams. The cause of the weak influence of the rise of the sea level on the Volga delta mode is the presence of a huge shallow seaside zone, which dampens the exposure to the sea on the delta.
With regard to the negative impact of increased sea level on the farm and the life of the population in the coastal zone, the following should be reminded. At the end of the last century, the sea level was higher than at present, and this was not perceived as an ecological catastrophe. And before the level was still at higher marks. Meanwhile, Astrakhan is known from the middle of the XIII century, here in the XIII - the middle of the XVI century was the capital of the Golden Horde of Saray Batu. These and many other settlements on the Caspian coast did not suffer from high levels of level, as they had on the elevated places and with the abnormal levels of flood or in Nagound people temporarily moved from low places to higher.
Why now the consequences of the rise of sea level even on smaller marks are perceived as a catastrophe? The reason for the huge damage that the national economy is not the rise of the level, but the thoughtless and short-sighted development of the land strip within the mentioned risk zone released (as it turned out, temporarily!) From under the sea level after 1929, that is, with a decrease in the level. Below is the mark - 26 abs. m. Built in the risk area, naturally turned out to be flooded and partially destroyed. Now, when the territory, developed and contaminated by a person, is becoming a dangerous ecological situation, the source of which is not natural processes, but unreasonable economic activity.
About the reasons of oscillations of the Caspian level
Considering the issue of the reasons for the oscillations of the Caspian level, it is necessary to pay attention to the confrontation in this area of \u200b\u200btwo concepts: geological and climatic. Significant contradictions in these approaches were revealed, for example, at the international conference "Caspian-95".
According to the geological concept, the reasons for changing the level of the Caspian Sea include the processes of two groups. The processes of the first group, according to geologists, lead to a change in the volume of Caspian depression and as a result - to changes in the level of the sea. Such processes include vertical and horizontal tectonic movements of the earth's crust, the accumulation of bottom precipitation and seismic phenomena. The second group includes processes affecting as geologists believed to the underground flow into the sea, then increasing it, then reducing. Such processes are called periodic extrusion or absorption of water, which are saturated with bottom deposits under the influence of changing tectonic stresses (change of periods of compression and stretching), as well as man-made destabilization of subsoil, due to oil and gas production or underground nuclear explosions. It is impossible to deny the principal possibility of the influence of geological processes on the morphology and morphometry of the Caspian depression and the underground flow. However, at present, the quantitative relationship of geological factors with oscillations of the Caspian level has not been proven.
There is no doubt that the tectonic movements played a decisive role at the initial stages of the formation of the Caspian depression. However, if we consider that the Caspian Sea hood is located within the geologically heterogeneous territory, the consequence of which is periodic, and not the linear nature of tectonic movements with a repeated change of the sign, it is unlikely to expect a noticeable change in the capacitance of the depression. Not in favor of the tectonic hypothesis, the fact that the coastal lines of Novocaspian transgression on all sections of the Caspian coast (with the exception of individual areas within the Absheron Archipelago) are at the same level.
There is no reason to consider the cause of oscillations of the Caspian level Changing the capacitance of its depression due to the accumulation of precipitation. The filling of the bottom of the bottom sediments, among which the main role is played by the removal of rivers, are estimated, according to modern data, the value of about 1 mm / year and less, which is two orders of magnitude less than the current levels of the sea level. It cannot be significantly influenced by the volume of the Caspian Caspian Cassette of the Seismoderification, which are noted only near the epicenter and fade in close distances from it.
As for the periodic large-scale unloading of groundwater in the Caspian, its mechanism is still unclear. At the same time, this hypothesis is contrary to E.G. Maevo, firstly, the impudent stratification of iron waters, indicating the absence of noticeable migrations of water through the thickness of the bottom deposits, and secondly, the absence of proven powerful hydrological, hydrochemical and sedimentation anomalies into the sea, which would have to accompany large-scale unloading of groundwater capable affect changes in the reservoir level.
The main proof of a non-essential role of geological factors is currently convincing quantitative confirmation of the truthfulness of the second, climatic, or rather the water-carrying concept of oscillations of the Caspian level.
Changing the components of the water balance of the Caspian as the main reason for the oscillations of its level
For the first time, the Caspian level fluctuations were explained by the change in climatic conditions (more specifically, the flow of rivers, evaporation and atmospheric precipitation on the surface of the sea) E.H. Lenz (1836) and A.I. Warikov (1884). Later, the leading role of the change in the water balance in the sea level fluctuations was again and again proved by hydrologists, oceanologists, physicoographs and geomorphologists.
The key in most mentioned studies are the preparation of the equation of the water balance and analysis of its components. The meaning of this equation is the following: Changing the volume of water in the sea is the difference between the parish (river and underground flow, atmospheric precipitates on the surface of the sea) and consumables (evaporation from the surface of the sea and the outflow of water into the Kara-Bogaz-GOL) components of the water balance. Changing the Caspian level is a private from dividing changes in the volume of its water on the sea area. The analysis showed that the leading role in the water balance of the sea belongs to the ratio of the flow of Volga rivers, the Urals, Terek, Sulaca, Samura, chickens and visible or effective evaporation, the difference between evaporation and atmospheric precipitation on the surface of the sea. An analysis of the components of the water balance revealed that the greatest contribution (up to 72% of the dispersion) into the variability of the level gives the influx of river water, and if more specifically, the zone of flow formation in the Volga basin. As for the reasons for changing the drain of the Volga himself, they are associated, as many researchers believe, with the variability of precipitation (mainly winter) in the river basin. And the precipitation mode, in turn, is determined by the circulation of the atmosphere. It has long been proven that the increase in precipitation in the Volga basin contributes to the latitudinal type of atmospheric circulation, decrease - meridional.
V.N. Malinin revealed that the root cause of moisture revenues to the Volga's pool should be sought in North Atlantic, and specifically in the Norwegian Sea. It is there that an increase in evaporation from the sea surface leads to an increase in the amount of moisture, transferred to the continent, and, accordingly, to an increase in atmospheric precipitation in the Volga basin. Recent data on the water balance sheet of the Caspian Sea, received by the staff of the State Oceanographic Institute of R.E. Nikonova and V.N. Bortnik, are given with the author's clarifications in Table. 1. These data convincingly prove that the main reasons for the rapid fall in the sea level in the 30s and the sharp rise in 1978-1995 were changes in river flow, as well as visible evaporation.
Having in mind that the flow of rivers is one of the main factors affecting the water balance and as a result - at the level of the Caspian Sea (and the stock Volga gives at least 80% of the total river flow in the sea and about 70% of the acquisition of the Caspian water balance), It would be interesting to find a connection between the sea level and the flow of one Volga, measured most accurately. The direct correlation of these values \u200b\u200bdoes not give satisfactory results.
However, the connection of the sea level with the flow of the Volga is well traced, if we take into account the river stock is not for each year, and to take the ordinates of the difference integral flow curve, that is, the sequential sum of the normalized deviations of the annual values \u200b\u200bof the flow from the average miniature value (norm). Even a visual comparison of the movement of the average annual levels of the Caspian Sea and the difference integral curve of the Volga region (see Fig. 2) allows you to identify their similarity.
For the entire 98-year period of observation of the Volga drain (s. Upper Lebyaze in the top of the delta) and sea level (Makhachkala), the correlation coefficient of the sea level communications with the ordinates of the difference integral flow curve was 0.73. If you drop years with small levels of level (1900-1928), the correlation coefficient increases to 0.85. If to analyze a period with a rapid fall (1929-1941) and level rise (1978-1995), the total correlation coefficient will be 0.987, and separately for both periods 0.990 and 0.979, respectively.
The above calculation results fully confirm the conclusion that during periods of a sharp decrease or increase in the level of sea levels are closely related to the drain (more precisely, with the sum of its annual deviations from the norm).
A special task is to evaluate the role in the oscillations of the Caspian level of anthropogenic factors, and above all the reduction in the flow of rivers due to irrevocable losses for filling the reservoirs, evaporation from the surface of artificial reservoirs, water intake. It is believed that since the 40s, irrevocable water consumption has increased steadily, which led to a reduction in the inflow of river water to Caspian and an additional decrease in its level compared to natural. In V.N. Malinin, by the end of the 80s, the difference between the actual level of the sea and the restored (natural) reached almost 1.5 m. At the same time, the total irrevocable water consumption in the Caspian pool was estimated in those years at 36-45 km3 / year (of which the Volga had to about 26 km3 / year). If not the removal of the river flow, then the rise in the sea level would not be at the end of the 70s, but at the end of the 50s.
The increase in water consumption in the Caspian pool by 2000 was predicted first up to 65 km3 / year, and then up to 55 km3 / year (36 of them accounted for the share of the Volga). Such an increase in irrevocable river flow losses should have reduced the Caspian level by 2000 by another more than 0.5 m. Due to the assessment of the effect of irrevocable water consumption to the Caspian level, we note the following. First, encountered in the literature assessment of water intake and loss of evaporation from the surface of the reservoir in the Volga basin, apparently have significantly overestimated. Secondly, the predictions of the increase in water consumption were erroneous. The forecasts launched the pace of development of water consuming industries (especially irrigation), which not only turned out to be unreal, but also changed the decline in production in recent years. In fact, as indicates A.E. Asarin (1997), by 1990, water consumption in the Caspian pool was about 40 km3 / year, and at present it decreased to 30-35 km3 / year (in the Volga basin to 24 km3 / year). Therefore, the "anthropogenic" difference between the natural and actual sea level is currently not so great as predicted.
About possible fluctuations in the level of the Caspian level in the future
The author does not set himself a goal in detail to analyze numerous forecasts of oscillations of the Caspian Sea level (this is an independent and difficult task). The main conclusion from the assessment of the results of forecasting oscillations of the Caspian level can be made next. Although the forecasts were based on completely different approaches (both deterministic and probabilistic), there was not a single reliable forecast. The main complexity of the use of deterministic forecasts, built on the equation of the water balance of the sea, is the invertation of the theory and practice of ultra-strong climate change forecasts in large territories.
When the sea level in the 30-70s decreased, most researchers predicted his further fall. In the past two decades, when an increase in sea level began, most of the forecasts were predicted almost linear and even accelerating growth in level up to - 25 and even - 20 abs. M and above at the beginning of the XXI century. At the same time, three circumstances did not take into account. First, the periodic nature of oscillations of the level of all selfless water bodies. The instability of the level of the Caspian Sea and its periodic nature is confirmed by the analysis of modern and past hesitation. Secondly, at sea level, close to - 26 abs. m, the flooding of the surfactants will begin with a low level of large bays-sow on the northeast coast of the Caspian Sea - Dead Cool and Kaidak, as well as low-lying areas in other places of the coast. This would lead to an increase in the Slakovody Square and as a result, an increase in evaporation (up to 10 km3 / year). At a higher level of the sea, the outflow of waters in Kara-Bogaz-goals will increase. All this should stabilize or at least slow down level growth. Thirdly, level fluctuations in the contemporary climatic era (last 2,000), as shown above, are limited to the risk zone (from - 30 to 25 abs. M). Taking into account the anthropogenic decrease in flow, the level is unlikely to exceed the mark - 26-26.5 abs. m.
The decline in average annual levels in the last four years a total of 0.34 m, possibly indicates that in 1995 the level reached its maximum (- 26.66 abs. M), and about change in the trend of the Kaspian level. In any case, the prediction that the sea level is unlikely to exceed the mark - 26 abs. M, apparently, is justified.
In the XX century, the Caspian Sea level was changed within 3.5 m, first dropping, and then rising sharply. Such behavior of the Caspian Sea is the normal state of a closed reservoir as an open dynamic system with variable conditions at its input.
Each combination of arrival (stock rivers, precipitation on the surface of the sea) and consumables (evaporation from the surface of the water branch, the outflow in the Gulf of Kara-Bolh-Gol) components of the Caspian Water Balance corresponds to its equilibrium level. Since the components of the water balance of the sea under the influence of climatic conditions also change, the reservoir level fluctuates, seeking to achieve an equilibrium state, but never reaches it. Ultimately, the trend of changes in the level of the Caspian Sea currently depends on the precipitation ratio minus evaporation on the catchment (in the pools of its rivers) and evaporation minus precipitation over the reservoir itself. In the recent rise in the Caspian level by 2.3 m in reality there is nothing unusual. Such changes in the level were repeatedly and in the past and did not apply irreparable damage to the natural wealth of the Caspian Sea. The current rise in the sea level has become a catastrophe for the farm of the coastal zone only because of the unreasonable development of the person of this risk zone.
Vadim Nikolayevich Mikhailov, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Hydrology Sushi Geographical Faculty of Moscow State University, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Actual Member of the Academy of Water Management. The area of \u200b\u200bscientific interests is hydrology and water resources, the interaction of rivers and seas, delta and estuaria, hydroecology. The author and co-author of about 250 scientific works, including 11 monographs, two textbooks, four scientific and methodological guidelines.
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on the planet Earth. The sea is called because of the sizes and the bed, which is folded by the type of ocean basin. The area is 371,000 square meters, depth - 1025 m. The list of rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea includes 130 items. The largest of them are: Volga, Terek, Samur, Sulak, Urals and others.
Caspian Sea
10 million years have passed before Caspian was formed. The reason for his education is that the Sarmatian Sea, which has lost contact with the World Ocean, was divided into two reservoirs, which were called the Black and Caspian Seas. Between the last and world ocean, thousands of kilometers of anhydrous path extend. It is located at the junction of two continents - Asia and Europe. Its length in the north-south direction is 1200 km, the West-East - 195-435 km. The Caspian Sea is an internal selfless pool of Eurasia.
At the Caspian Sea, the water level is under the level of the world ocean, besides, it is exposed to oscillations. According to scientists, this is due to many factors: anthropogenic, geological, climatic. Currently, the average water level reaches 28 m.
The network of rivers and wastewater is unevenly distributed along the coast. In part of the sea on the north, some rivers flows: Volga, Terek, Ural. From the West - Samur, Sulak, Kura. The east coast is characterized by the absence of constant watercourses. Differences in space during water intake, which bring to the Caspian river is an important geographical feature of this reservoir.
Volga
This river is one of the largest in Europe. In Russia occupies the magnitude of the sixth place. Regarding the area of \u200b\u200bthe catchment, only Siberian rivers falling into the Caspian Sea, such as Ob, Lena, Yenisei, Irtysh. For the source, from where the Volga originates, the key of the village of Volgoverhhovye of the Tver region on the Valdai hill is taken. Now the source has a chapel that attracts the attention of tourists, for whom proud to step over the very beginning of a mighty Volga.
Little fast rods gradually gaining strength and becomes a huge river. Its length is 3690 km. The source is higher than the sea level by 225 m. Among the rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the largest is the Volga. Her path runs through many areas of our country: Tverskaya, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and others. The territories for which it proceeds is Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Kalmykia and Mari El. The Volga is the location of Millionaire Cities - Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kazan, Volgograd.
Delta Volga
The main line of the river is divided into docks. A certain form of mouth is formed. She is called Delta. It is the beginning of the branch of the bucks of the River's Volga direction. Delta is located 46 km north of the city of Astrakhan. It includes docks, sleeves, small rivers. The main sleeves are somewhat, but shipping is only Akhtuba. Among all the rivers of Europe, the Volga is distinguished by the largest delta, which is a rich fish region of the pool.
It lies below than the ocean level, 28 m. The mouth of the Volga is the location of the southern Volga city of Astrakhan, who in the distant past was the capital of Tatar Khanate. Later, at the beginning of the XVIII century (1717), Peter 1 endowed the city by the status of the "capital of the province of Astrakhan." During his reign, the main attraction of the city was built - the Assumption Cathedral. His Kremlin is made of white stone brought from the capital of the Golden Horde of the city of Saraj. The mouth is divided with sleeves, large of which are: Bolds, Bakhtemir, Buzan. Astrakhan is a southern city located on 11 islands. Today it is a city of ships, sailors and fishermen.
Currently needs a Volga in the protection. To this end, in the place where the river flows into the sea, the reserve was established. Delta Volga, the largest river flowing to the Caspian Sea, is replete with unique flora and fauna: sturgeon rocks, lotus, pelicans, flamingos and others. Immediately after the revolution of 1917, a law was published on their protection by the state as part of the Astrakhan Reserve.
River Sulak.
It is located in Dagestan, proceeds through its territory. It feeds on the waters of monstering snow that flow from the mountains, as well as tributaries: Small Sulac, Chvakhun-tank, Ah-Su. Water in Sulak gets through the canal from the Aksai rivers and Aktash.
The source is formed by the merger of two rivers, which originate in the basins: Didoy and Tushinsky. The length of the river Sulaks stores 144 km. Its pool has a fairly large area - 15 200 square meters. It takes on the canyon with the same name as the river, then in the Ahetlin gorge and finally goes to the plane. Gobley Agrahany Bay from the South side, Sulac flows into the sea.
The river provides Caspian and Makhachkala with water for drinking, on it are located hydroelectric power plants, towns of urban type Sulac and Dubka, as well as a small town of Kizilyurt.
Samur.
The river received such a name is not by chance. The name translated from the Caucasian language (one of them) means "middle". Indeed, on the water artery along the Samur River, the border between the states and Azerbaijan is indicated.
The sources of the river are glaciers and springs, originate in the spurs of the Caucasian ridge from the northeastern side, not far from Guton Mountain. Height above sea level is 3200 m. Samur has a length of 213 km. The height in the upper and mouth will be varied by three kilometers. The waterboy pool has an area of \u200b\u200balmost five thousand square meters.
Spaces of the river flow are narrow gorges located between the mountains of a large height, folded from clay shale and sandstones, which is why the water is muddy here. The samura pool has 65 rivers. Their length reaches 10 km and more.
Samur: Valley and her description
The valley of this river in Dagestan is the most densely populated area. Next to the mouth is the Derbent - the oldest city of the world. The shores of the Samur River are the place of growing twenty and more species of relict representatives of the flora. Here we grow endemics, disappearing and rare species listed in the Red Book.
The relict forest is comfortably located in the river delta, which is the only one in Russia. Lyan forest is a fairy tale. Here we grow huge trees of the rarest and familiar breeds, sent by Lianami. The river is rich in valuable fish rocks: Kefal, Sudakov, Pike, Som and others.
Terek
The river was called from Karachay-Balkar nationalities who lived along her shores. They called her "Terk Suu", which means "rapid water". Ingush and Chechens called her Lomets - "Mountain Water".
The beginning of the river is the territory of Georgia, Zigla-Hoch Glacier - a mountain located on the slope of the Caucasian Range. It is year-round under the glaciers. One of them when crashing down melts. A small stream is formed, which is the source of Terek. It is located at an altitude of 2713 m above sea level. The length of the river flowing to the Caspian Sea is 600 km. When pushing into Caspian Terek is divided into a lot of sleeves, resulting in an extensive delta, its area is 4000 square meters. In some places it is very wetlands.
The channel has repeatedly changed in this place. The old sleeves are currently converted into channels. The middle of the last century (1957) is marked by the construction of Kargaline hydrogen. It is used to serve water into the channels.
Due to what is replenished Terek?
The river has mixed nutrition, but for the top course they play a large role from melting glaciers, they fill the river. In this regard, 70% of the drain falls on the spring and summer, that is, at this time the water level in Terek is the highest, and the lowest - in February. The river freezes if the winter is characterized by a harsh climate, but the ice stations are unstable.
The river is not distinguished by purity and transparency. Water turbidity is large: 400-500 g / m 3. Every year, Terek and his tributaries pollute the Caspian Sea, merging into it from 9 to 26 million tons of various suspensions. This is explained by the rocks from which the coast are folded, and they are clay.
Mouth of Terek
Sunja is the largest influx falling into Terek, the lower reaches of which are counted from this river. By this time, Terek flows long over the plain locality, leaving the mountains located behind the Elkhotovski gate. The bottom here is composed of sandy-pebbled rocks, the flow slows down, and in some places it stops at all.
The mouth of the River Terek has an unusual look: the channel here is raised over the valley, in appearance resembles a channel, which is fenced with a bulk of high height. The water level becomes above the sushi level. This phenomenon is explained by the natural reason. Since Terek is a stormy river, it brings sand and stones in large quantities from the Caucasian ridge. Considering that the flow in the lower reaches is weak, they are sediated here, it does not reach the sea. For residents of this area, the nanos are both a threat and blessing. When they are blurred by water, flooding a large destructive force happen, it is very bad. But in the absence of flooding soil become fertile.
River Ural
In ancient times (until the second half of the 18th century), the river was called the name of YIK. She was renamed Russian Floor by Decree Catherine the second in 1775. Just at this time, the peasant war was suppressed, the leader of which was Pugachev. The name has been preserved in the Language of Bashkir to the present time, and in Kazakhstan is official. Urals in length ranks third in Europe, the largest of this river is only Volga and Danube.
The Ural originates in Russia, on the slope of the Round Eck of the Range of Uraltau. The source is a spring driving from under the Earth at an altitude of 637 m above sea level. At the beginning of its path, the river flows in the north-south direction, but after the plateau met on the way on the path makes a steep turn and continues to flow in the north-west direction. However, for Orenburg, its direction changes again to the southwestern, which is considered the main thing. Overcoming a winding path, the Urals falls into the Caspian Sea. The length of the river is 2428 km. The mouth is divided into the sleeve and tends to overclocure.
The Ural is a river, which passes the natural water border between Europe and Asia, with the exception of the upper current. This is an internal European river, but its upper husbands east of the Ural Range are the territory of Asia.
The value of the Caspian Rivers
Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are of great importance. Their water is used for human and animal, domestic needs, agricultural and industrial needs. The rivers are built by hydroelectric power plants, whose energy is in demand by a person for various purposes. River pools are full of fish, algae, molluscs. Back in deep antiquity, people choose the valleys of rivers for future settlements. And now they are building cities and villages on their shores. The rivers are furious passenger and transport ships, performing important tasks for the transport of passengers and cargo.
