Variability of the hydrometeorological conditions in Kerch Bay in 2007-2024
https://doi.org/10.36038/2307-3497-2025-199-157-165
EDN: JDWJFO
Abstract
Aim of this work is to investigate the variability of the hydrometeorological conditions in Kerch Bay in 2007- 2024.
Methods used: the methodology of this study involves plotting and analyzing the graphs for the long-term variability of the average monthly values of the hydrometeorological parameters for 2007-2024 based on the data collected over the course of weekly monitoring conducted from April 2017 to April 2024.
Novelty: for the first time, the variability of the environmental conditions in this region has been investigated for 17-year time range, including the most recent years.
Results: the analysis of the long-term (2007-2024) variability of the average monthly near-ground air and water surface temperature, upper water layer salinity, near-ground wind speed and direction, wave action, and water transparency in Kerch Bay has been conducted. The prevalence of positive anomalies of air and water temperature involving the increased number of hot summer days and reduction in the number of winter sub-zero cold days as compared to the preceding 50-year time range has been identified. Considerable increase in the salinity is recorded for 2007-2014, which is followed by the lowering rates of its increase and stabilization of its values after 2017, mainly due to the water advection via the Kerch Strait and the wind regime in this area. The long-term variability of the average monthly wave heights has been categorized into three time ranges: 2017-2019 characterized by medium values, 2020-2022 characterized by decreased values, and 2023-2024 characterized by increased values. It is shown that the lowest water transparency in the bay (≤1.0 m) is recorded mainly in February–March under variable winds; the highest one (>3.0 m) is observed from April to December (since July 2021) in the context of the northerly winds and the lowest average wind speed. Practical significance: results obtained and discussed in this article can be vital for the assessment of the ecosystem variability in Kerch Bay as a region heavily involved into industrial and fishing activity.
About the Authors
A. T. Kochergin
Department of the Kerch, Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO («AzNIIRKH»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
2, Sverdlova st., Kerch, 298300
V. A. Okunevich
Department of the Kerch, Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO («AzNIIRKH»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
2, Sverdlova st., Kerch, 298300
References
1. Avdeeva T. M., Zaremba N. B., Zhugaylo S. S., Zagaynaya O. B., Adzhiumerov S.N. 2014. Environmental state of the Kerch Bay coastal waters // Truty YugNIRO. V. 52. P. 74-80. (In Russ.).
2. Berdnikov S. V., Dashkevich L.V., Kulygin V. V. 2019. Climatic conditions and hydrological regime of the Sea of Azov in the XX – early XXI centuries // Aquatic Bioresources & Environment. V. 2. № 2. P. 7-19. (In Russ.).
3. Dyakov N. N., Fomin V. V., Tsvetsinskiy A. S., Lipchenko A. E., Lukin D. V., Polozok A . A ., Fomina I. N., Timoshenko T. Yu., Belogudov A . A ., Levitskaya O. V. 2019. Modern hydrometeorological conditions for the formation of wind-wave, ice and other dangerous phenomena in the Kerch Strait. Sevastopol: N.N. Zubov’s SOI Publish. 365 p. (In Russ.).
4. Eremeev V. N., Ivanov V. A., Ilyin Yu.P. 2003. Oceanographic conditions and ecological problems in the Kerch Strait // Marine Ecological Journal. V. 2. № 3. P. 27-40. (In Russ.).
5. Ivanov V. A., Matishov G. G., Kushnir V. M., Berdnikov S. V., Chepyzhenko A. I., Povazhnyy V. V., Stepanyan O. V. 2014. Kerch Strait in the autumn season of 2011: Results of the joint multi-disciplinary research conducted during the expedition of the MHI of the NASU and the SSC of the RAS // Marine Hydrophysical Journal. № 1. P. 44-57. (In Russ.).
6. Ilyin Yu.P., Fomin V. V., Dyakov N. N., Gorbach S. B. 2009. Hydrometeorological conditions of the seas of Ukraine. V. 1. The Sea of Azov. Sevastopol: URHMI of the SSEU and NASU. EKOSI-Hydrophysics. 402 p. (In Russ.).
7. Kochergin A.T., Borovskaya R.V. 2020. Hydrometeorological conditions of the Kerch Bay in 2017-2019 // Aquatic Bioresources & Environment. V. 3, № 4. P. 25-34. DOI: 10.47921/2619-1024_2020_3_4_25. (In Russ.).
8. Kochergin A.T., Zhukova S.V., Malygin E.Yu. 2018. Inter-annual variability of salinity and vertical thermohaline stability in the different areas of the Sea of Azov in summer season of 1992-2016 // Monitoring Systems of Environment. № 11. P. 63-68. DOI: 10.33075/2220-5861-2018-1-63-68 . (In Russ.).
9. Lomakin P.D., Borovskaya R.V. 2005. Possibility of monitoring the system of currents in the Kerch Strait on the basis of satellite information // Monitoring Systems of Environment. № 5. P. 255-257. (In Russ.).
10. Lomakin P.D., Borovskaya R.V. 2006. Characteristic of modern condition of currents system of Kerch Strait on base of satellite and contact observations // Earth Observation and Remote Sensing. № 6. P. 65-71. (In Russ.).
11. Lomakin P. D., Panov B. N., Spiridonova E. O. 2010. Specific features of the interannual and seasonal variations of hydrometeorological conditions in the region of Kerch Strait for the last two decades // Marine Hydrophysical Journal. № 2. P. 36-48. (In Russ.).
12. Lomakin P.D., Spiridonova E.O., Chepyzhenko A.I., Chepyzhenko A.A. 2011. The TSM field distribution particularities in the waters of Kerchenskiy strait // Marine Ecological Journal. V. 10, № 2. P. 49-58. (In Russ.).
13. Lomakin P.D., Chepyzhenko A.I., Panov B.N., Borovskaya R.V. 2006. Hydrological conditions and characteristics of pollution of Kerch Strait water in May 2005 on base of contact measurements and satellite observations // Earth Observation and Remote Sensing. № 4. P. 27-33. (In Russ.).
14. Lomakin P. D., Chepyzhenko A. I., Chepyzhenko A. A. 2019. Typification and zoning of the Kerch Strait waters according to specific stratification of total suspended matter concentration // Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea. № 2. P. 94-102. DOI: 10.22449/2413-5577-2019-2-94-102. (In Russ.).
15. Panov B.N., Spiridonova E.O., Zhukova S.V. 2019. The role of atmospheric circulation in the process of steady changes in the salinity of the Azov Sea waters // Bulletin of Higher Education Institutes. North Caucasus Region. Natural Sciences. № 3. P. 55-61. DOI: 10.23683/0321-3005-2019-3-55-61. (In Russ.).
16. Spiridonova E.O., Panov B.N. 2021. Changes of the structure indicators and the salinity field average value in the Sea of Azov // Marine Hydrophysical Journal. V 37. № 3 (219). P. 305-317. DOI: 10.22449/0233-7584-2021-3-305-317. (In Russ.).
17. Chepyzhenko A . I., Lomakin P. D., Borovskaya R. V. 2005. Characterization of the pollution of the Kerch Bay waters based on the data collected over the course of optical measurements // Current state of the ecosystem of the Black and Azov Seas. Abstr. of the Intern. Conf. Crimea, Donuzlav. P. 86. (In Russ.).
18. Dashkevich L.V., Berdnikov S.V. 2016. Climatic changes and salinity of the Sea of Azov for 100 years // Proc. of the 16th Intern. Multidiscipl. Scient. GeoConf. SGEM 2016 (Albena, 28 June – 6 July, 2016). New York: Curran Associates, Inc. Book 3. V. 2. P. 719-726. DOI: 10.5593/SGEM2016/B32/S15.094.
Review
For citations:
Kochergin A. ., Okunevich V.A. Variability of the hydrometeorological conditions in Kerch Bay in 2007-2024. Trudy VNIRO. 2025;199:157-165. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.36038/2307-3497-2025-199-157-165. EDN: JDWJFO
Email this article 