422
H. Giiner and V. Aysel
Black Sea
Ill" ,Q
• en p
: <:. b ~lli'WmiWW::::~~~::::::WW
:.,
p
-ron a
liiiiliii!ilillsillW:i®~~~~illi~lliWlli52ill0W~~i9
i~
9:
i a i
: ..... f· ..... ··.~ ••.... Turkish Mediterranean,···········
~
t 150km
Fig. 18.1. The geographic position of the seas surrounding Turkey
18.2.1 The Black Sea
The Black Sea with a total surface of 423 x 10 3 km 2 , a volume of
537 x 10 3 km 3 , and an average depth of 1271 m (maximum depth 2245
m) is characterized by its pronounced stratification. The average water
balance of the Black Sea, taking into account the changes in recent years,
is shown in Table 18.1. The inflow of river water into the Black Sea is
unevenly distributed over the coastal areas (Table 18.2).
The surface currents in the Black Sea are generated by inflow from the
rivers and from the Azov Sea. The direction and velocity of the currents
are strongly influenced by the winds and by the configuration of the
coast (Fig. 18.2).
The regime of the two currents in the Bosphorus Strait is an important
factor. The salinity of the upper Bosphorus current is about 18 PSU, and
the lower Bosphorus current about 35 PSU. The water of the Sea of
Table 18.1. The average annual water balance of the Black Sea
Gains
krn 3
Losses
km 3
River water
294
Evaporation
301
Rain
254
Flow from the
Flow into the
Azov Sea
38
Azov Sea
29
Lower Bosphorus current 229
Upper Bosphorus current 485
Total
815
Total
815