Dynamics of the ice regime of the Sea of Azov in the XX–XXI centuries

• Main Authors: N. V. Yaitskaya, A. A. Magaeva
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Nauka 2018-09-01
• Series: Lëd i Sneg
• Subjects: classification of winter periods; ice conditions; sea of azov; winter types
• Online Access: https://ice-snow.igras.ru/jour/article/view/488
• ISSN: 2076-6734; 2412-3765

The ice regime of the Sea of Azov over the period of 20th and 21nd centuries was investigated using the author's GIS «The ice regime of the Southern Seas of the Russia». The long-term dynamics of the ice cover, duration of the ice stay as well as beginning and end of the ice period were considered. It has been found that for the period of 1950–2015 the average annual value of the Azov Sea ice cover area is 33%, while the average area of the fast ice is 6.3% of the total area of the sea. Value of duration of the ice cover stay on the sea surface has been refined, and this value is 115 days near the hydro-meteorological station (HMS) Taganrog and 63 days near the HMS Kerch. The typification of winters according to the degree of severity was performed on the basis of data from three coastal meteorological stations: Taganrog, Genichesk, and Kerch. Winters of moderate type were shown to be prevailing during the entire analyzed period. Totally, 15 severe, 70 moderate and 40 mild winters were isolated for the period 1883-2015, while for 1950–2015 the statistics was the following: 9 severe, 43 moderate, and 14 mild winters in Taganrog, and 10 severe, 40 moderate, and 16 mild winters in Kerch.