Features of the Ebb and Flow of the Azov Sea
Despite the geographical position of the Azov Sea and its small size, an interesting phenomenon is often observed in it - the ebbs and flows, which are more characteristic of the oceans. But the cause of the ebb and flow of the Azov Sea is not at all the attraction of water by the Moon, as happens in other seas and oceans. The reason for the tides of Azov is much simpler, but less predictable than the phases of the moon - this is the wind. During periods when strong winds blow from the coast or towards the coast for a long time in the Azov Sea, this can lead to a significant decrease or increase in the water level of the Azov Sea in one or another section of its coast. The tides are especially pronounced on the northern coast of the Azov Sea.
Ebb Tides of the Azov Sea
For example, in the fall of 2017, there was a massive ebb in Mariupol and Berdyansk and other cities located on the northern coast of the Azov Sea. In Mariupol, the Azov Sea receded from the coast by tens, and in some places by hundreds of meters. The reason for this phenomenon was the weather on the Azov Sea - such a strong wind blew from the shore that it drove the water away. Such a retreat of sea water from the coast is not uncommon - in Mariupol such a phenomenon is observed quite often under certain weather conditions. During this period, everyone could walk along the bottom of the Azov Sea, but it was worth hurrying - the water quickly returned to its previous level as soon as the direction of the wind and its strength changed.
Berdyansk, after Mariupol, the Azov Sea also decided to retreat from the usual surf. The reason is the same - the wind that blew from the coast for more than a week. As a result, in the Berdyansk Bay, on the western side of the Berdyansk Spit, the sea moved several meters away from the coast, changing the appearance of the coastal strip. In contrast to how the sea in Mariupol receded from the coast by a hundred meters, in Berdyansk the sea receded by only a few tens of meters, but due to the shallow depth of the Berdyansk Bay near the spit, the spectacle of the ebb turned out to be no less large-scale.
Tides of the Azov Sea
But by the end of the winter of 2018, the reverse phenomenon was observed on the Azov Sea - the tide. The water level in the Azov Sea near Genichesk rose to a record high. This led not only to the flooding of beaches and coastal areas, but also to more serious consequences. On the Arabat Spit, the Genichesk-Strelkovoe road is partially flooded. As a result, transport links with several settlements of Arabatka were temporarily suspended. The cause of sea level rise in Genichesk, as well as other similar cases associated with changes in the level of the Azov Sea near the coast, is the wind.