Search results
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
- 1,253 m (4,111 ft)
- 436,402 km² (168,500 sq mi)
- 2,212 m (7,257 ft)
- Overview
- Physiography
- Geology
The Black Sea is located at the southeastern extremity of Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, Georgia to the east, Turkey to the south, and Bulgaria and Romania to the west.
What is the maximum depth of the Black Sea?
The Black Sea reaches a maximum depth of more than 7,250 feet (2,210 meters) in the south-central sector.
Is the Black Sea freshwater or saltwater?
The Black Sea is a saltwater sea, but it is of lesser salinity than the oceans. The salinity of the Black Sea's surface waters averages between 17 and 18 parts per thousand, which is approximately half that of the oceans. A marked increase in salinity, up to 21 parts per thousand, occurs in the Black Sea at depths of roughly 160 to 500 feet (50 to 150 metres).
What's notable about oxygen levels in the Black Sea?
The coastline of the Black Sea is only mildly indented, except for the northwestern and northern shores, which are low and furrowed by numerous ravines, valleys, and rivers, the mouths of which are often impeded by sandy spits. The mountains of southern Crimea form the only precipitous cliff areas. In the east and south, the coasts are steep and mountainous. Spurs of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges, separated by the Kolkhida lowland, confine the Black Sea in the east, while the Pontic Mountains run along the southern coast. Near the Bosporus outlet, the shoreline relief is moderate though still steep. Farther north, in the Burgaski Bay area, low mountains emerge where the Balkan Mountains of Bulgaria extend eastward. Continuing northward along the western shore, a flatter plateau region gives way to the great Danube River delta, which thrusts its mass out into the sea.
The Black Sea contains only a few small islands, the largest being Zmiyinyy (Fidonisi) of Ukraine, east of the Danube delta, and Berezan at the mouth of the Dniester River estuary. The submarine relief may be visualized as a series of concentric and occasionally asymmetrical rings. Beyond the shoreline a shallow shelf zone occupies about one-fourth of the entire area. It is broadest in the west and at the head of Kerch Strait but elsewhere forms a rim about 6 to 7 miles (10 to 11 km) wide, and the depth of the edge is usually less than 360 feet (110 metres). The shelf gives way at its edge to a slope, which is broken by submarine valleys and is steep in its upper parts. Between the port cities of Sinop and Samsun (Turkey), the coastline is paralleled by a rugged range of underwater mountains extending for nearly 100 miles (160 km). The hollow forming the basin’s core covers about a third of the total area and is a completely featureless flat plain, with depths increasing evenly toward the centre to a little more than 7,200 feet (2,200 metres), with the axis of maximum depth displaced toward the Turkish coast.
Are you a student? Get Britannica Premium for only 24.95 - a 67% discount!
Learn More
Underlying rocks reflect a regional diversity of both type and age. The ancient Precambrian rocks of the southern tip of the structural block known as the Russian (or East European) Platform, dating from at least 540 million years ago, appear in the northwest. A second, related platform has a deep cover of sedimentary rocks that were laid later. The deepwater depression, generally considered to be a vast structural downwarp, is an unusual and significant feature of the Earth’s crust. The centre of the depression consists of a sedimentary and a basaltic crustal layer, with a granite layer thrust between them at the periphery. Seafloor deposits generally change from coarse pebbles and gravel at the periphery to fine silts at the centre of the basin.
The geologic history of the Black Sea is not fully known, but it seems to be a residual basin of the ancient Tethys Sea, dating roughly from 250 to 50 million years ago. The present form of the sea probably emerged at the end of the Paleocene Epoch (about 55 million years ago), when structural upheavals in Anatolia split off the Caspian basin from the Mediterranean. The newly created Black Sea basin became gradually isolated from the ocean, and its salinity was reduced; at that time the Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasus probably were islands.
Feb 3, 2021 · Learn about the Black Sea, one of the marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean and the 13th largest sea in the world. Find out its location, origin of name, climate, islands, marine life, and conservation status. Explore the relief map, island map, and island names of the Black Sea.
- John Misachi
The Black Sea is a roughly oval-shaped body of water located in the southeastern extremity of Europe. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The surface area of the Sea proper is 163,000 square miles (422,000 square km).
May 23, 2018 · Learn about the Black Sea, a large inland saltwater sea connected to the Mediterranean by the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. Explore its history, geography, and role in the Crimean War and the Ottoman Empire.
Black Sea, Sea between Europe and Asia. Bordered by Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania, it has a maximum depth of 7,250 ft (2,210 m). The Black Sea proper has an area of 163,000 sq mi (422,000 sq km). It is connected with the Aegean Sea through the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, and with the Sea of Azov ...
People also ask
Where is the Black Sea located?
How big is the Black Sea?
Is the Black Sea a marginal or enclosed sea?
What is the largest island in the Black Sea?
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. The Black Sea is supplied by major rivers, principally the Danube, Dnieper and Dniester. Consequently, while six countries have a coastline on ...
