2.1. Sources of sea water pollution………………………………….…14
2.2. Practical assessment of marine pollution………………….21
2.3. Analysis of the degree of pollution of Russian seas………………………......22
Chapter 3. Environmental consequences of pollution of the Russian seas. Protection of sea waters
3.1. Environmental consequences of sea pollution……………….….….….45
3.2. Protection of sea waters from pollution
3.2.1. Self-purification of seas and oceans…………………………….…..….…...49
3.2.2. Protection of seas and oceans………………………………………………………...….51
3.2.3. Protection of marine coastal waters ………………………………….…...56
3.2.4. Monitoring the state of Russian sea waters…………………….….…58
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………62
List of sources used……………………………..…..……..64
List of applications………………………………………………………..66
Introduction
Vast spaces of Russia are washed by a number of seas with different natural conditions, located mainly along the periphery of Russian territory. Together with natural features, economic activities in marine and coastal spaces shape the ecological state of the sea, that is, environmental conditions that are real in time and space. They are not constant in time and space, which causes variability in the ecological state of the sea.
The topic of my thesis is the ecological state of the seas of Russia. Recent decades have been marked by increased anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems as a result of pollution of the seas and oceans. The distribution of many pollutants has become local, regional and even global. Therefore, pollution of the seas and their biota has become the most important problem of the country, and the need to protect the marine environment from pollution is dictated by the requirements of rational use of natural resources. No one will dispute the advisability of protecting the seas and the life developed in it from the harm that waste emissions can cause. Because of this, the chosen topic of work is currently very relevant.
The purpose of the work is to comprehensively characterize the ecological state of Russian sea waters. The main objectives are:
1) Consideration of the seas of Russia as large natural complexes, highlighting their main properties;
2) Determination of the main substances polluting sea waters and the sources of their entry into the sea;
3) Analysis of the current ecological state of the seas of Russia (the basins of the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Caspian sea-lake);
4) Assessment of the environmental consequences of sea water pollution, clarification of the main protection measures and methods of controlling sea pollution.
The structure of the thesis corresponds to the assigned tasks. The material is presented in three main chapters.
The first chapter gives an idea of the seas washing the shores of Russia as large natural complexes.
The second chapter reflects an analysis of the current ecological state of the seas of Russia (as well as a description of the main pollutants and sources of their entry into sea waters).
The third chapter is devoted to the environmental consequences of sea pollution, as well as the problem of protecting the seas from pollution.
In preparing the thesis, various sources of information were used - literature, periodicals, statistical data, cartographic materials, resources of the global information network Internet (there are links in the text).
Chapter 1. The seas of Russia as large natural complexes
The territory of our country is washed by thirteen seas: 12 seas of the world ocean and the Caspian Sea, which belongs to the internal closed basin (Fig. 1). These seas are very diverse in terms of natural conditions, natural resources, and the degree of their study and development.
Figure 1. Seas of Russia
The total area of Russia's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone is about 7 million square kilometers.
The area of the continental shelf under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation is about 5 million square kilometers, which is about 1/5 of the shelf area of the World Ocean.
The Far Eastern Marine Reserve is the only reserve in Russia, founded in 1978. as exclusively marine. In addition, marine nature is protected in 8 more reserves and 2 reserves in the Far East, 2 Arctic reserves, 2 reserves and 1 reserve in the Barents and White Seas and 2 reserves in the Caspian Sea (see Appendix 1).
The seas of Russia have a number of unique features:
· The Barents, Bering and Okhotsk seas are among the most productive seas in the world, and the productivity of the West Kamchatka shelf is the highest in the world and amounts to about 20 t/km².
· In the Far Eastern seas of Russia, stocks of commercial species of global importance are concentrated: pollock, Pacific salmon, Kamchatka crab.
· Significantly larger cod stocks (compared to the North Atlantic) remain in Arctic and Pacific waters.
· Russian seas have the highest diversity of sturgeon and salmon fish in the world.
· The most important migration routes of marine mammals and birds of the northern hemisphere pass along the coast of the Russian seas.
· Unique ecosystems have been discovered in the Russian seas: the relict ecosystem of Lake Mogilnoye, relict ecosystems of kelps in the Arctic (Chaunskaya Bay), shallow hydrothermal communities in the bays of the Kuril Islands.
The seas of the Arctic Ocean are located within the continental shallows (shelf). Their depth rarely exceeds 200 m, and their salinity is below oceanic. The coastline is very indented. The climate of almost all northern seas is very harsh, with the only exception being the Barents Sea, which receives the waters of the warm North Atlantic Current.
Most seas are covered with ice for 8-10 months.
The Northern Sea Route, an important transport route for Russia, passes through the seas of the Arctic Ocean. This is the shortest route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.
The Barents Sea is a marginal water area of the Arctic Ocean on the border with the Atlantic Ocean, between the northern coast of Europe in the south and the islands of Vaygach, Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land in the east, Spitsbergen and Bear Island in the west (Fig. 2). The sea area is 1424 thousand km², depth up to 600m. The sea is located on the continental shelf. The southwestern part of the sea does not freeze in winter due to the influence of the North Atlantic Current. The southeastern part of the sea is called the Pechora Sea.
Figure 2. Barents Sea
In the west it borders with the Norwegian Sea basin, in the south with the White Sea, in the east with the Kara Sea, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. The area of the Barents Sea located east of Kolguev Island is called the Pechora Sea. The shores of the Barents Sea are predominantly fjord, high, rocky, and heavily indented.
The salinity of the surface layer of water in the open sea throughout the year is 34.7-35.0 ppm in the southwest, 33.0-34.0 in the east, and 32.0-33.0 in the north. In the coastal strip of the sea in spring and summer, salinity drops to 30-32, and by the end of winter it increases to 34.0-34.5.
The climate of the Barents Sea is influenced by the warm Atlantic Ocean and the cold Arctic Ocean. Frequent intrusions of warm Atlantic cyclones and cold Arctic air determine great variability of weather conditions. In winter, southwestern winds prevail over the sea, and in spring and summer, northeastern winds. Storms are frequent. The average air temperature in February varies from −25°C in the north to −4°C in the southwest. The average temperature in August is 0°C, 1°C in the north, 10°C in the southwest. Cloudy weather prevails over the sea throughout the year.
The influx of warm Atlantic waters determines the relatively high temperature and salinity in the southwestern part of the sea. Here in February - March the surface water temperature is 3°C, 5°C, in August it rises to 7°C, 9°C. North of 74° N. w. and in the southeastern part of the sea in winter the water temperature on the surface is below −1°C, and in the summer in the north 4°C, 0°C, in the southeast 4°C, 7°C. In summer, in the coastal zone, the surface layer of warm water 5-8 meters thick can warm up to 11-12°C.
The Barents Sea is rich in various species of fish, plant and animal plankton and benthos. Seaweed is common along the southern coast. Of the 114 species of fish living in the Barents Sea, 20 species are the most commercially important: cod, haddock, herring, sea bass, catfish, flounder, halibut, etc. Mammals include: polar bear, seal, harp seal, beluga whale, etc. Seal fishing is underway. Bird colonies abound on the coasts (guillemots, guillemots, kittiwake gulls). In the 20th century, the Kamchatka crab was introduced, which was able to adapt to new conditions and begin to reproduce intensively.
The seas of the Pacific Ocean wash the eastern shores of Russia from Chukotka to Vladivostok. They are separated from the ocean by archipelagos of islands, but freely communicate with it through numerous straits.
These seas are distinguished by significant depths - from 2500 to 4000 m.
The Bering Sea is a sea in the north of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Aleutian and Commander Islands; The Bering Strait connects it to the Chukchi Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The Bering Sea washes the shores of Russia and the United States. In winter it is covered with ice.
Area 2.304 million km². The average depth is 1600m, the maximum is 4773m. The air temperature over the water area is up to +7, +10°C in summer and −1, −23°C in winter. Salinity 33-34.7 ppm.
The Sea of Okhotsk is part of the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido (Fig. 3). The sea washes the shores of Russia and Japan.
Figure 3. Sea of Okhotsk
Area 1.603 million km². Average depth 1780m maximum depth 3521m. The western part of the sea has shallow depth and is located on the continental shelf. In the eastern part there is the Kuril Basin, where the depth is maximum.
From October to May-June, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The southeastern part practically does not freeze.
The coast in the north is heavily indented; in the northeast of the Sea of Okhotsk its largest bay is located - Shelikhov Bay.
The Sea of Japan is a sea within the Pacific Ocean, separated from it by the Japanese Islands and Sakhalin Island. It washes the shores of Russia, Korea, Japan, and the DPRK. In Korea, the Sea of Japan is called the "East Sea". A branch of the warm Kuroshio Current enters in the south.
Area 1.062 million km². The greatest depth is 3742m. The northern part of the sea freezes in winter.
The Atlantic Ocean basin includes the Baltic, Black and Azov seas, connected to the ocean through neighboring seas and narrow straits.
The Black Sea is an inland sea of the Atlantic Ocean. The Bosphorus Strait connects with the Sea of Marmara, then, through the Dardanelles Strait, with the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas (Fig. 4). The Kerch Strait connects with the Sea of Azov. From the north, the Crimean Peninsula cuts deep into the sea. The water border between Europe and Asia Minor runs along the surface of the Black Sea.
Figure 4. Black and Azov Seas
Area 422,000 km² (according to other sources - 436,400 km²). The outline of the Black Sea resembles an oval with the longest axis about 1150 km. The greatest length of the sea from north to south is 580 km. The greatest depth is 2210m, the average is 1240m.
The sea washes the shores of Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. The unrecognized state entity of Abkhazia is located on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea.
A characteristic feature of the Black Sea is the complete (with the exception of a number of anaerobic bacteria) absence of life at depths above 150-200 m due to the saturation of the deep layers of water with hydrogen sulfide.
The Sea of Azov is the northeastern side basin of the Black Sea, with which it is connected by the Kerch Strait (Fig. 4). This is the shallowest sea in the world, its depth does not exceed 15 meters.
Its greatest length is 343 km, its greatest width is 231 km; coastline length 1472 km; surface area - 37605 km². (this area does not include islands and spits, which occupy 107.9 sq. km).
According to its morphological characteristics, it belongs to the flat seas and is a shallow body of water with low coastal slopes. In terms of distance from the ocean to the mainland, the Sea of Azov is the most continental sea on the planet.
In terms of biological productivity, the Sea of Azov ranks first in the world. The most developed are phytoplankton and benthos. The hydrochemical features of the Sea of Azov are formed primarily under the influence of the abundant influx of river water (up to 12% of the water volume) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.
The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. After the creation of the Tsimlyansky hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to increase (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity values rarely reach 1%.
During the 20th century, almost all more or less large rivers flowing into the Sea of Azov were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This has led to a significant reduction in the discharge of fresh water and silt into the sea.
The Baltic Sea (from antiquity until the 18th century in Russia was known as the “Varangian Sea”) is an inland marginal sea that protrudes deeply into the mainland (Fig. 5). The Baltic Sea is located in northern Europe and belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Figure 5. Baltic Sea
Area: 415 thousand km². Depth: average - 52m, maximum - 459m. The Baltic Sea is rich in seafood, in addition, there are oil reserves, in particular, the D-6 field is being developed (territorial waters of the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation)
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia and called the sea because of its size. The Caspian Sea is an endorheic lake, and the water in it is salty, from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, currently approximately −28 m below sea level. The area of the Caspian Sea at present is approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m (Fig. 6).
Figure 6. Caspian Sea
The seas of Russia are of great economic importance. First of all, these are cheap transport routes, the role of which is especially important in foreign trade transport. The biological resources of the seas are of significant value. The seas washing the territory of our country are home to almost 900 species of fish, of which more than 250 are commercial, and many marine mammals, mollusks and crustaceans. The importance of the mineral resources of the seas is increasing. You can use the energy of sea tides to generate electricity; in addition, the sea coasts are vacation spots.
Exposure to various harmful substances contained in the air of populated areas in concentrations of 10 MAC and higher. Due to air pollution, a tense environmental situation remains in a number of regions, and in a number of cities it is assessed as dangerous. Background atmospheric pollution Background technogenic atmospheric pollution is formed mainly under the influence of industrial emissions and conditions...
Due to the loss of freshwater forms. The number of marine species in the Caspian phytoplankton is 47, brackish-water - 66, brackish-water-freshwater - 74, freshwater - 210 and other - 52 species. Among the phytoplankton of the Caspian Sea, the most numerous are EXUVELLA and RHIZOSOLENIA. Zkzuvella is an indigenous inhabitant of the Caspian Sea, Rizosoleniya is a relatively recent settler, penetrated into the Caspian Sea in 1934...
The classic, traditional way. It consists of treatment with a reagent (coagulant), two-stage clarification and filtration, and at the Eastern station they also perform an operation new to Russia - ozonation. In extreme environmental situations, activated carbon is used. During long-term treatment, the water must be chlorinated twice. Allow yourself the luxury of not having...
Practical work No. 19. Drawing up a map of areas of environmental pollution in the United States, identifying sources of pollution, proposing ways to solve environmental problems.
Progress:
Using the atlas maps (page 41), draw the country's borders on an outline map of the United States.
Using the atlas and textbook “Geography” by Yu.N. Smooth symbols indicate on the contour map the most important areas of mineral resource extraction and the main industrial belts of the United States.
Use different colors to shade the main areas of degradation of the natural environment as a result of human activity: under the influence of the mining industry, manufacturing industry, agriculture, tanker fleet, nuclear weapons testing and accidents at nuclear power plants, etc.
Write down the names of the most polluted rivers, lakes, canals and marine areas.
Name ways to solve environmental problems in the United States and what measures should be taken by the US government to improve the environmental condition of the country.
Draw a conclusion about the prospects for the development of the environmental situation in the United States.
Practical work No. 20.
Influence of natural factors
For the development of the economy, features of life and everyday life of the population
In macroregions of the USA.
Progress:
Using the text of the textbook “Geography” by Yu.N. Gladky, atlas (pp. 40 - 43), knowledge gained from studying the 7th grade course and additional literature, depending on the option number, expand the content of the proposed diagram, for which:
a) highlight the characteristic features of the economic and geographical location;
b) name the features of natural conditions (relief and climate) that affect the life, everyday life and activities of humans and the economy of the region;
c) list the natural resources with which this region is provided;
d) describe the features of the location, composition, urban and rural population, labor resources, life and activities of the population of the region and name the largest cities in the region;
e) name the branches of industrial and agricultural specialization of the region;
f) characterize the development of transport and tourism in the region.
Draw a conclusion about the influence of natural conditions and resources on the characteristics of life and everyday life of the population and the economy of the region.
Option 1. Northeast USA.
Option 2. Midwest USA.
Option 3. South USA.
Option 4. West USA.
Practical work No. 21.
Building a map diagram
Main industrial and agricultural areas
Canada.
Progress:
Using the text of the textbook, atlas maps (p. 44), mark the state border of Canada, label the border countries, seas and oceans washing its shores, highlight the Arctic Circle.
Label the main mineral deposits of Canada (oil, natural gas, iron, copper, nickel, polymetallic, molybdenum ores, gold and platinum, potassium salts and asbestos).
Use conventional symbols to mark the regions provided with forest, fisheries, agroclimatic, soil, water and hydropower resources.
Use symbols to map the largest centers of the manufacturing industry, reflecting their specialization.
Shade the major agricultural regions of Canada.
Use arrows of different colors to show the routes of export and import of raw materials and finished products.
Draw a conclusion about the location and specialization of the economy of the main economic regions of Canada: North, South-West, Center and South-East.
Map - The most acute environmental situations in Russia and other CIS countries (according to B.I. Kochurov)
Ecological map of Russia. Regions with unfavorable ecological situation.
This is serious food for thought. For now, rather, a summary compiled by me, the author of the article, from the most authoritative sources (textbooks of economic geography of recent years with truthful information about the state of affairs on the environmental situation in the Russian Federation and the CIS, materials from the Internet. We will return to this most important issue.
1. INTRODUCTION
2. TOP TEN MOST POLLUTED CITIES OF THE RF IN DESCENDING RANGE
4. AREAS OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS SITUATION
IN THE EUROPEAN MACROREGION OF THE RF
IN THE ASIAN MACROREGION OF THE RF
7. ON THE MAP IS 50 PLACES OF UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES
8. ECOLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF THE CIS COUNTRIES ON THE RF
9. SMALL ATOMIC WAR.
11. “NON-COMPETITIVE” NORILSK
12. TOTAL...
At the beginning of 2002, at the World Economic Forum in New York, the environmental rating of 142 countries was characterized. Russia ended up in 74th place.
As a result, according to the most authoritative domestic ecologists and geographers, Russia has actually already entered the stage of a severe environmental crisis.
The first true data on the actual level of the environmental crisis in the USSR became public in 1989, when the state report of the State Committee for Nature Protection on the state of the environment was published. A truly shocking impression was made by the information that more than 20% of the country’s total population lives in unfavorable environmental conditions, i.e. 50–55 million people, including 39% of city residents. As it turned out, in 103 cities the level of air pollution was 10 times or more higher than the maximum permissible standards.
In 1989, the Institute of Geography of the USSR Academy of Sciences compiled for the first time a map “The most acute environmental situations in the USSR” (scale 1:8,000,000).
It reflects the entire range of violations of the natural environment:
In total, the country had about 300 areas with a difficult ecological situation, which occupied 4 million km2, or 18% of its total area. And taking into account degraded tundra, steppe and semi-desert pastures, this figure increased to 20%.
In the 1990s. New assessments of the environmental situation in Russia have emerged. According to most of them, areas of environmental distress occupy 2.4 million km2 in the country, or 15% of its total area, and taking into account degraded pastures, this figure increases to 18–20%. Tens of millions of people live in such territories. This especially applies to the urban population. Suffice it to say that on the threshold of the 21st century. In Russia, there were 195 cities (with a total population of 65 million people!), in the atmosphere of which the annual average concentrations of one or more pollutants exceeded the MPC.
G. M. Lappo wrote that the list of especially environmentally unfavorable cities included all 13 “millionaire” cities, all 22 large cities with a population of 500 thousand to 1 million people, the vast majority of regional, regional and republican centers (63 out of 72), almost 3/4 of large cities with a population of 100 thousand to 500 thousand people (113 out of 165).
Among the cities with the highest emissions of various types of pollutants into the atmosphere, centers of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and pulp and paper industries predominate.
2. TOP TEN MOST POLLUTED CITIES OF THE RF IN DESCENDING RANGE:
That is why the top ten most polluted cities in the country are (in descending order):
1. Norilsk,
2. Novokuznetsk,
3. Cherepovets,
4. Lipetsk,
5. Magnitogorsk,
6. Nizhny Tagil,
8. Angarsk,
9. Novocherkassk,
10.a Moscow closes this list.
Production, transport, and public utilities in most regions of Russia are not environmentally friendly. In 1989, the Institute of Geography compiled an environmental map of the USSR, in which the territory of the country was divided into three zones according to the degree of environmental stress.
3. AREAS OF CATASTROPHIC ECOLOGICAL SITUATION
Catastrophic ecological situation - Kyshtym zone (area of the city of Kyshtym, Chelyabinsk region), where the largest accumulation of radionuclides is located.
4. AREAS OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS:
Crisis environmental situation - Moscow region, Kalmykia, Northern Caspian region, Middle and Lower Volga region, European North (Kola Peninsula, Novaya Zemlya, Arkhangelsk region, Barents Sea), industrial zone of the Urals, oil and gas regions of Western Siberia, Kuzbass, Baikal, Angara region, a number other areas.
5. AREAS OF MODERATELY STRESSED ECOLOGICAL SITUATION
Moderately tense ecological situation - Central Black Earth region, European North-West and a number of other regions.
6. AREAS OF VERY ACUTE ECOLOGICAL SITUATION
The environmental map of Russia, published in 1999, identifies four stages of the environmental situation: favorable, moderately acute, acute, and very acute. The latter is characterized by the fact that the environment poses a danger to human health and life.
IN THE EUROPEAN MACROREGION, THERE ARE 20 REGIONS WITH VERY ACUTE ECOLOGICAL SITUATION, THE LARGEST OF WHICH ARE LOCATED:
In the Urals and Cis-Urals,
On the Volga,
In the Moscow region.
THE ASIAN MACROREGION HAS MORE THAN 30 AREAS WITH VERY ACUTE ECOLOGICAL SITUATION:
Tyumen region,
Kuzbass,
Areas around Krasnoyarsk,
Irkutsk,
Vladivostok, etc.
7. ON THE MAP - 50 PLACES OF UNDERGROUND NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES
The map shows about 50 sites of underground nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes and places of storage, processing, and dumping of radioactive waste. Underground nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes mean explosions for seismic probing of the earth's crust, stimulating the release of gas and oil, moving soil and forming depressions (channels), creating underground cavities for the purpose of subsequently storing gas in them, etc.
8.ECOLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF THE CIS COUNTRIES ON THE RF
Russia has fairly close environmental ties with many of its neighbors. These connections are expressed primarily in the transboundary transfer of air and water pollution. The balance of such transfer is generally unfavorable for Russia, since the “import” of pollution into the country significantly exceeds its “export.” At the same time, the main environmental threat comes from Russia’s neighbors in the West: only Ukraine, Belarus and Estonia supply 1/2 of all transboundary air pollutants; 1.5 times more wastewater flows from the territory of Ukraine to Russia than goes in the opposite direction. The ecological and geographical position of Russia is also influenced by the foci of transboundary transport that have arisen at its southern borders - in the Chinese Amur region, the Irtysh, Pavlodar-Ekibastuz and Ust-Kamenogorsk regions of Kazakhstan.
9. SMALL ATOMIC WAR.
(CHERNOBYL AND ITS ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ON RUSSIA AND THE CIS)
In terms of the degree of impact on the environment, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which occurred on April 26, 1986, is sometimes compared to a small nuclear war. According to available estimates, it led to the release of radionuclides in the amount of 50 million to 100 million curies. As a result, an area within a radius of more than 2,000 km from this nuclear power plant, including the territories of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and some other European countries, was exposed to radioactive contamination to one degree or another.
10. DENSITY OF CESIUM-137 POLLUTION IN RUSSIA
Rice. 132. Density of cesium-137 contamination of the European territory of Russia (according to M.P. Ratanova)
In Russia, the density of strontium-137 contamination in excess of 5 Ci/km2 was found on an area of 8000 km2 within 15 constituent entities of the Federation. The Bryansk, Tula, Oryol, Kaluga and Ryazan regions suffered the most. If we take into account all degrees of strontium contamination, then such territories will cover almost the entire European part of the country (Fig. 132). In Belarus, where a pollution density of more than 5 Ci/km2 was found over an area of 16 thousand km2, the Gomel and Mogilev regions were especially affected, and in Ukraine (3.5 thousand km2) the Kiev region. Contamination with strontium-90 turned out to be significantly less.
It can be added that, although, in accordance with state standards, a territory with a density of strontium-137 contamination over 15 Ci/km2 is considered a zone of mandatory resettlement of people, and a territory with contamination from 5 to 15 Ci/km2 is a zone with the right to such resettlement, in their There are still more than a thousand settlements with a population of about 450 thousand within its borders.
AREAS OF “DIRTY” PRODUCTION
Based on the root cause of the environmental crisis in these areas and their economic specialization, they can be legitimately divided into three groups.
The first and largest group is formed by industrial-urban areas with a predominance of heavy industry and, in particular, its most “dirty” industries. They are characterized by severe pollution of the atmosphere, water basin, soil cover, withdrawal of productive agricultural lands from circulation, loss of soil fertility, degradation of vegetation and wildlife and, as a consequence, a general strong deterioration of the ecological situation, fraught with negative consequences for human health.
Kola Peninsula,
Moscow metropolitan region,
Middle Volga and Kama region,
Northern Caspian region,
Industrial zone of the Urals,
Norilsk industrial region,
Kuzbass,
Oil and gas bearing region of Western Siberia,
Priangarsky
And Baikal regions.
In other CIS countries
This
Donetsk and
Dnepropetrovsk-Krivoy Rog regions in Ukraine,
Ust-Kamenogorsk and Balkhash in Kazakhstan.
Moreover, some of these regions have what is called a broad economic and environmental profile (for example, the Moscow region, the Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass), while the ecological “face” of others is determined by a much narrower economic specialization. Thus, on the Kola Peninsula there is a high concentration of mining and non-ferrous metallurgy, in the Middle Volga region and the Kama region and in Western Siberia there is a concentration primarily of oil production, oil refining and petrochemical production. And in the Northern Caspian region there is a specific impact of the Astrakhan gas complex, which is expressed in air pollution, deterioration of the regime of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain and other negative consequences.
11. “NON-COMPETITIVE” NORILSK
Perhaps the most striking example of this kind is the Norilsk industrial region, the core of which is formed by the largest plant processing local rich copper-nickel ores. Norilsk has for a long time occupied the uncompetitive first place in the country in terms of air pollution: its enterprises annually emit 2–2.5 million tons of pollutants, i.e., approximately the same amount as all the other cities mentioned above. "dirty" dozens combined! It is also important that the bulk of these emissions are sulfur dioxide, which contributes to the formation of acid precipitation. It is not surprising that zones of real anthropogenic deserts have already formed near non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises, where natural vegetation cover has been completely destroyed and sparse taiga has been reduced.
12. TOTAL...
Currently, 18 districts of the CIS countries are classified as areas with a crisis environmental situation, of which 12 are located in Russia.
Scientific analysis of environmental situations in certain parts of Russia has long been difficult due to terminological inconsistencies in their classification and assessment. But then this discrepancy was eliminated. Depending on the degree of severity, geographers began to distinguish the following categories of environmental situations: 1) catastrophic (very acute); 2) crisis (very acute); 3) critical (acute); 4) tense (not sharp); 5) conflict (not acute); 6) satisfactory. One of the main experts in this field, B.I. Kochurov, characterizes these categories as follows.
Catastrophic situations are characterized by profound and often irreversible changes in nature, loss of natural resources and a sharp deterioration in the living conditions of the population, which are mainly caused by multiple excesses of anthropogenic loads on the landscapes of the region. An important sign of a catastrophic situation is the threat to people’s lives and their heredity, as well as the loss of the gene pool and unique natural objects. Crisis situations are approaching catastrophic ones, since during them very significant and practically weakly compensated changes occur in landscapes, complete depletion of natural resources occurs and the health of the population sharply deteriorates. If urgent measures are not taken, the transition from a crisis stage to a catastrophic one can occur in a very short period of time (three to five years). In critical situations, significant and poorly compensated changes in landscapes occur, the threat of depletion or loss of natural resources (including the gene pool), unique natural objects rapidly increases, and there is a steady increase in the number of diseases due to a sharp deterioration in living conditions. Anthropogenic loads, as a rule, exceed established standard values and environmental requirements. In tense situations, negative changes are observed in individual components of landscapes, which leads to disruption or degradation of individual natural resources and, in most cases, to a deterioration in the living conditions of the population. In conflict situations, minor changes in landscapes in space and time are observed. Finally, in satisfactory situations, due to the absence of direct or indirect anthropogenic impact, all indicators of landscape properties do not change.
We will cover regions of the Russian Federation and the CIS with a favorable environmental situation (there are much fewer of them, alas, than vice versa) in a separate article.
- What place do oceans and seas occupy among other components of nature?
- What role do they play in a person’s life?
- What is the average salinity of sea water?
- How does the inland sea differ from the outlying sea?
There are 54 seas on Earth. The largest number of seas belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin - 26, 13 to the Atlantic Ocean basin, 5 to the Indian Ocean basin, 10 to the Arctic Ocean basin.
The territory of our country is washed by thirteen seas: 12 seas of the World Ocean and the Caspian Sea, which belongs to the internal closed basin. These seas are very diverse in terms of natural conditions, natural resources, and the degree of their study and development.
Using the map, determine which ocean basins the seas washing the shores of Russia belong to. To which ocean basin does the largest number of seas washing our country belong? Name all the seas of Russia.
Physiographic characteristics of the seas. According to its geographical location, physical-geographical and hydrobiological conditions, the seas of our country can be classified into two types.
marginal seas. Marginal seas are located at the external borders of Russia, separated from the oceans by islands, island arcs, and archipelagos. In the form of a necklace they border all the northern and eastern shores of Russia. Among them are the Barents, Kara, and Bering seas.
Inland seas. Inland seas are located inside the continent, sometimes at a very great distance from the oceans to which they belong, and are connected to them by a strait or several straits. These are the Baltic, Azov and Black Seas.
The marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean are located in their coastal parts within the continental shallows, or shelf. Therefore, they are sometimes called shelf seas. Their depth on the shelf rarely exceeds 200 m, and the salinity of the water is noticeably lower than that of the ocean (remember what the salinity of sea water depends on). The coastline of these seas is significantly rugged. However, at a distance from the coast, these seas can reach significant depths. (So, the maximum depth of the Laptev Sea is 3385 m, the Chukotka Sea is 1256 m.)
The climate of almost all northern seas is very harsh. The only exception is the Barents Sea, which receives the waters of the warm North Atlantic Current. Most seas are covered by a thick ice cover for 8-10 months. Even their southern coastal sections, where the warmer and fresher waters of the rivers flowing into them flow, are freed from ice only in July. Severe ice conditions significantly reduce the importance of the Arctic seas in the national economy.
Rice. 4. Ocean basins
Using the map, determine the names of the seas within the Russian Arctic. What large peninsulas and bays are there in the northern seas washing the shores of Russia? Trace on the map how the depth of these seas changes with distance from the coast.
The Northern Sea Route, an important transport route for Russia, passes through the seas of the Arctic Ocean.
The Northern Sea Route is of great importance for the economic and cultural life of the Far North. Caravans of ships, accompanied by powerful nuclear icebreakers, currently pass it several times during navigation. This is the shortest waterway from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. The ships, following the Baltic, North and Norwegian Seas, then travel along the Northern Sea Route, passing 14,280 km to Vladivostok. And if they had to sail through the Suez Canal or around Africa, they would have to overcome 23,200 or 29,400 km, respectively.
Rice. 5. Sea routes
Find the ports of the Arctic Ocean on the map. What do you know about the history of the development of the Northern Sea Route?
The seas of the Pacific Ocean wash the eastern shores of Russia from Chukotka to Vladivostok. They are separated from the ocean by archipelagos of islands, but freely communicate with it through numerous straits. These seas have almost no shelf zone, and they are distinguished by significant depths - 2500-4000 m. The eastern shores of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean itself. Here is one of the deepest oceanic depressions - the Kuril-Kamchatka with depths of up to 9717 m.
Explain why the seas of the Pacific Ocean are deeper than others.
The Bering and Okhotsk Seas are distinguished by a harsh climate: in winter, the northern sector of the Bering Sea and a significant part of the Sea of Okhotsk area are covered with ice, and the water surface temperature, even in summer, does not rise above +5...+12°C. Dense fogs often form here. The water temperature of the Sea of Japan is higher, so only the northernmost coastal part of the sea is covered with ice. In summer, the water temperature reaches +20°C. The Sea of Japan often experiences severe storms and typhoons.
The Atlantic Ocean basin includes inland seas - the Baltic, Black and Azov, connected to the ocean through neighboring seas by narrow straits.
Rice. 6. Baltic Sea. The Gulf of Finland
Find on the map the straits connecting the inland seas of Russia with the ocean, and remember their names.
Only the Black Sea has significant depths (over 2200 m). The Azov and Baltic seas are shallow and highly desalinated. The Black Sea is the warmest sea in our country. Ice of small thickness forms in winter for a short time only in its northern bays. The bays of the Baltic Sea and the Sea of Azov are covered with ice in winter.
Using the atlas maps, determine which ports Russia has on the Black and Baltic Seas.
The Caspian Sea-lake now has no connection with the World Ocean. But in the past it was part of the ancient single Caspian-Black Sea basin. The Caspian is also a warm sea; in winter, only its northern part is covered with ice for a short time. The coastal waters of all the northern seas of Russia, and especially the White, Barents, Kara and Laptev Seas, where rivers flow into them, are noticeably desalinated. This applies to an even greater extent to the internal seas - the Baltic and Azov seas. In the Caspian Sea, desalination is typical for its northern shallow part, where the Volga, Terek and Sulak rivers flow.
Rice. 7. Black Sea
Sea resources. The seas of Russia are of great economic importance. First of all, these are cheap transport routes connecting our country both with other states and with its individual regions. Russia has highly developed maritime transport. Its role is especially great in foreign trade transportation.
The biological resources of the seas, primarily their fish resources, are of significant value. The seas surrounding Russia are home to almost 900 species of fish, of which more than 250 are commercial.
Rice. 8. Resources of the Russian seas
The Far Eastern seas are home to many marine mammals: whales, seals, walruses, fur seals; There are also a lot of mollusks and crustaceans: crabs, mussels, shrimp, scallops. Seaweeds are also of economic importance, for example kelp - seaweed, which are used as food products, as well as for medical and technical purposes. Currently, algae farming farms have been established in the Sea of Japan.
The importance of the mineral resources of the seas is increasing.
The energy of sea tides can be used to generate electricity. In Russia there is currently only one small tidal power plant - the Kislogubskaya TPP on the Barents Sea.
The seas have always attracted people with their resources and conditions for establishing trade relations with other peoples. In our time of rapid development of technology, the role of the seas in human life has increased immeasurably. The seas are economically viable transport routes. The seas are also places of rest. Of course, most of the seas of our country have too harsh natural conditions for them to be resorts. But the southern seas - the Azov, Black, Caspian, and Japanese - attract a large number of vacationers.
Using the map, name the most famous seaside resorts in Russia.
Environmental problems of the seas. For a long time, it was generally accepted that as soon as polluted waters flowed into the open sea, all the pollution would be absorbed, dissolving into the marine environment. The seas actually have the ability to cleanse polluted waters. A special role in this process is played by marine organisms, for example, many types of mollusks, which, passing contaminated water through themselves, purify it, concentrating pollutants. But the ability of the seas to self-purify is not unlimited. Nowadays, when the influence of human economic activity on the World Ocean has sharply increased, the ecological situation of the seas has become a serious problem.
Pollution of the seas occurs both naturally (due to the processes of leaching and dissolution of rocks that make up the bottom and shores by sea water, due to the removal into the sea of materials from the erosion activity of rivers and groundwater, etc.), and as a result of human economic activity.
What is the main source of sea pollution? Approximately 40% of pollutants come from river runoff, as a result of direct discharge of industrial and agricultural waste into rivers, and the discharge of municipal wastewater into them.
About 30% of pollutants come from maritime transport. This includes diesel fuel waste, washing of ships, and ballast filling of sea water into them with subsequent drainage upon arrival at the port of destination. But accidents of oil tankers, as well as accidents of oil pipelines laid along the seabed and oil production directly at sea from special drilling rigs, cause particular harm. “Oil disease” that arose in the 50s. of our century, when the production, transportation, and use of oil have rapidly increased, and today it remains the most dangerous for life in the sea. After all, just 1 gram of oil can destroy 2 tons of water. Spreading as a thin film over the water surface and preventing moisture, gas and heat exchange with the atmosphere, oil also destroys a lot of waterfowl and other animals, clinging to their bodies with an adhesive oil film. In the cold Arctic seas, oil can remain on the surface of the water for up to 50 years! To eliminate the oil film on the sea surface, special chemicals are used - detergents. But sometimes these substances are themselves poisonous and cause even more harm to marine fauna than oil.
Great harm to the seas comes from excessively increasing the dose of mineral fertilizers applied to fields. This begs the question: what is the connection between the ecological state of the sea and the amount of mineral fertilizers on the field? It turns out it's straight. Excessive amounts of mineral fertilizers lead to their incomplete use by plants and to their removal into rivers and then into the seas. Sea water, enriched beyond measure with nitrogen, phosphorus, and microelements, becomes a nutritious “broth” for the rapid development of bacteria and algae, causing water blooms. Because of this, oxygen reserves in water sharply decrease, the amount of hydrogen sulfide increases, which has a detrimental effect on other living organisms.
Of the seas washing the shores of Russia, the most difficult ecological situation is typical for the Baltic, Black, Japanese, and White seas.
Ways to improve the ecological situation of the seas are known: the development of waste-free industries on the coast, the construction of the required number of treatment facilities, and the calculation of the permissible anthropogenic load on the recreational zones of sea coasts.
In 1978, the establishment of the Far Eastern State Marine Reserve in Peter the Great Bay marked the beginning of the development of marine conservation in our country. The reserve protects not just individual representatives of flora and fauna, but also maintains the unique ecosystem of the Sea of Japan in its natural state. The reserve includes not only marine waters, but also adjacent land areas. To preserve the natural complexes of the seas, a special state program is needed.
Questions and tasks
- Explain why the seas of the Arctic Ocean are shallow in the coastal parts.
- Name the features of the nature of the seas of the Arctic Ocean. Why is the climate of the Barents Sea less severe compared to the climate of other northern seas of Russia?
- Why are the deepest seas washing the shores of Russia the Pacific Ocean?
- Tell us about the resources of the Russian seas.
- What should the seas be protected from?
- On the contour map, characterize the environmental situation in various seas of Russia, using the following designations: red - the situation is dangerous, close to an environmental disaster; yellow - environmental situation of medium danger; green - favorable environmental situation.
1. What is causing the deterioration of the environmental situation in Russia and the world?
The ecological situation in many regions of the Earth, including Russia, cannot be considered favorable. In the 20th century man actively interfered with the natural processes of all the layers of the Earth: he extracted millions of tons of minerals, destroyed thousands of hectares of forest, polluted the waters of oceans and rivers, emitted tons of various substances into the atmosphere, etc.
2. Name the sources of environmental danger.
Industrial enterprises, large cities, engineering structures.
3. Give examples of the negative impact of human activity on nature.
The construction of dams disrupts the migration routes of fish, overgrazing by livestock leads to soil degradation, the extraction of mineral resources disturbs the soil cover, pollutes groundwater, and leaves open pits and mines.
4. What possible ways out of the environmental crisis do scientists offer?
Taking into account geographical conditions when designing and constructing enterprises, introducing effective technologies, using a complex of wastewater treatment facilities, transferring outdated production facilities to environmentally friendly technologies, eliminating environmentally harmful technological processes, creating and implementing environmental programs.
5. What is monitoring? What role does it play in environmental management?
Monitoring is a system for observing and assessing the state of the natural environment under the influence of anthropogenic influences. In our time, when the anthropogenic load on the natural environment is rapidly increasing, when natural landscapes can only be seen in nature reserves and national parks, monitoring the state of the natural environment around humans and warning about emerging critical situations that are harmful or dangerous to the health of people and other living organisms, has become simply vital.
6. What problems do geographers and ecologists solve in the field of improving the environment?
An independent public organization - the Union of Ecologists of Russia - is engaged in solving the problem of ensuring the environmental safety of the population at different levels - from global to local. Independent environmental experts draw up opinions on the feasibility or impossibility of constructing certain industrial facilities and attract public attention to various projects. Russian geographers and ecologists do a lot to preserve the natural complexes of our country and to conserve its natural resources. In the 1970s The geographical community of the country was the first to rise to the defense of the pearl of Russia - Baikal.