Let’s start exploring the depths of the legendary Black Sea and find out how deep it really is. The Black Sea is a unique basin (layers of water that do not mix). Seven countries border it – Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey and Bulgaria. Let’s add that this is the largest known pool. Many believe that the Black Sea is mentioned in the world-famous story of Noah’s Ark, but its significance far exceeds the biblical references, writes vesti.bg.
What makes the Black Sea what it is?
It’s an underwater graveyard overflowing with hidden stories and mysteries, and is sure to be a must-see if you happen to be a diver. Although diving has its limits. The downside is that the maximum depth for scuba diving is approximately 107 meters.
This mysterious deep sea has no access to fresh water, making the water thick and dense, thanks to the excessive accumulation of salt. This density leads to a phenomenon called stratification. The topmost layer contains oxygen, which creates an environment in which marine life thrives. While this is true, high expectations of the entire sea being rich in life would surely disappoint you. Now don’t be afraid, because the Black Sea has a lot of legends to immerse your curiosity in, but the locals call it the “Sea of the Dead Depths” for a reason. It is home to only about 2,500 species of living organisms, including bottlenose dolphins, jellyfish and tuna.
In the murky depths, the world is quite different
Let’s dive deeper, much deeper, to a place where even the sun doesn’t reach. To really understand the Black Sea and where it earned its famous title, consider what an ocean “lasagna” might look like. This sea is famous for its layers. We have already discussed the surface layer and its ability to support life. Now we will talk about the bottom layer known as the anoxic zone. This is where things get really creepy. Imagine a place that is so desolate that it even lacks oxygen. This zone starts at about 70-91m in the center and 100-152m near the edges. Scientists call these waters “inhospitable”. In the depths, oxygen is not only scarce, but also polluted by tiny bacteria, viruses and, let’s not forget, garbage.
To put it bluntly, if you are looking for a place to fish or swim in peace, the Black Sea will not be your best choice.
Anything but a “breath of fresh air”
If you’re a science or history buff, the next installment is sure to keep you in suspense. The high salt content gives the water incredible buoyancy on the surface.
Fun Buoyancy Experiment: All you’ll need are 3 glasses, each filled with water, salt, baking soda and 3 eggs. Fill one glass with mineral water and the other with salt water. Drop an egg into each glass of water. Notice what happens in the denser water (the water that contains salt). The egg floated!
On the other hand, this means that in the absence of oxygen, everything that sinks to the bottom stays there. In the anoxic zone, the decomposition process is delayed not only by a few days, years or even decades – but by centuries. As a result, archaeologists have discovered incredibly well-preserved ancient relics, including a 2,400-year-old Greek ship. Although the Black Sea is not teeming with life, you can think of it as an underwater museum where history is stored beneath its surface. Some of the things found in its depths include deep sea canyons, remains of ancient settlements, fossils and even some evidence of the evolution of marine life. The “Sea of the Dead Depths” once again justifies its many nicknames.
And now for the depth… Horror
To truly understand the depth of the infamous Black Sea, let’s do a thought experiment. Consider the height of the Empire State Building: about 381 m. Now let’s imagine that we stack six Empire State Buildings on top of each other. Finally, drop them into the deepest point of the Black Sea. Assuming we have the equipment to accomplish this task, the result would be about 22,86m skyscrapers in the water. This means that only about 76m will peek out of the water. In conclusion, this leaves a chilling 2,210m underwater, making the maximum measured depth 2,216m.
Just like any other sea or ocean floor, it varies in depth depending on how deep in the water we are. I already mentioned that this represents the deepest point we have measured. In other words, as far as we know, it doesn’t get any deeper. In other words, it could be a real nightmare for someone who is afraid of the deep ocean.
If you ever wonder about the secrets of the Black Sea again, let its depth remind you that there is always more to it than what is on the surface.
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2023-10-12 09:45:00
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