SEASONAL VARIABILITY OF HYDROLOGY OF THE KERCH STRAIT WATERS BEFORE THE PERIOD ACTIVE ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT
Since 2015, large-scale works on the construction of the Crimean bridge between the Taman and Kerch peninsulas across the Kerch Strait have begun. Undoubtedly, such a strong anthropogenic impact will affect the hydrological regime of the Strait and the state of its ecosystem. Therefore, for the subsequent monitoring on the basis of field data it will be interesting to characterize the hydrological regime of the waters of the Strait before the start of major works which affect the morphometry of the Strait, the dynamics of water and its ecosystem. Based on data from field research the analysis of the seasonal variations in hydrology of the waters of the Strait. Detailed expedition studies of the Kerch Strait in the post-Soviet period were carried out by the youth of RAS in 2005-2009. It is shown that In the Kerch Strait, due to its small spatial size, the action of strong wind of the southern or Northern points in the half-period of the existence of one cyclone can completely change the nature of the distribution of temperature and salinity (and hence hydrochemical characteristics) both horizontally and vertically, providing high flow rates and updating of the waters of the Strait (with the exception of the relatively closed waters of the Gulf of Taman) by moving currents of the water masses of the sea of Azov or the Black sea through the Strait or mixing depth and partly horizontally. It is emphasized that seasonal changes in water salinity in the Kerch Strait are small, but the SYNOPTIC and spatial variability is significant.