Environmental Conditions and Bottom Topography of the Academy Bay (Sea of Okhotsk)

Abstract

A comprehensive analysis of the field data and findings from previous studies made it possible to refine the bottom morphology of the Academy Bay. Environmental conditions of the Shantar region were considered. Natural factors that determine differences in morphodynamics of individual parts of the Academy Bay were revealed. The relief and relief-forming processes were described. Denudation and alongshore sediment transport were found to predominate. The accumulation of recent sediments is confined to the heads of bays and estuaries. Differences were revealed in the distribution of minor relief features and the composition of bottom sediments in parts of the Ulban, Konstantin, and Nikolai bays, which was predetermined by a complex system of sea currents. Fluvial erosion was found to occur as both linear - valley and isometric depressions that are more widespread in the Academy Bay and larger in size than in the earlier studied Tugur and Uda bays. The morphodynamic zone distribution of the bay bottom yielded four zones differing in manifestations of present-day exomorphogenesis. Their description is presented. Findings of the research can be used for follow-up studies and for the purposes of economic development of the region.