Mediterranean depth (average, maximum)

The water of this sea with antiquity was a means of communication between three parts of the world. It is not by chance that the whole territory around was considered the center of the world, the Mediterranean.

Geology

According to most scientists, the Mediterranean Sea is all that remained from the huge prehistoric Ocean Tetis. The geomorphological process of the formation of this gigantic depression for millions of years has the effect of the movement and faults of the earth's crust. Until now, the Mediterranean area is characterized by high seismic activity and partially the stratum of the seabed there is formed by volcanic rocks.

That is why the depth of the Mediterranean will differ so drastically in different parts.

To imagine the approximate nature of the bottom relief, it is enough to analyze its coast, especially the European part. In submarine depths, mountain ranges and gorges are comparable to the Alps or Caucasus.

Sources of replenishment of water resources

Replenishment of water reserves and their evaporation also plays an important role in the fullness of the reservoir. The average depth of the Mediterranean directly depends on these factors. Looking at the map, it is not difficult to name all the most significant water donors. In the West is the Atlantic Ocean through the Gibraltar Strait; In the East - Black and Marmara Sea through the Bosphorus Straits and Dardanella. It is replenished with fresh waters of the rivers of both continents. The largest of them are Nile and in Africa, Ron, Tiber and Ebro in Europe. However, the soft Mediterranean climate and deep volcanic processes provoke an active evaporation of its water. Therefore, the prevailing depth of the Mediterranean Sea is relatively small - about 1541 m.

It has a negative water level balance relative to the Atlantic.

Separation of territories

Conditionally all the sea are divided into three pools:

• Western - consists of a depression of the Balearo, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian and Sea of \u200b\u200bthe Alboran;
• Central - includes the depressions of the Adriatic and Ionian seas, where the depth of the Mediterranean Sea is the greatest, as well as the median waters;
• Eastern - unites the basins of the Aegean, Marmara and Levancen Seas.

Historically, it so happened that the different territories of this sea with antiquity have their own names that are preserved to this day and have official status.

Extreme West

Many kilometers stretch sandy and stony shames. Here, the average depth of the Mediterranean near the shore ranges from 2 to 15 meters. Lux class resorts spread over the coast.

Sea Alboran begins with the Spirit of Gibraltar. Medium depths oscillate from 1000 to 1500 meters. It is noteworthy that the shore is a strip of shames is extremely narrow, it can be seen on the map. The deepest place (2407 m) is located at its eastern outskirts. The relief of the bottom is extremely heterogeneous and consists of extended mountain chains and depressions. The biggest ridge and gave the name of the sea.

Sea off the coast of France and Italy

The following is the Balearia Sea. Here the picture of the coastline is radically different. Sandy beaches and a relatively small depth of the Mediterranean Sea about 200 m turned these places in an amazing tourist paradise. The abundance of the islands contributes to this.

The most picturesque - Ibiza, Menorca, Mallorca, world famous tourist centers. This plot is more shallow, an average of 500-1000 m. In addition, the nature of the relief is quite calm, bottom or sandy and sandy. Maximum depth here is 2132 m.

Ligurian Sea is washes by the coast of France, Italy and Monaco. His oriental borders are contacted by Corsica Island. Waters are comparatively shallow. Near the coast stretch multi-kilometer shallow places where resort areas are also located. The depth on the shelf barely reach 200 m. It is noticeable on the map. Further, the average and the greatest depth of the Mediterranean Sea ranges from 1200 m to 2546 m. \u200b\u200bSuch places are found off the coast of Corsica.

Central pool

Further, the east, limited to the islands of Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia on the one hand, and the Tirren Sea stretched out from the other peninsula. The earth cream in this place has a spill that shares Europe and Africa. Therefore, all the bottom is cut with a chain of underwater mountain ranges, where there are current volcanoes. Although the depth of the Mediterranean Sea is relatively small here, approximately 500-1500 m, but in deep places the depth comes to 3719 m. The sea is limited to five straits with depths: Corsican (500 m); Bonifacio (69 m); Sicilian (316 m); Messinsky (500 m). Just in the Messinsky Strait are famous from the ancient Greek myths. In modern geography, they are identified with a single pointed rock and whirlpool in the local waters.

On the other hand, the Peninsula is located the Adriatic Sea. It is a bay and as if clamped between adjacent coasts. The main sea is reported only by the Strait of Otranto, so currently the sea is very raised. The city of Adria, who gave him the name, was once a port. Now he is removed from the shore for 25 km. The entire north of the sea is relatively shallow-shaped (20-70 m).

Soft climate, small depths on the shelf, uniform relief of the bottom created all conditions for the development of tourism. No wonder the entire coast belonging to Italy and the countries of Eastern Europe has long become a favorite holiday destination. Almost everywhere, the depth does not exceed 150 m, only in the south reaches 1230 m.
The Ionian Sea communicates with the Adriatic and Tyrrencies through the straits. The map shows that it is formed by a giant boilers. Its fairly smooth bottom is covered with sand, gravel and lime sediments. Here is a very narrow strip of the coastal shelf, almost immediately the maintenance plate goes deep into 2000 m, and the maximum depth of the Mediterranean Sea in bottom crevices reaches 5121 m. However, it has extended beaches with non-shimmer, which are engaged in resorts.

Oriental pool

Water expanses concluded between the Turkish coast of Eurasia and the Balkan Peninsula are called the Aegean Sea. Shipping on it is widely mentioned in ancient Greek chronicles since antiquity. Some countries are called the White Sea, which is confirmed by the color of the sea on a special depth map. The sea is quite shallow, the average depth of the Mediterranean Sea is 200-1000 m. Many islands are scattered around the sea, about 2000 them. This is all that remained from the sunken ancient land - Egeida. For this reason, it received the third name - the sea of \u200b\u200bthe archipelago. It is this circumstance that explains the shallow water of the local waters. All areas of sushi, as elsewhere, are given to the resort towns, which are distinguished by a special antique flavor.

Interestingly, the south edge also has its own name - this is the Cretan Sea. The map is well visible by this closed with a reservoir separated by the archipelago on one side and the island of Crete on the other. There are quite great depths, as much as possible to 2529 m.

The Marmara Sea is communicated with Mediterranean only through however, it also relates to its pool. It was formed as a result of a prehistoric giant mainland. It has in small depths, up to 1355 m, since the water level is constantly aligned through the sheds of the two seas - Mediterranean through Dardanelles and black through the Bosphorus.

Asia-African region

The Levancet Sea is a large water area that is located in the East. It is washes the territory of several states - Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Libya. The general name of these lands is Levant, it gave birth to sea. Educated by one of the underwater kitelin. Therefore, the morphology of the bottom is calm. It is here that one of the deepest dots is located - 4384 m.

Western water border is delineated by the island of Cyprus. The map shows which depth of the Mediterranean Sea dominates here - from 500 to 1500 m.

Central, most expensive part of the Mediterranean is called the Libyan Sea. On the one hand, it limits the island of Crete, on the other - the north of the African coast. There are no extremely deep places in these waters, on average - 500-1500 m. A very wide coastal strip of the Coast of Libya consists of a shallow water to 200 m.