Why is the Black Sea milky in color? Why is the Black Sea called the Black Sea? The ancient name of the Black Sea, the origin of the new name. and "black inhospitality"
Everyone knows that there are 4 seas on the planet, the names of which are based on colors. These are Black, Yellow, Red, White. Today we will talk about Cherny - this mysterious and unique body of water with an interesting history.
The waters of the Black Sea are filled with numerous secrets. Many thousands of years ago it was one with the Caspian, until the earth separated them. The Caspian continued to remain fresh, while the Black repeatedly merged with the Mediterranean and became increasingly salty. The composition of the reservoir changed, certain types of flora and fauna disappeared, while others, on the contrary, appeared.
Why was the Black Sea called the Black Sea? This question still worries many people today. This article will be devoted to answering this question.
Brief historical background
Many centuries ago, the Black Sea was part of an ocean called Tethys. After the formation of the mountain ranges, Tethys divided. In place of the Black Sea was the Sarmatian Sea-lake. It was inhabited by freshwater representatives, the remains of which are still found to this day.
Later, as a result of the emerging connection with the ocean, the Meotic Sea was formed, which was salt-water. Other inhabitants settled in it, preferring a similar composition of water.
18-20 thousand years ago, on the territory of Chernoe, there was Lake Novoevksinsky, which later merged with the Mediterranean. The waves rushed into the Black Sea in a powerful stream, flooding the coast. Scientists call an earthquake a possible cause of this event. Sometimes the event is compared to the Biblical flood.
As a result of the salty flow, freshwater inhabitants died and thereby created a huge resource of hydrogen sulfide that exists to this day. Therefore, the reservoir is considered a “sea of dead depths.”
Undoubtedly, the history of the formation of this reservoir is interesting. But no less informative is why the Black Sea was called the Black Sea?
Different names in history
It is known that over the centuries the reservoir has changed many names. In the VI-V centuries BC. e. he was called Pont Aksinsky. The sea also bore the names: Temarun, Scythian, Taurian, Surozh, Holy.
It was called Surozh because of the city of Sugdei, which stood on the site of modern Sudak. The Khazar Sea was called because of the people who lived on these shores.
At the beginning of our era, the sea was called Scythian, although the Scythians called it Tana, which translates as black.
Scientists put forward different hypotheses why the Black Sea was called the Black Sea. Let's look at each of them.
Version of the scientist Strabo
The historian Strabo in the 1st century concluded that the name of the sea was given by the Greeks, struck by storms, fogs and wild barbarians who lived here. It seemed inhospitable to them, and they called it black (Pontos Akseinos).
Later, having lived on these shores, the Greeks changed their minds and began to call the sea “hospitable” - Pontos Evxeinos. But the original name has not been erased from people's memory. That is why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea.
Another version
To the question why the sea is called Black, there is such an answer. The theory owes its appearance to the Indian peoples.
According to history, long before the arrival of the Greek colonists, in the 1st millennium BC, various Indian tribes lived on the Black Sea coast, calling the neighboring sea Temarun (“black sea”).
This was explained by the external comparison of Azovsky and Cherny. If you observe reservoirs from mountainous heights, Black really looks darker. So, calling it that is quite fair.
Indian tribes replaced the Scythians, they agreed with a similar description. They began to call the sea Akhshaen, that is, “black.”
Turkish version
According to this version, the sea owes its name to the Turks. They sought to conquer its shores, but always met resistance from the local residents. That's why they called him Black, that is, unfriendly.
Marine hypothesis
Sailors believe that the Black Sea is so named because of the strongest storms that turn the water a deep black color.
However, such natural phenomena do not occur here very often, and the color of the water changes not only in this body of water, but also in any other.
Perhaps it is so called because of the color of the silt that is thrown onto the coast during a storm. True, the silt is more gray than black.
Hydrological hypothesis
Hydrologists put forward their own version when answering the question of why the Black Sea was called the Black Sea. Any metal object lowered to an impressive depth is brought up darkened. The culprit for this is hydrogen sulfide, which the reservoir is rich in at a level below 200 meters.
This substance appears as a result of the life of bacteria living in the deep layers. Below 150-200 meters in the sea there are exclusively microorganisms that have accumulated a huge amount of hydrogen sulfide molecules.
Mythical version
There is also a legend about why the Black Sea was called the Black Sea. It lies in the fact that in the reservoir lies the sword of a hero. The wizard Ali, who was near death, threw him there.
The sea is now agitated, wanting to throw the sword ashore. And the restless element looks dark. That's why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea. The legend answers this question this way.
The cardinal directions hypothesis
Among Asian peoples, the cardinal directions are marked with color. The north is painted black. That is, the Black Sea is a body of water located in this area. This is true for Asians.
Color spectrum
We have practically answered the question why the Black Sea was called the Black Sea. But is a body of water always colored the same?
The Black Sea has different shades. For example, in early spring the water off its shores is brown. This is due to the proliferation of algae. The water begins to “bloom.”
Some inhabitants of the water element have a mysterious glow. For example, peridenea algae. In addition to them, predators called nocturnals live in the water. They also glow thanks to a substance called "luciferin" - named after the ruler of hell.
If you look at a body of water while flying over it in an airplane, it looks deep blue. And from space the sea is really very black.
Why is the water of the reservoir so dark? A large area of the sea basin is filled with hydrogen sulfide. In small quantities this gas is colorless. But in water its thickness is 1000-2000 meters, which is why the reservoir is so deep blue.
Where did hydrogen sulfide gas come from?
In the Black Sea, at a level below 200 meters, only single-celled microorganisms live. Plants and animals cannot survive in such conditions. This unique property is unique to this body of water.
Many people wonder: where does hydrogen sulfide come from in the depths of the sea? Let's take a closer look at this issue.
Oxygen enters the reservoir from the atmosphere, and also appears in the upper water layers as a result of photosynthesis. In order for oxygen to penetrate to depth, water must mix. In the Black Sea, the water practically does not mix. The top layer in it is formed by river currents, and it is fresh in composition. Salt water comes from the Sea of Marmara and flows deep into it.
Thus, in the Black Sea there are two water layers with different levels of density and temperature. What does this lead to? The stratification of sea waters prevents the sea from mixing and oxygen from penetrating to a significant depth.
After living organisms die, their bodies become food for bacteria. When organic matter decomposes, oxygen is used. The deeper, the more decomposition, which means more oxygen is absorbed. This means that the deeper you go, the less of this substance there is. Below a depth of 100 meters, oxygen is not formed, but only absorbed. The substance cannot penetrate here either.
At levels below 200 meters there is no oxygen gas at all. Only anaerobic microorganisms live here. They help the decomposition process of all remains. As a result of this reaction, hydrogen sulfide appears. This gas is poisonous to both animals and plants. It serves as a blocker of the respiratory process of mitochondria. Sulfur is taken from protein amino acids, as well as from seawater sulfates.
Some scientists say that hydrogen sulfide appeared in the sea due to pollution of the reservoir. The amount of gas is increasing, and the sea is on the verge of disaster. This is partly true. A lot of water from agricultural fields entered the sea in the 70-80s of the 20th century. As a result, the growth of mud and phytoplankton in the reservoir increased. When they rot, they actually release hydrogen sulfide. But this process did not introduce any radical changes to the composition of the sea. There is also no risk of a hydrogen sulfide explosion, scientists believe.
Due to the abundance of hydrogen sulfide in sea waters, there is no deep-sea fauna here, as in other seas. Such low biodiversity is another characteristic of the Black Sea. There are no predatory deep-sea fish here, which live in other salty bodies of water.
So, we have explored in detail why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea. Due to the abundance of hydrogen sulfide, the reservoir has a rich, rich dark color. Apparently that's why it's called Black. However, the reader can accept any answer to the question posed. All possible versions and hypotheses are presented in the article.
Many people wonder why the Black Sea is called black? Is it really black, and what is the reason for this name? The answer to this question can be obtained by flying over it on an airplane - from a height it really looks black, unlike the Mediterranean and other seas. But in fact, the question is rooted far back in history.
And the Bulgarians call him - Black Sea, and the Italians - Marais Nero, and the French - Mer Noir, and the British - Black Sea, and the Germans - Schwarze Meer. Even in Turkish, “Kara-Deniz” is nothing more than “Black Sea”.
Where does such unanimity come from in the name of this amazingly blue sea, captivating us with its radiant serenity? Of course, there are days when the sea is angry, and then its face darkens to bluish-violet... But this happens rarely, and even then only in difficult winter times.
And in clear weather from early spring to late autumn, the Black Sea will be remembered for a long time for its rich blue, turning into light turquoise tones as it approaches the shore... “The sky wants to be beautiful, the sea wants to be like the sky!” – V. Bryusov said poetically about this. And yet, who and when called this sea the Black Sea?
There is such a fascinating science - toponymy, which studies the origin of geographical names (toponyms). According to this science, there are at least two main versions of the origin of the name Black Sea.
Version one. It was put forward by the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo, who lived in the 1st century BC. In his opinion, the sea was called Black by Greek colonists, who were once unpleasantly struck by storms, fogs, unknown wild shores inhabited by hostile Scythians and Taurians... And they gave the stern stranger the appropriate name - Pontos Akseinos- “inhospitable sea”, or “black”. Then, having settled on the shores, becoming related to the sea of good and bright fairy tales, the Greeks began to call it Pontos Evxeinos - “hospitable sea.” But the first name was not forgotten, like the first love...
Version two. In the 1st millennium BC, long before the appearance of careless Greek colonists here, Indian tribes lived on the eastern and northern shores of the Sea of Azov - Meotians, Sindians and others, who gave the name to the neighboring sea - Temarun, which literally means “black sea". This was the result of a purely visual comparison of the color of the surface of the two seas, now called the Azov and Black. From the mountainous shores of the Caucasus, the latter appears darker to the observer, as can be seen even now. And if it’s dark, it means black. The Meotians on the shores of the mentioned seas were replaced by the Scythians, who fully agreed with this description Black Sea. And they called him in their own way - Akhshaena, that is, “dark, black.”
There are other versions. For example, one of them says that the sea was so named because after a storm black silt remains on its shores. But this is not entirely true, the silt is actually gray, not black. Although... who knows how all this was seen in ancient times...
In addition, there is another hypothesis about the origin of the name “ Black Sea", put forward by modern hydrologists. The fact is that any metal objects, the same anchors of ships, lowered to a certain depth in the Black Sea, rise to the surface blackened under the influence of hydrogen sulfide located in the depths of the sea. This property was probably noticed since ancient times and, undoubtedly, could have served to assign such a strange name to the sea.
In general, the sea is capable of taking on a wide variety of colors and shades. Let's say, in February-March you can find that the water off the Black Sea coast is not blue, as usual, but brown. This color metamorphosis is a biological phenomenon, and it is caused by the mass reproduction of the smallest unicellular algae. The water begins to bloom, as people say.
There are many interesting things in the “color scheme” of the Black Sea. In all other respects, there are countless amazing and entertaining things...
A sea of fairy tales and mysteries
The Black Sea protects!
The scent of legends is so sweet
The magic of legends is a magnet!
A sea of truths, revelations,
A sea of fiction and secrets,
Sea of thousands of generations
A sea of hundreds of thousands of countries!
Dmitry Rumata “Secrets of the Black Sea”
The Black Sea has had many different names throughout its history. Each new people that came to its shores called it differently.
At the beginning of our era, the Scythians called the Black Sea - Tana (dark), in Iran - Ashkhaena (dark).
Also, the Black Sea at different times was called the Khazar, Surozh, Russian, Scythian, Temarun, Holy, Taurian, Ocean, Blue.
Around the IX-VIII centuries. BC. The Greeks, when they first appeared in these places, called it the inhospitable sea (Pont Aksinsky). It probably did not greet the newcomers kindly, and they also say that the local tribes, the Taurians, living along the shores were very ferocious and in every possible way spoiled the lives of the Greek sailors. However, later, the same Greeks began to call the Black Sea hospitable (Pont Euxine).
Much later, the Turks, trying to conquer the lands adjacent to Black Sea, met fierce resistance from the local population, and perhaps that is why they nicknamed it Kara-Dengiz (Black Sea).
There are still many legends that explain this name. For example, they say that at the bottom of the Black Sea lies a heroic sword, which the wizard Ali ordered to be thrown there. And the sea is agitated, turning black, trying to tear him out of its depths.
There is also a version that the sea received its name due to the fact that during a storm it turns black. But, nevertheless, the Black Sea is quite calm, strong storms are extremely rare on it, so this version does not seem correct.
They also say that black silt remains on the shores after a storm (although it is more likely dark gray).
The Black Sea is a sea of dead depths.
There is another version. In ancient times, the Black and Caspian Seas were one whole, but over time, they were divided into two separate ones. At the same time, the water in Cherny became more salty (due to the fact that it was connected with the Mediterranean several times in its history), and the waters of the Caspian Sea remained more desalinated.
As a result of increased water salinity, many freshwater organisms died in the Black Sea. A huge amount of hydrogen sulfide formed at the bottom - a waste product of bacteria that decompose the corpses of animals and plants. At the same time, the water in the Black Sea mixes very poorly; it is divided into two layers. The first layer, up to 100 meters deep, is fresher, this is due to the fact that the Black Sea is fed by mountain rivers, of which there are a huge number along the banks. In the second layer (over 100 meters) the water is approximately 2 times saltier, there is practically no oxygen and no life, but there are huge deposits of hydrogen sulfide. Only certain types of bacteria live there, at the bottom. That is why they say that the Black Sea is a sea of dead depths.
By the way, due to the fact that the salinity of the Black Sea is quite low, its fauna is very scarce compared to other seas.
So, let's return to the name of the Black Sea. Why anyway The Black Sea is called black? Due to the occurrence of hydrogen sulfide in the depths of the sea, any metal object lowered to depth (for example, an anchor) turns black after some time. Apparently, sailors noticed this feature back in Antiquity, and perhaps this is where the name of the Black Sea came from.
By the way, from space you can see that the sea is very dark, almost black. This is noticeable on Earth, especially during the transition from the Mediterranean to the Black. Its waters look significantly darker.
The inscriptions on a geographical map often tell very interesting stories. Why is the city in Crimea called Armenian? For what reasons was Odessa named this way? What does the word "Kherson" mean? What is the root of the word "Moscow"? What did “Tula” originally mean? Who were the Laptevs? These and other questions concern people, despite the complexities of modern life.
The origin of the name of the Black Sea is very curious in itself. A modern tourist, going on vacation to Anapa or Sochi, Yalta or Alushta, Odessa or Tarkhan-Kut, knows perfectly well that he will return home black from the tan, and only his eyes and smile will remain white on his face. Therefore, the sea, on the shores of which he is going to relax, is quite naturally associated with this color. But these shores also became resort areas relatively recently.
Different names of the Black Sea
There are many options for what the Black Sea used to be called. In those days when uniform directions did not yet exist, each of the wanderers put it on the maps in his own way. Marco Polo in the 13th century found it so huge that he called it "The Great", although today we know that the size is not that great. Once upon a time, the city of Surozh (now the small Crimean Sudak) was such a significant trading center that even the sea was named after it for some time. Afanasy Nikitin in the 15th century, on his way from India, came to Tavria from Turkey and designated the current Black Sea as Istanbul. His name was Georgian, Greek, Cimmerian, and Slavic. It was also Armenian - in the 11th century, when the Seljuk Turks forced most of this people to hide from persecution in the Crimea. Then the concept of “Coastal Armenia” even appeared, so large-scale was this resettlement.
Sea and geopolitics
Countries bordering it were constantly fighting for influence in the region, which, by the way, continues today. At the same time, geographical names also changed. At a certain stage, the renaming ended, and everyone came to the consensus that the Sea was still the Black Sea, having come to a common denominator at least on this issue. In all countries that have a fleet, shipping directions are printed, fairways, shoals and banks are marked on them, and the origin of the name of the Black Sea, like many other bodies of water, worries sailors much less than seasonal wind roses, storm scores and the strength of currents. They don’t even have time to think about what the sea is and why it is called that.
Where does the word "sea" come from?
Linguists cannot reliably explain why the sea is called the sea, but they have several versions about this. In French it sounds “la mer”, in Italian “marais”, in German “meer”, and it is difficult not to agree that its pronunciation in different languages has a certain similarity.
It is quite possible that the Russian word “sea” morphologically comes from the Hebrew consonant formation, meaning “evil”. Previously, it meant any vast body of water that posed a danger to anyone who set out on a journey across its waves.
“Colored” and “black and white” seas
Interpretations of the reasons why each of the seas received its name also differ. This is especially true for “color” names. There is the Red Sea, matching the color of the algae blooms that inhabit it in the Suez area. True, the peoples inhabiting its coastline prefer to call it reed or reed, but on world maps it is designated as Red.
Or Here, it seems, everything is clear, the ice sets the color, and the sky is usually the same. apparently named after the race that inhabits its shores. And all this despite the fact that in good weather the water is the same everywhere - blue or turquoise.
"Black C"
So why is the Black Sea called the Black Sea, and in almost all languages of the world? In English this geographical concept sounds like “Black Sea”, in French - “Mer Noir”, in German - “Schwarze Meer”, in Italian - “Marais Nero”, and in translation everything is the same, black. It doesn't look like that at all, even during autumn and winter storms, when its color is rather dark gray with a blue tint.
and "black inhospitality"
The history of the name of the Black Sea is old. The first inhabitants of its shores, who came to mind to somehow designate their place of residence, were the Greeks. They saw other Mediterranean. But it was here that extremely unpleasant surprises awaited them in the form of ice on the northern coast, strong storms, as well as Scythians and Taurians, inhabitants of the Crimea, who traded in robbery. Since ancient times, people have associated troubles with this, and this is the version of why the sea is called the Black Sea. True, not in a literal translation. "Axinos Pontos" means inhospitable sea, that's all. Later, having gotten to know it better and seen it in different seasons, the Greeks changed their anger to mercy, and renamed Pont Aksinsky to Pont Euxinsky, that is, they gave the name the exact opposite meaning. It became hospitable. But the color remained the same.
Turkish observations of dark shades of water
So, the Greek version does not give a clear explanation of why the Black Sea is called Black, so it is better to turn to other sources. “Kara Deniz” washes the northern coast of Turkey, it has always been so, and perhaps it was the Ottomans who once gave the name to this vast body of water. During their travels to Azov, they could observe, climbing the Caucasus mountains, another sea appearing in the distance. Its water seemed darker than in shallow Azov, so it turned out that water areas can be separated by a visible border of shades. The ancient name of the Black Sea in Turkish sounds slightly different than the modern one, it is pronounced “Ahshaena”, but the meaning is the same.
At the beginning of the 1st millennium, other peoples lived on the coast of the Sea of Azov, which historians conventionally call Indian tribes. In their language there was the word “Temarun” (again “black”), which meant the water surface located further, outside the water area they knew. Perhaps they did not even think about why the sea is called the sea, and everything unknown seemed to them to be hidden darkness, that is, black.
Or maybe it's hydrogen sulfide?
So, all toponymic assumptions are based on a coloristic association with something mysterious, unknown and dangerous. But precisely for this reason they should not be taken too seriously. No matter how dangerous the sailor's path was, it entailed no more risk than sailing in or along the northern Arctic routes. There are places on the map that evoke much darker associations, including colors. It is possible that the matter is completely different.
There is another version about why the Black Sea is called Black, and it is connected with the chemical composition of the bottom layers of water. From time to time, a large number of fish die off its shores, or, to the delight of the fishermen, they begin to bite very well. “Hydrogen sulfide has gone,” the fishermen say. And this is not due to any man-made factors, it has always been this way, and this phenomenon is exclusively natural. The abundance of chemically active gas causes the darkening of all metal objects lowered into the water, be it anchors, other marine gear, ancient cannonballs and cannons raised in the last century by scuba divers and archaeologists. Perhaps the answer to the mystery of why the Black Sea is called the Black Sea lies precisely in this property, noticed by ancient merchants, who were surprised to discover that their anchor suddenly acquired a color that was not characteristic of iron and became “blued.”
Chemists consider this explanation to be the most plausible. Perhaps geographers will still argue with them.
The Black Sea has had many different names throughout its history. Each new people that came to its shores called it differently.
At the beginning of our era, the Scythians called the Black Sea - Tana (dark), in Iran - Ashkhaena (dark). Also, the Black Sea at different times was called the Khazar, Surozh, Russian, Scythian, Temarun, Holy, Taurian, Ocean, Blue.
There is such a fascinating science - toponymy, which studies the origin of geographical names (toponyms). According to this science, there are at least two main versions of the origin of the name of the Black Sea.
Version one. It was put forward by the ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo, who lived in the 1st century BC. In his opinion, the sea was named Black by Greek colonists, who were once unpleasantly struck by storms, fogs, and unknown wild shores inhabited by hostile Scythians and Taurians. They gave the stern stranger the appropriate name - Pontos Akseinos - “inhospitable sea”, or “black”. Then, having settled on the shores, becoming related to the sea of good and bright fairy tales, the Greeks began to call it Pontos Evxeinos - “hospitable sea.” But the first name was not forgotten, like the first love...
Version two. In the 1st millennium BC, long before the appearance of careless Greek colonists here, Indian tribes lived on the eastern and northern shores of the Sea of Azov - Meotians, Sindians and others, who gave the name to the neighboring sea - Temarun, which literally means “black sea". This was the result of a purely visual comparison of the color of the surface of the two seas, now called the Azov and Black. From the mountainous shores of the Caucasus, the latter appears darker to the observer, as can be seen even now. And if it’s dark, it means black. The Meotians on the shores of the mentioned seas were replaced by the Scythians, who fully agreed with this characterization of the Black Sea. And they called him in their own way - Akhshaena, that is, “dark, black.”
There are other versions
From the point of view of sailors, the sea is called “Black” because there are very strong storms, during which the water in the sea darkens. However, it must be said that strong storms are very rare on the Black Sea. Strong waves (more than 6 points) occur here no more than 17 days a year. As for the change in water color, this phenomenon is typical for any sea, not only the Black Sea.