Response of the vertical profiles of oxygen and hydrogen sulphide to variation of the components of the water balance in the Black Sea

Abstract

The influence of the variation of the components of the water balance on the structure of the oxygen and hydrogen sulphide fields in the Black Sea was studied on the basis of the solution of onedimensional problems for the admixture propagation. The vertical profiles of oxygen and hydrogen sulphide were calculated for the cases of enhancing or decreasing the river run-off, and when the Bosphorus undercurrent was ‘blocked’. The balance equations show that both a decreasing river run-off and ‘blocking’ of the Bosphorus undercurrent result in a lowering of the boundaries of the aerobic and anaerobic zones. An increase in the river run-off results in a slight rise of these boundaries. The analysis erformed permits the formulation of some general recommendations on the prevention of an increase of the hydrogen sulphide upper boundary in the sea.