Current Desalination of the Sea of Azov and Its Correlation with Long-Term Variations in Atmospheric Circulation

Correlation is established between the long-term variations in the frequency of the atmospheric circulation forms, water balance elements, and the Sea of Azov water salinity. It is found that the river runoff into the sea and the sea freshwater balance increase and the sea salinity decreases in the periods, when northern and western forms of atmospheric processes develop; in the periods with a greater frequency of the eastern type of atmospheric macroprocesses, the situation is reverse. It is also found that the effect of atmospheric circulation on the sea salinity tends to strengthen, whereas the effect of the human-induced decrease in river runoff tends to diminish. The current desalination of the Sea of Azov down to 10.5 is shown to be mainly due to the development of western and northern forms of atmospheric circulation in the cold season of a year during the last 10–15 years.