19 December 2024 / 15:49

• The development of the situation confirms that the pollution is not expected to reach the Bulgarian coast

"Satellite images analyzed by the Center for Integrated Management and Monitoring of the Coastal Zone of the ‘N. Y. Vaptsarov’ Naval Academy do not suggest the presence of pollutants in the main Black Sea current, which spreads to the West about 60 km from the entrance to the strait. In this situation, oil pollution is not expected to reach the Bulgarian coast." This was confirmed today for the Ministry of Environment and Water by Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Valchev, a specialist in hydrodynamics from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

He summarizes the development of the situation in recent days as follows:

In the period from the occurance of the spill until December 18, due to the strong wind blowing from the Western quarter, a stable coastal current with an Easterly direction formed in the water area immediately South of the entrance to the Kerch Strait. This led to the spread of oil pollutants in a narrow water area in the Northeastern part of the basin. Upon reaching the barrier Bugazskaya Kosa, the current splits into two branches, the spread of which follows the coastal contour. The first branch deviates to the North and returns the waters to the strait, while the second - more intense - spreads to the South-Southeast. This explains the identified oil pollution on the coast of Anapa, and according to unconfirmed data reported by the independent news website maritime.bg - a little further South along the coast of Pamyatnaya Doska Zashchitnikam.

Currently, the wind in the region is weakening and reorienting from the South. The current forecast of the Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Center indicates a significant decrease in the intensity of the Eastern transfesr, with weak currents in North to North-West direction expected in the area of the initial spill. This situation will favor the retention of any new pollutants entering the Kerch Strait at the entrance. The currents near the area of the Bugazskaya Kosa and Anapa will also change their direction to the North-West, which suggests that the spread of pollution will be limited in the direction of Novorossiysk.

Current animated maps for the period 19-22.12.2024, reflecting the forecast for the speed and direction of the currents by the Black Sea Monitoring and Forecasting Center at the Copernicus program.