Chushka Spit
Encyclopedia
Chushka is a long narrow peninsula
, or sandy spit
, in the northern part of the Strait of Kerch
which extends from Cape Achilleion to the south-west in the direction of the Black Sea
for almost 18 km.
The Chushka Spit forms the northern shore of the Taman Bay
; the southern shore was formerly the Tuzla Spit
. It has many long branches extending to the south and was formerly joined to the Kerch Peninsula
by the Kerch Strait Bridge
. The main harbour on the spit is Port Kavkaz
. It is also the terminal of the car ferry
line connecting the Taman Peninsula
with the Crimea
.
In November 2007 a very strong storm split a Russian-flagged oil tanker
off the Chushka Spit, resulting in the release of more than 2000 metric ton
s of fuel oil. It is thought that the effects of the spill are likely to be felt for many years to come.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, or sandy spit
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
, in the northern part of the Strait of Kerch
Strait of Kerch
The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula in the west from the Taman Peninsula in the east. The strait is to wide and up to deep....
which extends from Cape Achilleion to the south-west in the direction of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
for almost 18 km.
The Chushka Spit forms the northern shore of the Taman Bay
Taman Bay
The Taman Bay is a shallow bay or gulf on the east coast of the Strait of Kerch shaped by the Tuzla and Chushka spits. It dips into the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai, Russia for about 16 km. The bay is 8 km wide at its mouth and is up to 5 meters deep. Fishing villages and the...
; the southern shore was formerly the Tuzla Spit
Tuzla Spit
Tuzla is a long narrow peninsula, or sandy spit, in the southern part of the Strait of Kerch which extends from Cape Tuzla to the north-west in the direction of the city Kerch for almost 12 km....
. It has many long branches extending to the south and was formerly joined to the Kerch Peninsula
Kerch Peninsula
The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic feature located at the eastern portion of Crimea. Stretching towards the Taman peninsula, it is reminiscent of an isthmus between two neighboring seas: Azov Sea and Black Sea...
by the Kerch Strait Bridge
Kerch Strait Bridge
The Kerch Strait bridge is a proposal for a bridge spanning the Strait of Kerch between the Chushka Spit, Taman Peninsula, Russia and the Kerch Peninsula, Crimea, Ukraine. The current connection is by ferry between Port Kavkaz and Port Krym...
. The main harbour on the spit is Port Kavkaz
Port Kavkaz
Port Kavkaz is a small harbour on the Kerch Strait in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The port may handle the vessels being up to 130 m in length, up to 14'5 m in breadth and with draft up to 5 m...
. It is also the terminal of the car ferry
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
line connecting the Taman Peninsula
Taman peninsula
The Taman Peninsula is a peninsula in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia. It is bounded on the north by the Sea of Azov, on the west by the Strait of Kerch and on the south by the Black Sea. The peninsula has evolved over the past two millennia from a chain of islands into the peninsula it is...
with the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
.
In November 2007 a very strong storm split a Russian-flagged oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
off the Chushka Spit, resulting in the release of more than 2000 metric ton
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s of fuel oil. It is thought that the effects of the spill are likely to be felt for many years to come.
See also
- Dolgaya SpitDolgaya SpitThe Dolgaya Spit is a sandy spit in the Sea of Azov. Length is 17 km, the width is about 500 m. The spit is located in Yeysk District of Krasnodar Krai, Russia...
- Arabat SpitArabat SpitThe Arabat Spit , also called Arabat Tongue, is a spit which separates a large, shallow and very salty system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov. The spit is located between the town of Henichesk, Ukraine, on the north and the north-eastern shores of Crimea on the south. It is separated...