ABSTRACT
Groundwater Discharge to the Caspian Sea.................................... 266 4.2.3 Regularities in Formation and Distribution of Groundwater
Discharge to the Caspian Sea .......................................................... 272 4.2.4 Role of Modern Tectonic and Mud Volcanoes in Water
and Salt Balances of the Caspian Sea ............................................. 276 4.2.5 Chemical Submarine Discharge and Its Influence on Sea
Salt Balance...................................................................................... 278 4.3 Groundwater Discharge to the Aral Sea ...................................................... 283
4.3.1 Natural Conditions of the Coastal Zone and Sea............................ 283 4.3.1.1 Orography.......................................................................... 283 4.3.1.2 Climate .............................................................................. 286 4.3.1.3 Hydrogeologic Regime of the Aral Sea ........................... 286 4.3.1.4 Hydrogeologic Conditions of the Aral Sea and
Priaral Region ................................................................... 289 4.3.2 Quantitative Assessment and Prediction of Submarine
Groundwater Discharge ................................................................... 289 4.3.2.1 Quantitative Assessment of Groundwater Discharge
and Flows of Its Formation .............................................. 292 4.3.2.2 Water and Salt Regime of Aral Bottom Drying............... 297
4.3.3 Regime of Groundwater Level of the Drying Sea Bottom............. 298 4.3.3.1 Dust Storms and Salt Ejection in the Priaral Region ...... 303
4.3.4 Ecological Consequences of Drying the Aral Sea .......................... 304 4.4 Groundwater Discharge to the Black Sea.................................................... 306
4.4.1 Natural Conditions of the Coastal Zone.......................................... 307
4.4.1.1 Subdivision of Shelf Area................................................. 308 4.4.1.2 Coastal Part of Georgia..................................................... 311 4.4.1.3 Shelf Typology and Submarine Groundwater
Discharge Estimation........................................................ 312 4.4.1.4 Submarine Groundwater Discharge and Pollution........... 313
4.4.2 Quantitative Assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge ... 315 4.5 Groundwater Discharge to the Mediterranean Sea...................................... 316 4.6 Groundwater Discharge to Biscayne Bay, Florida....................................... 318
In recent decades many European researchers have carried out investigations on the water balance of the Baltic Sea. Of particular importance is the study of the interaction between groundwater and seawater, the assessment of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) directly to the sea, and its role in the formation of the current water and salt balance of the Baltic Sea. The results of the quantitative assessment of groundwater discharge to the Baltic Sea from European territory are discussed below, with special attention on detailed data of groundwater inflow to the sea from the territory of the former Soviet Union. It should be noted that the first works referred to here were publicized some 50 years ago.
