The Bosphorus has turned into turquoise color. Istanbul Technical University Meteorological Engineering Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Huseyin Toros said, “This situation was seen in Istanbul mostly in the spring months, especially in May and June. But here, although very rare, we can see that the color of the seawater changes at certain times of the year when there is a very strong wind.” Environmental Engineer Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ozturk said, “These turquoise colors in the Bosphorus usually occur during the summer months. But for the first time, the turquoise color was seen in winter.”
BOSPHORUS’ TURQUOISE COLOR WAS VIEWED FROM THE AIR
The color of the Bosphorus changed after the winds and rain that were effective in Istanbul. The turquoise sea color created insatiable images. Istanbul Bosphorus, which creates a magnificent visual with its turquoise color, was viewed from the air. About this color change in the Bosphorus, Istanbul Technical University Meteorological Engineering Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Huseyin Toros made a statement to Demiroren News Agency.
“IT IS A SITUATION THAT WE GENERALLY SEE IN MAY-JUNE”
Stating that the color change in the Bosphorus is generally a situation encountered in the summer months, Prof. Dr. Toros said, “We all know that the sea is extremely volatile these days and there are air movements from the north. There are also water movements. We know that the Black Sea is extremely rich in terms of these microorganisms. Experts always say this. Of course, we see that these are mixed with large amounts of water with the waves. And as a result of this mixing, we see that the normal blue seawater color changes towards turquoise. In Istanbul, this is mostly seen in the spring months, especially in May and June. But we can see that the color of the seawater changes at certain times of the year when there is a very strong north-east wind. We can see that the color change depends on the distance traveled by sunlight through the atmosphere, the angle of entry to the seawater surface, and the amount and density of microorganisms in the water and their activities.”
“THIS IS A NATURE EVENT, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF”
Stating that such situations can be experienced depending on the intensity and direction of the wind, Prof. Dr. Toros said, “The microorganisms in the sea also have a life cycle. They multiply in certain seasons and decrease in certain seasons. We see that this cycle can be out of the loop from time to time according to meteorological conditions. In general, I have never encountered a turquoise Bosphorus in winter in Istanbul. Such events can be seen, although they are rare. In general, we naturally see blue because we see the seas as blue because more short waves reflect light and our eyes are more sensitive to blue color. In particular, we can say that climate change, drought, and anomalies in temperatures are reflected in the marine environment. We can say that it is reflected in the Black Sea and the Bosphorus. As a light of this reflection, we can see the turquoise color in the Bosphorus. There is nothing to be afraid of. This is a natural phenomenon. According to the direction of the wind, depending on the state of the sun, it will pass within a few days.”
“TURQUOISE COLOR IS SEEN IN WINTER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BOSPHORUS”
Environmental Engineer Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ozturk said, “These turquoise colors in the Bosphorus were generally seen occurring in the summer months. But for the first time, the turquoise color was observed in the winter. When we investigated the reason for this, the nutrients coming from the Black Sea with strong winds, we call phytoplankton, turn the water’s surface into a blue color. Especially recently this has started to happen more frequently. Phytoplankton produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe in nature. They live in the seas. They feed on substances such as nitrogen and phosphorus. They are formed with the help of sunlight. When we look at it in the morning, we see that there is a serious sunlight in the Bosphorus and the Black Sea towards noon. With the combination of all these, microscopic organisms that we call phytoplankton come into life. These are single-celled organisms. They do not harm human health. It is a nutrient for aquatic creatures. If these events happen frequently, we see that oxygen consumption increases in the aquatic environment. We can see the occurrence of them for 1 year and 2 years as a positive effect, not as a negative effect.”
“THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF”
Prof. Dr. Ozturk said, “We can say that especially climate change, drought, abnormalities in temperatures are reflected in the marine environment. We can say that it is reflected in the Black Sea and the Bosphorus. As the cause of this reflection, we can see the color of turquoise in the Bosphorus. There is nothing to be afraid of. This is a natural phenomenon. It passes in a few days depending on the direction of the wind, the state of the sun. This situation should be examined by the relevant institutions. Its frequency, severity, impact, and its effects, such as how deep it occurs, should be examined and accordingly, direction maps for the future should be determined.”
Source: DHA / Translated by Irem Yildiz