Gulf of Riga

Geography

Extent

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the Gulf of Riga's western limit as "A line running from Lyser Ort (57°34'N), in Latvia, to the South extreme of Saaremaa, through this island to Pammana (22°34'E), thence to Emmaste Point, the S extreme of Hiiumaa, through Hiiumaa to Tahkuna Point, the North extreme thereof, and on to Spithamn Point in Estonia".

Islands

Major islands in the gulf include Saaremaa, Kihnu, and Ruhnu, which are all in Estonian territory. Kihnu covers an area of 16.4 km2. Saaremaa island is responsible for the brackish water of the Gulf of Riga, as it is partially "shielded" from the Baltic Sea. The Baltic itself is already less salty than the global oceanic average, but this effect has a north–south and east–west gradient.

Cities

Notable cities around the gulf include Riga and Jūrmala in Latvia, and Pärnu and Kuressaare in Estonia. The main rivers flowing into the gulf are Daugava, Pärnu, Lielupe, Gauja, and Salaca.

Salinity

The freshwater runoff entering the Baltic sea accounts for two percent of its volume. A narrow connection to the North Sea means that water stays in the Baltic for an average of 30 years. These two characteristics work to make the Baltic Sea one of the largest brackish bodies of water in the world. The Gulf of Riga has an average salt concentration for the Baltic Sea, which is around six to ten parts per thousand. Freshwater has a concentration of 0.5 parts per thousand, and seawater is about 30 parts per thousand.

Winter

In winter, most or all of the Bay occasionally freezes. This is due to low salinity and the calming effect of the partial closure of the entrance of the gulf. During the winter, many people walk over the bay. The thickest recorded ice was 90 cm thick in the winter of 1941–42. Ice hole fishing has been a traditional source of winter food, and remains a common activity. The ice usually melts between March and April. In late March 2013, when the ice started to melt, 200 people had to be rescued from ice floes.

Notes

References

References

1. "Gulf of Riga | Baltic Sea".
2. "Old Kolka lighthouse".
3. (1953). "Limits of Oceans and Seas, 3rd edition". International Hydrographic Organization.
4. (2019). "Changing Salinity Gradients in the Baltic Sea as a Consequence of Altered Freshwater Budgets". Geophysical Research Letters.
5. (2022). "Salinity dynamics of the Baltic Sea". Earth System Dynamics.
6. C.Michael Hogan. 2011. ''Gulf of Riga''. Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. P.Saundry & C.J.Cleveland. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC.
7. "Estonica.org - The Gulf of Riga".
8. Riga, Associated Press in. (29 March 2013). "Latvia rescues 220 people stranded on ice floes in Gulf of Riga".