Development Features of Challenging Ice Conditions in the Sea of Azov in 1993–2023

Based on ice maps of the Sea of Azov for 1993–2023 routinely compiled at the Hydrometcenter of Russia, nine winters with the most challenging ice conditions have been selected. For each of the winters, the features of ice formation, changes in ice characteristics, and possible reasons for the formation of challenging ice conditions are described. Data on the maximum thickness of fast ice in the winters under consideration from four hydrometeorological stations are presented, and a method for computing the spatial distribution of drifting ice thickness is proposed. By the example of the winter of 2016/2017, a change in ice thickness over time on the shipping route from the Taganrog Bay to the Kerch Strait is studied.