Northeast winds turn Bosphorus turquoise

ISTANBUL

The Bosphorus Strait that divides the continents of Europe and Asia in Turkey’s largest city of Istanbul turned turquoise over the weekend, with experts saying it was due mostly to the powerful northeast wind.

The sudden transformation of the usually blue waters of the Bosphorus to a milky turquoise since the weekend has mesmerized its residents who have been sheltering at home and unable to enjoy this beautiful scenery due to COVID-19 curfews.

Speaking on the possible reasons for the color change, Hüseyin Toros from Istanbul Technical University said that the northeast wind is the prominent reason behind the transformation.

“Unicellular organisms that have been dragged into the Bosphorus Strait by the northeast wind create the turquoise color on the water’s surface,” Toros said.

“Air motions in the atmosphere, movements inside water, different microorganisms and alteration in the angle of the sunlight during the day can also cause a change in the water’s color,” he noted.

Toros added that the water will return to its normal color in a couple of days.

Last month, another powerful northeast wind has turned the Bosphorus Strait turquoise as it carried sediments from the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea.