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Suruga Bay

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Suruga Bay is a large body of water in Japan.

Mount Fuji and Ashitaka Mountains from Satta Pass
Mount Fuji and Ashitaka Mountains from Satta Pass

It sits on the coast of Honshu in Shizuoka Prefecture. The Izu Peninsula lies to the east of the bay. To the south, the bay opens into the Philippine Sea. The peninsula acts like a shield against big waves. This makes the water a calm place for many things. People enjoy sailing, windsurfing, and swimming here.

23 - The Sea off Satta
23 - The Sea off Satta

The floor of the bay is very deep and unique. A part called the Suruga Trough runs through the middle. This is the deepest trough in all of Japan. Many rivers flow into the western side of the bay. These include the Fuji, Oi, and Abe rivers. They carve deep paths called canyons into the seabed. At the eastern end, the Kano River flows into Uchiura-wan. The eastern coast has small, rocky islands near the land.

Geology explains how this bay was made over time. The Philippine Sea Plate moves under the Eurasian Plate. This process happens at the Suruga Trough. It created the extreme depth of the bay. This movement also causes a lot of seismic activity. This means the area has many earthquakes. The seabed has an undersea plateau called Senoumi. This area is a very rich place for fishing.

Suruga Bay has faced hard times due to pollution. After the war, industry grew very fast in Japan. By 1970, paper mills in Fuji made much waste. They produced wastewater every single day. This waste was as much as the sewage from Tokyo. The sludge was thick and full of sulphur. It almost blocked the harbor and hurt marine life. Local people and fishermen protested to demand change.

Pollution even became part of famous stories. A 1971 film called Godzilla vs. Hedorah used the bay. The monster in the film feeds on heavy pollution. Its name comes from the Japanese word for mud. Even with new rules, scientists still study the water. They look for chemicals like PCB and PBDE in the mid-2010s. People still work to understand and protect this special place.

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File:Mount_Fuji_and_Ashitaka_Mountains_from_Satta_Pass.JPG
Mount_Fuji_and_Ashitaka_Mountains_from_Sat...
File:23 - The Sea off Satta.jpg
23 - The Sea off Satta.jpg
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