1. Geographical Position

2. Geologic Structure

3. Plateaus

4. Mountains

5. Rivers

6. Savannas

7. Lakes

8. Barrages

9. Climate

    9.1. Samsun’s Meteorological Data for the year 2006

1. Geographical Position

Samsun city which is between the deltas where Yeşilırmak and Kızılırmak rivers run out, exists in the middle part of Black Sea’s costal way and has a 9,083 -Km²- area. The city is between 40° 50’ and 41° 51’ North latitudes and 37° 08’ and 34° 25’ east longitudes as geographical position. The Black Sea exists on the north of Samsun and neighbors of Samsun are; Ordu exists east of Samsun, Sinop exists west of it; there are Tokat and Amasya cities on the South of Samsun and there is Çorum city on the south west of Samsun. 

Samsun City displays three different characteristics in terms of ground shapes. First of all is mountainous part on the south ; the second is plateaus which are between the mountainous part and coastal way; and the other one is coastal savannas which exist between the Black Sea and plateaus. Bafra and Çarşamba savannas which have the highest agricultural potential exist at the edges of delta areas of Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak rivers.   

2. Jeolojik Yapı

Alluviums take place in Samsun’s young delta savannas. And old alluviums can be observed in the terraces splitted by steep sides of the mountains. The transition area  to mountainous part on the South, is covered by neogen, old and clayey – cretaceous torbids. Coastal mountains are composed of Kretase lavas. Clayey and pebbly torbids hold place in the internal parts of the same mountains. In the inner sections, Kretase and Eosen Fliches; and old and curly rocks belonged to the first and second times on the South of savannas which are covered by Neogen torbids and alluviums in patches can be seen. In large areas, volcanic formations are observed. In Samsun, some formations related to Kretase, Eosen and Neogen periods are frequently seen.

3. Plateaus

Plateaus in the region generally came into existence in the second and third times. Sides of the mountains in Black Sea region are quite worn off. Also rivers in the region abraded the soil sufficiently, and they generated plateaus in patches. The most important plateaus are Ladik, Havza, and Kavak.

4. Mountains
           
Black Sea coasts of Samsun city are covered by level areas; and its internal parts which lie down towards south are covered by mountains which do not have very much height. The region is between Black Sea coasts and high mountains which are in parallel with these coasts. These mountains lie down as east – west in Unye – Çarşamba part; as east – south and west – north west in Samsun – Bafra part. There are two primary ranges of mountains which lie down from east to the west and seem as continuity of each other. The mountain range on the east is called as Canik Mountains, and the other mountain range on the west is called Çangal Mountains.

Canik Mountains : Bulks of the Canik Mountains exist in Ordu City. And its western parts exist in Samsun’s borders. Their height is low and they do not create any balks for the communication between Black Sea and inner parts of the region. Their height is about 1500 meters.  

Çangal Mountains: Çangal Mountains are included in Samsun city’s western part. And bulk of the mountains exists in Sinop city’s borders. Their average height is 1500 meters.

Sıralı Mountains: Sıralı mountains are one of the most important heights of Samsun city. They are located on the South of Kavak county and their height is about 1300 meters.

Kocadağ: Kocadağ exists on the North of Samsun city and near the Kavak county. Its height is about 1310 meters.

Akdağ: Akdağ is the highest mountain of Samsun city. Its height is about 2062 meters. Akdağ which is located between Ladik county and Amasya has a rich forest constitution.

Kunduz Mountains: Kunduz mountains exist in Samsun city’s Vezirköprü county and their height is about 1783 meters. These mountains are known with their famous Kunduz forests and have a nation wide reputation with the abundance of their forest products.

Hacılar Mountain: Hacılar mountain is located on Ankara –Samsun highway after Kavak county. Its height is about 1150 meters. Later we see Mahmur mountains.

Nebyan Mountains: Nebyan mountains are located on North west of Samsun and west of Koca mountain. Their height is about 1224 meters.

5. Rivers

Yeşilırmak: Yeşilırmak river arises from Köse Mountains. It passes through Erbaa county and reaches to Çarşamba. And by dividing the county into two parts it joins to Black Sea from Civa Foreland. In the Üçtaşlar region it gets integrated with Tersakan river. Length of Yeşilırmak is 416 km and its speed of flow is 5 km in one hour. In the driest season, height of water is 9 meters and 5.5 meters on the east coast.

Kızılırmak: Kızılırmak which arises form Kızıl Mountain in Sivas, is the longest river in Turkey. It enters to Black Sea region from Osmancık county and its length is 1151 km. When it is in the environs of Kargı, it goes to Samsun – Sinop border on the North east. It divides into branches on the west of Bafra and it joins to the sea from the Bafra foreland.  Delice, Devrez and Gökırmak are important branches of Kızılırmak. According to the measurements which are realized near Bafra, in the driest season, its width is 46 meters and depth is 1.30 meters. 21 m3 water run out in one second. Its speed of flow is between 4 and 6 km in one hour.

Terme Stream: Terme stream arises from Kara forest. It raises the reedy near Simenit and by dividing the county into two parts it joins to Black Sea. Terme stream whose width is 30 meters and depth is about 1 meter feeds the paddies.

Other Rivers: Mert River,  Kürtün Stream, Tersakan Stream, Karaboğaz Watercourse,  Akçay,  Uluçay, Esenli, İncesu, Hızırilyas, Ballıca watercourses and Güdedi river.

6. Savannas

Çarşamba Savanna: When Yeşilırmak river is joining to the Black Sea from Civa foreland after it reaches to Çarşamba county by passing through Erbaa county, it makes up the Çarşamba savanna which has precious alluviums. The area of Çarşamba savanna which starts from Kirazlık is 89.500 hectares. As the result of the water channels constructed by DSI, 70 % of the land became appropriate for agriculture. Rest of the land which composes 30 % of the land is constituted of forest, reedy, and morass. Watering area is 82.707 ha and construction of 10.031 –ha- areas is being continued. 

Bafra Savanna: Kızılırmak which comes to Bafra county is divided into some branches in Bafra. After it joins to the sea from Bafra foreland it creates a wide and alluvial soil. 6150 ha of the 47727 –ha- savanna is being watered, now. It is one of the most efficient savannas in Turkey. The savanna has been watered by the watering channels constructed by DSI and its areas on the North part are barren lands. Animal husbandry has been done in these areas.

7. Lakes

Lakes in the region are constituted of the changing river channels. Lakes of the district is are located in Bafra, Çarşamba and Ladik counties.

Liman Lake: It is 20 km away from Bafra. The lake which has 3 -km- size joins to the sea with some branches. Length of these branches reaches to 2000 meters in some parts. Grey mullets and carps are hunted in the lake. There is Fish Lake on the South of Liman Lake and Karaboğaz Lake exists on the North of Liman Lake.

Ladik Lake: Ladik Lake is the source of Tersakan river and it is 10 –km- away from Ladik. Trouts and pikes live in the lake. Reeds taken from the lake are used for making coarse fiber. Length of the lake is 5 km, width of it is 2 km, and area of it is 10 km2.

Simenit Lake: This lake occurred as the result of a change in the Terme Stream’s channel. Fishery is done in the lake which is located in the borders of Terme. It is 20 km away from Terme and it is composed of two lakes which are connected to each other. The lake is nourished by rain falls in winter and sometimes it is filled by sea water when it is stormy.

8. Barrages

Hasan Uğurlu Barrage and  hydroelectric power station: Barrage is located within the borders of Çarşamba and Ayvacık counties which are on the Yeşilırmak river. Its construction process started in the year 1971 and name of DSI’s 7th district director Hasan Uğurlu who died in a traffic accident was given to it. This barrage is one of the greatest barrages in Turkey and its construction was completely realized by Turkish firms and engineers. Only machines and electrical equipments were brought from abroad. The second unit of the barrage was opened in 1979, the third unit was opened in 1982 and the fourth unit was opened in 1983. Its power is 500 mw and it produces 1217 gwH energy during a year. Volume of lake is 1.078,75 x106 m3. Height of the barrage is 175 meters.

Suat Uğurlu Barrage and  hydroelectric power station: Hasan Uğurlu barrage exists 18 km under the Yeşilırmak’s Çarşamba savanna. Its construction process started in the year 1971. Its construction was started with the name Balohar; but after Hasan Uğurlu and his wife Suat Uğurlu died in a traffic accident, name of Suat Uğurlu was given to barrage. The aim of the project is producing energy and watering the Çarşamba savanna. The first and the second units of the barrage were opened at the end of the year 1979, the third and the fourth units were opened on March 1983. Its power is 46 mw and 273 –gwH- energy is produced during a year. Volume of lake is 181, 31 x 106 m3 and height of the barrage is 51 meters. 

Altınkaya Barrage and  hydroelectric power station: Altınkaya Barrage is 35 –km- South west of Bafra county center and on Kızılırmak river. Its height is 195 meters. It is full of clay, and stones. Its power is 700 mw and 1.632.000.000 kwh energy is produced in a year. It was opened in 1987 and since January 1988 the number fourth unit has been producing 175 000 kwH energy. Volume of lake is 5,763 x109 m3.

Derbent Barrage: Derbent Barrage is 30 –km- under the Altınkaya Barrage. Its height is 33 meters and it is full of clay, and stones. This barrage is in the floating barrage class. It is 7 km away from Bafra. Watering area is 47.727 Ha. With the channels constructed, Bafra savanna is being watered. Its power is 56 mw and it produces 257 gwH energy in a year. Volume of lake is 213 x106 m3.

Çakmak Barrage: It is filled by soil with zones. It was constructed in order to provide drinking – using- and industrial water. Its height is 57.50 meters from the bottom, volume of lake is 106.50 hm3 at normal water level and its body’s volume is 2,60  hm3. The total amount of water which is taken from the barrage is 4000 liter / second; and drinking water taken from the barrage is 3540 l/s. Amount of 300 l/s water is used in Samsun fertilizer factory; and amount of 460 l/s water is used in Black Sea copper factory.

9. Climate

Samsun has a temperate climate generally. But climate displays two different characteristics in coastal ways and internal parts. In the coastal ways (Center county, Terme, Çarşamba, Bafra, Alaçam, 19 Mayıs, Tekkeköy and Yakakent ) effects of Black Sea climate are observed. Because of that, in the coastal ways, summers are hot, winters are temperate and rainy. Internal parts (Vezirköprü, Havza, Ladik, Kavak, Asarcık and Salıpazarı) are under the effects of Akdağ whose height is 2.000 meters and Canik mountains whose height is 1.500 meters. Because of these mountains’ effects winters are cold, rainy and snowy; summers are chilly in the inner parts of the city. Samsun does not look like other cities in terms of temperature and rain falls. Weather conditions can change one or two times in a day. Sometimes, hot days from summer can be observed in winters. In the coastal ways number of snowy days does not exceed 2 or 3 days. However; in the inner parts, transportation can be delayed due to the snowy weather.

The average yearly temperature is 15 0C. According to the yearly average data the hottest months are July (23.1 0C) and August (23.2 0C); the coldest months are January (6,9 0C) and February (6,6 0C). The highest yearly temperature average is 18.10C, and the lowest temperature average is 11 0C. There is 10 - 0C – difference between the temperatures measured in coastal ways and internal parts of the city. Especially in winter months as we go away from the coast towards inner parts, values of temperature displays great changes. The sun is quite effective in July and August months.
The number of snowy days in some  months are December (2 days), January (3 days), February (4 days), March (2 days) and April (1 day); and in 1993 1 snowy day in November and in 1995 1 snowy day in April were observed. Number of the snowiest days is 4 days in February. Number of average frosty days is 8, yearly.

The yearly average rain fall is above the country average (676.5 mm). On the contrary, the rate of rain fall in the city is different from West Black Sea Region cities. The maximum amount of rain falls in October (86.5 mm) and November (81.2 mm). Amount of rain in South of the city is more than in the west of the city. The average number of rainy days is about 156.

Samsun’s Meteorological Values for the year 2006 

The highest temperature is 32.4 0C yearly, and the hottest day is 31.08.2006. The lowest temperature is -3.6 0C yearly, and the coldest day is 24.01.2006. The average yearly temperature is 14.5 0C. The average lowest temperature is 10.9 0C. The average sea water temperature is 16.4 0C, yearly. Number of yearly total rainy days is 135. The number of average unclouded days is 48. The number of cloudy days is 238. The number of heavy days is 79. Amount of yearly total rain fall is 714.7 kg/year. The number of frosty days is 13. The average speed and direction of wind is 1.9 NNW and the yearly relative humidity average is % 74.3.

Resource: Samsun Meteorology District Directorate

Samsun is always open to North winds. The speed of the most forceful wind is 19.7 m/sec and its direction is South and the name of this wind is Kıble wind. This wind blows in March.