Using long-term data of specific marine observations in 1978-1995 the features of transparency field generation in the upper sea layer of the North-West Black Sea in winter-spring period were analyzed. The statistical assessments of the seasonal variations of the beam attenuation coefficient associated with fluctuations of river discharge and open sea water characteristics were calculated for the studied region. It was shown that the suspended matter amount, which mostly is responsible for the sea water transparency depends both on rivers' flow volumes and the area of their interaction with sea water over the North-West Black Sea shelf and regional hydrometeorological conditions, which in turn depend on the hydrometeorological conditions above the catchment areas of the Black Sea European rivers.
beam attenuation coefficient, suspended matter, river run-off, hydrometeorological conditions, variability