Betpak-Dala or Betpaqdala (Kazakh: Бетпақдала, Betpaqdala; from Turkic batpak, “swampy,” or Persian bedbaht, “unlucky” and Turkic dala, “plain”; Russian: Бетпак-Дала or Сeверная Голодная степь, lit. Hungry Steppe) is a desert zone in the Ulytau, Karaganda, Turkestan and Zhambyl regions, Kazakhstan.[1]
In Autumn 2014, English explorer Jamie Bunchuk completed an expedition to cross the Betpak-Dala to its fullest longitudinal extent, from Lake Balkash in the east to the Sarysu River in the west. He also ran 190 miles, nearly eight marathons, back-to-back, over the course of eight days within the region.[2]
An epizootic of pasteurellosis occurred in Betpak-Dala in May 2015, in which more than 120,000 saiga antelope — representing more than a third of the global population — were confirmed dead.[3]
Geographyedit
The Betpak-Dala is located between the lower reaches of the Sarysu River, the Chu River, and Lake Balkhash. In the north, near the 46°30’ parallel, Betpak-Dala borders on the Kazakh Uplands, an area of low, rounded, isolated hills. Its area is approximately 75,000 square kilometres (29,000 sq mi). To the southwest lies the Ashchykol Depression.[4] The desert is a flat, gently rolling plain with an elevation ranging from 300 metres (980 ft) to 350 metres (1,150 ft) and a general south-western incline. Elevations are greatest in the east. In the southeast, the Zheltau highland reaches an elevation of 599 metres (1,965 ft) at Mount Suykadyr (Суықадыр).[4]
The western part of Betpak-Dala is composed of folded Mesozoic rock and horizontally layered Paleogene friable rock (sand, sandstone, clay, and conglomerates). The eastern hilly region has a plicate structure and is composed of Lower Paleozoic sedimentary-metamorphic rock series and granite. The climate is sharply continental. The annual precipitation is between 100 millimetres (3.9 in) and 150 millimetres (5.9 in), of which only 15 percent occurs in summer. Summers are dry and hot; winters are cold with little snow. The average temperature in January ranges from −12 °C (10 °F) to −14 °C (7 °F), and the average temperature in July ranges from 24 °C (75 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).
There are many shallow, often Sor-type of saline lakes, such as Arys, Buralkynyn Tuzy and Karakoin. Underground waters, emerging in places, are abundant. The predominant soils are gray-brown desert solonchak and solonets.
Floraedit
The western region of Betpak-Dala is an argillaceous sagebrush desert; Anabasis salsa grows in the salt-marsh depressions, while Pamirian winterfat (Krascheninnikovia ceratoides)[verification needed] and Siberian pea shrub (Caragana arborescens) grow on the sand dunes. In the east the argillaceous desert merges with the stony desert where Salsola arbuscula grows on the rocky hills. Betpak-Dala is used as a spring and autumn grazing land.
betpak, dala, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, february, 201. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Betpak Dala news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Betpak Dala or Betpaqdala Kazakh Betpakdala Betpaqdala from Turkic batpak swampy or Persian bedbaht unlucky and Turkic dala plain Russian Betpak Dala or Severnaya Golodnaya step lit Hungry Steppe is a desert zone in the Ulytau Karaganda Turkestan and Zhambyl regions Kazakhstan 1 Betpak Dala Betpakdala Betpak DalaDesertPanorama of the desert areaBetpak DalaCoordinates 46 02 N 70 12 E 46 033 N 70 200 E 46 033 70 200Area Total75 000 km2 29 000 sq mi Dimensions Length500 kilometers 310 mi Width170 kilometers 110 mi Elevation300 meters 980 ft 500 meters 1 600 ft Highest elevation974 meters 3 196 ft Zhambil Zhambl Betpak Dala in Kazakhstan Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Flora 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editIn Autumn 2014 English explorer Jamie Bunchuk completed an expedition to cross the Betpak Dala to its fullest longitudinal extent from Lake Balkash in the east to the Sarysu River in the west He also ran 190 miles nearly eight marathons back to back over the course of eight days within the region 2 An epizootic of pasteurellosis occurred in Betpak Dala in May 2015 in which more than 120 000 saiga antelope representing more than a third of the global population were confirmed dead 3 Geography editThe Betpak Dala is located between the lower reaches of the Sarysu River the Chu River and Lake Balkhash In the north near the 46 30 parallel Betpak Dala borders on the Kazakh Uplands an area of low rounded isolated hills Its area is approximately 75 000 square kilometres 29 000 sq mi To the southwest lies the Ashchykol Depression 4 The desert is a flat gently rolling plain with an elevation ranging from 300 metres 980 ft to 350 metres 1 150 ft and a general south western incline Elevations are greatest in the east In the southeast the Zheltau highland reaches an elevation of 599 metres 1 965 ft at Mount Suykadyr Suykadyr 4 The western part of Betpak Dala is composed of folded Mesozoic rock and horizontally layered Paleogene friable rock sand sandstone clay and conglomerates The eastern hilly region has a plicate structure and is composed of Lower Paleozoic sedimentary metamorphic rock series and granite The climate is sharply continental The annual precipitation is between 100 millimetres 3 9 in and 150 millimetres 5 9 in of which only 15 percent occurs in summer Summers are dry and hot winters are cold with little snow The average temperature in January ranges from 12 C 10 F to 14 C 7 F and the average temperature in July ranges from 24 C 75 F to 26 C 79 F There are many shallow often Sor type of saline lakes such as Arys Buralkynyn Tuzy and Karakoin Underground waters emerging in places are abundant The predominant soils are gray brown desert solonchak and solonets Flora editThe western region of Betpak Dala is an argillaceous sagebrush desert Anabasis salsa grows in the salt marsh depressions while Pamirian winterfat Krascheninnikovia ceratoides verification needed and Siberian pea shrub Caragana arborescens grow on the sand dunes In the east the argillaceous desert merges with the stony desert where Salsola arbuscula grows on the rocky hills Betpak Dala is used as a spring and autumn grazing land See also editGeography of Kazakhstan Mirzacho l known in Russian as the Golodnaya Steppe lit Hungry Steppe References edit Betpak Dala Great Russian Encyclopedia in 35 volumes ch ed Yu S Osipov Crossing the Betpak Dala September 2014 Archived from the original on 15 October 2015 Catastrophic Collapse of Saiga Antelopes in Central Asia UN Environment 5 October 2017 Retrieved 25 February 2018 a b L 43 Topographic Chart in Russian Retrieved 2 October 2022 External links editBetpak Dala at GEOnet Names Server nbsp This Kazakhstan location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Betpak Dala amp oldid 1167254682, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
