The Central Yakutian Lowland[1] or Central Yakutian Lowlands (Russian: Центральноякутская равнина, romanized: Tsentralnoyakutskaya ravnina; Yakut: Саха сирин ортоку намтала),[2] also known as Central Yakut Plain[3] or Vilyuy Lowland,[4] is a low alluvial plain in Siberia, Russia.
Administratively the territory of the lowland is part of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). It is an extensive plain located in the transition zone between Central and Eastern Siberia and is one of the Great Russian Regions. The main city is Yakutsk, with a number of settlements near it, but the area of the lowland is largely uninhabited elsewhere.[5]
The Central Yakutian Lowlands extend along the middle basin of the Lena River and partly further downstream and are about 900 kilometres (560 mi) in length and 350 kilometres (220 mi) wide.[6] They drop gradually from the Central Siberian Plateau to the west and the Lena Plateau to the south and southwest. To the northwest the lowland merges with the North Siberian Lowland and to the north it is bound by the watershed fringing the Lena and Olenyok River basins, and to the northeast and east the Central Yakutian Lowland reaches the foothills of the Verkhoyansk Range, westernmost part of the East Siberian Mountains.[7]
The Central Yakutian Lowlands are a flat plain, slightly higher in its peripheral parts. Permafrost is continuous throughout the region. Owing to poor drainage, swamps and thermokarst lakes (alases), are common,[8] as well as low bulges or bumps known as "bulgunnyakh" (Yakut: Булгунньах).[9] In the northwest the Tukulan (Тукуланы) sand dunes are relief forms shaped by aeolian processes along the valley of the Lena River.[10] There are also some areas of high soil salinity.[7]
Hydrographyedit
There are hundreds of river valleys all across the lowlands, which, besides the Lena, include the lower reaches of the Lena tributaries Vilyuy, Amga and Aldan. The entire length of the course of some of the large left tributaries of the Lena, such as the Lungkha, Tyugyuene, Sitte, Khanchaly and Kenkeme, falls wholly within the lowland area.[11] These rivers are subject to spring floods during the thaw period and occasional rain floods in the summer. During the winter small rivers and rivulets freeze to the bottom.[7] The largest lakes of the lowland are Nedzheli and Ulakhan-Kyuel.[11]
Geologically the lowland roughly corresponds to the eastern, lowest parts of the Vilyuy Syneclise. It is filled with Mesozoic deposits and Quaternary sands and loams, both of alluvial and eolian origin.[1]
Climate and floraedit
The climate prevailing in the lowland is an extreme subarctic climate (KöppenDfd), continental and harsh, characterized by a very low annual rainfall of barely 300 millimetres (12 in) per year. 70% to 80% of the precipitation falls in the summer, mostly in the form of rain. The average air temperature in January is a chilly −45 °C (−49 °F). In July the average temperature is 17 °C (63 °F).[7]
Most of the lowland is covered by taiga in which larch predominates. There are as well areas of birch forests, marshes and grassy meadows.[7]
central, yakutian, lowland, russian, Центральноякутская, равнина, romanized, tsentralnoyakutskaya, ravnina, yakut, Саха, сирин, ортоку, намтала, also, known, central, yakut, plain, vilyuy, lowland, alluvial, plain, siberia, russia, Центральноякутская, равнинаС. The Central Yakutian Lowland 1 or Central Yakutian Lowlands Russian Centralnoyakutskaya ravnina romanized Tsentralnoyakutskaya ravnina Yakut Saha sirin ortoku namtala 2 also known as Central Yakut Plain 3 or Vilyuy Lowland 4 is a low alluvial plain in Siberia Russia Central Yakutian Lowland Centralnoyakutskaya ravninaSaha sirin ortoku namtalaAlluvial plainTaiga landscape in Vilyuy DistrictCentral Yakutian LowlandLocation in Yakutia RussiaCoordinates 64 30 N 121 0 E 64 500 N 121 000 E 64 500 121 000LocationSakha Republic RussiaPart ofSiberiaArea Total270 000 km2 100 000 sq mi Elevation60 meters 200 ft to 200 meters 660 ft Administratively the territory of the lowland is part of the Sakha Republic Yakutia It is an extensive plain located in the transition zone between Central and Eastern Siberia and is one of the Great Russian Regions The main city is Yakutsk with a number of settlements near it but the area of the lowland is largely uninhabited elsewhere 5 Contents 1 Geography 1 1 Hydrography 2 Geology 3 Climate and flora 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksGeography editThe Central Yakutian Lowlands extend along the middle basin of the Lena River and partly further downstream and are about 900 kilometres 560 mi in length and 350 kilometres 220 mi wide 6 They drop gradually from the Central Siberian Plateau to the west and the Lena Plateau to the south and southwest To the northwest the lowland merges with the North Siberian Lowland and to the north it is bound by the watershed fringing the Lena and Olenyok River basins and to the northeast and east the Central Yakutian Lowland reaches the foothills of the Verkhoyansk Range westernmost part of the East Siberian Mountains 7 The Central Yakutian Lowlands are a flat plain slightly higher in its peripheral parts Permafrost is continuous throughout the region Owing to poor drainage swamps and thermokarst lakes alases are common 8 as well as low bulges or bumps known as bulgunnyakh Yakut Bulgunnah 9 In the northwest the Tukulan Tukulany sand dunes are relief forms shaped by aeolian processes along the valley of the Lena River 10 There are also some areas of high soil salinity 7 Hydrography edit There are hundreds of river valleys all across the lowlands which besides the Lena include the lower reaches of the Lena tributaries Vilyuy Amga and Aldan The entire length of the course of some of the large left tributaries of the Lena such as the Lungkha Tyugyuene Sitte Khanchaly and Kenkeme falls wholly within the lowland area 11 These rivers are subject to spring floods during the thaw period and occasional rain floods in the summer During the winter small rivers and rivulets freeze to the bottom 7 The largest lakes of the lowland are Nedzheli and Ulakhan Kyuel 11 nbsp German map of the Russian geomorphological regions nbsp View of the lowland taiga Geology editGeologically the lowland roughly corresponds to the eastern lowest parts of the Vilyuy Syneclise It is filled with Mesozoic deposits and Quaternary sands and loams both of alluvial and eolian origin 1 Climate and flora editThe climate prevailing in the lowland is an extreme subarctic climate Koppen Dfd continental and harsh characterized by a very low annual rainfall of barely 300 millimetres 12 in per year 70 to 80 of the precipitation falls in the summer mostly in the form of rain The average air temperature in January is a chilly 45 C 49 F In July the average temperature is 17 C 63 F 7 Most of the lowland is covered by taiga in which larch predominates There are as well areas of birch forests marshes and grassy meadows 7 See also editAlas geography References edit a b John Kimble ed Cryosols Permafrost Affected Soils Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Lakes in the Central Yakutian Lowlands Russia Siberian Village Land and Life in the Sakha Republic United States Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Fishery and Oceanography Translations Issues 1 6 p 48 Google Earth Solov ev P A 1959 Permafrost zones of the northern part of the Lena Amga Water shed Moscow Nauka in Russian a b c d e Central Yakutian Lowland Great Soviet Encyclopedia Vol 28 p 513 Permafrost dynamics in the 20th and 21st centuries along the East Siberian transect Russian scientists find 7 000 Siberian hills possibly filled with explosive gas Tukulan The Yakut Desert a b Topografska karta P 51 52 M 1 1 000 000 Topographic USSR Chart in Russian Retrieved 9 April 2022 External links edit nbsp Media related to Central Yakutian Lowland at Wikimedia Commons Limnological characteristics of lakes in the lowlands of Central Yakutia Russia nbsp This Sakha Republic location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Central Yakutian Lowland amp oldid 1185393516, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
