Description of the plain on the map West Siberian Plain. Comprehensive characteristics of western Siberia. Geology and orography

The West Siberian Plain (it will not be difficult to find it on the world map) is one of the largest in Eurasia. It stretches for 2500 km from the harsh shores of the Arctic Ocean to the semi-desert territories of Kazakhstan and for 1500 km - from the Ural Mountains to the mighty Yenisei. This whole area consists of two flat cup-shaped depressions and many swampy areas. Sibirskie Uvaly stretches between these depressions, which rise 180-200 meters.

The West Siberian Plain is a rather interesting and fascinating moment that deserves detailed consideration. This natural site is located almost at the same distance between the Atlantic and the continental center of the continent. About 2.5 million sq. km covers the area of ​​this huge plain. This distance is very impressive.

Climatic conditions

Geographical position The West Siberian Plain on the mainland determines interesting climatic conditions. Therefore, the weather in most of the plain has a temperate continental character. From the north, large arctic masses come to this territory, which bring with them severe cold in winter, and in summer the thermometer shows from + 5 ° С to + 20 ° С. In January, on the southern and northern sides, the temperature regime can range from -15 ° С to -30 ° С. The lowest rate in winter was recorded in the north-east of Siberia - up to -45 ° С.

Humidity in the plain also spreads gradually from south to north. With the beginning of summer, most of it falls on the steppe zone. In the middle of summer, in July, the heat takes over the entire south of the plain, and the wet front moves to the north, thunderstorms and showers sweep over the taiga. At the end of August, the rains reach the tundra zone.

Water streams

Describing the geographical position of the West Siberian Plain, it is imperative to talk about the water system. A huge number of rivers flow through this territory, as well as numerous lakes and swamps. The largest and deepest river is the Ob with the Irtysh tributary. It is not only the largest in the region, but also one of the greatest in the world. In terms of its area and length, the Ob dominates among the rivers of Russia. Also, there are water streams suitable for navigation, the Pur, Nadym, Tobol and Taz.

The plain is the world record holder for the number of swamps. Such vast territory not found on the globe. Swamps occupy an area of ​​800 thousand square meters. km. There are several reasons for their formation: excessive moisture, flat surface of the plain, large amounts of peat, and low air temperature.

Minerals

This region is rich in minerals. This is largely influenced by the geographical position of the West Siberian Plain. Oil and gas deposits are concentrated here in huge quantities. Its vast swampy areas have a large supply of peat - about 60% of the total amount in Russia. There are deposits of iron ores. Siberia is also rich in its hot waters, which contain salts of carbonates, chlorides, bromine and iodine.

Animal and plant worlds

The climate of the plain is such that the flora here is rather poor in comparison with the neighboring regions. This is especially noticeable in the taiga and tundra zones. The reason for such a poverty of plants in perennial glaciation, which does not allow plants to spread.

The fauna of the plain is also not very rich, despite the vast extent of the territories. The geographical position of the West Siberian Plain is such that it is almost impossible to meet interesting individuals here. There are no unique animals living only in this area. All species that live here are common with other regions, both neighboring and the entire continent of Eurasia.

The West Siberian Plain is one of the largest flat areas in the world, covering approximately 80% of Western Siberia.

Features of nature

By total area West Siberian the plain is surpassed only by the Amazonian. The plain stretches from the coast of the Kara Sea to the south to the north of Kazakhstan. The total area of ​​the West Siberian Plain becomes about 3 million. km 2. It is dominated by broad gently-stepped and flat interfluves, which are separated by terraced valleys.

The amplitudes of the heights of the plain on average fluctuate between 20 and 200 m above sea level, but even the highest points reach 250 m. The moraine hills in the north of the plain are combined with young alluvial and sea (river) plains, in the south - with lacustrine ones.

On the lands of the West Siberian Plain, a continental climate dominates, the level of precipitation is different here: in the tundra and steppe regions - about 200 mm per year, in the taiga area it increases to 700 mm. General average temperatures are - 16 ° C in winter, + 15 ° C in summer.

Large deep rivers flow on the territory of the plain, in particular, the Yenisei, Taz, Irtysh and Ob. There are also very large lakes (Ubinskoye, Chany), and many smaller ones, some of them are salty. Some regions of the West Siberian Plain are characterized by wetlands. The center of the northern part is continuous permafrost. In the extreme south of the plain, salt marshes and solonetzes are widespread. The western - northern territory in all respects corresponds to the temperate zone - forest-steppe, steppe, taiga, deciduous forests.

Flora of the West Siberian Plain

The flat relief contributes significantly to the zoning in the distribution of the vegetation cover. The zoning of this territory has significant differences in comparison with similar zones in Eastern Europe... Due to the difficulties in the flow, in the north of the plains in the wetlands grow mainly lichens, mosses and shrubs. Southern landscapes are formed under the influence of groundwater from elevated level salinity.

About 30% of the plain area is occupied by massifs of conifers, many of which are swampy. Smaller areas are covered with dark coniferous taiga - spruce, fir and cedar. Broad-leaved wood species are rarely found in the southern regions. In the southern part, there are very widespread birch forests, many of which are secondary.

Fauna of the West Siberian Plain

More than 450 species of vertebrates live in the vastness of the West Siberian Plain, of which 80 species belong to mammals. Many species are protected by law, as they belong to the category of rare and endangered species. V recent times, the fauna of the plain was significantly enriched by acclimatized species - muskrat, European hare, Teleut squirrel, American mink.

The reservoirs are inhabited mainly by carp and bream. In the eastern part of the West Siberian Plain, there are some eastern species: chipmunk, Dzungarian hamster, etc. In most cases, the fauna of this territory is not much different from the fauna of the Russian Plain.

WESTERN SIBERIAN PLAIN (West Siberian Lowland), one of the largest plains in the world. Located in the northern part of Asia, in Russia and Kazakhstan. The area is over 3 million km 2, including 2.6 million km 2 in Russia. The length from west to east is from 900 km (in the north) to 2000 (in the south), from north to south up to 2500 km. In the north it is washed by the Arctic Ocean; in the west it borders on the Urals, in the south - on the Turgai plateau and the Kazakh hummocks, in the southeast - on the mountains Southern Siberia, in the east - along the valley of the Yenisei River with the Central Siberian Plateau.

Relief... It is a low accumulative plain with a rather uniform relief, various forms of permafrost (widespread up to 59 ° north latitude), increased swampiness, and ancient and modern salt accumulation developed in the south in loose rocks and soils. The heights of about 150 m prevail.In the north, in the area of ​​distribution of marine accumulative and moraine plains, the general flatness of the territory is disturbed by gently sloping moraine and hilly-ridged (Severo-Sosvinskaya, Lyulimvor, Verkhne-, Srednetazovskaya, etc.) uplands with a height of 200-300 m, the southern border of which runs about 61-62 ° north latitude; they are horseshoe-shaped from the south by the flat-topped uplands of the Belogorsk Continent, Siberian Uvaly, and others. In the northern part, permafrost exogenous processes (thermal erosion, soil swelling, solifluction) are widespread, deflation on sandy surfaces, and peat accumulation in swamps. There are numerous ravines on the plains of the Yamal and Gydansky peninsulas and on the moraine uplands. To the south, flat lacustrine-alluvial lowlands adjoin the area of ​​moraine relief, the lowest (height 40-80 m) and swampy of which are Kondinskaya and Sredneobskaya. The area not covered by the Quaternary glaciation (south of the Ivdel - Ishim - Novosibirsk - Tomsk - Krasnoyarsk line) is a weakly dissected denudation plain that rises (up to 250 m) towards the Urals. In the interfluve of the Tobol and the Irtysh, there is a sloping, in places with ridged ridges, lacustrine-alluvial Ishim plain (120-220 m) with a thin cover of loess-like loams and loesses overlying saline clays. It is adjacent to the alluvial Barabinskaya lowland and the Kulundinskaya plain, where the processes of deflation and modern salt accumulation are developing. In the foothills of Altai - the ridge-ridged Priobskoye plateau (height up to 317 m - the highest point of the West Siberian Plain) and the Chulym Plain. O geological structure and minerals, see the article West Siberian Platform, with which the West Siberian Plain is geo-structurally connected.

Climate... The continental climate prevails. Winter in polar latitudes is harsh and lasts up to 8 months (the polar night lasts almost 3 months), average January temperatures are from -23 to -30 ° С; in the central part, winter lasts up to 7 months, average January temperatures are from -20 to -22 ° С; in the south, where the influence of the Asian anticyclone increases, at the same temperatures the winter is shorter (up to 5-6 months). The minimum air temperature is -56 ° С. In summer, the western transport of Atlantic air masses predominates during invasions in the north of cold air from the Arctic, and in the south - dry warm air masses from Kazakhstan and Central Asia... In the north, summers are short, cool and humid with polar days, in the central part - moderately warm and humid, in the south - arid and dry, with dry winds and dust storms. average temperature July increases from 5 ° C to The far north up to 21-22 ° С in the south. The growing season in the south is 175-180 days. Atmospheric precipitation occurs mainly in summer. The wettest (400-550 mm per year) are the Kondinskaya and Sredneobskaya lowlands. To the north and south, the annual precipitation gradually decreases to 250 mm.

Surface waters. There are more than 2000 rivers in the West Siberian Plain that belong to the basin of the Arctic Ocean. Their total runoff is about 1200 km 3 of water per year; up to 80% of the annual runoff occurs in spring and summer. The largest rivers are the Ob, Yenisei, Irtysh, Taz and their tributaries. The rivers are fed by mixed (snow and rain), the spring flood is extended, the low-water period is prolonged in summer-autumn and winter. Ice cover on rivers lasts up to 8 months in the north, and up to 5 months in the south. Major rivers navigable, are important rafting and transport routes and, in addition, have large reserves of hydropower resources. The total area of ​​the lakes is more than 100 thousand km 2. Largest lakes located in the south - Chany, Ubinskoe, Kulundinskoe. In the north, there are lakes of thermokarst and moraine-glacial origin. In the suffosion depressions there are many small lakes (less than 1 km 2): on the Tobol-Irtysh interfluve - more than 1500, on the Barabinsk lowland - 2500, including fresh, salty and bitter-salty; there are self-deposited lakes.

Types of landscapes. The uniformity of the relief of the vast West Siberian Plain determines a clearly expressed latitudinal zoning landscapes, although in comparison with the East European Plain, the natural zones are displaced to the north. On the Yamal, Tazovsky, and Gydansky peninsulas, under conditions of continuous permafrost, landscapes of the Arctic and subarctic tundra with moss, lichen, and shrub (dwarf birch, willow, alder) cover were formed on gley, peat-gley sod, peat soils and peat bogs. Polygonal mineral herbal-hypnum bogs are widespread. The share of native landscapes is extremely insignificant. To the south, tundra landscapes and bogs (mostly flat-hilly) are combined with larch and spruce-larch light forests on podzolic-gley and peat-podzolic-gley soils, forming a narrow zone of forest tundra, transitional to the forest (forest bog, represented by the northern zone of the temperate zone and southern taiga. Common to all subzones is swampiness: over 50% of the northern taiga area, about 70% - middle, about 50% - southern. The northern taiga is characterized by flat and large-hilly raised bogs, the middle taiga is characterized by ridge-hollow and ridge-lake bogs, and the southern taiga is characterized by hollow-ridge, pine-dwarf shrub-sphagnum, transitional sedge-sphagnum and low-lying arboreal sedge. The largest swamp massif is the Vasyugan Plain. Forest complexes of different subzones, formed on slopes with varying degrees drainage. Northern taiga forest complexes on permafrost are represented by sparse and undersized pine, pine-spruce and spruce-fir forests on gley-podzolic and podzolic-gley soils. The native landscapes of the northern taiga occupy 11% of the area of ​​the West Siberian Plain. Common to the forest landscapes of the middle and southern taiga is the wide distribution of lichen and dwarf-shrub-phosphagnous pine forests on sandy and sandy loam illuvial-ferruginous and illuvial-humus podzols. On loams in the middle taiga, spruce-cedar forests with larch and birch forests are developed on podzolic, podzolic-gley, peat-podzolic-gley and gley peat-podzols. In the subzone of the southern taiga, on loams, there are spruce-fir small-grass forests and birch forests with aspen on sod-podzolic and sod-podzolic-gley soils (including those with a second humus horizon) and peat-podzolic-gley soils. Indigenous landscapes in the middle taiga occupy 6% of the area of ​​the West Siberian Plain, in the southern - 4%. The subtaiga zone is represented by park pine, birch and birch-aspen forests on gray, gray gley and sod-podzolic soils (including those with a second humus horizon) in a complex with steppe meadows on cryptogley chernozems, in places solonetzic. The indigenous forest and meadow landscapes have practically not been preserved. Swampy forests turn into low-lying sedge-hypnum (with ryamas) and sedge-reed bogs (about 40% of the territory of the zone). For forest-steppe landscapes of inclined plains with loess-like and loess-like coverings on saline tertiary clays, birch and aspen-birch outgrowths are typical on gray soils and malts in a complex with forb-cereal steppe meadows on leached and black-gleaned meadows, more southern black soil. solonetzic and saline. There are pine forests on the sands. Up to 20% of the zone is occupied by eutrophic reed-sedge bogs. In the steppe zone, indigenous landscapes have not been preserved; in the past, these were grass-feather grass steppe meadows on ordinary and southern chernozems, saline in places, and in drier southern regions - fescue-feather grass steppes on chestnut and cryptogley soils, gley solonetzes and salt marshes.

Environmental problems and protected natural areas. In the areas of oil production, due to pipeline breakthroughs, water and soil are polluted with oil and oil products. In forestry areas - cuttings, waterlogging, the spread of silkworms, fires. In agricultural landscapes, there is an acute problem of lack of fresh water, secondary soil salinization, destruction of the soil structure and loss of soil fertility during plowing, drought and dust storms... In the north, there is degradation of reindeer pastures, in particular due to overgrazing, which leads to a sharp decline in their biodiversity. The problem of preserving hunting grounds and natural habitats of fauna is no less important.

Numerous reserves, national and natural parks have been created to study and protect typical and rare natural landscapes. Among the largest reserves: in the tundra - the Gydansky reserve, in the northern taiga - the Verkhnetazovsky reserve, in the middle taiga - the Yugansky reserve, etc. national park- Priishimskie Bory. Natural parks have also been organized: in the tundra - Olenyi brooks, in the northern taiga - Numto, Siberian Uvaly, in the middle taiga - Kondinsky lakes, in the forest-steppe - Bird's harbor.

Lit .: Trofimov VT Regularities of spatial variability of engineering-geological conditions of the West Siberian plate. M., 1977; Gvozdetsky N.A., Mikhailov N.I. physical geography USSR: Asian part. 4th ed. M., 1987; Soil cover and land resources Russian Federation... M., 2001.

Includes the West Siberian Lowland (90% of the territory) and the Altai Mountains. Composition: Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Tyumen regions, Altai Territory, Altai Republic, Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

EGP of Western Siberia in comparison with others eastern regions quite profitable. It borders the industrial Urals, the raw material base of Eastern Siberia and Kazakhstan, and is located at the intersection of river and railways.

The territory of the district is divided into two unequal parts. Most of it is occupied by the West Siberian Plain, located on a young Paleozoic platform. This is one of the largest accumulative plains in the world with heights of up to 200 m, monotonous, slightly rugged, considerably swampy. In the south lies a country belonging to the Caledonian and Hercynian folds. This is the highest part of the area. The highest point is Belukha (4506 m).

Mechanical engineering manufactures products used in all regions of Siberia. They make metal-intensive mining and metallurgical equipment, machine tools. They produce heavy machine tools, presses and turbine generators. In Rubtsovsk - Altai Tractor Plant. Instrument making and electrical engineering are represented in Novosibirsk and Tomsk.

Produces nitrogen fertilizers, dyes, medicines, plastics, tires. Petrochemistry is developing. Chemistry and petrochemistry are concentrated in the industrial centers of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo, Omsk, Tomsk and other cities.

Oil and gas production and oil refining exacerbate the ecological situation in the area.

Agro-industrial complex. Reindeer husbandry, fishing and fur trade are developed in the north. The south of the region is one of the main grain regions of the country. In addition, dairy and meat cattle breeding, sheep breeding, poultry breeding are developing here.

The district's electric power industry is represented by numerous thermal power plants (operating on fuel oil and gas), the largest of which are the Surgut GRH, Nizhnevartovskaya and Urengoyskaya TPPs. TPPs of Kuzbass run on coal.

Transport. The basis of the transport network was (- Novosibirsk -), laid in the los of the late XIX - early XX century. Later, the South Siberian Railway (Magnitogorsk - Novokuznetsk - Taishet) was laid, as well as meridional railways in the northern direction.

Pipeline transport is now developing faster than other types. Main oil pipelines:

• Ust-Balyk - Omsk - Pavlodar - - Chimkent - Kazakhstan;
• Shaim - Tyumen;
• Alexandrovskoe - Nizhnevartovsk;
• Ust-Balyk - Kurgan - Ufa - Almetyevsk;
• Nizhnevartovsk - Kurgan - Samara and others.

Dozens of gas pipelines have also been built, going mainly to the west, to and to.
The development of the resources of Western Siberia entailed many problems: violation of the ecological balance in the tundra, pollution and waste from metallurgy, creating difficulties for the traditional occupations of the indigenous population.

The eastern territories of Russian Asia open from the Ural Mountains overlooking the West Siberian Plain. Its settlement by Russians began in the 16th century, from the time of Yermak's campaign. The route of the expedition ran from the south of the plain.

These territories are still the most densely populated today. However, it must be remembered that already in the 11th century, the Novgorodians established trade relations with the population in the lower reaches of the Ob.

Geographical position

The West Siberian Plain is washed from the north by the harsh Kara Sea. In the east, along the border of the Yenisei River basin, it is adjacent to the Central Siberian Plateau. The southeast is guarded by the snowy foothills of Altai. In the south, the Kazakh Uplands became the border of the plain territories. The western border, as mentioned above, is the oldest mountains of Eurasia - the Ural mountains.

The relief and landscape of the plain: features

A unique feature of the plain is that all the heights on it are very weakly expressed, both in absolute and relative terms. The area of ​​the West Siberian Plain, very low-lying, with many river channels, is swampy for 70 percent of the territory.

The lowland stretches from the shores of the Arctic Ocean to the southern steppes of Kazakhstan, and almost all of them are located within the territory of our country. The plain provides a unique opportunity to see five natural areas with their characteristic landscape and climate conditions.

The relief is typical for low-lying river basins. Small hills, alternating with bogs, occupy the territory of the interfluve. In the south, the area with saline groundwater dominates.

Natural areas, cities and regions of the plain

Western Siberia is represented by five natural zones.

(Swampy area in the tundra of the Vasyugan swamps, Tomsk region)

The tundra occupies a narrow strip in the north of the Tyumen region and almost immediately passes into the forest-tundra. In the extreme northern areas, you can find massifs of a combination of lichens, mosses of Western Siberia. Swampy terrain prevails, turning into open woodlands of the forest-tundra. The vegetation here is larch and bushes.

The taiga of Western Siberia is characterized by dark coniferous zones with a variety of cedar, northern spruce and fir. Occasionally, you can find pine forests that occupy the areas between the marshes. Most of the lowland landscape is occupied by endless swamps. One way or another, the whole of Western Siberia is characterized by swampiness, but there is also a unique natural massif here - the largest swamp in the world, Vasyugan. It took large territories in the southern taiga.

(Forest-steppe)

Closer to the south, nature changes - the taiga brightens, turning into the forest-steppe. Aspen-birch forests and meadows with copses appear. The Ob basin is decorated with pine island forests that have arisen naturally.

The steppe zone occupies the south of the Omsk and Southwest part Novosibirsk regions... Also, the area of ​​distribution of the steppe reaches the western part of the Altai Territory, which includes the Kulundinskaya, Aleiskaya and Biyskaya steppes. The territory of ancient water flows is occupied by pine forests

(Fields in the taiga of the Tyumen region, Yugra)

The West Siberian Plain provides an opportunity for active land use. It is very rich in oil and is almost completely lined with production rigs. The developed economy of the region attracts new residents. Big cities the northern and central parts of the West Siberian Plain are well-known: Urengoy, Nefteyugansk, Nizhnevartovsk. In the south of the city of Tomsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, Omsk.

Rivers and lakes plains

(The Yenisei river on hilly-flat terrain)

Rivers flow through the territory of the West Siberian Lowland, flowing into the Kara Sea. The Ob is not only the longest river in the plain, but together with the Irtysh tributary it is the longest waterway in Russia. However, there are also rivers on the plain that do not belong to the Ob-Nadym, Pur, Taz and Tobol basins.

The area is rich in lakes. They are divided into two groups according to the nature of their occurrence: some were formed in pits dug by a glacier that passed through the lowland, some - in places of ancient swamps. The area holds the world record for swampiness.

Plain climate

Western Siberia in its north is covered permafrost... A continental climate is observed throughout the plain. Most of the plain is very influenced by the formidable neighbor - the Arctic Ocean, the air masses of which freely dominate the lowland edge. Its cyclones dictate the regime of precipitation and temperatures. In areas of the plain, where the arctic, subarctic and temperate zones converge, cyclones often occur, leading to rains. In winter, cyclones generated at the junctions of the temperate and arctic zones soften the frosts in the north of the plains.

More precipitation falls in the north of the plain - up to 600 ml per year. The temperature in the north in January on average does not rise above 22 ° C frost, in the south at the same time the frost reaches 16 ° C. In July in the north and south of the plain, respectively, 4 ° C and 22 ° C.