Yakut folk art. Folklore of the Sakha people as a source for the creation of the “Dictionary of the Yakut Language” by E.K.

There are two great plains in Eurasia. The one in the east stretches from the mountains of Southern Siberia to eternal ice Kara Sea, from the Yenisei to the Urals. The vast and incredible riches of nature are the West Siberian Plain.

Borders and area

Western Siberia is an incredibly vast territory. From the Arctic Ocean it stretches for 2.5 thousand kilometers to the steppes of Kazakhstan, from the Urals to the Yenisei it stretches for 1.5 thousand kilometers. Almost 80% of all of Siberia is located on a plain consisting of two flat, bowl-shaped depressions and full of wetlands. These depressions are separated from each other by the Siberian Ridges, raised to 175-200 meters. In the southeast, the height of the West Siberian Plain gradually rises, and the foothills of Salair, Mountain Shoria, Altai and Kuznetsk Alatau appear. The area of this great plain is more than 2.4 million square kilometers.

Geological development

Formed West Side The Siberian Plain is still in the Precambrian. Gradually evolving during the Paleozoic, folded structures formed along the edges of the platform. Docked with other parts of the mainland, they formed a single region. However, such a “patchwork” origin gives reason to interpret the nature of the slab in two ways. Quite often, given the facts, it is called heterogeneous, but at the same time, keeping in mind that it is formed most of plains in the Paleozoic are considered Epipaleozoic. And right there, keeping in mind main role Hercynian folding, the plate is called epihercynian.

Simultaneously with the formation of the foundation, starting from the Paleozoic and ending with the Early Jurassic, the cover of the future plain was created. The formation of the cover was completely completed by the Meso-Cenozoic. This not only blocked the border zones of folded structures, but also, thus, significantly increased the territory of the plate.

Geographic zoning

The West Siberian Plain includes five zones: tundra, forest-tundra, steppe, forest-steppe and forest. In addition, it includes mountainous and low-mountain areas. It is probably impossible to trace such a correct manifestation of zonal patterns in any other place. natural phenomena, like here.

Tundra occupies the north Tyumen region, which occupied Yamal and the Gydan Peninsula. Its area is 160 thousand square kilometers. The tundra is completely covered with moss and lichen, interspersed with hypnum-grass, lichen-sphagnum and coarse bog landscapes.

Forest-tundra runs from the tundra to the south in an almost flat strip of 100-150 kilometers. As a kind of transitional area from tundra to taiga, it looks like a mosaic of swamps, shrubs and woodlands. In the north of the zone, crooked larches grow, located in river valleys.

Forest zone occupies a strip of about a thousand kilometers. This strip includes the north and middle of Tyumen, the Tomsk region, the north of the Novosibirsk and Omsk regions. The forest is divided into northern, southern and middle taiga and birch-aspen forests. Most of it is occupied by wood with dark needles - Siberian fir, spruce and cedar.

Forest-steppe located next to deciduous forests. The main representatives of the zone are meadows, swamps, salt marshes and small areas of forests. The forest-steppe is rich in birch and aspen.

Steppe covered the south of the Omsk region, the west of Altai and the southwest of the Novosibirsk region. The zone is represented by ribbon pine forests.

The rather significant height of the West Siberian Plain in mountainous areas makes it possible to develop altitudinal zones. The main place here is given to forests. In addition, there is black taiga, characteristic of the mountains of Siberia. Among this taiga lies the “linden island” - a forest area of 150 square kilometers. Most scientists consider this site to be tertiary vegetation.

Geology and orography

In places where the West Siberian Plain is located, the basis is considered to be the West Siberian Plate. This plate is based on the Paleozoic foundation, which is currently located at a depth of about 7 kilometers. The most ancient rocks come to the surface only in mountainous areas and are hidden in other places by sedimentary rocks. The West Siberian Plain is a fairly young subducting platform. The magnitude and rate of subsidence of different areas vary greatly, therefore the thickness of the cover of loose sediments is also very diverse.

The nature, quantity and extent of icing in ancient times are still not really clear. Still, it is generally accepted that north of 60 degrees the entire part of the plain was occupied by glaciers. It is the small number of glaciers that explains the fact that their melting did not leave large moraine accumulations.

Natural resources

Since the cover of the plate is formed by sedimentary rocks, one cannot expect a large number of fossils here. There are only exogenous deposits - so-called sedimentary fossils. Among them you can see oil in the south of the plain, gas in the north, coal, peat, iron ore, and evaporites.

Climate

West Siberian Plain, geographical position which provides it with such an opportunity, has very interesting climatic characteristics. The fact is that the plain is located almost at the same distance from both the Atlantic and the center of continentality of Eurasia. In most of the plain the climate is temperate continental. Western Siberia, thanks to its northern openness, receives a large amount of Arctic masses, bringing cold in winter and preventing summer from fully manifesting itself. Thus, the January temperature from south to north ranges from -15 to -30 degrees, while the July temperature ranges from +5 to +20. The largest temperature difference - 45 degrees - is observed in the northeast of Siberia.

Causes of climate severity

This rather harsh climate has formed for several reasons.

The West Siberian Plain is located for the most part in temperate latitudes, which causes a rather small amount of solar radiation that enters the territory.

The considerable distance from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans made it possible to develop a continental climate.

The flat topography of the West Siberian Plain allows large amounts of Arctic air to travel further south than in other regions, while allowing warm flows from Central Asia and Kazakhstan fall deep to the north.

Mountains that fenced off the plain to the west from air flow Atlantic and from the southeast from Central Asia.

Relief

The West Siberian Plain has long been considered a “model” low-lying plain. The reason for this is the fact that on almost the entire surface its absolute height is below 200 meters. Above this there are only small areas. For quite a long time, on maps the entire plain was painted in a uniform color that did not take into account these small rises in altitude. However, upon closer study, it became clear that orography is not so simple. Plains with a height of more than 100 meters stand out very clearly.

Biodiversity

The West Siberian Plain is in climatic conditions that contribute to the formation of too little diversity for such large areas. The poverty of choice of higher plants is especially noticeable. On average, the flora in this region is almost 1.5 times poorer compared to neighboring regions. This difference is especially noticeable in the taiga and tundra zones. The nature of Western Siberia is the most diverse for the region.

The reason for this limitation flora all in the same glaciation, which turned out to be devastating for the region. In addition, mountain refugia that could feed the migration flow are located at a sufficient distance.

Animal world

Despite the considerable extent of the West Siberian Plain, the fauna here also cannot boast of diversity. The only exception can be considered Western Siberia, whose territory is home to a fairly large number of different animals. For example, more than 80 species of mammals from four main orders have been identified in this area. Of this set, 13 species are common with Eastern Siberia, 16 - with European part Russia, 51 - common to the entire territory of Eurasia. There are no unique animals that live only where the West Siberian Plain is located.

Inland waters

Rivers The West Siberian Plain primarily belongs to the Kara Sea basin. All of them are mostly fed by melting snow, thus belonging to the West Siberian type of intra-annual flow. The flood in this type is more extended in time, but the water flow during this period is practically indistinguishable from the rest of the time. The reason for this is the natural regulation of flow. Accordingly, the flow into summer time is replenished with water from floodplains and swamps, in which flood water was “saved.” IN winter period The only method left to saturate the water is the ground method, which almost catastrophically reduces the oxygen content in the water. For this reason, fish living in rivers are forced to accumulate in pools, which is why they are almost constantly in a state of half-asleep.

The groundwater The region is part of the West Siberian hydrogeological basin. The characteristics of these waters fully correspond to their zonal distribution. Considering the direction of the West Siberian Plain, it becomes clear that most of these waters are almost on the surface, while remaining very cold. However, when moving south, it becomes clear that the depth of the waters, their temperature, and mineral saturation increase. The water in the south is saturated with calcium, sulfate, and chlorides. In the very south there are so many of these compounds in the water that its taste becomes salty and bitter.

Swamps given the low-lying terrain, they are one of the main components of the water masses of the plain. Their area and degree of swampiness are very large. Some researchers believe that the swamps of the region are aggressive, not only remaining in their original form, but also gradually growing, capturing more and more new territories. Currently, this process is irreversible.

Administrative division

The West Siberian Plain, the geographical location of which suggests a fairly diverse administrative use, hosts many regions and territories. So, these are Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Omsk, Kemerovo regions. This also partially includes the Sverdlovsk, Kurgan and Chelyabinsk regions. In addition, parts of the Krasnoyarsk and Altai territories are located on the plain. The largest city is Novosibirsk, it has about 1.5 million inhabitants. The city is located on the Ob River.

Economic use

In Western Siberia, the most developed industries are the mining and forestry industries. Today this territory supplies more than 70% of all oil and natural gas, mined in our country. Coal - more than 30% of all-Russian production. And approximately 20% of the wood that our country harvests.

In Western Siberia today there is a huge oil and gas production complex. The largest deposits of natural gas and oil are found in sedimentary rocks. The area of land rich in these minerals is more than two million square kilometers. Until the 60s, the landscapes of Siberia were almost untouched by industry, but now they are dotted with pipelines, power lines, drilling sites, roads, spoiled by oil spills, killed by smoke, blackened by soaked forests, which arose as a result of the use of outdated technologies in transportation and production fossils.

Do not forget that this region, like no other, is rich in rivers, swamps and lakes. This increases the speed of spread of chemical pollution that enters the Ob from small sources. Then the river carries them out to the sea, bringing death and destroying entire ecosystems, even those far removed from the mining complex.

In addition, the Kuznetsk plain mountainous region rich in deposits coal. Mining in this region accounts for about 40% of our country’s total coal reserves. The largest coal mining centers are Prokopyevsk and Leninsk-Kuznetsky.

Thus, the West Siberian Plain is not only a refuge for many species of plants and animals, but also plays a huge role in the economic and industrial life of our country. Without huge reserves of natural resources, which are the source of production of products necessary for human life, people simply would not be able to live in such a harsh and not very suitable climate.

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

Features of nature

According to the total area of the Western Siberian plain Only the Amazon one is superior. The plain stretches from the coast of the Kara Sea south to the north of Kazakhstan. The total area of the West Siberian Plain is about 3 million. km 2. Here, predominantly wide, gently-stepped and flat interfluves predominate, separating terraced valleys.

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

The lands of the West Siberian Plain are dominated by a continental climate, the level of precipitation here is different: in the tundra and steppe areas - 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, full-flowing rivers flow through the plain, in particular the Yenisei, Taz, Irtysh and Ob. There are very large lakes here (Ubinskoye, Chany), and many smaller ones, some of them 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 common. The western northern territory corresponds in all respects to the temperate zone - forest-steppe, steppe, taiga, deciduous forests.

Flora of the West Siberian Plain

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

About 30% of the plain area is occupied by massifs coniferous trees, many of which are swampy. Smaller areas are covered with dark coniferous taiga - spruce, fir and cedar. Occasionally in southern regions There are broad-leaved tree species. In the southern part there are very common birch forests, many of which are secondary.

Fauna of the West Siberian Plain

The vastness of the West Siberian Plain is home to more than 450 species of vertebrates, of which 80 species belong to mammals. Many species are protected by law because they belong to the category of rare and endangered. Recently, the fauna of the plain has been significantly enriched with acclimatized species - muskrat, brown hare, teledut squirrel, and 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, Djungarian hamster, etc. In most cases, the fauna of this territory is not much different from the fauna of the Russian Plain.

1. Geographical location.

2. Geological structure and relief.

3. Climate.

4. Inland waters.

5. Soil-vegetation cover and fauna.

6. Natural areas.

Geographical position

The border of the West Siberian Plain is clearly expressed in relief. Its border in the West is the Ural Mountains, in the East the Yenisei Ridge and the Central Siberian Plateau. In the north, the plain is washed by the waters of the Kara Sea, the southern edge of the plain enters the territory of Kazakhstan, and the southeastern edge borders on Altai. The area of the plain is about 3 million km2. the length from north to south is almost 2500 km, from west to east 1500-1900 km. The southern part of the plain is the most developed by man, its nature has been changed to some extent. The northern and central parts of the plain began to be developed in the last 30-50 years in connection with the development of oil and gas.

Geological structure and relief

The geological structure of the plain is determined by its position on the Paleozoic West Siberian plate. The foundation of the slab is a huge depression with steep sides. It consists of the Baikal, Caledonian and Hercynian blocks, broken by deep faults. In the north, the foundation lies to a depth of 8-12 km. (Yamalo-Taz syneclise), in the middle part the depth is 3-4 km. (Middle Ob anteclise), to the south the depth decreases. The plate cover is represented by Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments of continental and marine origin.

The territory of the West Siberian Plate has repeatedly undergone transgressions. The glaciation of Western Siberia was repeated several times: Demyansk, Samarovsk, Tazovsk, Zyryansk and Sartan. Glaciers moved from 2 centers: from the Polar Urals and the Putorana plateau. Unlike the Russian Plain, where meltwater flowed to the south, in Western Siberia, which has a general slope to the north, these waters accumulated at the edge of the glacier, forming periglacial reservoirs. In areas free of ice, deep freezing of the soil occurred.

The modern relief of the plain is due to geological structure and the influence of exogenous processes. The main orographic elements correspond to the tectonic structures of the plate, although the accumulation of Meso-Cenozoic strata compensated for the irregularities of the basement. Absolute altitudes the plains are 100-150 meters, with hills and lowlands alternating within the plain. The general slope of the plain is to the north. Almost the entire northern half of the plain is less than 100 meters high. The marginal parts of the plain are elevated to 200-300 meters. These are the North Sosvinskaya, Verkhnetazovskaya, Lower Yisei uplands, the Priobskoye plateau, the Ishimskaya and Kulundinskaya plains. The strip of Siberian Uvals is clearly expressed in the middle part of the plain, stretching from the Urals to the Yenisei near 63˚N, their average height is 100-150 meters. The lowest areas (50-100 m) are located in the northern parts of Western Siberia. These are the Lower Ob, Nadym, Pur, Taz, Kondinsk, and Middle Ob lowlands. Western Siberia is characterized by: marine accumulative plains (on the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas), glacial and aquaglacial plains with moraine hills, ridges, etc. (central part of Western Siberia), alluvial-lacustrine plains (valleys of large rivers), denudation plains (southern part of Western Siberia).

Climate

The climate of Western Siberia is continental, arctic and subarctic in the north and temperate in the rest of the territory. It is more severe than on the Russian Plain, but softer than in Eastern Siberia. Continentality increases to the southeast of the plain. Radiation balance from 15 to 40 kcal/cm2 per year. At the same time, compared to the Russian Plain, Western Siberia receives slightly more solar radiation due to the lower frequency of cyclones. The western transport remains, but the influence of the Atlantic is noticeably weakened here. The flatness of the territory promotes deep meridian air exchange. In winter, the climate is formed under the influence of the spur of the Asian High, which stretches across the south of the plain and troughs of low pressure over the northern peninsulas. This contributes to the transport of cold continental air from the Asian High to the plain. Winds predominate from the south. In general, January isotherms are submeridian in nature, from -18˚-20˚С in the west to almost -30˚С in the Yenisei valley. The absolute minimum in Western Siberia is -55˚С. Snowstorms are common in winter. IN cold period 20-30% of precipitation falls. Snow cover sets in in the north in September, in the south in November and lasts from 9 months in the north to 5 months in the south. The thickness of the snow cover in the forest zone is 50-60 cm, in the tundra and steppe 40-30 cm. In summer over Western Siberia, the pressure gradually decreases to the southeast. Winds prevail in a northerly direction. At the same time, the role of Western transfer is increasing. July isotherms take latitudinal directions. In the north of Yamal the average July temperature is +4˚С, near the Arctic Circle +14˚С, in the south of the plain +22˚С. Absolute maximum +45˚С (extreme south). The warm period accounts for 70-80% of precipitation, especially in July-August. Droughts are possible in the south. Largest quantity precipitation per year (550-600 mm) falls in the middle reaches of the Ob from the Urals to the Yenisei. To the north and south the amount of precipitation decreases to 350 mm. The climate of Western Siberia largely contributes to the maintenance of permafrost. The northern and central parts of Siberia (more than 80% of its area) have a moisture coefficient greater than 1 (excessive moisture). Such conditions lead to the development of swamping in the area. In the south the coefficient is less than 1 (insufficient moisture).

Inland waters

Western Siberia is characterized by a huge accumulation of inland waters. Several thousand rivers flow on the plain, most of which belong to the Ob basin and, accordingly, the Kara Sea. Few rivers (Taz, Pur, Nadym, etc.) flow directly into the Kara Sea. In the south of the plain there are areas of internal (closed) drainage. All rivers of Western Siberia are characterized by low slopes, with a predominance of lateral erosion. The rivers are fed mixed, with a predominance of snow, in addition there is rain and swamp-soil. Flood occurs from April in the south to June in the north. The maximum water rise reaches 12 meters on the Ob, and 18 meters on the Yenisei. A prolonged flood is typical, despite the “friendly” spring. The rise is fast, and the fall of the water is very slow. Freeze-up lasts up to 5 months in the south and up to 8 months in the north. Ice jams are typical. The largest rivers are the Ob and Yenisei. The length of the Ob from the source of the Irtysh is 5410 km, and the basin area is 3 million km2. If we count the Ob from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers, then its length is 3650 km. In terms of water content, the Ob is second only to the Yenisei and Lena. The Ob flows into the Ob Bay (estuary). The largest tributary is the Irtysh, and its tributaries are the Ishim, Tobol, and Konda. The Ob also has tributaries - Chulym, Ket, Vasyugan, etc. The Yenisei is the most abundant river in Russia, its length is 4092 km, the basin area is 2.5 million km2. Only a small left-bank part of the basin lies on the territory of Western Siberia. There are about 1 million lakes on the plain. The lake content varies from 1% in the south to 3% in the north. In the Surgut lowland it reaches 20%. In the south the lakes are brackish. The most large lake- Chans. It is drainless and salty. The maximum depth is 10 m. Swamps occupy about 30% of the territory of Western Siberia. In some places in the forest zone the swampiness reaches 80% (forest-swamp zone). The development of swamps is facilitated by: flat terrain, poor drainage, excessive moisture, prolonged floods and permafrost. The swamps are rich in peat. According to hydrogeological conditions, the plain is a West Siberian artesian basin.

Land cover and fauna

The soils are located as follows from north to south: tundra-gley, podzolic, sod-podzolic, chernozem and chestnut. At the same time, large areas are occupied by semi-hydromorphic soils due to swampiness. Therefore, most soils, unlike their analogues on the Russian Plain, have signs of gleyization. In the south there are solonetzes and solods. The vegetation of Western Siberia is to some extent similar to the vegetation of the Russian Plain, but there are differences that are associated with the wide distribution of swamps, the severity of the climate and the characteristics of the flora. Along with spruce forests, as well as pine, fir, cedar and larch forests are widespread. The forest-tundra is dominated by larch, and not spruce, as on the Russian Plain. Small-leaved forests here are not only secondary, but also primary. Mixed forests here they are represented by pine and birch. Large areas in Western Siberia are occupied by floodplain vegetation (more than 4% of the plain), as well as swamp vegetation. The fauna has many similarities with the Russian Plain. In western Siberia there are about 500 species of vertebrates, of which 80 species are mammals, 350 species of birds, 7 species of amphibians and about 60 species of fish. There is a certain zonality in the distribution of animals, but forest animals penetrate far to the north and south along the ribbon forests along the rivers, and inhabitants of polar reservoirs are found on the lakes of the steppe zone.

Natural areas

Natural zones on the plain extend latitudinally. Zoning is clearly expressed. Zones and subzones change gradually from north to south: tundra, forest-tundra, forests (forest-swamps), forest-steppe, steppe. Unlike the Russian Plain, there is no zone of mixed and deciduous forests, semi-desert and desert zones. The tundra extends from the coast of the Kara Sea and almost to the Arctic Circle. The length from north to south is 500-600 km. Polar day and night last here for almost three months. Winter is from October to mid-May. Average temperatures range from -20˚C in the west to -30˚C in the east. Winds and snowstorms are typical. Snow cover lasts for about 9 months. Summer lasts not much more than one month. The average temperature in August is +5˚C, +10˚C (but sometimes the air can warm up to +25˚C). Precipitation per year is 200-300 mm, but most of it falls in the warm period. Permafrost is widespread everywhere, so the tundra is characterized by solifluction processes, thermokarst, polygons, peat mounds, etc. There are many swamps and lakes. The soils are tundra-gley. The flora is not rich, only about 300 species of higher plants. Vegetation is especially sparse on the sea coast, where arctic lichen tundras from cladonia and others are developed. To the south, mosses begin to predominate and flowering plants appear - cotton grass, partridge grass, arctic bluegrass, and a number of sedges, etc. In the south of the zone, the tundra becomes shrubby, where along with mosses and dwarf birches, willows, and alders grow with lichens; in some places on the southern slopes and river valleys - buttercups, lights, crowberry, polar poppy, etc. Among the animals live reindeer, wolf, arctic fox, lemming, voles, ptarmigan, snowy owl, many wading and waterfowl (waders, ducks, geese, etc.) arrive in the summer.

The forest-tundra stretches in a relatively narrow strip (50-200 km), expanding from the Urals to the Yenisei. It lies along the Arctic Circle and descends further south than on the Russian Plain. The climate is subarctic and more continental than in the tundra. And although winter here is somewhat shorter, it is more severe. The average temperature in January is -25-30˚C, the absolute minimum is up to -60˚C. Summers are warmer and longer than in the tundra. The average July temperature is +12˚C+14˚C. Permafrost is widespread. Therefore, the frozen topography again predominates, and erosion processes are limited. The zone is crossed by many rivers. The soils are gley-podzolic and permafrost-taiga. The tundra vegetation here is supplemented by sparse larch forests (their height is 6-8 meters). Dwarf birch is widespread, there are many swamps, and there are floodplain meadows in the river valleys. The fauna is richer than in the tundra; along with representatives of the tundra fauna, there are also inhabitants of the taiga.

Forests (taiga) occupy the largest area of Western Siberia. The length of this zone from north to south is 1100-1200 km, almost from the Arctic Circle to 56°N. on South. There is an almost equal proportion of forests on podzolic soils of the taiga and peat-bog soils of sphagnum bogs. Therefore, the taiga of Western Siberia is often called the forest-swamp zone. The climate is temperate continental. Continentality increases from west to east. The average January temperature ranges from -18˚C in the southwest to -28˚C in the northeast. In winter, anticyclonic weather prevails. Cyclones often pass through the north of the taiga zone. The thickness of the snow cover is 60-100 cm. Summer is relatively long, the growing season is from 3 months. in the north up to 5 months. on South. The average July temperature ranges from +14˚C in the north to +19˚C in the south. More than half of all precipitation falls in summer. The moisture coefficient is everywhere greater than 1. Permafrost is widespread in the north of the zone. Lots of swamps and rivers. Swamps various types, but ridge-hollow peats predominate; there are ridge-lake and swamp peats. Swamps are confined to the lowest places with stagnant moisture. On the hills, ridges of interfluves, on the terraces of river valleys, coniferous forests of spruce, fir, and cedar grow. In some places there are pine, larch, birch, and aspen. To the south of the taiga, 50-200 km wide, stretches a strip of small-leaved forests of birch and, to a lesser extent, aspen, on soddy-podzolic soils. The fauna is represented by Siberian species, but there are also “Europeans” (marten, european mink, otter). The most typical are brown bear, wolverine, lynx, sable, chipmunk, squirrel, fox, wolf, water rat, elk, many birds whose life is connected with coniferous forest(nutcracker, bee-eater, kuksha, wood grouse, woodpeckers, owls, etc.), but there are few songbirds (hence the name “dead taiga”).

The forest-steppe stretches in a narrow strip (150-300 km) from the Urals to the Salair Ridge and Altai. The climate is temperate continental, with harsh winters with little snow and hot, dry summers. The average temperature in January is -17˚C-20˚C, and in July +18˚C+20˚C, (maximum +41˚C). Snow cover is 30-40 cm, annual precipitation is 400-450 mm. The moisture coefficient is less than 1. Suffusion processes are characteristic; there are lakes, some of which are saline. The forest-steppe is a combination of aspen-birch coppices on gray forest soils and areas of meadow steppes on chernozems. The forest cover of the zone ranges from 25% in the north to 5% in the south. The steppes are mostly plowed. The fauna is represented by forest and steppe species. In the steppes and floodplain meadows, rodents predominate - gophers, hamsters, ground hare, voles, and there is a brown hare. In the groves there are foxes, wolves, weasels, ermine, polecats, white hare, roe deer, black grouse, partridges, and in the ponds there are a lot of fish.

The steppe zone occupies the extreme south of Western Siberia. Unlike the steppes of the Russian Plain, there are more lakes here and the climate is more continental (little rainfall, cold winters). The average temperature in January is -17˚C-19˚C, and in July +20˚C+22˚C. Annual precipitation is 350-400 mm, with 75% of precipitation falling in summer. The humidification coefficient ranges from 0.7 in the north to 0.5 in the south of the zone. In summer there are droughts and hot winds, which leads to dust storms. The rivers are transit, small rivers dry up in summer. There are many lakes, mostly of suffusion origin, almost all salty. The soils are chernozem, in the south dark chestnut. There are salt marshes. The plowed state of the steppes reaches 90%. In the remaining areas of the steppes, various feather grasses, fescue, thyme, zopnik, wormwood, iris, steppe onion, tulip, etc. grow. In saline areas, saltwort, licorice, sweet clover, wormwood, chiya, etc. grow. In wetter places there are caragana shrubs , spirea, rose hips, honeysuckle, etc., enter the south along river valleys pine forests. In the floodplains of rivers there are swampy meadows. The fauna is represented by various rodents (ground squirrel, hamster, marmots, voles, pikas, etc.), among predators are the steppe ferret, corsac fox, wolf, weasel, among birds - the steppe eagle, buzzard, kestrel, larks; on the lakes there are waterfowl. In Western Siberia, 4 nature reserves have been created: Malaya Sosva, Yugansky, Verkhne-Tazovsky, Gydansky.

Huge territory Russian Federation located on 2 continents - Europe and Asia, which border each other along the line of the Ural Mountains. In the west of the Asian part Russian state, between Ural mountains And Far East, the expanses of Siberia are located. In accordance with tectonic boundaries and features geographical zones it is divided into several natural areas. In a more generalized form, Siberia is divided into 2 parts - Western and Eastern.

The basis of Western Siberia

Fundamental element of this region is a lowland called the West Siberian Plain. The geographical feature constitutes approximately 80% of the entire geographical region, which is approximately equal to 3 million km². On the map, its boundaries resemble a trapezoid with a wide base (south) and a narrow apex (north).

Boundaries of the Plain

From the west it is supported by the mountain ranges of the Urals.
On the opposite side it is limited by the Yenisei watershed.
On the southern side – the Kazakhstan small hills of Sary-Arka and the foothills of the Altai Territory.
The north of the lowland is outlined by the winding coast of the Kara Sea and its bays.

Character traits

There are several features that most clearly characterize the West Siberian Plain:

The fluctuation in heights has a very small amplitude (only 200 m) for such a large space.
Natural-climatic zones in the north-south direction are widely covered, tied to latitudes and have distinct transitions, which is due to their large extent and flat topography. This latitudinal zonation is called classical.
The absence of slopes at the surface forms a large number of swamp landscapes in the northern part of the lowland and salt accumulation landscapes in the southern part.
The climate is transitional between moderate continental in the west and sharply continental in the east.

Geological structure

The tectonic plate on which the West Siberian Plain is located bears the same name. The plate belongs to the Hercynian orogeny, characterized by the collapse of sediments into mountain folds - the Hercynides. In accordance with the name of the era of tectogenesis, the plate is also called Hercynian or Epihercynian.

The foundation of the plate was based on Paleozoic sediments, which, as a result of subsequent tectonic movements (folded dislocation), changed the original structure of the formations.

At the end of the Jurassic period, due to destruction and fractures, a huge section of the mountain formation sank below sea level. The result was the formation of a new basin followed by sedimentogenesis (deposition of particles).

In the last Paleogene era there was reverse movement, the plate rose and got rid of the waters of the world's oceans. However, this was not the end of the alternating lowering and raising of the slab - it was repeated again.

Therefore, a powerful, leveling cover of loose substance, both marine and continental deposits of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic, was formed on top of the Hercynides basement. Ice Ages added moraine deposits in the northern part.

The average thickness of the sedimentary cover is more than 1 km, and in low areas of the basement the thickness reaches 4 km.

Relief characteristics

Despite the meager elevation difference, the plain still has a varied topography. That is, here you can observe the presence of both lowlands and hills. There are also sloping plains in the range of reliefs. There are also a fair amount of plateaus.

The north and center are represented mainly by low areas, among which the following lowlands can be noted:

Nizhneobskaya, Nadymskaya and Purskaya in the north
Kondinskaya and Sredneobskaya in the center

Elevated areas are located mainly on 3 sides on the periphery, among which are:

North Sosva Upland and Turin Sloping Plain in the west
Ishim steppe, Chulym-Yenisei and Priob plateaus in the south
Ket-Tym Upland in the east

Some relief changes have recently occurred as a result of human activity– mining and agricultural. As a result of disruption of the natural structure of rocks, as well as chemicalization of the soil with fertilizers, erosion processes are accelerated.