Central Siberian Plateau lies to the north of Eurasia.The area of land - about half a million kilometers.What is the position of the Central Siberian Plateau on a map?From the south lie the mountains Sayan area, located Baikal and the Baikal region.The western part of the border of the West Siberian Plain, north - with North Siberian lowland east - with the Central Yakut plain.
Surroundings
length of the Central Siberian Plateau from north to south - about 3 thousand kilometers.The territory formed sedimentary rocks of the Paleozoic, Mesozoic partially.For the reservoir area are also characteristic of the intrusion: basalt covers and traps.The region is rich in deposits of iron, copper and nickel ores, graphite, coal and salt.There is mined diamonds and natural gas.Climate - continental, and saved almost the entire territory, despite the fact that the length of the Central Siberian Plateau quite impressive.Winter is frosty temperature of air - 20-40 degrees, the maximum - to -70.Summer is cool and relatively warm (12-20 degrees).The amount of precipitation in a year decreases in the direction from west to east - from 800 to 200 millimeters.Almost everywhere prevalent permafrost.Special different western slopes of the snow-covered plateau Putorana.Among the major rivers should be noted Lower Tunguska, Angara, Stony Tunguska, Viluy, Lena, Khatanga.These and other waterways belong to the basin of the Arctic Ocean.Central Siberian Plateau, the length of which, as mentioned above, is quite large, mostly covered with larch (light coniferous) taiga.In the southern part of the common pine and larch and pine forests.
Characteristics of the Central Siberian Plateau
Much of the territory occupied by the plateau.It is a wide and flat between the rivers, often swampy.Central Siberian Plateau, whose height average - no more than 500-700 meters in some areas rises above 1000 m (up to 1,071).The base platform is occupied Archean-Proterozoic folded basement.It is the sedimentary cover of the late period.Layer thickness - about 10-12 kilometers.In the northern and south-western part of the rock outcrop (Aldan shield Anabaysky array Pribaikalskaya lifting).Thickness of the crust is generally 25-30 km in some areas - up to 45 kilometers.The relief of the Central Siberian Plateau is that this area is significantly rises above the sea level.
structure foundation territory
Platform make several kinds of rocks.Among them are the marbles, schists, and other charnockites.According to experts, the age of some of them - about three to four billion years old.The sedimentary cover up is not such ancient sediments.The formation of these rocks belong to the period of human origin.Paleozoic magmatic rocks are penetrated.They were formed during the many eruptions, frozen in the sedimentary rocks.These layers are called traps.Because of alternating layers of sedimentary (more fragile) rocks and formed a stepped relief area.The most common traps are found in the area of the Tunguska basin.In the Mesozoic Central Siberian Plateau for the most part experienced uplift.As a result, it formed Putorana plateau.This is the highest point on the entire territory.Raising the surface continued in the Cenozoic.At the same time began to emerge and the river network.Also Putorana plateau, intensive lifting was observed in the Yenisei, the Anabar Massif.Processes that took place subsequently, led to changes in river network.This is the tectonic structure of the Central Siberian Plateau.I should say that to have survived some traces of river systems that existed in ancient times.Mobility and power of the glaciers in the area was small, so much influence on the relief they did not have (as in other parts of the world, for example).Raising continued in the post-glacial period.
Description river systems
Central Siberian Plateau - plain with a relief pologovolnistym of Entre Rios and deep (in some places kanonoobrazymi) river valleys.The greatest depth of pools - up to a thousand meters.Such formations are common in the west of Putorana plateau.The minimum depth - 100 m. Such areas are found in the Central Plateau Tunguska, Siberia and North Central Yakutian lowlands.Almost all river valleys in Central Siberia canyon and have an asymmetrical shape.A distinctive feature of pools - a large number (six to nine) terraces.These sites point to repeated tectonic uplift of the area.The North Siberian lowlands and river valleys on the Taimyr Peninsula formed in later periods.In this terrace there occur in fewer - even in the largest pools of no more than three or four.
Device features of the crust
the entire relief are four groups:
- logs, peeling, plateaus, highlands and middle arrays.Latest located at the entry of the crystalline basement.
- Plateau and reservoir elevations.They are on the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.
- reservoir-accumulative and accumulative plains.
- Volcanic Plateau.
direction of the Central Siberian Plateau began to form since ancient times.It should be noted that the processes taking place today.Shifts in ancient times, and now have the same direction.However, this is not specific for the entire area.Erosion processes in the territory, where the Central Siberian Plateau, difficult long-term permafrost.It prevents, among other things, the formation of karst forms bark - natural wells, caves and a number of rocks (gypsum, limestone and others).In areas where the Central Siberian Plateau, there are not typical for other areas of Russia ancient glacial relict education.Karst forms are found only in some southern regions.In these areas there is permafrost.These include, in particular, the Leno-Aldan and Lena-Angara plateau.However, as the main small relief forms across the countryside are the still cryogenic and erosion.Heavy monsoon when sharply continental climate contributed to the formation on the surface of the plateau, the slopes of the river valleys and mountain ranges of the large number of placers and rocky talus.Almost everywhere in the common areas of permafrost.It favors the preservation of the average annual temperature is low and especially cold period inherent in climate.Among other things, for the area is characterized by low cloudiness, which promotes a night of heat.The variety of soil due to the heterogeneity of the rock, humidity, terrain, features flora, temperature regime.The environment has a significant impact on the species composition of flora and fauna, and the external color, quantity, as well as a way of life of animals and the development of vegetation.
Flora and Fauna
Taiga covers about 70% of the territory.On the Central Siberian Plateau is prevalent in light-wood, consisting in the west of the Siberian larch in the east - dahurica.Coniferous plants pushed to the extreme western areas.Because not very humid and relatively warm summer this area more than in any forest advanced to the north.The harsh climate scalp from fur animals acquired silky and special splendor.The fauna of the taiga is very diverse.From wild animals are common fox, wolverine, ermine, columns, sable and others.Of the hoofed animals inhabit the territory of the musk deer and moose.Very common in the forest rodents, especially numerous proteins.This beast is a special place in the fur trade.Key areas of habitat proteins - dark coniferous taiga.Of the remaining rodent species are rather numerous vole, hare, chipmunk.Among the species of birds common white partridge, grouse.In 1930, the territory of the Central Siberian Plateau was introduced muskrat.This animal inhabits mostly slow rivers, ponds, where a large number of marsh vegetation.Many animals, common in the territory, much larger than their relatives living in the milder climates.
Putorana Plateau in the northern part lies somewhat strange, lonely, but beautiful place."The Lost World" - so called journalists the area.The few tourists who come in here talking about this place, as a region with ten thousand lakes and thousands of waterfalls.Putorana Plateau - a mysterious and majestic terrain that is not similar to any other.There are many gorges, lakes, waterfalls and crystal clear rivers.Against the backdrop of snow and stones stand out bright northern flowers.
brief description of the territory
Putorana Plateau lies beyond the boundaries of the Arctic Circle.This is the highest point of the Central Siberian Plateau.It was formed, according to scientists, about 10-12 million years ago.The formation of the territory contributed a powerful earthquake that affected a large part of Eurasia.The process led to the formation of large islands in the Kara and Barents Seas.After the earthquake changed climate (it began to dominate the harsh cold), as well as fauna and vegetation.Today, the plateau is a kind of "layer cake" formed a huge amount of lava outpourings.In some places, the basalt formations there are about two dozen.Almost all the time during the year on the tops of snow.Precisely because of this in the so many water sources.Home snowmelt occurs in August.
Legends of Putorana plateau
Epic northern peoples keeps a lot of legends about this forsaken area.Nganasan, Nenets and Evenk, who lived in ancient times in its territory, here believe that God dwells Fire - tormentor of human souls, the master of hell.According to scientists, these beliefs are associated with is relatively recent (4-5 thous. Years ago) volcanic eruptions.Says one of the Evenki legends, fiery spirit, escaped from the abyss, to soar above Khatanga, causing the boiling waters of the river, the village of searing, burning taiga, destroying livestock and people.On the plateau is Khantayskoye lake.Local people call it the chalice of tears.This lake is considered one of the deepest in the entire territory of Russia.The depth of the pool reaches five hundred meters.Earlier Khantayskoye lake considered sacred.Nenets and Evenk girl came to him through the centuries, to complain about his share of the goddess Eshnu and see their future destiny in its waters.According to ancient legend, the god of Fire in ancient times, killing the only son of the goddess Eshnu.His immortal soul master of Hell took to his underground lair.Heartbroken Eshnu cried for a long time until it turned into a black basaltic rock.Her tears dried filled once the heat of the basin.And tears formed Bowl.
Life on Putorana Plateau today
on its territory for many decades, there is only one permanent settlement.Not far from Lake Agatha is a meteorological station.On it there are about ten people, they watched the clock on changing weather conditions.But meteorologists are watching and mysterious phenomena described misses the reports.So, for example, recall the old weather station employees annually from 25th December to 7th January, from the seventies of the last century, almost every evening in the area of hundred-meter frozen waterfall Habarba into the sky from the ground raised concentric rotating circles.In a few minutes they form a giant glowing spiral, stretching high into the starry sky.This phenomenon lasts no more than fifteen minutes.Then spiral fades and dissolves into darkness.There is another mystery Putorana plateau.On the surface - the natural hexagonal pavement - appear from time to time, scorched geometric shapes - triangles, ovals, circles.
processes occurring in the Earth's crust, and the next forecast
Today, for no apparent reason occurs annually lifting plateau and a half centimeters, resulting in increasingly deepened the basement tectonic faults.This fact suggests that the underground occur quite intensive processes.Given the rising throughout geological activity, scientists are increasingly vocal about that soon (foreseeable) future we can expect in the territory of another natural disaster.Experts suggest three possible scenarios.In the first case, instead of the plateau formed by a young, but very active volcanic formations.In the second scenario assumes a series of powerful earthquakes in the next century.As a result of these processes is the new rock formation split the Central Siberian Plateau from north to south down to the Eastern Sayan.In the third, the worst case, there will be serious geological processes similar in intensity to a large-scale natural disaster.This can lead to a huge rift in the joint portion of the Siberian Platform and the West Siberian Plain in the area of the basin of the Yenisei.As a result, the Taimyr Peninsula turned into an island, with water from the Laptev Sea continental flooded crevice formed.
