Chemical composition of water in Lake Taimyr. Lake Taimyr: interesting facts, photos, where it is located on the map, the origin of Lake Taimyr. Scientific research of the animal world
The Taimyr Peninsula is located between the Khatanga and Yenisei gulfs. On the territory of the peninsula there is one of the largest freshwater bodies of water on the Arctic coast - Lake Taimyr, which ranks second in size after Lake Baikal. According to some sources, the name of the peninsula and the lake originates from the ancient Tunguska “tamura” - expensive, valuable.
History of origin
Lake Taimyr was formed as a result of the expansion of a section of the Upper Taimyr River. This happened in the middle of the Late Neopleistocene. Many thousands of years ago, the river fell into a small depression in the earth's crust and filled it to the brim, forming the current foundation pit.
When the ancient glacier that covered the Byrranga Mountains began to melt, lake water began to flow through a tectonic chasm into the Kara Sea. However, the depth of this crack was small and did not allow all the lake water to escape into the sea. This is how a large blue spot appeared on the map of Eastern Siberia - Lake. Taimyr.
Even earlier, on the site of this reservoir there was a sea bay, as evidenced by the flora and fauna more typical of the sea.
Over time, the geography and ecosystem of this region has undergone some changes. According to researcher Urvantsev, from the mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the water level in Taimyr decreased by 1 meter. There is an opinion that in 500 years the lake will disappear completely and in its place there will be a river with several tributaries.
Geographical features
Geographically Lake Taimyr located beyond the Arctic Circle in the tundra climate zone, at the foot of the Byrranga mountain system. Its height is 5 meters above sea level. The formation of the coasts occurred under the influence of climate and geological changes:
Taimyr Lake has several bays:
- Yuka-Yama.
- Baikura-Nehru.
- Yamu-Bakura.
- Yamu-Nera.
They were formed under the influence of tectonic processes - opening cracks in the earth's crust that appeared during uplift mountain range Byrranga. When examining the rock sections that form the shores, numerous ice lenses can be found.
There are about a dozen small islands in this body of water. The largest of them - Botlin Island - has a length of 3−4 km.
In winter, there is a significant amount of precipitation around the reservoir, but strong winds do not allow the formation of a thick snow cover. Since the depth of Taimyr is shallow, severe turbidity is often observed during storms. In summer, the water level rises, and at the end of August it decreases by almost 75% until the following spring. Due to the change in depth, the area of the mirror also decreases. Every winter the lake freezes 2-3 meters deep. Massive sheets of ice contribute to the formation of cracks and fall with a loud crash and noise.
The reservoir is fed by melting snow that accumulates during the winter. Due to the presence of permafrost, surface meltwater flows into the basin with a minimal amount of seepage into the ground. A small percentage of nutrition comes from meltwater from fossil ice and sub-permafrost water. However, surface runoff waters carry with them into the basin a large number of sand and silt. Thanks to this, there are so many shallows in Taimyr.
The southern and western parts of Taimyr are characterized by shallow waters, since here the coast is formed by loose rocks that are easily eroded. In these places, the shallows have a sandy and silty structure. On the eastern side the sediments consist of pebbles and large boulders, while on the northern and western shores they consist of sand, crushed stone and pebbles. This composition is due to the strongest currents from the northern side of the lake.
Several rivers flow into the reservoir basin. The largest of them is Upper Taimyr. Its sources are located on the southern slopes of the Byrranga ridge. Flowing into the lake, this river forms a wide delta with a large number of islands, shallows, etc. The river has tributaries - Gorbita, Luktakh, Bolshaya Logata. The second largest river that flows into the lake on the eastern side is the Bicada. Its beginning is also located on the southern slope of the Byrranga chain, but somewhat to the northeast.
The Nizhnyaya Taimyr River flows from the lake and flows into the Kara Sea.
Climatic conditions
Average annual temperature at the location of the lake it is -13.4 °C. The highest temperatures occur in July and are +12.3 °C. The northernmost part of the peninsula is covered with snow throughout the year. In its southern part, the duration of summer does not exceed 6 weeks.
Taimyr is located in geographical areas tundra and forest-tundra, permafrost is present almost everywhere here. Compared to other areas of the peninsula, the climate in the lake area is somewhat milder. In winter there is constant rainfall here. In summer, the sun's rays illuminate the surface of the lake throughout the day. At this time the lake comes to life. Storms often occur on the lake in summer.
Thanks to a large amount of ultraviolet rays the air in these places is very clean. This helps to increase the general tone of warm-blooded organisms, including humans.
Winter comes very early on the lake; most of the water quickly cools down and turns into ice.
Special climatic conditions leave their mark on the flora and fauna of this area:
The lake has interesting feature- it completely lacks higher algae. In this regard, aquatic inhabitants feed mainly on plankton. Another amazing feature is the presence in the waters of Taimyr of representatives of the eco-complexes of the sea and Lake Baikal. And if the appearance sea creatures can be explained by the flooding of the lake basin by sea waters, the presence of representatives of the Baikal complex is difficult for scientists to explain. According to one version, previously the hydrography of this region was significantly different and all Baikal living organisms came here with the waters of the Yenisei River during the Ice Age.
Ecological tourism
Nowadays in Taimyr projects for the development of eco-tourism are being developed. It is planned to open a visitor center and provide limited visit areas in the territories of existing reserves.
The district authorities plan to develop and popularize tourist routes to Lake Taimyr, the Putorana Plateau and the Shrenk River. It is planned to organize helicopter excursions here. A photo hunt for walruses and polar bears can be organized on Dikson Island.
According to expert calculations, the peninsula can receive about 80 thousand tourists annually.
Taimyr- a lake in the Asian part of Russia, on the Taimyr Peninsula in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The name of the lake is of Evenki origin from the ancient Tunguska “tamura” (“valuable, expensive, rich”) - this is how the Evenki called the river. Taimyr, abundant in fish.
Taimyr is the world's northernmost natural large lake; belongs to the Kara Sea basin. The first exploration of this area and Lake Taimyr was carried out in the 1730s, when the Great Northern Expedition was organized. In the 1840s The Taimyr Peninsula was explored by A.F. Middendorf. Expedition at the beginning of the 20th century. found that the lake level dropped by a meter between 1854 and 1930, which could be explained by rapid erosion of the river valley. Taimyrs. In the 20th century Many scientific institutes and departments conducted expeditionary research on the lake with the support of the Khatanga air squad. The polar station “Lake Taimyr” in Expectation Bay was closed in 1995, its restoration began in 2000.
The lake lies on the border of the Arctic and subarctic zones in the zone of moss-lichen and shrub tundra in an area of widespread permafrost. Its drainage area is located within the Byrranga Mountains and the North Siberian (Taimyr) Lowland. The lake was formed in the second half of the Late Neopleistocene. According to hydrobiological data, this lake is of relict origin; in the past, the lake area was in a zone of marine transgression. The lake itself is a freshwater reservoir of considerable size, stretching 180–190 km in the latitudinal direction. The lake basin is a greatly expanded section of the river. Taimyr, which filled a tectonic crack that formed during the melting of the ice sheet. There are up to 10 islands in the lake, the largest of which is. Botlin with a length of up to 3–4 km. The coast is heavily indented with shallow bays and bays. Gentle South coast composed of loose sediments Quaternary period. The northern coast, with outcrops of older bedrock, rises sharply to the foothills of the Byrranga ridge, from which numerous tributaries flow into the Taimyr.
The lake stretches from southwest to northeast and has four reaches. In the central part there is a small basin with a depth of up to 25.2 m, and the main area has a depth of less than five meters. The water's edge is at an altitude of 3–5 m. The area of the lake is 4560 km 2, the volume of water is 12.8 km 3. Taimyr is the largest lake Krasnoyarsk Territory and the 5th lake in Russia in terms of water surface area.
The average annual air temperature in the area is -13.4°C, the average temperature of the warmest month, July, is +12.3°C. Despite the large amount of precipitation, in winter the formation of snow cover is hampered by strong winds and flat terrain. In summer there are frequent storms, during which severe turbidity of the water occurs due to the shallow depth of the lake. The climate in the vicinity of the lake is warmer than in the surrounding tundra. In summer, the air temperature rises to +21–25°C.
The Taimyr River flows through the lake (before it flows into the lake - Upper Taimyr, after the lake - Lower Taimyr), originating on the southern slopes of the Byrranga ridge and flowing into the Taimyr Bay of the Kara Sea.
Main tributaries of Lake Taimyr (large and medium rivers)
| Inflow | Length | Basin area (km 2) |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Taimyr | 567 | 50400 |
| Bicada | 64 | 14200 |
| Yamu-Tarida | 243 | 5090 |
| Northern | 129 | 2070 |
The lake is fed mainly due to the melting of the accumulated winter period snow. Permafrost, widespread throughout the basin, contributes to the rapid roll-off of surface runoff from the catchment area in the spring and prevents moisture from seeping into the ground. Some additional sources of nutrition on the Taimyr Peninsula are the melting of fossil ice in the coastal cliffs of rivers and the very insignificant entry of sub-permafrost (juvenile) waters into the lake. In the basin of the lake, the tributaries leave almost all the particles they carry. Sands and silts gradually fill the lake basin and form extensive shallows. The western and southern regions of the lake are especially shallow, where the shores consist of easily eroded rocks. In the eastern regions, pebble-boulder deposits are most often found in the form of screes of collapsing banks. Gray silt deposits were found at the bottom of the central basin and deep-sea depressions.
The water temperature in August is +8°C, in winter – up to 1°C. A thermobar is formed in the deep-water part of the lake, and with insignificant winds a thermocline is formed. The duration of freeze-up is nine months (from late September to July), and a significant part of the lake (up to 80%) freezes to the bottom. The basin fills with water from the beginning of summer until August (the rise in level reaches 4–5 m) and over the remaining months it loses up to 75% of water, which is due to the virtual absence of ground nutrition. During this period of rising levels, the outflow of water from the lake through the river. Taimyru is held back by ice jams on the river. After clearing the riverbed, a rapid decrease in water level occurs, which continues at a slower pace until the following spring. A change in level during the year leads to a significant – up to 30–50% – change in the mirror area. The shallow depth and drop in water level by an average of 6 m during the winter period lead to deformation of the ice cover and cracking. The ice thickness reaches 2–3 m.
The mineralization of the water is very low – 26 mg/l. Water transparency is low (0.3–1.8 m), the amount of suspended solids reaches 13.6 mg/l. Higher aquatic vegetation is completely absent. However, the lake is characterized by a high phosphorus content (up to 49 µg/l on the surface and 73 µg/l at the bottom), which favors the development of planktonic organisms. In August, diatoms reach their greatest diversity; green and blue-green algae are also found. Low values of chlorophyll concentration (0.12–0.4 mg/m3) with a relatively high biomass content (400–1030 mg/m3) are due to low water temperatures. Zooplankton is represented by rotifers, cladocerans and copepods. The average biomass of zooplankton during the period of open water is 0.2 g/m3, in winter it is 4 times less (0.05 g/m3).
The basis of fish food supply is bottom organisms. Lake silt is the richest in them (biomass 5 g/m2); The benthofauna is represented by oligochaetes and amphipods. Sandy soils occupy the coastal zone, which makes up 26% of the total bottom area and freezes in winter, so the population density of organisms here is quite low (biomass 0.3 g/m2).
The lake is home to 20 species of fish: in terms of commercial importance, the main ones are whitefish and char. Low fish productivity is determined by harsh living conditions and a rather poor food supply; the food chain of aquatic animals is based on phytoplankton. During the winter period, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water decreases, as the organic substances brought in in the summer are oxidized.
The Taimyr Islands are a nesting site for migratory birds - red-breasted geese, geese, etc. Since 1983, the lake has become part of the Taimyr Nature Reserve. There are no permanent settlements on the coast. The waters of Taimyr suffer from mechanical pollution (extraction of sand and gravel by hydraulic alluvium, dredging). According to the new project for the development of mass tourism, it is planned to open a visitor center in Taimyr, as well as to allocate tourist areas and restricted visit zones on the territory of nature reserves.
M.G. Grechushnikova
Lake Taimyr, against the backdrop of many lakes in the Arctic, is the largest and second only to Lake Baikal in size. Located on the Taimyr Peninsula. Belongs to the Kara Sea basin.
The ancient Tungus used the word “tamur” to mean wealth and value. One can only be amazed at how generously nature has endowed this region and its largest body of water.
Lake on the map
Located on the Krasnoyarsk Peninsula, the lake turned out to be the northernmost settlement on the planet. The Taimyr Nature Reserve accepted him into its family. Situated in a tectonic basin, it is surrounded to the north by the Byrranga Mountains and north coast rises steeply to the foothills.
On the south side the coast is flat and crumbly. In the western part, rocky islands adjoin the reservoir, and in the eastern part there is the sandy island of Soklov-Mikitov.
Story
Lake Taimyr was formed at the end of the Late Neopleistocene. It was a freshwater reservoir, the basin was a wide section of the Taimyr River, and during the melting of the ice sheet, the waters filled the resulting tectonic crack.
Lake Taimyr photo
Vasily Pronchishchev was the first to explore the lake and the area around it in 1730 during the Great Northern Expedition.
Depth of Lake Taimyr
The deepest place in Taimyr is its eastern part, where the maximum depth is 26 meters, while average level water is approaching 6 meters. Depending on the season, the height above sea level can reach only 1.5 meters.
rocky shores of Lake Taimyr photo
The shallowing of the reservoir is influenced by the Lower Taimyr River, which, flowing out of it, carves a channel for itself, thereby lowering the water level.
What kind of fish are found in the lake?
The pearl of the Arctic boasts an abundance of fish - about 20 species. Salmon family:
- Muksun. A delicacy, especially when lightly salted. Local residents make stroganina out of it
- Vendace. Reaches 35 cm. Whitefish. Valuable commercial fish
- Peled Lake and river fish
- Tugun. Freshwater fish, known as Sosvinskaya herring
- Taimen. Reaches 2 m in length and up to 80 kg in weight
- Loach. Predatory fish with a naked body. Changes color according to its habitat.
Sturgeon:
- Sturgeon is famous for its caviar, delicious meat and dorsal string. Fish glue is made from swim bladders
- Sterlet. Length reaches 120cm, weight – about 16 kg
- Siberian sculpin goby. Rarely seen. Mostly hides under rocks.
What animals live
The most numerous representatives of the animal world are reindeer, which migrate seasonally.
- Predators: wolverines; wolves; arctic foxes; brown bears.
- The coast is inhabited by: hares; stoats; foxes; lemmings; moose; muskox.
- Birds nest on the lake: loons; geese; seagulls; wagtails.
- The tundra is inhabited by: owls; sparrows; White-tailed eagle.
- Ducks, geese, seagulls, herons and other migratory birds nest along the banks
red-breasted goose photo
Characteristics of the lake
The water basin has an elongated shape and extends from southwest to northeast, and has four wide expanses of water between the islands.
- Coastline length – 4560 km
- The total volume of the pool is 12.8 cubic km
- The average depth of the lake is 3 m
- Maximum depth 26m
- Height above sea level – 6 m
- Lake area - 4560 square km, can be reduced to 1200 square km
- Ice thickness – 2-3 m
- Freezes to the bottom - 84% of the entire lake
- When the lake level drops, the volume of water is lost - up to 75%
- Snow lake nutrition
Climate
Due to the location of Taimyr in difficult northern conditions, permafrost surrounds it everywhere. And only in the lake area is the climate warmer. Throughout the year, the average temperature does not fall below -13.4°C. In July, the warmest month, the air warms up to +12.3°C.
Winter is characterized by endless precipitation, and strong winds prevent the formation of a blanket of snow. In summer, the sun shines all day long, and Taimyr wakes up, and its mirror surface is disturbed by storms, which can be very strong. The wave sometimes rises to 1 meter.
During the short polar summer, plants develop faster. Birds are in a hurry to lay eggs, and chicks are in a hurry to be born.
What rivers flow into
- Taimyr River. The Upper Taimyr (length 567 km, basin area 50,400 square km) flows into the lake, passes through it and exits the Lower Taimyr
- Bikada River. The length is 64 km, the basin area is 14,200 square km
- Yamu-Tarida River. Length – 243 km, basin – 5090 square km
- Northern River. Length – 129 km, basin area 2070 square km
One river flows out of the lake - the Taimyr.
Attractions
- Near the lake there is a museum of Mammoth and musk ox. It contains a large collection of ancient animal remains.
- The permafrost museum, carved out of a cave, maintains a temperature of -1°C even at -40°C below zero. Numerous mammoth tusks are on display.
- Natural-ethnographic museum. Rich in materials from the flora and fauna of the Arctic.
- Literary Museum of the poetess Ogduo Aksenova.
- Ancient and northernmost mountain range Byrranga, with a length of more than 1100 km.
- Thanks to the abundance of ultraviolet rays, pathogenic microbes cannot multiply. The air is incredibly clean, which allows living organisms to tolerate harsh climates well.
- Due to the low temperature and shallow depth, up to 80% of Taimyr freezes to the bottom.
- There are no residential settlements. All that was left was a non-working weather station.
- The lake is saturated with phytoplankton, which allows the underwater wildlife to thrive.
- Higher aquatic plants do not grow due to low temperatures.
Krasnoyarsk Territory is one of the prosperous and attractive regions of Russia. It abounds in many lakes, varying in area, origin, depth and water mineralization. There are approximately 323 thousand lakes in the Krasnoyarsk Territory various types, such as taiga, mountain and steppe, also among them created by man or nature itself. 
More than 86% of the lakes in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are located outside the Arctic Circle. Taimyr is the largest northern lake beyond the Arctic Circle, on the Taimyr Peninsula. Lake Taimyr is the northernmost lake in the world. Its area is approximately 4560 sq. km. The main tributaries of Lake Taimyr are the Upper, Northern and Western Taimyr, Yamu-Tarida and Binada-Nguoma rivers. The lake itself is the source of a river called Nizhnyaya Taimyr. Almost all the time, namely from September to July, the lake is under ice. The water in August does not heat above +7°C, in winter it is approximately +1°C. The spring season is characterized by rising water levels due to flood waters. Lake Taimyr is not covered with ice for only 74 days.
The main importance of the lake is fishing. The northernmost lake is home to such species of Arctic fish as muksun, whitefish, char and others. Inactive weather station is the only building within the lake. There are no settlements or any dwellings in the area of Lake Taimyr. Nevertheless, tourists come here, and Lake Taimyr surprises with its northern beauty and aesthetic landscapes.
