For the West Siberian Plain are characteristic. The largest plains in Russia: names, map, borders, climate and photos

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 Ural mountains and to the mighty Yenisei. The whole area consists of two bowl-shaped flat depressions and many wetlands. Between these depressions stretch the Siberian Ridges, which rise to 180-200 meters.

The West Siberian Plain is a rather interesting and fascinating moment that deserves detailed consideration. The natural object located almost at the same distance between the Atlantic and the continental center of the mainland. 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 provides interesting climatic conditions. Therefore, the weather in most of the plain has a temperate continental character. From the north, large arctic masses enter 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 south and north sides temperature regime can vary from -15 °С to -30 °С. Most low rate in winter it was recorded in the north-east of Siberia - down to -45 °С.

Humidity on 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 possession of the entire south of the plain, and the humid front moves to the north, thunderstorms and downpours 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 necessary to talk about the water system. A huge number of rivers flow through this territory, as well as numerous lakes and swamps. The biggest and deep river- Ob with a tributary of the Irtysh. It is not only the largest in the region, but also one of the largest in the world. In terms of its area and length, the Ob dominates among the rivers of Russia. Still here flow suitable for navigation water streams Pur, Nadym, Tobol and Taz.

Plain in terms of the number of swamps is the world record holder. Such a vast territory is not found on the globe. Marshes occupy an area of ​​800 thousand square meters. km. There are several reasons for their formation: excessive moisture, the flat surface of the plain, a large number of peat, as well as 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. On its vast swampy areas there is a large supply of peat - approximately 60% of the total amount in Russia. There are deposits 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 quite poor compared to neighboring regions. This is especially noticeable in the taiga and tundra zone. The reason for such a poverty of plants is 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 territory. All species that live here are common with the rest of the regions, both neighboring ones, and the entire mainland of Eurasia.

The West Siberian Plain is one of the most extensive territories that are part of Eurasia.

Its length is 2500 km. The plain originates from the coast of the Arctic Ocean and goes to the semi-desert regions of Kazakhstan. The length of the territory from the Ural Mountains to the Yenisei is 1500 km.

Rice. 1. West Siberian Plain on the map.

The area is located in two bowl-shaped flat depressions with many areas of wetlands.

The Siberian Ridges are located in the depressions.

Rice. 2. Siberian Ridges.

They go up to 180-200 meters.

The geographical location of the West Siberian Plain is an extremely curious and noteworthy moment. This aspect needs detailed analysis. The natural object is located almost at the same distance from the Atlantic and the continental center of the mainland. Almost 2.5 million sq. km is a flat area.

Siberia was included in Russian Empire in the XVI-XVII centuries.

The areas of the West Siberian Plain include 80% of the area of ​​Western Siberia.

The plain from above to the north has the form of a tapering trapezoid and is almost entirely located on the territory of Russia, only a small part of it is located within Kazakhstan.

Landscape Features

The uniqueness and peculiarity of the plain lies in the fact that the heights in the territory are expressed to a small extent.

The flat terrain consists for the most part of lowlands, which are dotted with many river channels. And 70% of the territory is occupied by swampy manifestations.

The original landscapes of the northern taiga region cover 11% of the entire territory of the West Siberian Plain.

Rice. 3. Wetlands of the West Siberian Plain.

The individual features of the relief are as follows:

• small height difference over a wide area;
• north-south orientation and virtually flat surface;
• the presence of extensive swampy areas and salt-containing landscapes in the steppe zone;

The lowland stretches from the shores of the Arctic Ocean and reaches the southern steppe areas of Kazakhstan.

The plain is unique in that five natural areas with their characteristic landscape and climatic features.

The local relief is common for low-lying river basins. The alternation of swampy areas with small lowlands is typical for the interfluve area. The southern regions of the plain are characterized by the presence of saline groundwater.

What have we learned?

We got an idea of ​​the territorial position of the West Siberian Plain. We found out what is the peculiarity of the flat landscape. We found out what percentage belongs to the original landscapes of the northern part of the taiga.

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Between the Urals in the west and the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. OK. 3 million km². The length from north to south is up to 2500 km, from west to east up to 1900 km. Height from 50 150 m in the northern and central parts to 300 m in the western, southern and ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

WESTERN SIBERIAN PLAIN, between the Urals in the west and the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. OK. 3 million km2. The length from north to south is up to 2500 km, from west to east up to 1900 km. Altitude from 50 to 150 m in northern and central parts up to 300 m in ... ... Russian history

One of the largest on earth. Takes b. h. Zap. Siberia, stretching from the coast of the Kara Sea in the north to the Kazakh uplands in the south, from the Urals in the west to the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. OK. 3 million km². Wide flat or ... Geographic Encyclopedia

Between the Urals in the west and the Central Siberian Plateau in the east About 3 million km2. The length from north to south is up to 2500 km, from west to east up to 1900 km. Height from 50 150 m in the northern and central parts to 300 m in the western, southern and eastern. ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

The West Siberian Lowland is one of the largest low-lying accumulative plains in the world. It is located to the north of the low-hill plain of Kazakhstan and the Altai mountains, between the Urals in the west and the Central Siberian plateau in the east. Extending from N ...

West Siberian Plain- West Siberian Plain, West Siberian Lowland. One of the largest low-lying accumulative plains of the globe. It occupies most of Western Siberia, stretching from the coast of the Kara Sea in the north to the Kazakh uplands and ... Dictionary "Geography of Russia"

West Siberian Plain- West Siberian Plain ... Russian spelling dictionary

West Siberian Plain of the USSR. physical map - … Geographic atlas

Ural Landscape of the West Siberian Plain ... Wikipedia

One of the largest artesian basins (See Artesian basin) in the world, located within the West Siberian Plain. The area is about 3 million km2. The aquifers of the basin are associated with the thickness of sedimentary deposits of the Meso-Cenozoic and ... ... Big soviet encyclopedia

Books

• A set of tables. Geography and natural science. Relief (10 tables), . Educational album of 10 sheets. Art. 2-060-447 East European Plain. West Siberian Plain. Central Siberian Plateau. Northeast of Siberia. Ural mountains. Caucasus. Mountains of southern…

• Using the maps of a textbook or atlas, determine which large natural areas it borders on. Western Siberia which surface forms prevail here.

West Siberian Plain- the third largest after the Russian plain of the world. Its area is about 2.6 million km2. From the harsh coast of the Kara Sea, it stretched to the foothills of the mountains. Southern Siberia and semi-deserts of Kazakhstan for 2500 km, and from the Urals to the Yenisei - up to 1900 km.

The boundaries of the plain are clearly expressed natural boundaries: in the north - the coastline of the Kara Sea, in the south - the foothills of the Kazakh hills, Altai, Salair Ridge and Kuznetsk Alatau, in the west - the eastern foothills of the Urals, in the east - the valley of the river. Yenisei.

According to the map of the textbook, determine which geometric figure reminiscent of the outlines of the West Siberian valley. In what part of the plain is the extent from west to east the smallest, in which - the greatest?

Nowhere else in the world can one find such a huge space with such a flat relief, as if descending towards its center. Crossing the plain in a train from Tyumen to Novosibirsk, you see boundless planes - no hillock, no ridge. Such a relief was formed by loose deposits of rivers and ancient glacial sediments, which covered the Paleozoic plate with a thick sedimentary cover (3-4 thousand m). The horizontal layering of sedimentary layers is the main reason for the flat topography of the plain.

But tell Figure 111 about the main stages in the development of the territory of the West Siberian Plain.

It affected the relief of the West Siberian Plain and glaciation. But the glacier here did not cross 60°N. sh.

In the south of the plain, during the floods of rivers, dammed in the north by ice, lacustrine and river sediments - sands and loams - were deposited in colossal spaces.

Rice. 111. Structure of the West Siberian plate

Glaciation affected not only the relief, but also the vegetation and animal world West Siberian Plain. When the glacier receded, the north of the plain was conquered by tundra and taiga, although before there were broadleaf forests, which were inhabited by mammoths, woolly rhinos, giant deer. According to the remains of trunks in the swamps, it can be judged that the forest boundary was located several hundred kilometers to the north than at present.

Reasons for the severity of the climate. The climate of the West Siberian Plain is continental and rather severe. Four main reasons shaped it.

First- position predominantly in temperate latitudes determined a small number solar radiation received by the territory.

Using the maps of the textbook and the atlas, determine how much solar radiation the northern, middle, and southern parts of the West Siberian Plain receive, what are the average January and July temperatures typical for these territories.

Second- distance from the Atlantic Pacific Oceans determined the continentality of the climate.

Third- the flatness of the territory, which allows cold masses of Arctic air to freely penetrate far to the south from the "ice bag" - the Kara Sea, and warm air masses from Kazakhstan and Central Asia - far to the north.

Fourth- mountains on the periphery that fenced off the West Siberian Plain from the Atlantic air masses from the west and Central Asian from the southeast.

The continentality of the climate in the expanses of the West Siberian Plain increases when moving from north to south. This is expressed in an increase in the annual temperature amplitude, a decrease in the amount of precipitation, and a reduction in the duration of spring and autumn - the transitional seasons of the year.

How is precipitation distributed in the West Siberian Plain? Explain why.

At the junction of air masses temperate zone with tropical cyclones, bringing rain. At the beginning of summer, this front acts in the south - the steppe zone receives moisture (about 300 mm per year). In July, hot air dominates the entire south of the plain, and cyclones move north, bringing precipitation to the taiga zone (up to 500 mm per year). In August, the front reaches the tundra, where up to 250 mm falls annually.

In winter, cyclones of the Arctic front act at the junction of moderate and arctic air masses. This softens the frosts in the north, but due to high humidity and strong winds the harshness of the climate here is also manifested at lower frosts.

abundance surface water. The West Siberian Plain is rich in rivers, lakes, swamps, the distribution of which throughout the territory clearly shows dependence on the relief and on the zonal ratio of heat and moisture.

Read the table carefully and explain it.

The largest river in the West Siberian Plain is the Ob with its tributary the Irtysh. This is one of the greatest rivers peace. In Russia, it ranks first in length and basin area.

In addition to the Ob and the Irtysh among major rivers the region can be called navigable Nadym, Pur, Taz, and Tobol.

Among the numerous lakes, filling glacial lake basins and located on the site of former oxbow lakes predominate. In terms of the number of swamps, the West Siberian Plain is also a world record holder: nowhere in the world is there such a swampy area of ​​​​800 thousand km2 as here. Vasyuganye, a geographical area lying between the Ob and Irtysh rivers, can serve as a classic example of swampiness. There are several reasons for the formation of such vast swampy areas: the presence of excessive moisture, flat terrain, permafrost, low temperatures air, the ability of peat, which prevails here, to hold water in quantities many times greater than the weight of the peat mass.

Natural zones of the West Siberian Plain. The climate of Western Siberia is more continental and harsher than in the east of the European part of Russia, but milder than in the rest of Siberia. The large length of the plain from north to south allows several latitudinal zones to fit here - from the tundra in the north to the steppes in the south.

On the map, determine which of the natural zones occupies the largest area in the West Siberian Ravpipe. What changes in the composition of natural zones occur here compared to the Russian Plain?

Rice. 112. Ob River

The huge size of the West Siberian Plain and the flat relief make it especially good to trace the latitudinal change natural landscapes. home distinguishing feature tundra - the severity of the climate. Adapting to harsh conditions, tundra plants prepare wintering buds from autumn. Thanks to this, in the spring they are rapidly covered with leaves and flowers, and then bear fruit. In the tundra there are many different plant foods, so many herbivorous birds nest here.

forest tundra- the first zone when moving south, where at least 20 days a year there is summer thermal regime when average daily temperatures exceed 15°C. Here the tundra alternates with crooked forests and low forests.

Rice. 113. Swamp in the taiga

Taiga forest swamp zone- the most extensive of the natural zones of the plain (its area is 1.5 million km 2). In the taiga - the kingdom of spruce-fir, larch-cedar-pine forests with lichens and shrubs. The northern part is dominated by larch-cedar and pine forests. In the middle part of the zone dominated by taiga of pine, cedar, spruce and fir. Aspen and birch forests are widespread at the site of forest fires.

The southern part of the taiga is birch-aspen small-leaved forests. The animal world of the taigig is rich in it, and "Europeans" are found, such as mink and pine marten, and "East Siberians", such as sable. The chipmunk, the squirrel, the badger and the owner of the taiga, the bear, live in the taiga. seeds forest trees and bushes feed on birds - capercaillie, hazel grouse, woodpeckers, turtle doves. The fauna of the taiga river valleys is the most diverse. Here you can meet a white hare, a mole, a wolf and a fox. Taiga oxbows and lakes abound various types ducks, waders. Common cranes, snipe and great snipe nest in swamps. The most typical swampy areas of the taiga on the flat interfluves of the Ob and Irtysh are called urmans. After fires in the taiga, aspen and birch forests appear in place of dark coniferous species.

Rice. 114. Change of plant communities in the taiga after the fire

The taiga of Western Siberia is formed by spruce and cedar, larch and fir, pine and aspen-birch forests.

The fauna of the West Siberian taiga has many general types with the European taiga. Everywhere in the taiga live: Brown bear, lynx, wolverine, squirrel, ermine.

In the secondary osiyaovo-birch forests, typical inhabitants are elk, white hare, ermine, Siberian weasel. American mink has been released in many places in the West Siberian taiga. There are few songbirds in the taiga, so they often talk about the silence of the taiga. Only along the banks of the rivers you can meet the finch, long-tailed bullfinch, waxwing, red-throated nightingale. Geese, ducks, waders nest in water bodies, and ptarmigans nest in moss swamps.

Deciduous forest subzone in Western Siberia it stretches in a narrow strip from the Ural Mountains to the Yenisei River.

The West Siberian forest-steppe stretches in a narrow strip from the Urals to the foothills of the Salair Ridge. The abundance of lake basins is a feature of this zone. The shores of the lakes are low, partly swampy or overgrown with pine forests. In the Kulunda pine forests live along with steppe species - oatmeal, field pipit, jerboa - taiga species: flying squirrel, capercaillie.

In the forest-steppe and steppe zones on fertile soils can be grown good harvests cereals and vegetables.

The picturesque landscapes of the south of the plain - birch groves, elevated areas - manes and lakes - are potential recreational resources territory.

manes- these are sandy ridges from 3 to 10 m high, less often up to 30 m, covered with pine forests. They bring great diversity to the treeless flat landscapes of the south of Western Siberia. In some places, the ridged terrain is full of lakes, which makes the area even more attractive.

Rice. 115. The structure of the crests of Western Siberia

kolki- these are groves of birches and aspens, turning green, like oases, among the lack of water of the surrounding steppe plains. These are quiet, poetic corners, full of shade and freshness, bright colors and the singing of birds.

The landscape appearance of the forest-steppe is created various combinations birch, aspen-birch, less often birch-aspen groves with meadows in the north of the zone and with grassy steppe in the south. Fertile southern chernozems and dark chestnut soils predominate. There are many solonchaks and solonetzes formed in conditions of insufficient moisture.

Questions and tasks

1. On the contour map write the names of all large natural geographical objects of the West Siberian Plain, determine geographical latitude extreme northern and southern points region.
2. Compare the geographical position of the West Siberian and Russian plains and determine the features of their similarities and differences.
3. What is the reason for the peculiarity of the relief of the West Siberian Plain?
4. What is the reason severe waterlogging plains?

The West Siberian Lowland covers an area of ​​about 3 million square kilometers. It covers 1/7 of the entire territory of Russia. The width of the plain varies. In the northern part it is about 800 km, and in the southern part it reaches 1900 km.

Areas

The West Siberian lowland is considered the most densely populated part of Siberia. On its territory there are several large regions, such as Omsk, Tyumen and Kurgan, as well as Novosibirsk and Tomsk. The greatest development of the lowland is noted in its southern part.

Climatic conditions

The climate in the lowland is dominated by continental, rather severe. Due to the large length of the West Siberian Plain from north to south, there are significant differences in the climate of the southern part from the northern one. an important role in the development weather conditions the proximity of the Arctic Ocean plays, as well as the fact that on the plain there are no obstacles to the movement of air masses from north to south and their mixing.

During the cold season over southern part lowland area appears high blood pressure, while in the north it decreases. Cyclones form at the boundary of air masses. Because of this, in regions located on the coast, the weather is very unstable in winter. can reach 40 meters per second. Winter throughout the territory of such a plain as the West Siberian Lowland is characterized by stable sub-zero temperatures, the minimum can reach -52 o C. Spring comes late and is cold and dry, warming occurs only in May.

IN warm time years, the situation is reversed. Above Arctic Ocean pressure rises, which is why throughout the summer they blow northern winds. But they are pretty weak. July is considered the hottest time within the boundaries of the plain, called the West Siberian Lowland. During this period, in its northern part Maximum temperature reaches 21 o C, and in the south - 40 o C. Such high marks in the south are quite explainable by the fact that the border with Kazakhstan passes here and Central Asia. This is where warm air masses come from.

The West Siberian lowland, whose height varies from 140 to 250 m, is characterized by winter with little precipitation. At this time of the year, only about 5-20 millimeters falls. What can not be said about the warm season, when 70% of annual precipitation pours onto the earth.

Permafrost is widespread in the northern part of the lowland. The earth freezes to a depth of 600 meters.

Rivers

So, compare the West Siberian Lowland and the Central Siberian Plateau. A strong enough difference will be that the plateau is indented by a huge number of rivers. There are practically no wetlands here. However, there are a lot of rivers on the plain. There are about 2 thousand of them. All of them together bring up to 1200 cubic kilometers of water into the Kara Sea every year. That's an amazing amount. After all, one cubic kilometer contains 1,000,000,000,000 (trillion) liters. Most of the rivers of Western Siberia are fed by melt water or precipitation in summer. Most of water flows down during the warm season. When a thaw occurs, the level in the rivers can rise by more than 15 meters, and in winter they are ice-bound. Therefore, during the cold period, the runoff is only 10%.

The rivers of this part of Siberia are characterized by slow currents. This is due to the flat terrain and slight slopes. For example, the Ob for 3,000 km drops by only 90 m. Because of this, the speed of its flow does not exceed half a meter per second.

lakes

There are even more lakes in these parts than rivers. And many times more. There are about a million of them. But almost all of them are small. A feature of local lakes is that many of them are filled with salt water. They also overflow very strongly in the spring. But over the summer they can significantly decrease in size, and by autumn they can completely disappear. Behind last period, thanks to precipitation, the lakes are filled with water again, freeze in winter, and the cycle repeats. This does not happen with all water bodies, but with the so-called “mist” lakes that occupy the territory of this lowland - the West Siberian Plain. It is also characterized by another type of lakes. They occupy the natural unevenness of the relief, various pits and depressions.

swamps

Another feature of Western Siberia is that it beats all records in terms of the number of swamps. It is within the boundaries of this lowland that spilled which are considered one of the largest on the entire globe. Increased waterlogging is explained great content peat in the ground. The substance is able to retain a lot of water, because of this, “dead” areas appear. The area itself also contributes to the formation of swamps. A plain without drops does not allow water to drain, and it remains in almost stationary eroding and softening the soil.

natural areas

Due to the fact that Western Siberia is strongly stretched from north to south, transitions are observed in it. They change from tundra in the north to deserts and semi-deserts in the south. Part of the lowland is occupied by the tundra zone, which is explained by the general northern position of the entire territory of the plain. To the south, the tundra gradually turns into the forest-tundra, and then into the forest-bog zone. The latter occupies 60% of the entire territory of Western Siberia.

There is a rather sharp transition to the steppe regions. Birch is the most common here, as well as aspen. In addition to them, there is also Plowed steppe zone occupies the last southern position in the plain. The West Siberian Lowland, whose geographical location is directly related to the distribution by zones, also creates favorable conditions for pine forest located on low sandy spits.

The region is rich in representatives of the animal world. For example, about 99 species of mammals live here. Among them fur animals such as arctic foxes, weasels and sables. Meet large predators- bears and lynxes. Also, many birds live in these parts. In the reserves there are peregrine falcons, hawks and golden eagles. There are also birds listed in the Red Book. For example, a black stork or a white-tailed eagle.

Mineral resources

Compare geographic location West Siberian Lowland with any other, and it will become clear that it is in the described plain that about 70% of oil production is concentrated. The plain is also rich in deposits hard coal. The total area of ​​land rich in these resources is estimated at 2 million square meters. km. well developed and timber industry. The greatest advantage is given to coal mining in the Kuzbass.

Central Siberian Plateau

Compared to the West Siberian Lowland, the Central Siberian Plateau is not waterlogged due to the fact that it is located on a hill. but river system denser, which is also fed by rains and melting snow. Permafrost is ubiquitous. The climate on the plateau is sharply continental, which is why, as in the West Siberian Lowland, there are large temperature fluctuations in winter. The average in the north reaches -44 o C, and in the south -22 o C. This is also typical for the summer period. There is less variety of animals, but there are also bears, reindeer and hares. The plateau, as well as rich in oil and gas deposits. To this are added various ores and