Putorana Plateau
P1P5
Plateau Mountain of Putorana Mountains
The Putorana Mountains ( Russian Горы Путорана ), in particular its core area is called due to the plateau-like mountains also Putorana plateau ( Плато Путорана ), is a to 1701 m high mountains of the Middle Siberian mountain country, each in the north of Siberia, the Krasnoyarsk region and Russia (Asia ) located. In the mountains lies at the geographical center of Russia Wiwisee.
Geography
Geographical location
The Putorana Mountains are located in the frame with its highest region around 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is the rather large north-western part of the Middle Siberian mountain country. To the north, its mountainous landscape falls into the Taimyrsenke from, the central part of the North Siberian Lowland, to the east it passes to Anabarplateau and southeast to Wiljuiplateau over, to the west it falls partly on the Lontokoiski - Kamen Mountains in the large West Siberian lowland from where particularly the current areas of the Yenisei and Ob are and on their southern slopes Sywermaplateau in the valley of the Lower Tunguska.
The mountain has between the northern Taimyrsenke and its outer southern slopes Lower Tunguska about 750 km (about 71-64 ° N) and between the rivers Pjassina in the west and in the east Kotui around 550 km (about 88 ° to 101 ° E ) expansion. His core area, the Putorana plateau, with about 175 times 175 km is much smaller.
Mountains, glaciers and waters
The highest peak of the mountain is the Putorana Located near the source of the river Kotui Kamen ( 1701 m). In the northeastern and eastern part of the mountain a few small glaciers are located with a total area of 2.5 km ².
The mountain is sometimes called the "land of ten thousand lakes and a thousand waterfalls ". Among the rivers that usually run in the mountains in gorges and form many rapids and waterfalls, including Chantaika, Cheta, Embentschime, Kotschetschum, Kotui, Kureika, Maimetscha, Pjassina, Severnaya, Tembentschi, Tutontschana and Wiwi; the outer southern slopes of the mountain passes the Lower Tunguska, which is fed by some of the aforementioned rivers, and to the northwest foothills flows past the Norilka. There are also many lakes and reservoirs within or at the edge of the mountains, are the largest: Agatasee, Ajansee, Chantaikastausee, Chantaisee, Djupkunsee on Kotui, Djupkunsee at the Kureika, Glubokojesee, Ketasee ( Kemasee ) Kutaramakansee, Kureikastausee, Lamasee, Melkojesee, Nakomjakensee, Pjassinosee, Sobatschjesee and Wiwisee. Some of these more than 150 km long and up to 420 m deep lakes have a crypto- depression lake basin under its; For example, the depth of most lakes is located in the mountainous western part between 50 and 300 m below sea level. These deep basin formed by tectonic movements. On the left bank of the located at the Kureika Djupkunsee is the Talnikowy Waterfall, which is one with 482 m height to the highest waterfalls of the world.
Towns and industrial
In large-scale Putorana Mountains there are no major settlements. However, near its western foothills is the only major city Norilsk, the north-eastern district Talnach is located on the western slope of the mountain.
Geology
Geologically the mountains Putorana is constructed almost entirely of basalts and related rocks that belong to the volcanism of the Siberian Trapp. In the northwest there are large deposits of ore, copper and nickel. The northern and western slopes of the best- plateau-like mountains have mostly steep slope with a maximum of 800 m height difference ( in some places even more), the eastern and southern slopes usually fall down gently. In many places, the landscape is rugged and - typical of frost rubble deserts - heavily weathered. 1980 was discovered at Talnach on the northwestern edge of the mountains named after him mineral Putoranit.
Climate
In Putorana mountains there, apart from some valley areas (like the Lamasee ), the less cold north winds are delivered, a harsh continental climate. In winter the thermometer falls in January to an average of -27.5 ° C and in summer it rises in July in the valley areas to an average of 14.2 ° C. The annual rainfall averages 453 mm. Most precipitation falls with 57 mm in August, with the minimum of 24 mm in February. In the low-rainfall winter usually forms only a small blanket of snow, but which then remains for 8 months. As a result of climate change, permafrost thaws and is therefore increasingly muddy. In the mountains of the polar day lasts a maximum from May 16 to July 29 (74 days) and the polar night from November 25 to January 13 ( 56 days ).
Flora and Fauna
In the valleys of the Putorana mountain range of boreal coniferous forest spreads (taiga with spruce and larch ), and on the rocky plateaus increased the tundra with lichens and mosses.
The mountain is annually traversed by the largest wild reindeer herd of the earth. Approximately 500,000 wild reindeer pull their migration to the area and spend a year about five to six months here. A special feature is the Putorana snow sheep ( Ovis nivicola borealis ), a geographically isolated subspecies of snow sheep, which has been separated from the other dogs of the eastern main distribution area 15,000 years ago. Other large animals of Putorana Mountains are moose, wolf, brown bear, Eurasian lynx and wolverine. Smaller and medium-sized mammals in the region are red fox, arctic fox, otter, ermine, sable, European flying squirrel, squirrels, Siberian chipmunks, wood lemming, Siberian Lemming, Real collar lemming, muskrat, Northern Pika, and mountain hare. Conspicuous birds of prey are the golden eagle, eagles, osprey, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon and Merlin. Owls are represented approximately by hawk owl, great gray owl and Ural. Among the gallinaceous birds capercaillie, stone capercaillie and hazel grouse are mentioned. Numerous water birds inhabit the waters of the region. Including about Yellow -billed Diver, Graytail Sandpipers, Little Curlew, Little Goose, Red-breasted Goose and Bewick's swan. It is not clear whether the monk crane occurs. The only representative of amphibians is the Siberian angle tooth scraper. The rivers are rich in fish, especially on salmon fishing as Taimen, Arctic grayling, Arctic cisco, Lenok and char. Not to the salmon fish include burbot and a Schmerlenart ( Acanthocobitis urophthalamus ).
Research and protection status
The Putorana Mountains was described researched and scientifically for the first time by the Baltic German explorer and zoologist Alexander Theodor von Middendorff ( 1815-1894 ).
The mountains in which the State Nature Reserve, founded in 1988 Putorana ( 18872.51 km ²) is located, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. The reserve protects nearly one-third of the area in which the Putorana snow sheep occurs. The stock of this wild sheep was here in the 1980s, about 3,500 animals, with increasing tendency. In addition, in the Reserve, the typical types of Putorana Mountains occur. Total live here at least 38 mammal species, 140 bird species, and 36 fish species.
Pollution
The industrial equipment of the Group MMC Norilsk Nickel, the world leader in the production of nickel and palladium, located with in the north western reaches of the Putorana Mountains in Talnach as well as on the nearby Lontokoiski - Kamen Mountains in Norilsk and Kajerkan opencast mines cause severe environmental pollution. Therefore, the mountain is a particularly heavy burden in the northwest with heavy metals and various environmental toxins.