Where does the Lena River flow ? What are the features of its hydrological regime? Where is the source of the river? Lena is one of the largest river systems of the planet, the eighth in terms of fullness and extent of all existing ones. It will be discussed in our article.
Unique features of the river
Lena is one of the largest river systems in Asia and the world. The total area of its basin occupies about 20% of the territory of Russia. The width of the river bed reaches enormous sizes - about 15 km in the middle reaches and up to 20-25 km in the lower. The largest tributaries of the Lena are Aldan, Vilyuy, Olekma and Vitim. By the way, the length of the latter is quite comparable with the length of such large European rivers as the Dnieper or Danube.
Where is the source of the river? Lena is an amazing geographical entity. The watercourse boasts several records and surprise with many interesting facts. So, very few people know that only twenty kilometers from Lake Baikal is the beginning of the river. Lena carries its waters northward, to the coldest ocean in the world. The river delta is so great that it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records!
Among other things, Lena is one of the cleanest watercourses in the world. There are no dams or power stations on the river. In many parts of its channel, you can, like two thousand years ago, drink water by simply scooping it out of the river with your palm. Lena is one of the largest and most important sources of fresh water on our Earth.
Coordinates and height of the source of the river
Lena begins on the western slope of the Baikal ridge. By the way, at about the same latitude, but only on the other side of Lake Baikal, Vitim originates from one of the largest tributaries of this river system. What are the exact coordinates of this place? Where is the source of the river?
Lena is born in the mountains. About 20 km from the western coast of Lake Baikal is a tiny mountain lake. Its exact geographical coordinates are: 53 ° 59 ′ 33 ′ ′ north latitude and 107 ° 53 ′ 01 ′ ′ east longitude. It is from this lake, as is commonly believed, that Lena flows. Near the source of the river a small chapel with a corresponding information plate was built.
1470 meters above sea level - this is exactly the height of the source of the river. Lena, the largest river in Siberia, begins here. It is curious that this outstanding lake, which gave the world such an important river, does not even have its own name. I would like to hope that in the near future he will nevertheless have his own name.
Hydrological regime and nature of the river
Lena, like all its tributaries, feeds on rain and melt snow waters. The river is characterized by spring floods and a number of powerful floods in summer and spring. Lena has one very interesting feature. Due to the great length of the river from north to south, its channel begins to freeze from the mouth to the source. Lena opens in the opposite direction - from the headwaters to the delta.
Geographers conditionally divide the river into three parts:
- upper course (before merging with Vitim);
- middle course (before confluence with the Aldan Lena);
- lower course.
In its upper reaches, the Lena has the character of a mountain river: a winding channel, a fast current, an abundance of rocks and rapids. The shores are high and steep, they are occupied by pine, fir and spruce forests.
Taking in the waters of Vitim, the river becomes much more full. Here Lena is directed east, and only in the area of the city of Yakutsk does she change her azimuth strictly north. The depth of the river in the middle reaches 10-12 meters. The channel here is expanding significantly, and small islands occupied by conifers appear in it. In this part, the river confidently cuts through the limestone Prilenskoye plateau, after which it reaches vast expanses of plain land.
Lena in its lower reaches is already a powerful watercourse, the width of which exceeds 10 km, and the depth reaches 20-30 meters. The riverbanks here are cold and deserted; there are practically no settlements. About 150 kilometers from the Laptev Sea , the vast Lena Delta begins. The area of this unique natural formation is 45,000 square meters. km
Attractions and tourist potential
It is very difficult for a tourist not to fall in love with beautiful Lena. This amazing river captivates everyone with its fantastic landscapes, clear water and a rich fish world. Here you can often see pleasure boats with many tourists and sightseers.
Of course, the main and most famous attraction of the river is the geological monument of nature - Lena Pillars. This incredibly beautiful formation is located on the right bank of the Lena River in Yakutia. The nearest city is Pokrovsk.
Huge rocky pillars up to 220 meters high hang over the water surface of the river. Millions of years on these blocks of sandstone worked two tireless masters - wind and water. In 2012, Lena Pillars were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Conclusion
Where does it flow, what features are typical for Lena? Where is the source of the river? Lena is the great river of Siberia, flowing from a small lake in the Baikal mountain range. Further, it overcomes a distance of 4400 kilometers and flows into the Arctic Ocean, forming a delta, enormous in area.