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 reaches 1900 km.
Areas
The West Siberian Lowland is considered the most densely populated part of Siberia. On its territory there are several large areas, 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 lowlands is dominated by continental, rather severe. Due to the large extent of the West Siberian Plain from north to south, significant differences in the climate of the southern part from the northern one are observed here. The proximity of the Arctic Ocean, as well as the fact that there are no obstacles to the movement of air masses from north to south and their mixing, plays a large role in the formation of weather conditions.
In the cold season, an area of high pressure appears over the southern part of the lowland, while in the north it decreases. At the boundary of the air masses cyclones form. Because of this, the regions on the coast have very unstable weather in winter. Wind speed can reach 40 meters per second. Winter over the entire territory of such a plain as the West Siberian Lowland is characterized by stable subzero temperatures, the minimum can reach -52 ° C. Spring comes late and is characterized by cold and dryness, warming occurs only in May.
In the warm season, the situation is reversed. Over the Arctic Ocean, pressure rises, due to which northern winds blow throughout the summer. But they are pretty weak. July is considered the hottest time in the borders of the plain, called the West Siberian Lowland. During this period, in the northern part, the maximum temperature reaches 21 ° C, and in the southern - 40 ° C. Such high elevations in the south are quite explainable by the fact that the border with Kazakhstan and Central Asia passes here. It is from here that the warmed air masses come.
The West Siberian lowland, the height of which varies from 140 to 250 m, is characterized in winter with little rainfall. At this time of year, only about 5-20 millimeters fall out. 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 Highlands. A sufficiently strong difference is that the plateau is cut by a huge number of rivers. There are practically no wetlands. However, there are a lot of rivers on the plain. There are about 2 thousand of them. All of them together each year contribute up to 1200 cubic kilometers of water to the Kara Sea. This is an amazing amount. Indeed, one cubic kilometer contains 1,000,000,000,000 (trillion) liters. Most rivers in Western Siberia are fed by meltwater or summer rainfall. Most of the water flows in the warm season. During the thaw, the level in the rivers can rise by more than 15 meters, and in winter they are ice-bound. Therefore, in the cold season, runoff is only 10%.
The rivers of this part of Siberia are characterized by slow currents. This is explained by flat terrain and small slopes. For example, the Ob over 3 thousand km falls by only 90 m. Because of this, its flow rate does not exceed half a meter per second.
Lakes
Lakes in these parts are even larger than rivers. And many times more. There are about a million of them. But almost all of them are of small size. A feature of local lakes is that many of them are filled with salt water. They also spill very strongly in the spring. But over the summer they can significantly decrease in size, and by the fall they will disappear altogether. Over the last period, due to precipitation, the lakes are again filled with water, freeze in winter, and the cycle repeats. This does not happen with all water bodies, but with the so-called "fog" lakes that occupy the territory of this lowland - the West Siberian Plain. It is characterized by another type of lakes. They occupy the natural bumps of the relief, various pits and depressions.
Swamps
Another feature of Western Siberia is that it breaks all records in the number of swamps. It was within the borders of this lowland that Vasyugan marshes spilled , which are considered one of the largest in the entire globe. Increased waterlogging is explained by the high content of peat in the earth. The substance is able to hold a lot of water, because of this, “dead” areas appear. The terrain itself also contributes to the formation of swamps. A plain without drops does not allow water to drain, and it remains almost stationary, eroding and softening the soil.
Natural areas
Due to the fact that Western Siberia is very stretched from north to south, transitions of natural zones are observed in it . They change from the tundra in the north to deserts and semi-deserts in the south. A 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 of the tundra, it gradually passes into the forest-tundra, and then into the forest-bog zone. The latter occupies 60% of the entire territory of Western Siberia.
A rather sharp transition to the steppe regions is observed. Most common here are birch, as well as aspen. In addition to them, Siberian cedar is also found . The plowed steppe zone occupies the extreme 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 a pine forest located on low sand spits.
The region is rich in wildlife. For example, about 99 species of mammals live here. Among them are fur-bearing animals such as arctic foxes, weasel and sable. Large predators are found - 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 the geographical location of the 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. Also, the plain is rich in coal deposits. The total area of land rich in these resources is estimated at 2 million square meters. km The forest industry is also well developed. The greatest advantage is given to coal mining in Kuzbass.
Central Siberian Plateau
Compared to the West Siberian Lowland, the Central Siberian Plateau is not swampy due to its elevation. However, the river system is denser, which also feeds on rains and melting snow. Permafrost is ubiquitous. The climate on the plateau is sharply continental, which is why, as in the West Siberian lowland, large temperature differences are observed in winter. The average in the north reaches -44 ° C, and in the south -22 ° C. This is also characteristic of the summer period. There is less animal diversity on the Central Siberian Plateau , but bears, reindeers, and hares are also found. The plateau, like Western Siberia, is rich in oil and gas deposits. To this are added various ores and rock salt.