Lake Taymyr
Encyclopedia
Lake Taymyr is a lake
of the central regions of the Taymyr Peninsula
in Krasnoyarsk Krai
, Russian Federation. It is located south of the Byrranga Mountains
.
Lake Taymyr is large, with a length of 165 km roughly east-to-west. It has an irregular shape with many arms projecting in different directions that cover a wide region. Its maximum width, however, is only about 23 km in its broadest area which is towards the eastern end of the lake.
Lake Taymyr is covered with ice from late September until June. The main river flowing into its basin is the Upper Taymyra
, which flows into the lake from the west; other rivers flowing into it are the Zapadnaya, Severnaya, Bikada Nguoma, Yamutarida and Kalamissamo. The Lower Taymyra
River flows out of the lake northwards across the Byrranga mountain region.
The tundra areas south of Lake Taymyr are full of smaller lakes and marshes. There are two quite large lakes east and southeast of the easternmost part of Lake Taymyr, which is Yamuneru Bay: 33 km east is Lake Kungusalakh, and 72 km southeast is Lake Portnyagino. Both lakes are about 20 km across.
, sig
, and muksun
. But there is overexploitation
of some fish species despite the remoteness of the area.
Slight plutonium
contamination has been detected in the sediments of Lake Taymyr. This is perhaps a consequence of wind-carried particles after the numerous atmospheric nuclear tests in Novaya Zemlya
during the Cold War
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
of the central regions of the Taymyr Peninsula
Taymyr Peninsula
The Taymyr Peninsula is a peninsula in the Far North of Russia, in the Siberian Federal District, that forms the northernmost part of mainland Eurasia and Asia...
in Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It is the second largest federal subject after the Sakha Republic, and Russia's largest krai, occupying an area of , which is 13% of the country's total territory. The administrative center of the krai is the city of Krasnoyarsk...
, Russian Federation. It is located south of the Byrranga Mountains
Byrranga Mountains
The Byrranga Mountains are a mountain range in the middle of the Taymyr Peninsula, Siberia, Russia, located north and west of Lake Taymyr. They run for about 1,100 km, forming a looping curve that runs roughly in a southwest to northeast direction...
.
Lake Taymyr is large, with a length of 165 km roughly east-to-west. It has an irregular shape with many arms projecting in different directions that cover a wide region. Its maximum width, however, is only about 23 km in its broadest area which is towards the eastern end of the lake.
Lake Taymyr is covered with ice from late September until June. The main river flowing into its basin is the Upper Taymyra
Taymyr River
The Taymyr River is a roughly 400 mi long river in the middle of the Taymyr Peninsula in the Krasnoyarsk Krai administrative region of the Russian Federation.-Parts:...
, which flows into the lake from the west; other rivers flowing into it are the Zapadnaya, Severnaya, Bikada Nguoma, Yamutarida and Kalamissamo. The Lower Taymyra
Taymyr River
The Taymyr River is a roughly 400 mi long river in the middle of the Taymyr Peninsula in the Krasnoyarsk Krai administrative region of the Russian Federation.-Parts:...
River flows out of the lake northwards across the Byrranga mountain region.
The tundra areas south of Lake Taymyr are full of smaller lakes and marshes. There are two quite large lakes east and southeast of the easternmost part of Lake Taymyr, which is Yamuneru Bay: 33 km east is Lake Kungusalakh, and 72 km southeast is Lake Portnyagino. Both lakes are about 20 km across.
Ecology
Lake Taymyr is teeming with many kinds of fishes typical of the cold Arctic waters, like loachLoach (fish)
Cobitidae is the family of the true loaches, which are Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most "loaches" are placed in other families...
, sig
Common whitefish
Coregonus lavaretus is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus Coregonus.There are widely different concepts about the number of species in the genus Coregonus and the delimitation of the species Coregonus lavaretus.-Lavaret:In a narrow...
, and muksun
Muksun
The Muksun is a type of whitefish. Its name is derived from its Russian name Муксун.The muksun is a widespread fish in the Siberian Arctic waters. It is mostly found in the freshened areas of the Kara and Laptev Seas and up the major rivers, as well as in Lake Taymyr.Like all whitefishes, it is a...
. But there is overexploitation
Overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
of some fish species despite the remoteness of the area.
Slight plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
contamination has been detected in the sediments of Lake Taymyr. This is perhaps a consequence of wind-carried particles after the numerous atmospheric nuclear tests in Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Water temperatures
- Average water temperature in August: +7 °C
- During winter, water temperature is slightly above 1 °C