Video tutorial « Western Siberia. Geographical location, main features of nature” will introduce you to the West Siberian economic region. From the lesson you will learn about the administrative-territorial composition of the district, its geographical and economic-geographical position. In addition, the teacher will tell in detail about the unique nature and resources of Western Siberia.

The population of the region is 16.7 million people;

The area of ​​the district is 2,427 thousand square meters. km.

Rice. 1. West Siberian economic region ()

Features of the economic and geographical position of the region:

1. Relative proximity to the developed regions of the European part of Russia

2. Proximity to resources

3. Transit position

4. Availability of access to the sea (and the Northern Sea Route)

The West Siberian economic region occupies a vast area to the east of Ural mountains, stretching almost to the Yenisei. But the extension from north to south is especially great. In the west, the region borders on the Northern and Ural economic regions, in the south - on Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, in the north - has access to the Kara Sea, in the east - the East Siberian economic region.

Climate and nature of Western Siberia.

Most of the territory of the region is occupied by the West Siberian Plain. Located in the southeast mountain system Altai is the highest part of Western Siberia (Belukha mountain - 4506 meters). Most of Western Siberia is located within the continental climate of the temperate zone, and its northern part is located within the subarctic and arctic zones, so its climate is continental. Western Siberia covers five natural zones: tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, forest-steppe and steppe. Most of Western Siberia is swampy, here is the largest swamp area in the world.

Rice. 2. Swamps of Western Siberia (Vasyuganye) ()

In the south of the region there is the Trans-Siberian Railway, which crosses the largest Siberian rivers (Ob, Irtysh). The largest lake in the region is Chany. A significant part of the territory is within permafrost.

Rice. 3. The Ob River in Barnaul

Natural resources Western Siberia.

Western Siberia is rich in minerals - oil, gas, coal, and ores. The area of ​​promising oil and gas bearing territories is estimated at more than 1.7 million km 2 . the main deposits are confined to the Middle Ob (Samotlor, Megionskoye and others in the Nizhnevartovsk region; Ust-Balykskoe, Fedorovskoye and others in the Surgut region). Deposits of natural gas in the polar region - Medvezhye, Urengoy and others, in the Arctic - Yamburgskoye, Ivankovskoye and others. New fields discovered on the Yamal Peninsula. There are oil and gas resources in the Urals.

Rice. 4. Gas pipeline "Yamal-Europe" ()

Gas fields were discovered in the Vasyugansk region. In general, more than 300 oil and gas fields have been discovered in Western Siberia.

The area is also rich in coal. Its main resources are located in Kuzbass (Kemerovo Region), whose reserves are estimated at 600 billion tons. About 30% of Kuznetsk coals are coking. Coal seams are very thick and lie close to the surface, which makes it possible, along with the mine method, to conduct open-pit mining. The western wing of the Kansk-Achinsk brown coal basin is located in the northeast of the Kemerovo region.

The ore base of Western Siberia is also large. There are reserves of soda and other salts in Western Siberia in the lakes of the Kulunda steppe. Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions are rich in limestone. Western Siberia has thermal iodine-bromine springs. Altai is rich in building materials.

The vast majority of the forest resources of the region are concentrated in the zone of the West Siberian taiga, and the rest is approximately equally distributed between the Altai Territory and Kemerovo region where mountain forests predominate. In addition, Western Siberia is rich in water resources and chernozem soils.

Homework:

1. Name and find on the map the subjects of the Federation of the West Siberian economic region.

2. What is the peculiarity of the nature of Western Siberia? Give examples of natural areas of the region.

Bibliography

Main

1. Geography of Russia. population and economy. Grade 9: textbook for general education. uch. / V. P. Dronov, V. Ya. Rom. - M.: Bustard, 2011. - 285 p.

2. Geography. Grade 9: atlas. - 2nd ed., corrected. - M.: Bustard; DIK, 2011 - 56 p.

Additional

1. Economic and social geography of Russia: Textbook for universities / Ed. prof. A. T. Khrushchev. - M.: Bustard, 2001. - 672 p.: ill., cart.: tsv. incl.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography: a guide for high school students and university applicants. - 2nd ed., corrected. and dorab. - M.: AST-PRESS SCHOOL, 2008. - 656 p.

Literature for preparing for the GIA and the Unified State Examination

1. Control and measuring materials. Geography: Grade 9 / Comp. E. A. ZHIZHINA - M.: VAKO, 2012. - 112 p.

2. Thematic control. Geography. Nature of Russia. Grade 8 / N. E. Burgasova, S. V. Bannikov: tutorial. - M.: Intellect-Centre, 2010. - 144 p.

3. Tests in geography: grades 8-9: to the textbook, ed. V. P. Dronova “Geography of Russia. Grades 8-9: textbook for educational institutions» / V. I. Evdokimov. - M.: Exam, 2009. - 109 p.

Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C7%E0%EF%E0%E4%ED%EE-%D1%E8%E1%E8%F0%F1%EA%E8%E9_%FD%EA% EE%ED%EE%EC%E8%F7%E5%F1%EA%E8%E9_%F0%E0%E9%EE%ED

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 the Ural Mountains 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. This natural object is located almost at the same distance between the Atlantic and the center of continentality of the mainland. About 2.5 million sq. km covers the area of ​​​​this huge plain. This distance is very impressive.

Climatic conditions

The geographical position of the West Siberian Plain on the mainland causes 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 southern and northern sides, the temperature regime can range from -15 °С to -30 °С. The lowest indicator in winter 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 largest and most full-flowing river is the 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. The water streams Pur, Nadym, Tobol and Taz, suitable for navigation, also flow here.

Plain in terms of the number of swamps is the world record holder. Such a vast territory cannot be found on the globe. Marshes occupy an area of ​​800 thousand square meters. km. There are several reasons for their formation: excessive moisture, a flat surface of the plain, a large amount of peat, and low air temperature.

Minerals

This region is rich in minerals. This is largely influenced by the geographical position of the West Siberian Plain. Here, in huge quantities concentrated deposits of oil and gas. On its vast swampy areas there is a large supply of peat - approximately 60% of the total amount in Russia. There are iron ore deposits. 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.

West Siberian Plain- the plain is located in the north of Asia, occupies the entire western part of Siberia from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Central Siberian Plateau in the east. In the north it is bounded by the coast of the Kara Sea, in the south it extends to the Kazakh uplands, in the southeast the West Siberian Plain, gradually rising, is replaced by the foothills of Altai, Salair, Kuznetsk Altai and Mountain Shoria. The plain has the shape of a trapezoid narrowing to the north: the distance from its southern border to the northern reaches almost 2500 km, the width is from 800 to 1900 km, and the area is only slightly less than 3 million km².

The West Siberian Plain is the most inhabited and developed (especially in the south) part of Siberia. Within its boundaries are the Tyumen, Kurgan, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Tomsk regions, the eastern regions of the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, a significant part of the Altai Territory, the western regions of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (about 1/7 of the area of ​​Russia), as well as the northern and northeastern regions of Kazakhstan.

Relief and geological structure

The surface of the West Siberian Lowland is flat with a rather insignificant elevation difference. However, the relief of the plain is quite diverse. The lowest parts of the plain (50-100 m) are located mainly in the central (Kondinskaya and Sredneobskaya lowlands) and northern (Nizhneobskaya, Nadymskaya and Purskaya lowlands) parts of it. Low (up to 200-250 m) elevations stretch along the western, southern and eastern outskirts: North Sosvinskaya and Turinskaya, Ishimskaya plain, Priobskoye and Chulym-Yenisei plateau, Ketsko-Tymskaya, Upper Taz and Lower Yenisei uplands. A distinctly pronounced strip of hills is formed in the inner part of the plain by the Siberian Uvals (average height - 140-150 m), extending from the west from the Ob to the east to the Yenisei, and the Vasyugan equal to them parallel.

The relief of the plain is largely due to its geological structure. At the base of the West Siberian Plain lies the epihercynian West Siberian plate, the foundation of which is composed of intensely dislocated Paleozoic deposits. The formation of the West Siberian Plate began in the Upper Jurassic, when, as a result of breaking, destruction and regeneration, a huge territory between the Urals and the Siberian platform sank, and a huge sedimentary basin arose. In the course of its development, the West Siberian Plate was captured more than once by marine transgressions. At the end of the Lower Oligocene, the sea left the West Siberian plate, and it turned into a huge lacustrine-alluvial plain. In the middle and late Oligocene and Neogene, the northern part of the plate experienced uplift, which was replaced by subsidence in the Quaternary. The general course of the development of the plate with the subsidence of colossal spaces resembles the process of oceanization that has not reached its end. This feature of the plate is emphasized by the phenomenal development of waterlogging.

Separate geological structures, despite a thick layer of sediments, are reflected in the relief of the plain: for example, the Verkhnetazovsky and Lyulimvor uplands correspond to gently sloping anticlines, and the Baraba and Kondinsky lowlands are confined to the syneclises of the basement of the plate. However, discordant (inversion) morphostructures are also not uncommon in Western Siberia. These include, for example, the Vasyugan Plain, which formed on the site of a gently sloping syneclise, and the Chulym-Yenisei Plateau, located in the basement trough zone.

The cuff of loose deposits contains groundwater horizons - fresh and mineralized (including brine), hot (up to 100-150 ° C) waters are also found. There is industrial deposits oil and natural gas (West Siberian oil and gas basin). In the area of ​​the Khanty-Mansiysk syneclise, Krasnoselsky, Salymsky and Surgutsky regions, in the layers of the Bazhenov formation at a depth of 2 km, there are the largest shale oil reserves in Russia.

Climate

The West Siberian Plain is characterized by a harsh, fairly continental climate. Its large extent from north to south causes a distinct climate zoning and significant differences climatic conditions northern and southern parts of Western Siberia. The proximity of the Arctic Ocean also significantly influences the continental climate of Western Siberia. The flat relief contributes to the exchange of air masses between its northern and southern regions.

In the cold period, within the plain, the interaction of the region of relatively increased atmospheric pressure, located above the southern part of the plain, and an area of ​​low pressure, which in the first half of winter extends as a hollow of the Icelandic baric minimum over the Kara Sea and the northern peninsulas. In winter, masses of continental air of temperate latitudes predominate, which come from Eastern Siberia or are formed on the spot as a result of air cooling over the territory of the plain.

In the boundary strip of areas of high and low pressure, cyclones often pass. Therefore, the weather in the coastal provinces is very unstable in winter; on the coast of Yamal and the Gydan Peninsula, strong winds occur, the speed of which reaches 35-40 m/s. The temperature here is even somewhat higher than in the neighboring forest-tundra provinces located between 66 and 69°N. sh. Further south, however, winter temperatures gradually rise again. In general, winter is characterized by stable low temperatures, there are few thaws. The minimum temperatures throughout Western Siberia are almost the same. Even near the southern border of the country, in Barnaul, there are frosts down to -50 -52 °. Spring is short, dry and comparatively cold; April, even in the forest-bog zone, is not yet quite a spring month.

In the warm season, a lower pressure is established over Western Siberia, and an area of ​​more high pressure. In connection with this summer, weak northerly or northeasterly winds predominate, and the role of western air transport noticeably increases. In May, there is a rapid increase in temperatures, but often, with the intrusions of arctic air masses, there are returns of cold weather and frosts. The warmest month is July, the average temperature of which is from 3.6° on Bely Island to 21-22° in the Pavlodar region. The absolute maximum temperature is from 21° in the north (Bely Island) to 44° in the extreme southern regions (Rubtsovsk). High summer temperatures in the southern half of Western Siberia are explained by the inflow of heated continental air here from the south - from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Autumn comes late.

The duration of snow cover in the northern regions reaches 240-270 days, and in the south - 160-170 days. The thickness of the snow cover in the tundra and steppe zones in February is 20-40 cm, in the swampy zone - from 50-60 cm in the west to 70-100 cm in the eastern Yenisei regions.

The harsh climate of the northern regions of Western Siberia contributes to the freezing of soils and the widespread permafrost. On the Yamal, Tazovsky and Gydansky peninsulas, permafrost is found everywhere. In these areas of its continuous (confluent) distribution, the thickness of the frozen layer is very significant (up to 300-600 m), and its temperatures are low (in watershed spaces - 4, -9 °, in valleys -2, -8 °). Further south, within the limits of the northern taiga up to a latitude of about 64°, permafrost occurs already in the form of isolated islands interspersed with taliks. Its power decreases, temperatures rise to 0.5 -1 °, and the depth of summer thawing also increases, especially in areas composed of mineral rocks.

Hydrography

The territory of the plain is located within the large West Siberian artesian basin, in which hydrogeologists distinguish several basins of the second order: the Tobolsk, Irtysh, Kulunda-Barnaul, Chulym, Ob, and others. , sandstones) and water-resistant rocks, artesian basins are characterized by a significant number of aquifers associated with formations of various ages - Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleogene and Quaternary. The groundwater quality of these horizons is very different. In most cases, artesian waters of deep horizons are more mineralized than those lying closer to the surface.

More than 2000 rivers flow on the territory of the West Siberian Plain, the total length of which exceeds 250 thousand km. These rivers carry about 1200 km³ of water into the Kara Sea annually - 5 times more than the Volga. The density of the river network is not very large and varies in different places depending on the relief and climatic features: in the Tavda basin it reaches 350 km, and in the Baraba forest-steppe - only 29 km per 1000 km². Some southern regions of the country with a total area of ​​​​more than 445 thousand km² belong to the territories of closed flow and are distinguished by an abundance of endorheic lakes.

The main sources of food for most rivers are melted snow water and summer-autumn rains. In accordance with the nature of food sources, the runoff is seasonally uneven: approximately 70-80% of its annual amount occurs in spring and summer. Especially a lot of water flows down during the spring flood, when the level major rivers rises to 7-12 m (in the lower reaches of the Yenisei even up to 15-18 m). For a long time (in the south - five, and in the north - eight months) the West Siberian rivers are ice-bound. Therefore, on winter months accounts for no more than 10% of the annual runoff.

For the rivers of Western Siberia, including the largest - Ob, Irtysh and Yenisei, slight slopes and low flow rates are characteristic. So, for example, the fall of the Ob channel in the section from Novosibirsk to the mouth over 3000 km is only 90 m, and the speed of its flow does not exceed 0.5 m / s.

There are about one million lakes on the West Siberian Plain, the total area of ​​which is more than 100 thousand km². According to the origin of the basins, they are divided into several groups: occupying the primary irregularities of the flat relief; thermokarst; moraine-glacial; lakes of river valleys, which in turn are divided into floodplain and oxbow lakes. Peculiar lakes - "fogs" - are found in the Ural part of the plain. They are located in wide valleys, flood in the spring, sharply reducing their size in the summer, and by autumn, many disappear altogether. In the southern regions, lakes are often filled with salt water. The West Siberian Lowland holds the world record for the number of swamps per unit area (the area of ​​the wetland is about 800 thousand square kilometers). The reasons for this phenomenon are the following factors: excessive moisture, flat relief, permafrost and the ability of peat, which is available here in large quantities, to hold a significant mass of water.

natural areas

The large length from north to south contributes to a pronounced latitudinal zonality in the distribution of soils and vegetation cover. Within the country there are gradually replacing one another tundra, forest-tundra, forest-bog, forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert (in the extreme south) zones. In all zones, rather large areas are occupied by lakes and swamps. Typical zonal landscapes are located on dissected and better drained upland and riverine areas. In poorly drained interfluve spaces, the runoff from which is difficult, and the soils are usually very moist, marsh landscapes prevail in the northern provinces, and in the south - landscapes formed under the influence of saline groundwater.

A large area is occupied by the tundra zone, which is explained by the northern position of the West Siberian Plain. To the south is the forest-tundra zone. The forest-bog zone occupies about 60% of the territory of the West Siberian Plain. Broad-leaved and coniferous-broad-leaved forests are absent here. The strip of coniferous forests is followed by a narrow zone of small-leaved (mainly birch) forests. An increase in the continentality of the climate causes a relatively sharp transition, compared to the East European Plain, from forest-bog landscapes to dry steppe spaces in the southern regions of the West Siberian Plain. Therefore, the width of the forest-steppe zone in Western Siberia is much less than on the East European Plain, and of the tree species it contains mainly birch and aspen. In the extreme southern part of the West Siberian Lowland, there is a steppe zone, which is mostly plowed up. Manes - sandy ridges 3-10 meters high (sometimes up to 30 meters), covered with pine forests, make a variety of manes in the flat landscape of the southern regions of Western Siberia.

Gallery

Siberian plain.jpg

Landscape of the West Siberian Plain

Steppe in the outskirts of Mariinsk1.jpg

Mariinsky forest-steppes

see also

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Notes

Links

• West Siberian Plain // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
• in the book: N. A. Gvozdetsky, N. I. Mikhailov. Physical geography of the USSR. M., 1978.
• Kröner, A. (2015) The Central Asian Orogenic Belt.

An excerpt characterizing the West Siberian Plain

It was clear that the baby was happy with the effect and literally fidgeting with the desire to prolong it ...
- Do you really like? Do you want it to stay that way?
The man just nodded, unable to utter a word.
I didn’t even try to imagine what happiness he should have experienced, after that black horror in which he was daily, and for so long, was! ..
“Thank you, dear…” the man whispered softly. “Just tell me, how can it stay?”
- Oh, it's easy! Your world will only be here, in this cave, and no one will see it except you. And if you don't leave here, he will stay with you forever. Well, I will come to you to check... My name is Stella.
- I don't know what to say for this... I didn't deserve it. This is probably wrong ... My name is Luminary. Yes, not very much “light” has brought yet, as you can see ...
- Oh, nothing, bring more! - it was clear that the baby was very proud of what she had done and was bursting with pleasure.
“Thank you, dear ones...” The luminary sat with his proud head down, and suddenly burst into tears like a child...
- Well, what about the others, the same? .. - I whispered softly into Stella's ear. - There must be a lot of them, right? What to do with them? After all, it's not fair to help one. And who gave us the right to judge which of them is worthy of such help?
Stellino's face immediately frowned...
– I don't know... But I know for sure that it's right. If it wasn't right, we wouldn't be able to. There are other laws...
Suddenly it dawned on me:
“Wait a minute, but what about our Harold?! .. He was a knight, so he also killed?” How did he manage to stay there, on the “upper floor”? ..
– He paid for everything he did... I asked him about it – he paid very dearly... – Stella answered seriously, wrinkling her forehead funny.
- What did you pay? - I did not understand.
“Essence ...” the little girl whispered sadly. - He gave part of his essence for what he did during his lifetime. But his essence was very high, therefore, even having given away part of it, he was still able to remain “on top”. But very few people can do this, only truly very highly developed entities. Usually people lose too much, and go much lower than they originally were. How Luminary...
It was amazing... So, having done something bad on Earth, people lost some part of themselves (or rather, part of their evolutionary potential), and even at the same time, they still had to remain in that nightmarish horror that was called - "lower" Astral... Yes, for mistakes, and in truth, you had to pay dearly...
“Well, now we can go,” the little girl chirped, waving her hand contentedly. - Goodbye, Light! I will come to you!
We moved on and our new friend he was still sitting, frozen with unexpected happiness, greedily absorbing the warmth and beauty of the world created by Stella, and plunging into it as deeply as a dying person would do, absorbing life suddenly returned to him...
- Yes, that's right, you were absolutely right! .. - I said thoughtfully.
Stella beamed.
Being in the most “rainbowy” mood, we had just turned towards the mountains, when a huge, spiked-clawed creature suddenly emerged from the clouds and rushed straight at us ...
- Take care! - Stela screeched, and I just managed to see two rows of razor-sharp teeth, and from a strong blow to the back, rolled head over heels to the ground ...
From the wild horror that seized us, we rushed like bullets along a wide valley, without even thinking that we could quickly go to another “floor” ... We simply did not have time to think about it - we were too scared.
The creature flew right above us, loudly clicking with its gaping toothy beak, and we rushed as far as we could, spraying vile slimy sprays to the sides, and mentally praying that something else would suddenly interest this terrible “wonder bird” ... It was felt that it is much faster and we simply had no chance to break away from it. As an evil, not a single tree grew nearby, there were no bushes, not even stones behind which one could hide, only an ominous black rock could be seen in the distance.
- There! - Stella shouted, pointing her finger at the same rock.
But suddenly, unexpectedly, right in front of us, a creature appeared from somewhere, the sight of which literally froze our blood in our veins... It arose, as it were, “straight out of thin air” and was truly terrifying... The huge black carcass was completely covered long, stiff hair, making it look like a pot-bellied bear, only this “bear” was as tall as a three-story house ... The bumpy head of the monster was “married” with two huge curved horns, and a pair of incredibly long fangs, sharp as knives, adorned its terrible mouth, just looking on which, with fright, the legs gave way ... And then, surprising us unspeakably, the monster easily jumped up and .... picked up the flying "muck" on one of its huge fangs... We froze dumbfounded.
- Let's run!!! Stella screamed. - Let's run while he is "busy"! ..
And we were already ready to rush again without looking back, when suddenly a thin voice sounded behind our backs:
- Girls, wait! No need to run away! .. Dean saved you, he is not an enemy!
We turned around sharply - a tiny, very beautiful black-eyed girl was standing behind ... and calmly stroking the monster that approached her! .. Our eyes popped out of surprise ... It was incredible! For sure - it was a day of surprises!.. The girl, looking at us, smiled affably, not at all afraid of the furry monster standing nearby.
Please don't be afraid of him. He is very kind. We saw that Ovara was chasing you and decided to help. Dean is a good guy, he made it in time. Really, my good?
"Good" purred, which sounded like a slight earthquake, and, bending his head, licked the girl's face.
“And who is Owara, and why did she attack us?” I asked.
She attacks everyone, she is a predator. And very dangerous,” the girl replied calmly. “May I ask what you are doing here?” You're not from here, girls, are you?
- No, not from here. We were just walking. But the same question for you - what are you doing here?
I go to my mother ... - the little girl became sad. “We died together, but for some reason she ended up here. And now I live here, but I do not tell her this, because she will never agree with this. She thinks I'm just coming...
“Isn’t it better to just come?” It's so terrible here! .. - Stella twitched her shoulders.
“I can’t leave her here alone, I’m watching her so that nothing happens to her. And here is Dean with me... He helps me.
I just couldn't believe it... This tiny brave girl voluntarily left her beautiful and kind "floor" to live in this cold, terrible and alien world, protecting her mother, who was very "guilty" of something! Not many, I think, would have been so brave and selfless (even adults!) People who would have decided on such a feat ... And I immediately thought - maybe she just didn’t understand what she was going to condemn herself to ?!
- And how long have you been here, girl, if it's not a secret?
“Recently...” the black-eyed little girl answered sadly, tugging at the black lock of her curly hair with her fingers. - I got into this beautiful world when she died! .. He was so kind and bright! .. And then I saw that my mother was not with me and rushed to look for her. At first it was so scary! For some reason, she was nowhere to be found... And then I fell into this terrible world... And then I found her. I was so terrified here ... So lonely ... Mom told me to leave, even scolded me. But I can't leave her... Now I have a friend, my good Dean, and I can somehow exist here.
Her “good friend” growled again, which made Stella and I get huge “lower astral” goosebumps... Having gathered myself, I tried to calm down a little and began to look closely at this furry miracle... And he, immediately feeling that he noticed, terribly bared his fanged mouth ... I jumped back.
- Oh, please don't be afraid! It is he who smiles at you, - the girl “reassured”.
Yeah... From such a smile you will learn to run fast... - I thought to myself.
“But how did it happen that you became friends with him?” Stella asked.
- When I first came here, I was very scared, especially when monsters like you were attacked today. And then one day, when I almost died, Dean saved me from a whole bunch of creepy flying "birds". I was also afraid of him at first, but then I realized what a heart of gold he had ... He is the most best friend! I have never had such, even when I lived on Earth.
How did you get used to it so quickly? His appearance is not quite, let's say, familiar ...
- And here I understood one very simple truth, which for some reason I didn’t notice on Earth - appearance does not matter if a person or creature has a good heart ... My mother was very beautiful, but at times very angry too. And then all her beauty disappeared somewhere ... And Dean, although scary, is always very kind, and always protects me, I feel his goodness and am not afraid of anything. You can get used to the looks...
“Do you know that you will be here for a very long time, much longer than people live on Earth?” Do you really want to stay here?
“My mother is here, so I must help her. And when she “leaves” to live on Earth again, I will also leave ... Where there is more goodness. In this terrible world, people are very strange - as if they do not live at all. Why is that? Do you know something about it?
- And who told you that your mother would leave to live again? Stella asked.
Dean, of course. He knows a lot, he's been living here for a very long time. He also said that when we (my mother and I) live again, our families will be different. And then I will no longer have this mother ... That's why I want to be with her now.
“And how do you talk to him, to your Dean?” Stella asked. "And why don't you want to tell us your name?"
But it’s true – we still didn’t know her name! And where she came from - they also did not know ...
– My name was Maria... But does it really matter here?
- Surely! Stella laughed. - And how to communicate with you? When you leave, they will give you a new name, but while you are here, you will have to live with the old one. Have you spoken to anyone else here, Maria girl? - Out of habit, jumping from topic to topic, Stella asked.
“Yes, I did…” the little girl said uncertainly. “But they are so strange here. And so miserable... Why are they so miserable?
“But is what you see here conducive to happiness?” I was surprised by her question. – Even the local “reality” itself kills any hopes in advance!.. How can one be happy here?
- I do not know. When I’m with my mother, it seems to me that I could be happy here too ... True, it’s very scary here, and she really doesn’t like it here ... When I said that I agreed to stay with her, she yelled at me and said that I am her "brainless misfortune" ... But I'm not offended ... I know that she's just scared. Just like me...
- Perhaps she just wanted to save you from your "extreme" decision, and only wanted you to go back to your "floor"? - Carefully, so as not to offend, asked Stella.
– No, of course not... But thank you for your kind words. Mom often called me not very good names, even on Earth ... But I know that this is not out of malice. She was just unhappy because I was born, and often told me that I ruined her life. But it wasn't my fault, was it? I always tried to make her happy, but for some reason I didn’t really succeed ... But I never had a dad. Maria was very sad, and her voice trembled, as if she was about to cry.
Stella and I looked at each other, and I was almost sure that similar thoughts had visited her ... I already really disliked this spoiled, selfish "mother", who, instead of worrying about her child herself, did not care about his heroic sacrifice at all. I understood and, in addition, hurt me more painfully.
- But Dean says that I'm good, and that I make him very happy! - the little girl murmured more cheerfully. And he wants to be friends with me. And the others I met here are very cold and indifferent, and sometimes even angry... Especially those who have monsters attached...
- Monsters - what? .. - we did not understand.
“Well, they have scary monsters on their backs and tell them what they should do. And if they don't listen, the monsters mock them terribly... I tried to talk to them, but these monsters won't let me.
We understood absolutely nothing of this “explanation”, but the very fact that some astral beings torture people could not remain “explored” by us, therefore, we immediately asked her how we could see this amazing phenomenon.
- Oh, everywhere! Especially at the Black Mountain. There he is, behind the trees. Do you want us to go with you too?
– Of course, we will be happy! - Stella immediately answered delighted.
To be honest, I also didn’t really smile at the prospect of dating someone else, “creepy and incomprehensible,” especially alone. But interest overcame fear, and we, of course, would have gone, despite the fact that we were a little afraid ... But when a defender like Dean was with us, it immediately became more fun ...
And now, in a short moment, a real Hell unfolded in front of our wide-open eyes with amazement... world... Of course, he was not crazy, but was simply a seer who, for some reason, could see only the lower Astral. But we must give him credit - he portrayed him superbly ... I saw his paintings in a book that was in my dad's library, and I still remembered that terrible feeling that most of his paintings carried ...
- What a horror! .. - whispered the shocked Stella.
One could probably say that we have already seen a lot here, on the "floors" ... But even we were not able to imagine such a thing in our most terrible nightmare! .. Behind the "black rock" something completely opened unthinkable... It looked like a huge, flat "cauldron" carved into the rock, at the bottom of which crimson "lava" was bubbling... Hot air "burst" everywhere with strange flashing reddish bubbles, from which scalding steam escaped and fell in large drops on the ground, or on the people who fell under him at that moment ... Heart-rending cries were heard, but they immediately fell silent, as the most disgusting creatures sat on the backs of the same people, who, with a contented look, "managed" their victims, not paying the slightest attention on their sufferings... Under the naked feet of people red-hot stones were reddening, the hot crimson earth was bubbling and "melting" ... high, evaporating with a light haze... And in the very middle of the "pit" a bright red, wide fiery river flowed, into which, from time to time, the same disgusting monsters unexpectedly threw one or another tormented entity, which, falling, caused only a short a splash of orange sparks, and then, turning for a moment into a fluffy white cloud, it disappeared ... forever ... It was a real Hell, and Stella and I wanted to “disappear” from there as soon as possible ...
- What are we going to do? .. - Stella whispered in quiet horror. - Do you want to go down there? Is there anything we can do to help them? Look how many there are!..
We stood on a black-brown, heat-dried cliff, watching the “mess” of pain, hopelessness, and violence stretching below, flooded with horror, and we felt so childishly powerless that even my warlike Stella this time categorically folded her tousled “wings ” and was ready at the first call to rush off to her own, so dear and reliable, upper “floor” ...
And then I remembered that Maria seemed to be talking to these people, so cruelly punished by fate (or by themselves) ...
“Tell me, please, how did you get down there?” I asked puzzled.
“Dean carried me,” Maria replied calmly, as a matter of course.
- What is it that these poor fellows have done so terrible that they got into such inferno? I asked.
“I think this is not so much about their misdeeds, but about the fact that they were very strong and had a lot of energy, and this is exactly what these monsters need, since they “feed” on these unfortunate people,” the little girl explained in a very adult way.
- What?! .. - we almost jumped. - It turns out - they just "eat" them?
“Unfortunately, yes... When we went there, I saw... A pure silvery stream flowed out of these poor people and directly filled the monsters sitting on their backs. And they immediately came to life and became very pleased. Some human entities, after that, almost could not walk... It's so scary... And nothing can help... Dean says there are too many of them even for him.
“Yeah… It’s unlikely that we can do something too…” Stella whispered sadly.
It was very hard to just turn around and leave. But we were well aware that this moment we are completely powerless, but just watching such a terrible “spectacle” did not give anyone the slightest pleasure. Therefore, having once again looked at this terrifying Hell, we unanimously turned in the other direction ... I can’t say that my human pride was not wounded, since I never liked to lose. But I also learned a long time ago to accept reality as it was, and not to complain about my helplessness, if I was not yet able to help in some situation.
“Can I ask you where you girls are going now?” Maria asked sadly.
- I would like to go upstairs ... To be honest, the “lower floor” is enough for me today ... It is advisable to see something easier ... - I said, and immediately thought of Maria - poor girl, she is here remains!..

One of the largest plains in the world is the West Siberian. Most of it is located on the territory of Russia, but the southern territories of this plain are located in Kazakhstan.

Where is the West Siberian Plain

The length of this plain in each direction is several thousand kilometers. It has natural boundaries in the form of natural objects:

• The northern border of the plain is the coast of the Arctic Ocean. At the same time, from the east, the territory of the plain begins immediately behind the Ural ridge, and in the west, the border of the plain ends in front of the Lower Yenisei Upland;
• The Ural Mountains are the eastern border of the plain. The ridge runs along the entire border, separating Europe from the West;
• Uplands and mountains serve as the western border. In the north, this is the Lower Yenisei Upland, and to the south are the Sayan Mountains and Altai, which are the natural boundary of the plain;
• In the south, the plain passes into the desert territories of Kazakhstan.

At the same time, the West Siberian Plain is the most developed by man and relatively densely populated. From Moscow, the eastern border of the plain is approximately 2,000 km away. and is located to the east.

Capital of the West Siberian Plain

It must be understood that this plain is not a region or region. It's objective geographical concept. After all, the plain is located between mountains and hills and therefore it is called so.

On its territory there are Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kurgan region Russia. The East Kakhastan region is also located on the territory of the West Siberian Plain.

It is called Western because of its western location relative to Siberia itself and because it is its westernmost part. But relative to the European part of the Russian Federation and Moscow, the plain is located in the east.

Since the plain is located in two states, there are several constituent entities of the Russian Federation on its territory, the concept of the capital of the plain will be very arbitrary. The capital can be considered the city of Tomsk, which is located in the center of the plain. And the most major city there will be Novosibirsk, located in its southeastern part.

• Using the maps of the textbook or atlas, determine which large natural regions Western Siberia borders on, what 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 stretches to the foothills of the mountains of Southern Siberia and the 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). Horizontal layering of sedimentary layers - main reason flat relief 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 broad-leaved forests inhabited by mammoths, woolly rhinos, and 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- remoteness from the Atlantic and 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 south from the "ice bag" - the Kara Sea, and warm air masses from Kazakhstan and Central Asia- far to the north.

Fourth- Mountains along the periphery, 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 the air masses of the temperate zone with tropical cyclones arise, bringing rain. At the beginning of summer, this front operates 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 of surface waters. 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 in the world. In Russia, it ranks first in length and basin area.

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

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 can serve as a classic example of swampiness - geographical area lying in the interfluve of the Ob and Irtysh. There are several reasons for the formation of such vast swampy areas: the presence of excessive moisture, flat relief, 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 vast size of the West Siberian Plain and the flat relief make it especially good to trace the latitudinal changes in 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 a summer thermal regime, when the 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 there are "Europeans", 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. Birds feed on the seeds of forest trees and shrubs - 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. The oxbows and lakes of the taiga abound with various species of ducks and 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, good crops of grain and vegetables can be grown.

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

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 the geographical latitude of the extreme northern and southern points of the 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 for the strong swampiness of the plain?