Indigirka (Yakut. Indigiir) is a river in the northeast of Yakutia.
The hydronym Indigirka is based on the Even generic name Indigir - “people of the Indi clan” (-gir Even suffix plural). Or Dog River.
The length of the river is 1726 km, the basin area is 360 thousand km². The beginning of the Indigirka is taken to be the confluence of two rivers - Tuora-Yuryakh (Khastakh, Khalkan or Kalkan - 251 km) and Taryn-Yuryakh (63 km), which originate on the northern slopes of the Khalkan ridge; flows into the East Siberian Sea. The total length of Indigirka and Tuora-Yuryakh (Khastakh or Kalkan) is 1977 km. The Indigirka basin is located in an area of development of permafrost rocks, and therefore its rivers are characterized by the formation of giant aufeis.
Photos of the Indigirka River
According to the structure of the valley and channel and the speed of the flow, Indigirka is divided into two sections: the upper mountain (640 km) and the lower plain (1086 km). After the confluence of the Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, the Indigirka flows to the northwest along the lowest part of the Oymyakon Highlands, turning north, cutting through a series of mountain ranges Chersky ridge. The width of the valley here is from 0.5-1 to 20 km, the bed is pebbly, there are many rivers, the flow speed is 2-3.5 m/s. When crossing the Chemalginsky ridge, the Indigirka flows in a deep gorge and forms rapids; flow speed 4 m/s. This area is unsuitable even for rafting. Above the mouth of the Moma River, where the Indigirka River enters the Momo-Selennyakh depression, the lower section begins. The Indigirka Valley is expanding, the channel is replete with shoals and spits, and in some places it breaks into branches. Having rounded the Momsky ridge, the Indigirka flows further along the low-lying plain. On the Abyi lowland it is very winding; on the Yano-Indigirka lowland, the Indigirka is characterized by straight long reaches 350-500 m wide. 130 km from the mouth, the Indigirka breaks into branches (main: Russian mouth, Sredny - the largest, Kolyma), forming a delta (with an area of 5500 km²). The mouth of the Indigirka is separated from the sea by a shallow bar.
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The Indigirka River flows in the northeast of Siberia, through the territory of Yakutia. The name of the river comes from the Even family name Indigir - “people of the Indi clan”. Russian explorers of the 17th century. they pronounced this name as Indigirka - just like the names of other large Siberian rivers: Kureika, Tunguska, Kamchatka.
The Indigirka is formed by the confluence of the Khastakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, in the upper reaches it flows along the Oymyakon plateau, cuts through the Chersky ridge along a narrow deep valley, in the lower reaches it flows along the Yana-Indigirka lowland. The riverbed of the Indigirka is very winding. The Indigirka is divided into two sections according to the structure of the valley and channel, as well as the speed of the current: the upper mountain (length 640 km) and the lower plain (length 1086 km).
When it flows into the East Siberian Sea, 130 km from the mouth, the Indigirka breaks into branches (Russkoe estuary, Sredniy and Kolyma), forming a delta with an area of 5.5 thousand km2.
Almost half of the annual flow occurs during the flood period in May - July. Due to the permafrost rocks through which the river flows, it is characterized by the formation of giant aufeis-taryns, and in winter time The Indigirka River in its lower reaches is completely frozen over.
Since the river is filled with rapids and rifts in many places, navigation along the Indigirka is possible only in the middle and lower reaches, from the confluence of the Moma River (406 km).
Compared to other rivers of North-Eastern Siberia, the Indigirka is not rich in fish, but what is there is of valuable species: sterlet, burbot, shooting range, muksun, peled, vendace, broad white salmon, nelma, omul, whitefish, and at the mouth of the river there is flounder.
The Indigirka basin is a famous gold mining area.
“All the rifts, and the rifts...” - this line from the song of the bard Alexander Gorodnitsky perfectly describes the nature of the bed of the Indigirka River.
video of the Indigirka river
The Indigirka flows from the southern to the northern border of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), crossing four geographical zones(from south to north): taiga forests, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert.
It was possible to study the bed of the Indigirka in detail only in 1926 by the expedition of the Soviet geologist and future academician Sergei Vladimirovich Obruchev (1891-1965), the son of the famous traveler and explorer Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev (1863-1956). In 1926-1935 S. Obruchev studied the Indigirka basin and for the first time established that there were industrial reserves of gold there. S. Obruchev continued and completed the study of the large mountain system in the Indigirka basin, begun by I. D. Chersky (1845-1892), and named it after the discoverer - the Chersky ridge.
Currently, Indigirka remains one of the main water transport arteries in the North-East of Russia. On its shore is North Pole cold - Oymyakon village. In 1933, a temperature of -67.7°C was recorded here. True, a number of experts consider Verkhoyansk to be the pole of cold.
Another less famous attraction of Indigirka is the abandoned city of Zashiversk. It was founded in 1639, in 1783-1805. was a county town, but after the smallpox epidemic of 1812-1856. the inhabitants abandoned it, and to end of the 19th century centuries it was completely deserted.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Sharply continental.
Long winter, short summer.
Average January temperature: -40.7°C.
Average July temperature: +14°C.
Average annual precipitation: 218 mm.
Relative humidity: 70%.
Freeze-up from October to May, ice drift for 3-4 days.
ECONOMY
Minerals: gold, coal (Moma basin).
River navigation.
Tourism (rafting and amateur fishing).
ATTRACTIONS
Navigable from the mouth of the Moma River (1134 km). Main piers: Khonuu, Druzhina, Chokurdakh, Tabor. In the Indigirka basin there is gold mining.
CHERSKY RIDGE
The Chersky Ridge is located in the North-East of Siberia, but is not a ridge in the usual sense of the word, but is a mountain system extending over 1500 km. The highest point is Mount Pobeda, 3003 meters (according to outdated data 3147 meters).
The Chersky Ridge is one of the last large geographical objects to appear on the map of our country. It was discovered by S. V. Obruchev in 1926 and named after the researcher I. D. Chersky, who died during an expedition to North-Eastern Siberia in 1892. The boundaries of the mountain system are the Yano-Oymyakon Highlands in the southwest and the Momo-Selennyakh rift depression in the northeast. It extends across the territory of Yakutia and the Magadan region.
In the western part of the mountain system, between the Yana and Indigirka rivers, there are the Hadaranya (up to 2185 m), Tas-Khayakhtakh (2356 m), Chemalginsky (2547 m), Kurundya (1919 m), Dogdo (2272 m), Chibagalakhsky (2449 m) ridges ), Borong (2681 m), Silyapsky (2703 m), etc. In the east, in the upper reaches of the Kolyma, there are the Ulakhan-Chistai ridges ( highest point Pobeda - 3003 m), Cherge (2332 m), etc. Often the Momo-Selennyakh intermountain depression and the Selennyakhsky, Momsky and some others ridges rising above it in the north are also included in the Chersky ridge system.
The Chersky Ridge was formed during the Mesozoic folding, then gradually penetrified, and during the Alpine folding it split into separate blocks, some of which rose (horsts), while others sank (grabens). Medium-altitude mountains predominate. The ridges rising to 2000-2500 m (Ulakhan-Chistai, Chibagalakhsky, etc.) are distinguished by alpine terrain and bear modern glaciers. The axial parts of the mountain system are composed of highly dislocated and metamorphosed Paleozoic carbonate rocks, and the margins are composed of marine and continental strata of the Permian, Triassic and Jurassic periods(shales, sandstones and siltstones); in many places these rocks are intruded by powerful intrusions of granitoids, which are associated with deposits of gold, tin and other minerals.
The climate is harsh, sharply continental. In winter it is observed temperature inversion, when the temperature drops from the tops of the ridges (−34 ... −40 °C) to the lows (−60 °C). Summers are short and cool, with frequent frosts and snowfalls. The average July temperature rises from 3 °C in the highlands to 13 °C in some valleys. Precipitation is from 300 to 700 mm per year (up to 75% of its amount falls in summer). Permafrost is everywhere.
Many rivers, including the Indigirka and its tributaries, cross the ridges in very narrow valleys; The Moma and Selennyakh flow in intermountain basins and have wide, sometimes swampy valleys. The rivers are fed by melting snow and summer rains. Over 60% of the annual runoff occurs in summer, winter runoff is no more than 5% of the annual flow. In winter, ice dams are common, and small rivers freeze to the bottom.
The altitudinal zonation is represented by tall poplar-chozenia forests at the bottom river valleys, sparse larch forests in the lower part of the slopes of the ridges and thickets of dwarf cedar and alder, as well as rocky, lichen and shrub tundras in the highlands. At the tops of the highest ridges there are cold rocky deserts.
POLE OF COLD
Oymyakon (Yakut. Өymokөөn) is a village in the Oymyakon ulus of Yakutia, on the left bank of the Indigirka River.
Oymyakon is best known as one of the “Poles of Cold” on the planet; according to a number of parameters, the Oymyakon Valley is the most severe place on Earth where a permanent population lives.
Oymyakon - center rural settlement"Borogonsky 1st nasleg."
Oymyakon is located in high latitudes(however, south of the Arctic Circle), day length varies from 4 hours 36 minutes on December 22 to 20 hours 28 minutes on June 22, from May 24 to July 21, there are white nights and light all day long. From May 14 to July, the height of the sun at noon is above 45 degrees and the midday shadow is shorter than the vertical object; from August to May 13, the height of the sun at noon is below 45 degrees and the midday shadow is longer than the vertical object; from May to August 13, nights with navigational twilight last, with Twilight nights with astronomical twilight continue from April 13 to August. The first night with navigational twilight is celebrated on the first day of the last month of calendar spring, the last day with a sun height at noon above 45 degrees is celebrated on the last day of the second month of calendar summer.
The village is located at an altitude of 745 meters above sea level.
The settlements closest to the village are Khara-tumul (the closest) and Bereg-yurdya. Also very close to the village are Tomtor, Yuchyugey and the Airport.
Climate
Oymyakon has a rather complex climate. The climate is influenced by the latitude of the village, equal to 63.27 degrees (subpolar latitudes), great distance from the ocean (sharply continental climate), being at an altitude of 741 meters above sea level (affects altitudinal zone). Altitude lowers the temperature by 4 degrees compared to what would be observed at sea level and accelerates the cooling of the air at night. In winter, cold air flows into the village, since it is located in a basin. Summer is short, with a large difference in daily temperatures; during the day it can be +30 °C and above, but at night the temperature can drop by 15-20 °C. Average annual value atmospheric pressure in Oymyakon is 689 millimeters of mercury. The absolute minimum temperature at the Airport is −64.3 degrees.
On this moment the authorities of Yakutia resolved the dispute in favor of Verkhoyansk, but the question remains open: a number of scientists and meteorological observations clearly indicate the advantage of Oymyakon in the dispute for the “frosty championship of the Northern Hemisphere.” Although minimal average monthly temperature in Verkhoyansk in January 3 degrees lower than in Oymyakon (-57.1 in 1892), and also lower on average in January, February, April, June, July, August and December, according to today's data the average annual temperature in Oymyakon is 0.3 degrees lower than in Verkhoyansk, and the absolute minimum, according to unofficial data, is 12.2 degrees lower. If we take official data, the temperature will rise by 4.4 degrees.
Temperature observation technique
It is necessary to clarify the location of meteorological observations. Regular weather observations are carried out at Oymyakon airport, which is located 40 km from the village of the same name and 2 km from the village of Tomtor. However, when talking about minimum temperatures, the name Oymyakon is always used. This is due to the fact that Oymyakon is not only the name of the village, but also the name of the area.
In addition to the extreme cold in winter, in summer Oymyakon experiences temperatures above +30 °C. On July 28, 2010, a heat record (as well as monthly and absolute) was recorded in the village. Then the air warmed up to +34.6 °C. The difference between the absolute maximum and minimum temperatures is more than one hundred degrees, and according to this indicator, Oymyakon ranks one of the first places in the world.
According to unofficial data, in 1938 the temperature in the village was -77.8°C. On Antarctic station“Vostok” recorded the lowest temperature on Earth (-89.2 °C), but the station is located at an altitude of 3488 m above sea level, and if both temperature indicators are brought to sea level, then Oymyakon will be recognized as the coldest place on the planet (-68.3 and −77.6 degrees, respectively).
FISHING ON INDIGIRKA
Detailed fishing report
The other day I went to the Oymyakonsky ulus, the village of Tomtor (Pole of Cold). The impetus for this trip was an acquaintance who flew in from Moscow for this purpose, he is also a “cold hunter”. The purpose of the "expedition" was not fishing, but viewing the sights of the Pole of Cold.
But, we still found time to go fishing for a few hours (Indigirka River). On the advice of local fishermen, who know all the habits of local fish (grayling, lenok, burbot), we trusted their gear.
To catch grayling you need flies (preferably with a light color), monofilament 0.15-18 mm, and a weight of 20-30 grams. We knit a weight at the end of the fishing line and alternately 2 flies, the interval between the flies is 30-40 cm. It turned out something like a DROPSHOT. Mostly grayling fish bite on this rig. Game: without lifting the load too much from the bottom, gently tug with a nod. Grayling bites are very gentle, as they say, barely “audible” when you nod.
Tackle for catching burbot, here you need a thicker monofilament line: 0.30 mm, or even 0.40 mm, a weight from 40 to 50 grams, two leashes of 20 cm, 2 tees. Tap the bottom at intervals of 10 seconds.
Bait: shrimp on a hook with pieces of squid, a kind of sandwich.
Of course, we didn’t catch many fish. But, several graylings and burbots were caught. Nalimov took a photo with his camera, and it seemed to work out well. Well, the locals took pictures of the Kharyuz, and I, being carried away by the process of extreme fishing, completely forgot about the camera. Valentin was lucky; a burbot weighing more than 4 kg pecked at his “snitch”; he even had to widen the hole with an ice pick.
I was surprised that the ice of the Indigirka River is not at all thick, in some places up to 40 cm, and in other reservoirs of Yakutia the thickness of the ice is already more than a meter.
In general, I was left with a good impression of Oymyakon; although the landscape is winter, it still exudes the beauty and severity of our northern region.
Pysy: in the summer they were officially invited to go fishing in Lake Labynkyr, where, according to local legends, there lives a monster described as similar to a plesiosaur. Old residents of Tomtor believe that the animal, called the “devil,” has lived in the lake since time immemorial and behaves extremely aggressively.
Stories are passed down from mouth to mouth about how one day an unknown creature climbed onto the shore and chased a Yakut fisherman until he died of fear. Another time, the “devil” stuck his head out of the water and, in front of the village residents, swallowed a swimming dog. The most common object of hunting is deer. They tell how a local shepherd tied a reindeer team to some kind of tusk sticking out of the ice, and while he was making a fire on the shore, he heard a crash - the tusk swayed, the ice fell apart, and something huge carried the deer into the abyss.
The most big fish Lake Labynkyr - burbot (“master”). In addition to it, at least 20 species of fish live in the lake (pike, tom, grayling, lenok, alimba, whitefish, whitefish, char, dolly malma...). So there is more than enough food for a potential giant animal
Well, we will wait for the onset of the summer season.
General summary: In winter the fish are sluggish, you need to go in the summer. Fishing at -50 degrees, to put it mildly: very uncomfortable. In winter, temperatures sometimes reach -60% Celsius. The highest recorded low temperature in Tomtor is -71.2
So what's the show? Last Hero"Smoking nervously on the side.
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The largest settlements are: Chokurdakh, Khonuu, Belaya Gora, Ust-Nera, Oymyakon. The main piers are: Tabor, Khonuu, Chokurdakh, Druzhina.
The river can be reached along the M56 highway Magadan - Yakutsk and the Ust-Nera - Kadykchan highway.
The source of the Indigirka River contains major tributaries: With right side- this is the Nera River. On the left side are the rivers: Kuidusun, Elgi, Kuente. The lower reaches of the Indigirka River contains large tributaries: on the right side are the Badyarikha and Moma rivers. On the left side are the rivers: Uyandina, Selennyakh, Allaikha, Boryolekh. Small tributaries of the Indigirka River: on the right side: Chubukalah, Nelkan, Chiya, Echenka, Tikhon-Yuryakh, Khatys-Yuryakh, Ilin-Eselyakh, Berelekh, Dakhatekha, Uchyugey, Berezovka. Good .
On the left side: Achchygy-Chagachannakh, Tyi-Yuryakh, Ulakhan-Chagachannakh, Sarylakh, Inyali, Walchan, Taskan, Tirekhtyakh, Atabyt-Yuryakh, Kieng-Yuryakh, Arga-Yuryakh, Talbykchan. Select here.
The upper reaches of the river are the slopes of the Halkan mountain range. When the Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh and Indigirka rivers merge, they flow through the lower part of the Oymyakon Highlands. When the waters cross the Chemalginsky ridge, just above the mouth of the Moma River, the Indigirka flows through the Momo-Selennyakh basin. Having bypassed the Momsky mountain range, the Indigirka River flows through the low-lying plain part. Afterwards it flows through the Yana-Indigirka and Abyi lowlands. The Indigirka River has a basin that is located on the territory of perennial frozen rocks, and it is for this reason that the formation of large ice deposits can be explained.
The soil near the river near the village of Vorontsovo is of alluvial origin, since the Indigirka River brings a large number of plant particles, characteristic morphology.
River flora
The territory of Yakutia, where the Indigirka River flows, is located almost from the southern to the northern border of the republic. Yakutia belongs to four geographic zones: taiga forests (80 percent of the republic's area), forest-tundra, tundra, and arctic desert.
The river has a length of 1726 kilometers. The drainage basin has an area of 360,000 square kilometers. On average, water is consumed near Ust-Nera at approximately 428 cubic meters per second. The highest flow rate reaches 10,600 cubic meters per second. The village of Vorontsova has from 1,570 cubic meters per second to 11,500 cubic meters per second.
The water level varies from 7.5 - 11.2 meters. The highest water level can be observed in June or early July. According to its structure, the river bed, the high-speed flow, as well as the structure of the valley, Indigirka is conventionally divided into two zones: the upper mountain length is 640 kilometers and the lower plain length is 1086 kilometers. After the Chersky mountain range, the valley acquires a width from 500 meters to 20 kilometers, the high-speed current is 2-3.5 meters per second. While crossing the Chemalginsky mountain range, the Indigirka River flows into deep cave and creates rapids, the current in this place has a speed of 4 meters per second.
A lower river section appears in the Momo-Selennyakh basin. The valley of the Indigirka River begins to expand in it, the bed has shallows and spits, and at times branches into branches. But in the Abyi lowland the river begins to meander. In the Yana-Indigirka Lowland, the Indigirka River is characterized by long open reaches, their width reaching 350-500 meters.
130 kilometers from the mouth, the Indigirka River begins to divide into tributaries (Russkoe estuary, Kolyma, Sredny). A delta with an area of 5,500 square kilometers is formed. Directly from the East Siberian Sea, the river mouth is isolated by a shallow sandbank. The Indigirka River is fed by rain, snow, and glaciers. The spill occurs in warm time of the year. The river begins to become covered with ice in October, and is cleared of ice almost in June. The Indigirka River is the coldest river on the planet. Winter in this area is harsh, the air temperature on average reaches minus 50 degrees, and then the river freezes through. There are a lot of fish in the Indigirka River.
Indigirka is a river located in the north of the Asian part of Russia. It is the largest in the Republic of Sakha (formerly Yakutia), the third largest in Siberia. The length of the river is 1,726 km, it flows from south to north, its mouth is the East Siberian Sea. This means that Indigirka belongs to the Arctic Ocean basin. The area of the river's water basin is about 360 thousand km. The surroundings along the entire coastline amaze with their splendor: the mountains on one side symbolize courage, the plains on the other - gentleness and good nature.
Name and origin
Indigirka is a river that got its name from the Siberian Tungus people of the Evens. According to their dialect, the hydronym translates as “dog pond.”
The Indigirka begins at the place where two mountain streams meet. small sizes. The source of the streams is located on the northern slope of the Khalkan ridge. The beginning of the river is located at an altitude of 792 m above sea level.
Characteristics of the river
According to the characteristics of the channel, valley and flow speed, the Indigirka is a river that can be divided into two parts: mountainous and flat. The length of the upper mountain part is 640 km, the lower plain part is 1,086 km. Flowing from the northern slope of the Khalkan ridge, the stream is directed along the lower border of the Oymyakon Highlands, cutting through the Chemalginsky and Chersky mountain ranges. Continuing further, rounding the Moma Ridge, Indigirka emerges into low-lying, flat terrain. The riverbed in this area is pebbly; there are relatively small sections of the river with sharp stone blocks protruding from the ground, which are called shivera.
The speed of water movement in these areas is 2-3 m/s. When Indigirka crosses the Chemalginsky ridge, the speed increases to 4 m/s. In this area, the river forms rapids as it flows through deep gorges. This area is very difficult and dangerous, so it is unsuitable even for rafting.
In the flat part, the Indigirka (river) flows through the Yana-Indigirka and Abyi lowlands. The valley increases, creating a large number of spits, shoals and branches. The average width of the river in these places is 500 m. The Indigirka here is very winding.
Closer to the delta, the width of the valley increases to 600-800 m, and the river is divided into: Russian mouth, Kolyma branch, Middle branch - the largest of them. The branches 130 km from the sea, in turn, form a wide delta, its area is more than 5,500 square meters. km. The river basin runs along the border permafrost Therefore, icy shores and huge ice fields are a characteristic state of the Indigirka water flow.
But between the mouth and the sea a shallow bar (a sandbank made of sea and river sedimentary sediments) formed.
Nutrition, runoff and glaciation
Nutrition of the Indigirka River mixed type. Most of it is rain and melt water. Moreover, the latter option involves turning snow, ice and dams into liquid. The reservoir is characterized by the East Siberian type of regime. During the warm season there is constant flooding. It lasts from 70 to 100 days. But the river is covered with ice already in October, and this period lasts until May-June. The icebreaker takes about a week. The annual water flow is about 58 km, most of it occurs in summer (50%), in spring - 32%, in autumn - 15%, and in winter less than 1%.
In addition to the local population, people are lured to these places by gold deposits. Gold mining is taking place on the banks of the river. There are coal deposits near the Moma River basin.
Fauna
Indigirka is rich in representatives of ichthyofauna. About 30 species of fish have found their home in the waters of the river. Fishing near the mouth is quite popular. Most common commercial species aquatic animals of Indigirka: vendace, omul and whitefish. In addition to these representatives, others are also known: muksun, whitefish, burbot.
In addition, endangered species of fish are also found in the waters of Indigirka, some of which are listed in the Red Book. This is, for example, Siberian sturgeon- the representative is in danger of extinction. The Siberian vendace population has decreased to critical levels. Recently, a ban on fishing for muskellunge was introduced.
From time to time, salmon come to the Indigirka delta to spawn: pink salmon and chum salmon.
In the summer, the flow from the village of Khonuu is navigable. At this time, the river becomes the main water transport route in the northeast of Russia.
Trips
Traveling along the Indigirka River is not an easy undertaking, the terrain is dangerous. But what is most off-putting is the harsh temperature regime. Students of geographical institutes often come here for research practices, since most of the coast of Indigirka has not yet been studied.
But there are plenty of adventurers everywhere, and canoeing and kayaking are carried out in the lower reaches of the stream. There are also wonderful places suitable for fishing and hunting.
The natural attractions of this region include Named in honor of the explorer of this region I.D. Chersky. Its highest point is Pobeda (3,003 m). He's the last big one geographical feature, plotted on the map of Russia. Discovered only in 1926 by researcher S.V. Obruchev.
River fall and slope
The fall of the Indigirka River (and any other) is calculated based on the distance between the source and the mouth of the reservoir. In essence, this term refers to the difference between these two indicators. According to some official information, the fall is about 1 thousand meters. The figure is average among other flows in Russia.
Indigirka is equal to 58 m/km. This number is obtained as a result of the ratio of the fall to the size of the reservoir. In principle, the figure is not so high, however, still being on the river, you should be extremely careful.
The Indigirka River is located in Yakutia, part of the East Siberian Sea.
Historical reference
The river received its name from the Even family name Indigir, which means people of the Indi clan. Development began by the Cossacks in the first half of the 17th century.
Source
The mouth of the river is formed by two reservoirs, these are Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh, which originate in the Khalkan Mountains. It flows down through the territory of Yakutia, and near the Allaikhovsky district of the republic it flows into the sea.
Characteristics
The Indigirka River is divided into:
- Upper mountain section (640km)
- Lower Plain (1,086 kmZ).
Indigirka river photo
The banks of the river are mountainous highlands, ridges, chains, and then abruptly give way to depressions and lowlands. The pool was formed on the site of rocks that had long since frozen under the influence of low temperatures And climatic conditions. There are many alluvial soils near the coast.
The length of the Indigirka is more than 1.7 thousand kilometers, with a basin area of 360 thousand square kilometers. Depth ranges from 7.5 to 11 meters. The width is different on the upper and lower sections of the river - from 500 meters to 20 kilometers. There are many rapids, mouths, and deltas in the basin. The river is separated from the sea by a small shallow bay.
The climate is sharply continental. in winter average temperature-40 degrees, in summer +14 degrees. Summer is short and winter is long. average speed currents 3m/s. Flowing into the East Siberian Sea it forms a delta with an area of 5,500 square km.
Indigirka on the map
Indigirka on the map photo
River mode
Indigirka is fed by mixed water, coming from snow, rain, and melting ice. Floods are typical in spring and summer. In winter, the entire river freezes, as the water temperature drops to minus 50. The river is covered with ice in October, and the river opens up at the end of May, beginning of June.
Flora and fauna
The river passes through taiga, tundra, forest-tundra and arctic forests. The local ichthyofauna is very rich in fish - 29 species, including:
- Chir;
- Omul;
- Sturgeon;
- Nelma;
- vendace;
- Chum salmon;
- Pink salmon;
- Muksun.
Cities
On the banks of the river there are a lot of settlements, both large and small, most of which are located in Momskoye and Abyiskoye. Allaikhovsky and Oymyakonsky districts. Most major cities Oymyakon, White Mountain, Chokurdakh, Khonuu are considered.
Indigirka river. Oymyakon city photo
Tributaries
Large tributaries are located in the upper and lower reaches, which are located on the right and left banks. For example, large branches are Nera, Moma, Uyandina, Allaikha, Elgi. Much smaller tributaries are the Chiya, Arga-Yuryakh, Talbykchan, Taskan, and Berelekh.
Economic activity
Mineral resources are mined: coal, gold. Fishing and reindeer herding are developed. Indigirka is considered one of the significant water transport arteries of the North-East of Russia.
Tourism on the river
Travelers who visit Yakutia, in summer time They go fishing, rafting and kayaking.
Indigirka river photo
- One of the busiest transport routes in the country, along which river transport runs.
- On the river is the village of Oymyakon, considered a pole of cold.
- Quite an interesting monument of the 19th century. The city of Zashiversk is considered to be, which became a monument to the entire population, which at the end of the 19th century. died from a smallpox epidemic.
- Scientists explain the origin of the name of the hydronym as the name of the Evenki tribe - Indigir, which was of ancestral origin. This meant dog river or Indy people.
beauty of Russia. Indigirka river photo
The Indigirka River flows in the northeast of Siberia, through the territory of Yakutia. The name of the river comes from the Even family name Indigir - “people of the Indi clan”. Russian explorers of the 17th century. they pronounced this name as Indigirka - just like the names of other large Siberian rivers: Kureika, Tunguska, Kamchatka.
The Indigirka is formed by the confluence of the Khastakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, in the upper reaches it flows along the Oymyakon plateau, cuts through the Chersky ridge along a narrow deep valley, in the lower reaches it flows along the Yana-Indigirka lowland. The riverbed of the Indigirka is very winding. The Indigirka is divided into two sections according to the structure of the valley and channel, as well as the speed of the current: the upper mountain (length 640 km) and the lower plain (length 1086 km).
When it flows into 130 km from the mouth, the Indigirka breaks into branches (Russkoe estuary, Sredniy and Kolyma), forming a delta with an area of 5.5 thousand km 2.
Almost half of the annual flow occurs during the flood period in May - July. Due to the permafrost rocks through which the river flows, it is characterized by the formation of giant ice dams, and in winter the Indigirka in its lower reaches completely freezes over.
Since the river is filled with rapids and rifts in many places, navigation along the Indigirka is possible only in the middle and lower reaches, from the confluence of the Moma River (406 km).
Compared to other rivers of North-Eastern Siberia, the Indigirka is not rich in fish, but what is there is of valuable species: sterlet, burbot, shooting range, muksun, peled, vendace, broad white salmon, nelma, omul, whitefish, and at the mouth of the river there is flounder.
The Indigirka basin is a famous gold mining area.
“All the rifts, and the rifts...” - this line from the song of the bard Alexander Gorodnitsky perfectly describes the nature of the bed of the Indigirka River.
The Indigirka flows from the southern to the northern border, crossing four geographical zones (from south to north): taiga forests, forest-tundra, tundra and arctic desert.
It was possible to study the bed of the Indigirka in detail only in 1926 by the expedition of the Soviet geologist and future academician Sergei Vladimirovich Obruchev (1891-1965), the son of the famous traveler and explorer Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev (1863-1956). In 1926-1935 S. Obruchev studied the Indigirka basin and for the first time established that there were industrial reserves of gold there. S. Obruchev continued and completed the study of the large mountain system in the Indigirka basin, begun by I. D. Chersky (1845-1892), and named it after the discoverer - the Chersky ridge.
Currently, Indigirka remains one of the main water transport arteries in the North-East of Russia. On its shore is the northern pole of cold - the village of Oymyakon. In 1933, a temperature of -67.7°C was recorded here. True, a number of experts consider Verkhoyansk to be the pole of cold.
Another less famous attraction of Indigirka is the abandoned city of Zashiversk. It was founded in 1639, in 1783-1805. was a county town, but after the smallpox epidemic of 1812-1856. the inhabitants abandoned it, and by the end of the 19th century it was completely deserted.
general information
Location: Siberia.Flows through the territory Russian Federation (The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
Type of nutrition: mixed with a predominance of rain and melt water(snow, glacier and ice).
Source: confluence of the Khastakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers.
Mouth: East Siberian Sea.
Largest tributaries: right - Moma, Bodyarikha, Nera; left - Seleniyakh, Uyandina, Allaikha, Börölyoh.
Large settlements: Ust-Nera - 8385 people. (2010), White Mountain - 2194 people. (2010), Chokurdakh - 2105 people. (2010), Honuu - 2,000 people. (2012), Oymyakon - 512 people. (2012).
Numbers
Length: 1726 km.Pool area: 360,000 km 2.
Average water consumption: 1850 m 3 /s.
Range of level fluctuations: 7.5 and 11.2 m ( higher levels in June - early July).
Solid waste: 13.7 million tons.