| Elgygytgyn Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Chukchi Peninsula, north-east Siberia |
| Lake type | impact crater lake, oligotrophic |
| Primary outflows | Enmyvaam |
| Catchment area | 293 km² |
| Basin countries | Russia |
| Max. length | 12 km |
| Max. width | 12 km |
| Surface area | 110 km² |
Lake El'gygytgyn (Russian: Эльгыгытгын) is an impact crater lake located in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in north-east Siberia, about 150km southeast of Chaunskaya Bay. It is drained to the southeast by the Enmybaam branch of the Belaya River. It is approximately 12 km in diameter and has a maximum depth of 174 m +/- 2m. The lake is centered within an impact crater with a rim diameter of 18 km that formed 3.6 million years ago (Pliocene). [1]
The lake is of particular interest to scientists because it has never been covered by glaciers. This has allowed the uninterrupted build-up of 400 m of sediment at the bottom of the lake, recording information on prehistoric climate change.
Recently, scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst have drilled into the lake sedimentary cores to analyze past climates.[2]
The conditions in the El'gygytgyn lake are extremely severe for fish life. Therefore there are only three species permanently inhabiting the lake's harsh aquatic environment. These are three types of char: Salvelinus boganidae, S. elgyticus (Small-mouth char) and Salvethymus svetovidovi (long-finned char). The two latter species are endemic to the El'gygytgyn lake. The golets (голец) has been introduced recently.
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