Elgygytgyn Lake
| Elgygytgyn Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Chukchi Peninsula, northeast Siberia |
| Coordinates | 67°30′N 172°00′E / 67.500°N 172.000°ECoordinates: 67°30′N 172°00′E / 67.500°N 172.000°E |
| 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 (Chukchi: Эльгыгытгын) is an impact crater lake located in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in northeast Siberia, about 150 km 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 during the 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.
In 2009, scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst drilled into the lake sediments to analyze past climates.[2]
Fauna
The conditions in the El'gygytgyn lake are extremely severe for fish life. Even so there are three species permanently inhabiting the lake's harsh aquatic environment.[3] These are three types of char: Salvelinus boganidae, S. elgyticus (Small-mouth char) and Salvethymus svetovidovi (long-finned char).[4] The two latter species are endemic to the El'gygytgyn lake. The golets (Salvelinus alpinus, Russian: голец) has been introduced recently.[5]
References
External links
- Dr. Matt Nolan at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Polar Expedition to Siberian Lake will Yield Details of Past Climate PhysOrg.com.
- NASA Earth Observatory
