Putoran Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Putorana Plateau or the Putorana Mountains is a high-lying basalt
plateau
, a mountainous area at the northwestern edge of the Central Siberian Plateau
, to the south from Taymyr Peninsula
. The highest mountain in the range is Mount Kamen which stands 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft) above sea level.
The plateau is composed of Siberian Traps
. The nearest large settlement is the closed city
of Norilsk
. The area contains some of the largest known nickel
deposits in the world. Russia's geographical center, Lake Vivi, is situated on plateau.
, covers some 1887251 hectares (4,663,494.7 acre) with a buffer zone of 1773300 hectares (4,381,915.9 acre). It was set up to protect the world's largest herd of reindeer
as well as Bighorn Sheep
.
In July 2010, the Putorana Reserve was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga
, forest tundra
, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems".
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
, a mountainous area at the northwestern edge of the Central Siberian Plateau
Central Siberian Plateau
The Central Siberian Plateau is made up of sharply demarcated surfaces of varying altitudes occupying most of Siberia between the Yenisei and Lena rivers. It extends over an area of 3.5 million km². The highest point is the Putoran Mountains rising to 1701 m. To the north of the plateau are...
, to the south from Taymyr Peninsula
Taymyr Peninsula
The Taymyr Peninsula is a peninsula in the Far North of Russia, in the Siberian Federal District, that forms the northernmost part of mainland Eurasia and Asia...
. The highest mountain in the range is Mount Kamen which stands 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft) above sea level.
The plateau is composed of Siberian Traps
Siberian Traps
The Siberian Traps form a large region of volcanic rock, known as a large igneous province, in the Russian region of Siberia. The massive eruptive event which formed the traps, one of the largest known volcanic events of the last 500 million years of Earth's geological history, continued for...
. The nearest large settlement is the closed city
Closed city
A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....
of Norilsk
Norilsk
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
. The area contains some of the largest known nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
deposits in the world. Russia's geographical center, Lake Vivi, is situated on plateau.
Nature Reserve
The Putorana Nature Reserve (ru), established in 1988 and administered from NorilskNorilsk
Norilsk is an industrial city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located between the Yenisei River and the Taymyr Peninsula. Population: It was granted city status in 1953. It is the northernmost city in Siberia and the world's second largest city north of the Arctic Circle...
, covers some 1887251 hectares (4,663,494.7 acre) with a buffer zone of 1773300 hectares (4,381,915.9 acre). It was set up to protect the world's largest herd of reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
as well as Bighorn Sheep
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
.
In July 2010, the Putorana Reserve was inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a complete set of subarctic and arctic ecosystems in an isolated mountain range, including pristine taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
, forest tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
, tundra and arctic desert systems, as well as untouched cold-water lake and river systems".
Gallery
External links
- Official website of the Putorana Nature Reserve
- The Putorana Plateau Natural Heritage Protection Fund.