The East European Plain is second in size only to the Amazon Lowland, located in South America. The second largest plain on our planet is located on the Eurasian continent. Most of it is located in the eastern part of the continent, the smaller part is in the western part. Because geographical position East European plain mainly falls on Russia, it is often called the Russian Plain.
East European Plain: its borders and location
From north to south the plain has a length of more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from east to west 1 thousand kilometers. Its flat terrain is explained by its almost complete coincidence with the East European Platform. This means that major natural phenomena do not threaten it; small earthquakes and flooding are possible. In the north-west the plain ends with the Scandinavian Mountains, in the south-west - the Carpathians, in the south - the Caucasus, in the east - the Mugodjars and the Urals. Its highest part is located in the Khibiny Mountains (1190m), the lowest is located on the Caspian coast (below sea level 28 m). Most of the plain is in the forest zone, the southern and central part- these are forest-steppes and steppes. The extreme south and eastern part is covered with desert and semi-desert.
East European Plain: its rivers and lakes
Onega, Pechora, Mezen, Northern Dvina are large rivers in the northern part that belong to the Arctic Ocean. The Baltic Sea basin includes such large rivers as the Western Dvina, Neman, and Vistula. The Dniester, Southern Bug, and Dnieper flow to the Black Sea. The Volga and Ural rivers belong to the Caspian Sea basin. The Don flows its waters towards the Sea of Azov. In addition to large rivers, there are several large lakes on the Russian Plain: Ladoga, Beloe, Onega, Ilmen, Chudskoye.
East European Plain: fauna
Animals of the forest group, arctic and steppe live on the Russian Plain. Forest fauna are more common. These are lemmings, chipmunks, gophers and marmots, antelopes, martens and forest cats, minks, black polecat and wild boar, garden, hazel and forest dormouse and so on. Unfortunately, man has caused significant damage to the fauna of the plain. Even before the 19th century, the tarpan (wild forest horse) lived in mixed forests. Today in Belovezhskaya Pushcha they are trying to preserve bison. There is the Askania-Nova steppe reserve, where animals from Asia, Africa and Australia live. And the Voronezh Nature Reserve successfully protects beavers. Moose and wild boars, previously completely exterminated, have reappeared in this area.
Minerals of the East European Plain
The Russian Plain contains many mineral resources that have great importance not only for our country, but also for the rest of the world. First of all, these are the Pechora coal basin, Kursk magnetic ore deposits, nepheline and apathetic ores on the Kola Peninsula, Volga-Ural and Yaroslavl oil, brown coal in the Moscow region. No less important are the aluminum ores of Tikhvin and the brown iron ore of Lipetsk. Limestone, sand, clay and gravel are common throughout almost the entire plain. Table salt is mined in lakes Elton and Baskunchak, and potassium salt is mined in the Kama Cis-Ural region. In addition to all this, gas production is underway (Azov coast region).
The article contains information that gives a complete picture of the East European Plain, its topography and mineral resources. Indicates the states that are located in this territory. Allows you to accurately determine the geographical position of the plain and indicates the factors that influenced climatic features.
The East European Plain
The East European Plain is one of the largest territorial units on the planet. Its area exceeds 4 million km. sq.
The following states are located entirely or partially on the flat plane:
- Russian Federation;
- Finland;
- Estonia;
- Latvia;
- Lithuania;
- Republic of Belarus;
- Poland;
- Germany;
- Ukraine;
- Moldova;
- Kazakhstan.
Rice. 1. East European Plain on the map.
The type of geological structure of the platform was formed under the influence of shields and fold belts.
It occupies second position in the ranking of sizes after the Amazonian Plain. The plain is located in the eastern part of Europe. Due to the fact that its main part is localized within the borders of Russia, the East European Plain is also called Russian. The Russian Plain is washed by the waters of the seas:
TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this
- White;
- Barentsev;
- Black;
- Azovsky;
- Caspian.
The geographical position of the East European Plain is such that its length from north to south is more than 2.5 thousand kilometers, and from west to east - 1 thousand kilometers.
The geographical position of the plain determines the influence of the seas of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans on the specific nature of its nature. There is a full range of natural areas here - from tundra to deserts.
The features of the geological structure of the East European Platform are determined by the age of the rocks that make up the territory, among which the ancient Karelian folded crystalline basement is distinguished. Its age is over 1600 million years.
The minimum altitude of the territory is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea and is 26 m below sea level.
The predominant relief in this area is a gently sloping landscape.
Zoning of soils and flora is provincial in nature and is distributed in the direction from west to east.
The majority of Russia's population and the bulk of large settlements are concentrated on the flat territory. Interesting: It was here that many centuries ago arose Russian state, which became the largest country in the world by its territory.
On the East European Plain there are almost all types of natural zones that are characteristic of Russia.
Rice. 2. Natural areas of the East European Plain on the map.
Minerals of the East European Plain
There is a significant accumulation of Russian mineral resources here.
Natural resources that lie in the depths of the East European Plain:
- iron ore;
- coal;
- Uranus;
- non-ferrous metal ores;
- oil;
Natural monuments are protected areas containing unique objects of living or inanimate nature.
The main monuments of the East European Plain: Lake Seliger, Kivach Waterfall, Kizhi Museum-Reserve.
Rice. 3. Kizhi Museum-Reserve on the map.
A considerable part of the territory is allocated for agricultural land. Russian regions on the plain are actively using its potential and maximizing the exploitation of water and land resources. However, this is not always a good thing. The territory is highly urbanized and significantly altered by humans.
The level of pollution in many rivers and lakes has reached a critical level. This is especially noticeable in the center and south of the plain.
Protective measures are caused by uncontrolled human economic activity, which is today the main source of environmental problems.
The plain almost absolutely corresponds to the boundaries of the East European Platform.
This explains the flat appearance of the relief. Small hill-like formations within the East European Plain arose as a result of faults and other tectonic processes. This suggests that the plain has a tectonic structure.
Glaciation made its contribution to the formation of the flat relief.
The waterways of the plain are fed by snow, which occurs during the spring flood period. The high-water northern rivers flow into the White, Barents, and Baltic seas, and occupy 37.5% of the entire area of the plain. Inland water flow is determined by the seasonal nature of distribution, which occurs relatively evenly. During the summer season, rivers do not experience sudden shallowing.
What have we learned?
We found out what the total area of the East European Plain is. We found out which areas have the greatest water pollution as a result of human activity. We found out what natural monuments are located on the plain. We got an idea of the zonation of soils.
Test on the topic
Evaluation of the report
average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 145.
1. Geographical location.
2. Geological structure and relief.
3. Climate.
4. Inland waters.
5. Soils, flora and fauna.
6. Natural areas and their anthropogenic changes.
Geographical position
The East European Plain is one of the largest plains in the world. The plain opens to the waters of two oceans and extends from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains and from the Barents and White Seas to the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. The plain lies on the ancient East European platform, its climate is predominantly temperate continental and natural zoning is clearly expressed on the plain.
Geological structure and relief
The East European Plain has a typical platform topography, which is predetermined by platform tectonics. At its base lies the Russian plate with a Precambrian foundation and in the south the northern edge of the Scythian plate with a Paleozoic foundation. At the same time, the boundary between the plates is not expressed in the relief. On the uneven surface of the Precambrian basement lie strata of Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks. Their power is not the same and is due to the unevenness of the foundation. These include syneclises (areas of deep foundation) - Moscow, Pechersk, Caspian and anticlises (protrusions of the foundation) - Voronezh, Volga-Ural, as well as aulacogens (deep tectonic ditches, in place of which syneclises arose) and the Baikal ledge - Timan. In general, the plain consists of hills with heights of 200-300m and lowlands. The average height of the Russian Plain is 170 m, and the highest, almost 480 m, is on the Bugulma-Belebeevskaya Upland in the Ural part. In the north of the plain there are the Northern Uvals, the Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow stratal uplands, and the Timan Ridge (Baikal folding). In the center are the elevations: Central Russian, Privolzhskaya (stratal-tiered, stepped), Bugulminsko-Belebeevskaya, General Syrt and lowlands: Oksko-Donskaya and Zavolzhskaya (stratal). In the south lies the accumulative Caspian Lowland. The formation of the plain's topography was also influenced by glaciation. There are three glaciations: Oka, Dnieper with the Moscow stage, Valdai. Glaciers and fluvioglacial waters created moraine landforms and outwash plains. In the periglacial (pre-glacial) zone, cryogenic forms were formed (due to permafrost processes). The southern border of the maximum Dnieper glaciation crossed the Central Russian Upland in the Tula region, then descended along the Don valley to the mouth of the Khopra and Medveditsa rivers, crossed the Volga Upland, the Volga near the mouth of the Sura, then the upper reaches of the Vyatka and Kama and the Ural in the region of 60°N. Iron ore deposits (IOR) are concentrated in the foundation of the platform. Coal reserves are associated with the sedimentary cover (eastern part of Donbass, Pechersk and Podmoskovny pools), oil and gas (Ural-Volga and Timan-Pechersk basins), oil shale (northwestern and Middle Volga region), building materials (widespread), bauxite (Kola Peninsula), phosphorites (in a number of areas), salts (Caspian ).
Climate
The climate of the plain is influenced by its geographical location, the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Solar radiation varies dramatically with the seasons. In winter, more than 60% of radiation is reflected by snow cover. The western transport dominates over the Russian Plain all year. Atlantic air transforms as it moves east. During the cold period, many cyclones come from the Atlantic to the plain. In winter, they bring not only precipitation, but also warming. Mediterranean cyclones are especially warm when the temperature rises to +5˚ +7˚C. After cyclones from the North Atlantic, cold Arctic air penetrates into their rear part, causing sharp cold snaps all the way to the south. Anticyclones provide frosty, clear weather in winter. During the warm period, cyclones mix to the north; the northwest of the plain is especially susceptible to their influence. Cyclones bring rain and coolness in the summer. Hot and dry air forms in the cores of the spur of the Azores High, which often leads to droughts in the southeast of the plain. January isotherms in the northern half of the Russian Plain run submeridianally from -4˚C to Kaliningrad region to -20˚C in the northeast of the plain. In the southern part, the isotherms deviate to the southeast, amounting to -5˚C in the lower reaches of the Volga. In summer, isotherms run sublatitudinally: +8˚C in the north, +20˚C along the Voronezh-Cheboksary line and +24˚C in the south of the Caspian region. The distribution of precipitation depends on westerly transport and cyclonic activity. There are especially many of them moving in the zone 55˚-60˚N, this is the most humidified part of the Russian Plain (Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow Uplands): the annual precipitation here is from 800 mm in the west to 600 mm in the east. Moreover, on the western slopes of the hills it falls 100-200 mm more than on the lowlands lying behind them. Maximum precipitation occurs in July (in the south in June). In winter, snow cover forms. In the northeast of the plain, its height reaches 60-70 cm and it lies for up to 220 days a year (more than 7 months). In the south, the height of the snow cover is 10-20 cm, and the duration of occurrence is up to 2 months. The humidification coefficient varies from 0.3 in the Caspian lowland to 1.4 in the Pechersk lowland. In the north, the moisture is excessive, in the upper reaches of the Dniester, Don and Kama rivers it is sufficient and k≈1, in the south the moisture is insufficient. In the north of the plain the climate is subarctic (the coast of the Arctic Ocean), in the rest of the territory the climate is temperate with varying degrees continentality. At the same time, continentality increases towards the southeast
Inland waters
Surface waters are closely related to climate, topography, and geology. The direction of rivers (river flow) is predetermined by orography and geostructures. The flow from the Russian Plain occurs into the basins of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and into the Caspian basin. The main watershed passes through the Northern Uvals, Valdai, Central Russian and Volga Uplands. The largest is the Volga River (it is the largest in Europe), its length is more than 3530 km, and its basin area is 1360 thousand sq. km. The source lies on the Valdai Hills. After the confluence of the Selizharovka River (from Lake Seliger), the valley widens noticeably. From the mouth of the Oka to Volgograd, the Volga flows with sharply asymmetrical slopes. In the Caspian lowland, the Akhtuba branches are separated from the Volga and a wide strip of floodplain is formed. The Volga Delta begins 170 km from the Caspian coast. The main supply of the Volga is snow, so high water is observed from the beginning of April to the end of May. The height of the water rise is 5-10 m. 9 nature reserves have been created on the territory of the Volga basin. The Don has a length of 1870 km, the basin area is 422 thousand sq. km. The source is from a ravine on the Central Russian Upland. It flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of Azov. The food is mixed: 60% snow, more than 30% groundwater and almost 10% rain. Pechora has a length of 1810 km, begins in the Northern Urals and flows into the Barents Sea. The basin area is 322 thousand km2. The nature of the flow in the upper reaches is mountainous, the channel is rapid. In the middle and low reaches, the river flows through a moraine lowland and forms a wide floodplain, and at the mouth a sandy delta. The diet is mixed: up to 55% comes from melted snow water, 25% from rainwater and 20% from groundwater. The Northern Dvina has a length of about 750 km, formed from the confluence of the Sukhona, Yuga and Vychegda rivers. Flows into the Dvina Bay. The basin area is almost 360 thousand sq. km. The floodplain is wide. At its confluence, the river forms a delta. Mixed food. The lakes on the Russian Plain differ primarily in the origin of the lake basins: 1) moraine lakes are distributed in the north of the plain in areas of glacial accumulation; 2) karst - in the basins of the Northern Dvina and Upper Volga rivers; 3) thermokarst - in the extreme northeast, in the permafrost zone; 4) floodplains (oxbow lakes) - in the floodplains of large and medium-sized rivers; 5) estuary lakes - in the Caspian lowland. Groundwater is distributed throughout the Russian Plain. There are three artesian basins of the first order: Central Russian, East Russian and Caspian. Within their boundaries there are artesian basins of the second order: Moscow, Volga-Kama, Pre-Ural, etc. With depth chemical composition water and the water temperature changes. Fresh waters They occur at depths of no more than 250 m. Mineralization and temperature increase with depth. At a depth of 2-3 km, the water temperature can reach 70˚C.
Soils, flora and fauna
Soils, like vegetation on the Russian Plain, have a zonal distribution. In the north of the plain there are tundra coarse humus gley soils, there are peat-gley soils, etc. To the south, podzolic soils lie under forests. In the northern taiga they are gley-podzolic, in the middle - typical podzolic, and in the southern - soddy-podzolic soils, which are also typical for mixed forests. Gray forest soils form under broad-leaved forests and forest-steppe. In the steppes, the soils are chernozem (podzolized, typical, etc.). In the Caspian lowland, the soils are chestnut and brown desert, there are solonetzes and solonchaks.
The vegetation of the Russian Plain differs from the cover vegetation of other large regions of our country. Broad-leaved forests are common on the Russian Plain and only here are semi-deserts. In general, the set of vegetation is very diverse, from tundra to desert. The tundra is dominated by mosses and lichens; to the south, the number of dwarf birch and willow increases. The forest-tundra is dominated by spruce with an admixture of birch. In the taiga, spruce dominates, to the east there is an admixture of fir, and on the poorest soils - pine. Mixed forests include coniferous-deciduous species; in broad-leaved forests, where they are preserved, oak and linden dominate. The same breeds are also typical for the forest-steppe. The steppe here occupies the largest area in Russia, where cereals predominate. The semi-desert is represented by cereal-wormwood and wormwood-hodgepodge communities.
In the fauna of the Russian Plain there are western and eastern species. The most widely represented are forest animals and, to a lesser extent, steppe animals. Western species gravitate towards mixed and deciduous forests (marten, black polecat, dormouse, mole, and some others). Eastern species gravitate towards the taiga and forest-tundra (chipmunk, wolverine, Ob lemming, etc.). Rodents (gophers, marmots, voles, etc.) dominate in the steppes and semi-deserts; the saiga penetrates from the Asian steppes.
Natural areas
Natural zones on the East European Plain are especially clearly expressed. From north to south they replace each other: tundra, forest-tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest-steppe, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. The tundra occupies the coast of the Barents Sea, covers the entire Kanin Peninsula and further east, to the Polar Urals. The European tundra is warmer and more humid than the Asian one, the climate is subarctic with marine features. The average January temperature varies from -10˚C near the Kanin Peninsula to -20˚C near the Yugorsky Peninsula. In summer about +5˚C. Precipitation 600-500 mm. The permafrost is thin, there are many swamps. On the coast there are typical tundras on tundra-gley soils, with a predominance of mosses and lichens; in addition, arctic bluegrass, pike, alpine cornflower, and sedges grow here; from bushes - wild rosemary, dryad (partridge grass), blueberry, cranberry. To the south, shrubs of dwarf birch and willow appear. The forest-tundra extends south of the tundra in a narrow strip of 30-40 km. The forests here are sparse, the height is no more than 5-8 m, dominated by spruce with an admixture of birch and sometimes larch. Low places are occupied by swamps, thickets of small willows or birch berries. There are a lot of crowberries, blueberries, cranberries, blueberries, mosses and various taiga herbs. Tall forests of spruce with an admixture of rowan (here its flowering occurs on July 5) and bird cherry (blooms by June 30) penetrate the river valleys. Typical animals in these zones are reindeer, arctic fox, polar wolf, lemming, mountain hare, ermine, and wolverine. In summer there are many birds: eiders, geese, ducks, swans, snow bunting, white-tailed eagle, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon; many blood-sucking insects. Rivers and lakes are rich in fish: salmon, whitefish, pike, burbot, perch, char, etc.
The taiga extends south of the forest-tundra, its southern border runs along the line St. Petersburg - Yaroslavl - Nizhny Novgorod - Kazan. In the west and in the center, the taiga merges with mixed forests, and in the east with forest-steppe. The climate of the European taiga is moderate continental. Precipitation on the plains is about 600 mm, on the hills up to 800 mm. Excessive moisture. The growing season lasts from 2 months in the north and almost 4 months in the south of the zone. The depth of soil freezing is from 120 cm in the north to 30-60 cm in the south. The soils are podzolic, in the north of the zone they are peat-gley. There are many rivers, lakes, and swamps in the taiga. The European taiga is characterized by dark coniferous taiga of European and Siberian spruce. To the east fir is added, closer to the Urals cedar and larch. Pine forests form in swamps and sands. In clearings and burnt areas there are birch and aspen, along the river valleys there is alder and willow. Typical animals are elk, reindeer, brown bear, wolverine, wolf, lynx, fox, mountain hare, squirrel, mink, otter, chipmunk. There are many birds: capercaillie, hazel grouse, owls, in swamps and reservoirs ptarmigan, snipe, woodcock, lapwing, geese, ducks, etc. Woodpeckers are common, especially three-toed and black, bullfinch, waxwing, bee-eater, kuksha, tits, crossbills, kinglets and others. Of reptiles and amphibians - viper, lizards, newts, toads. In summer there are many blood-sucking insects. Mixed and, to the south, broad-leaved forests are located in the western part of the plain between the taiga and forest-steppe. The climate is moderate continental, but, unlike the taiga, softer and warmer. Winters are noticeably shorter and summers longer. The soils are soddy-podzolic and gray forest. Many rivers begin here: the Volga, Dnieper, Western Dvina, etc. There are many lakes, swamps and meadows. The boundary between forests is poorly defined. As you move east and north in mixed forests, the role of spruce and even fir increases, and the role of broad-leaved species decreases. There is linden and oak. Towards the southwest, maple, elm, and ash appear, and conifers disappear. Pine forests are found only on poor soils. In these forests there is a well-developed undergrowth (hazel, honeysuckle, euonymus, etc.) and a herbaceous cover of honeysuckle, hoofed grass, chickweed, some grasses, and where conifers grow, there is sorrel, oxalis, ferns, mosses, etc. Due to the economic development of these forests, the fauna has sharply declined. Elk and wild boar are found, red deer and roe deer have become very rare, and bison are found only in nature reserves. The bear and lynx have practically disappeared. Foxes, squirrels, dormouse, polecats, beavers, badgers, hedgehogs, and moles are still common; preserved marten, mink, forest cat, muskrat; muskrat, raccoon dog, and American mink are acclimatized. Reptiles and amphibians include snakes, vipers, lizards, frogs, and toads. There are many birds, both resident and migratory. Woodpeckers, tits, nuthatch, thrushes, jays, owls are typical; finches, warblers, flycatchers, warblers, buntings arrive in the summer, waterfowl. Black grouse, partridges, golden eagles, white-tailed eagle, etc. have become rare. Compared to the taiga, the number of invertebrates in the soil increases significantly. The forest-steppe zone extends south of the forests and reaches the Voronezh-Saratov-Samara line. The climate is temperate continental with an increasing degree of continentality to the east, which affects the more depleted floristic composition in the east of the zone. Winter temperatures vary from -5˚C in the west to -15˚C in the east. The annual amount of precipitation decreases in the same direction. Summer is very warm everywhere +20˚+22˚C. The moisture coefficient in the forest-steppe is about 1. Sometimes, especially in last years, droughts occur in summer. The relief of the zone is characterized by erosional dissection, which creates a certain diversity of soil cover. The most typical gray forest soils are on loess-like loams. Leached chernozems are developed along the river terraces. The further south you go, the more leached and podzolized chernozems, and gray forest soils disappear. Little natural vegetation has been preserved. Forests here are found only in small islands, mainly oak forests, where you can find maple, elm, and ash. Pine forests have been preserved on poor soils. Meadow herbs were preserved only on lands that were not suitable for plowing. Animal world consists of forest and steppe fauna, but in Lately Due to human economic activity, the steppe fauna began to predominate. The steppe zone extends from the southern border of the forest-steppe to the Kuma-Manych depression and the Caspian lowland in the south. The climate is moderate continental, but with a significant degree of continentalism. Summer is hot, average temperatures +22˚+23˚C. Winter temperatures vary from -4˚C in the Azov steppes, to -15˚C in the Volga steppes. Annual precipitation decreases from 500 mm in the west to 400 mm in the east. The humidification coefficient is less than 1, and droughts and hot winds are frequent in summer. The northern steppes are less warm, but more humid than the southern ones. Therefore, the northern steppes have forbs and feather grasses on chernozem soils. The southern steppes are dry on chestnut soils. They are characterized by solonetzity. In the floodplains of large rivers (Don, etc.) floodplain forests of poplar, willow, alder, oak, elm, etc. grow. Among the animals, rodents predominate: gophers, shrews, hamsters, field mice, etc. Predators include ferrets, foxes, weasels . Birds include larks, steppe eagle, harrier, corncrake, falcons, bustards, etc. There are snakes and lizards. Most of the northern steppes are now plowed. The semi-desert and desert zone within Russia is located in the southwestern part of the Caspian lowland. This zone adjoins the Caspian coast and borders the deserts of Kazakhstan. The climate is continental temperate. Precipitation is about 300 mm. Winter temperatures are negative -5˚-10˚C. The snow cover is thin, but remains for up to 60 days. The soil freezes up to 80 cm. Summer is hot and long, average temperatures are +23˚+25˚C. The Volga flows through the zone, forming a vast delta. There are many lakes, but almost all of them are salty. The soils are light chestnut, in some places desert brown. The humus content does not exceed 1%. Salt marshes and solonetzes are widespread. The vegetation cover is dominated by white and black wormwood, fescue, thin-legged grass, and xerophytic feather grass; to the south the number of saltworts increases, tamarisk bushes appear; In spring, tulips, buttercups, and rhubarb bloom. In the floodplain of the Volga - willow, white poplar, sedge, oak, aspen, etc. The fauna is represented mainly by rodents: jerboas, gophers, gerbils, many reptiles - snakes and lizards. Typical predators are the steppe ferret, corsac fox, and weasel. There are many birds in the Volga delta, especially during migration seasons. All natural zones of the Russian Plain have experienced anthropogenic impacts. The zones of forest-steppes and steppes, as well as mixed and deciduous forests, are especially strongly modified by humans.
Abstract on geography
Russian or East European Plain: description, dimensions and historical details.
2) Hydrography
4) Flora and fauna
III. History of relief formation and climate fluctuations in Eastern Europe.
IV. Used Books.
Dimensions.
A significant part of the European part of Russia is located on one of the largest plains in the world - the East European (Russian) plain, the length of which from west to east, from the borders of the country to the Urals, reaches 1600 km, and from north to south, from the seas of the Arctic Ocean to Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian Sea, - 2400 km; the amplitude of recent tectonic movements here is low; the main features of the relief were formed in the late Cenozoic. Most of the territory of the East European Plain lies below 200 m above sea level; highest point- 343 m - located on the Valdai Hills. However, the nature of the relief of the Russian Plain is quite complex. To the north of the latitude of Moscow, glacial landforms predominate - including moraine ridges, of which the most famous are the Valdai and Smolensk-Moscow uplands (the latter reaches a height of 314 m); Moraine, outwash, and glaciolacustrine lowlands are common. To the south of the latitude of Moscow, hills, directed predominantly in the meridional direction, alternate with flat areas. There are numerous ravines and gullies on the hills. In the west there is the Central Russian Upland (maximum height 293 m), separating the upper reaches of the Dnieper, Oka and Don; here the valleys of small rivers are clearly defined; at the same time, large rivers have wide, shallow floodplains; In some places, a strong influence of aeolian processes and the formation of dunes were noted. To the east is the Volga Upland, reaching a height of 329 m and steeply plunging towards the river. The lower reaches of the Volga are located within the Caspian lowland, some sections of which have an altitude of 90 m below sea level. To the south, the East European Plain extends all the way to the spurs of the Greater Caucasus. The vast Kuban and Kuma lowlands are separated by the Stavropol Upland, where the predominant heights are from 300 to 600 m (in the upper reaches of the Kuma there is also a group of island mountains up to 1401 m high). Human economic activity has greatly changed the topography of the East European Plain
Description.
1) Relief .
Almost the entire length is dominated by gently sloping terrain.
The East European Plain almost completely coincides with the East European Platform. This circumstance explains its flat terrain, as well as the absence or insignificance of manifestations of such natural phenomena as earthquakes and volcanism. Large hills and lowlands arose as a result of tectonic movements, including along faults. The height of some hills and plateaus reaches 600-1000 meters.
On the territory of the Russian Plain, platform deposits lie almost horizontally, but their thickness in some places exceeds 20 km. Where the folded foundation protrudes to the surface, hills and ridges are formed (for example, the Donetsk and Timan ridges). On average, the height of the Russian Plain is about 170 meters above sea level. The lowest areas are on the Caspian coast (its level is approximately 26 meters below the level of the World Ocean).
2) Hydrography.
Hydrographically, the territory of the East European Plain is divided into two parts. Most of them drain into the ocean. The northern rivers (Mezen, Onega, Severnaya, Dvina, Pechora) belong to the Arctic Ocean basin, the western and southern ones belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin. The latter include rivers flowing into the Baltic (Neva, Western Dvina, Neman, Vistula, rivers of Sweden and Finland), Black (Dnieper, Southern Bug, Dniester) and Azov (Don) seas. The rivers of the Volga, Ural and some other basins flow into the Caspian Sea, which has lost contact with the World Ocean.
3) Climate.
Moderate continental climate. It is characterized by moderately cold winters and warm summers with an average July temperature from +12 degrees C (off the coast of the Barents Sea) to +24 degrees C in the southeast (on the Caspian lowland). Average January temperatures vary from −8 degrees C in the west of the territory (along the border with the territory of Belarus) to −16 degrees C in the Urals. Precipitation falls throughout the year from 800 mm in the west to 400 mm in the southeast. In the region of a temperate continental climate, moisture varies from excessive in the north and northwest to insufficient in the east and southeast. This is reflected in the change of natural zones from taiga to steppe.
| From north to south, the East European Plain, also known as the Russian Plain, is dressed consistently in the Arctic Tundra, coniferous forest (taiga), mixed and broadleaf tobacco forests, field (steppe), and semi-desert (fringing the Caspian Sea), as changes in vegetation reflect changes in climate. Siberia maintains a similar sequence, but is largely taiga. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves, known as "lungs of Europe", a second only to the Amazon Rainforest in the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbs. There are 266 species of mammals and 780 species of birds in Russia. A total of 415 animal species were included in theRed Directory Russian Federation on 1997 and are now protected. |
History of relief formation and climate fluctuations in Eastern Europe.
The relief of Eastern Europe, modern plains, lowlands and mountains, were formed as a result of complex and long-term geological development. The most ancient structure of crystalline rocks, representing the geological basis of Eastern Europe, is the Russian platform, in the rigid foundation of which mining processes stopped relatively early.
This, as well as the activity of glaciers, explains the predominance of the flat landscape. Where the platform was in contact with others, there were moving areas of the earth's crust. Its vertical uplifts and subsidences, combined with magmatic processes, led to the formation of folds and active manifestations of volcanism. The end result of this process was the formation of the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe - the Urals, the Caucasus, and the Carpathians.
The last stage of geological history - the Quaternary period - was of great importance in the formation of the most important features of the physical geography of Eastern Europe. It is also called the Anthropocene (Greek anthropos - “man” and genos - “birth”), that is, the time of the appearance and development of man, and the beginning is dated from 1 million to 600 thousand years ago. In the geological and natural sphere, this is the period of continental glaciation. It was during the Ice Age that varieties of soils appeared, the movement of glaciers led to the creation of modern relief and the formation of coastlines.
Moraine ridges, boulder clays, sands and other glacial sediments cover the bulk of the northern half of the plain. The last significant changes in the natural environment of Eastern Europe date back to the 12th–10th millennium BC. e. This is the time of the so-called Valdai glaciation, the southern border of which ran approximately along the line Vilnius - Vitebsk - Valdai - Vologda. It was after him that natural and climatic conditions, the basic character of which has been preserved to this day. The post-glacial period, which began 8-10 thousand years ago, represents a time of global warming.
It is characterized by a retreat from Europe to the north and the melting of the Scandinavian ice sheet, the rise of the earth's crust freed from the ice load (this process was uneven in time and space), and a slow rise in the level of the World Ocean. The evolution of one of the huge lakes that existed at the edge of the glacier over several millennia led to the emergence of the Baltic Sea, which acquired modern look approximately 4.5 thousand years ago. By this time, the warm interval (the so-called “climatic optimum”) had ended, the average annual air temperature had dropped, and humidity, on the contrary, had increased, and the modern type of climate had formed.
In the historical period (for Eastern Europe, more or less detailed information from written sources has been available since the 5th century BC), the most important of natural conditions– relief and climate – have not undergone global changes. This is especially true for terrain. Some local changes in it are associated with ongoing mining and educational processes. Coastal areas were subject to certain fluctuations Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, as a result of which some of the ancient cities located in this region ended up on the seabed. Quite significant changes have occurred and are occurring with the northern shores of the Caspian Sea, which are known as transgression and regression of the Caspian Sea, but they are more related to climate change. In general, minor elements of the physical-geographical landscape changed - the outlines and position of coastlines, river flows, sand boundaries, etc.
The climate is subject to some periodic fluctuations, which, however, do not lead to major shifts in the physical geography and distribution of vegetation. Thus, at the beginning of the Iron Age (the turn of the 2nd–1st millennia BC) and later, the climate was general outline almost the same as now, but cooler and wetter. Forest areas along the river valleys of the south of the Russian Plain descended to the shores of the Black and Azov Seas. The flood plains of the lower Dnieper were covered with thick forest on both banks of the river. To date, these forests have been destroyed by humans, and have not disappeared due to any catastrophic climate change.
The early Middle Ages (end of the 1st – beginning of the 2nd millennium AD) saw a “small climatic optimum” - a period of significant warming in Western Europe and North Atlantic. It is no coincidence that this time is considered the “Viking Age”: warming made it possible in the 9th–11th centuries. long voyages across the North Atlantic and the discovery of Iceland, Greenland and North America. However, already from the 14th century. In Western Europe, cooling begins in the 15th–19th centuries. often defined as the “Little Ice Age” - this is the time of the onset of mountain glaciers, cooling of waters, and severe winters. A new period of warming began in late XIX century, and in the twentieth century. it has become large-scale.
The East European Plain is the steppes, which are rich grain granaries of the country, where the highest quality wheat is grown, the forests of the North, the vast expanses of which are ideal natural pastures and unique habitat for hundreds of thousands of animals. This is the diversity of nature, tree species, vegetation cover, temperature and humidity. Where is the main plain of Russia and what are its features - more on that later.
In contact with
Special signs
East European Plain on the map
Within the vast flat territory, seasonal temperature and humidity levels fluctuate within a significant range. Moreover, in one region it can snow, creating impassable drifts, while in another, endless forests rustle with leaves and fragrant meadows bloom. It is known that these spaces are part of the East European Platform. It is ancient and geologically stable. giant shield on the surface, which closely borders the belts of tectonic folding. The outlines of this most significant flat territory on this side of the planet impress anyone who is familiar with the basics of geography.
What does the East European Plain look like on the map:
- its eastern border is framed by ridges;
- the southern outskirts are tightly adjacent to the Mediterranean fold belt and the Scythian plate, which occupies the area of the foothills of the Caucasus and Crimea;
- The length of the East European Plain in a western direction runs along the Danube, close to the coasts of the Black Sea and Azov.
Note! Due to the venerable geological age in these almost endless expanses, only minor elevations can be found, and even then only in the northern regions.
As a result of the movement of the glacier to the south, elements of tectonic plates can be seen with your own eyes in the Karelia region and in some areas of the Baltic states. The further advancement of endless ice masses, combined with a low altitude relative to sea level, resulted in an almost ideal surface.
Regarding economic opportunities, the area of this vast territory differs highest population density in rural areas, Here great amount large and small cities, urban settlements. Natural resources are impressive in their diversity. The expanses of the territory have been successfully developed by man for many thousands of years as an industrial and agricultural base.
About tectonics
The rather complex geological structure and structural features have been studied for many decades by various scientists from amateur amateurs to world-famous professional scientists who gave their description territory of the East European Plain.
In some scientific schools it is better known as the Russian Plain, on which geologists identify the two most significant protrusions - the Ukrainian Shield and the Baltic Shield, areas with shallow or deep occurrence of basement elements.
Such a relief is associated with huge areas and significant geological age of formations and structures. The foundation is made up of several layers.
Archean complex of layers. The tectonic structure is quite peculiar, characterized by exposure of the foundation. These are the areas of the Baltic, Karelia, famous for their rocks, Kola Peninsula, as well as the Konotop, Podolsk and Dnieper massifs. They formed more than three million years ago, are rich in significant deposits of graphite, ferruginous quartzite and other very valuable minerals. No less interesting is another type of archean, which is represented by the Voronezh anteclise; here the occurrence of the basement is insignificant. The age of the formations according to today is about 2.7 million years.
Features of depressions and elevations
As mentioned above, the East European Plain in ancient times was significantly affected by the glacier, which was also facilitated by its geographical location. During the Ice Age, almost the entire area was completely covered multi-meter layer of ice, which could not help but have physical impact not only directly on the surface layers of the soil, but also indirectly on deep-lying structures. As a result of such phenomena, uplifts and subsidences appeared on the surface at a fairly low height of the plain relative to sea level. By and large, this territory is a platform cover consisting of several deposits:
- Proterozoic;
- Paleozoic;
- Mesozoic;
- Cenozoic.
Given the significant pressure of many thousands of glaciers, which literally leveled the surface of these territories, the formation of the foundation is distinguished by an intermittent trend. The peculiarity of the structure is alternate arrangement of elevations and depressions of the relief. The profile looks quite interesting in the field of geology:
- subsidence of the Caspian lowland region;
- Sarmatian Upland;
- Baltic-Central Russian relief depression;
- Baltic Shield zone.
According to data obtained using modern calculation methods, there is reliable information about the thickness of the platform pie in various regions of the plain. Average data is within 35–40 kilometers. The maximum is the Voronezh anteclise - about 55 kilometers; scientists attribute the minimum to the Caspian region.
Note! Approximately, the East European Plain has a fairly significant age - from 1.6 to 2.6 million years
The peculiarities of the relief of this vast territory are that the most ancient formations are recorded in the area of its eastern borders. The oldest elements of the massif are the most static elements of the geological structure; this can be said about the Tatar, Caspian and Zhigulevsko-Pugachevsky massifs, separated by a protoplatform cover.
About the nuances of syneclise and anteclise
The Caspian syneclise is considered the most ancient; numerous deep salt domes are identified here, which is most typical for the Guryev zone.
Here they occupy areas from tens to hundreds of square meters. kilometers. Despite the name, domes have a wide variety of shapes and outlines - circle, ellipse, and irregular forms of formation are also found.
The largest known domes in this region are Chelkarsky, Dossorsky, Indersky, Makatsky, Eltonsky, Sakharno-Lebyazhinsky.
Long-term research by geologists and specialized techniques of photography and scanning from orbit make it possible to obtain reliable data regarding the tectonic structure of the Russian Plain. The research results are as follows:
- The Moscow Syneclise is the largest on the East European platform. Its northern outlines are determined by a pair of uplifts - Soligalichsky and Sukhonsky. The researchers identify the lowest part as the region near the city of Syktyvkar, where the Seregovo salt domes formed by Devonian salts are identified.
- A tectonic element of almost equal importance is the Volga-Ural anteclise. Numerous changes in relief are recorded here; the most significant height is the Mordovian Tokmov arch. Anteclise carries
