What is interesting about the Turan Lowland. Its deserts, rivers and lakes

The Turanian lowland is one of the most interesting regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Once upon a time this place stretched a huge sea, the modern remnants of which are the Caspian and the Aral Sea. At present it is a huge plain, the territory of which is occupied by the Karakum Desert, Kyzylkum and others.

Where is the Turan Lowland

The nature of this territory largely depends on the geographical location. The Turanian lowland is located on the territory of three sovereign states - Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In the direction of north-south, the lowland extends to 1,600 km, and in the direction of the west-east - to 1,000 km, occupying a huge area.

The name of the region comes from the word "Turan", "country of tours". This name is recorded in the sacred book of Zoroastrianism - Avesta, which dates back 1000 years before our era. The researchers suggest that "tours" are steppe arias.

The region is rich in minerals (oil, gas, gold, sulfur, etc.), livestock and irrigation are widely developed .

Relief

The relief of the Turanian lowland is mostly of a rather gentle nature, the elevations here are relatively small. However, here the plains alternate with numerous uplifts and depressions. The lowest point of the lowland is the Karagiyi depression, the absolute height of which is minus 132 meters (located below sea level), and the highest place is Mount Tamdytau (0.922 km).

The average height of the region is 200-300 meters above sea level. The most elevated area of the Turan lowland is the Kyzyl Kum desert with an average absolute height of 0.388 km. In ancient times the Turanian lowland was the bottom of a huge inland sea, the remnants of which in our time are the Aral and Caspian seas.

Deserts Kyzylkum, Karakum are covered with sands with a pronounced eolian landscape. Here you can admire the bumpy sands, dunes and barkhans.

Climate

The climate of the region, which is sharply continental and desert, is determined by its geographic features. First, the Turanian lowland is in the heart of the continent. A significant distance from the oceans and moist air currents. Secondly, from the southern and south-western directions, the Turan lowland is limited by mountain barriers, which weaken the circulation of air masses.

All this makes the region extremely arid and covered in large part by deserts. In this direction, from north to south, the amount of precipitation tends to decrease, and the amplitude of temperature fluctuations increases.

River system of the district

Because of climatic features, the river network of the region is extremely poorly developed, represented mainly by the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers that flow into the Aral Sea. It, in turn, is actually the lake of the Turan Lowland. Moreover, in the last century due to the active development of agriculture, the Amu Darya drainage has greatly decreased, and the Syr Darya has practically ceased, which caused a gradual drying out of the Aral Sea and a lot of environmental problems. The Syr Darya lowland river divides the entire territory into two unequal parts - the northern and southern ones. In addition to two fairly full-flowing rivers, on the Turan Lowland in the direction of the southeast - north-west lies the dried bed of the river Uzba.

Karakum

The Karakum Desert ("black sand") occupies a huge area of 350 thousand square meters. Km. The origin of the name, perhaps, is associated with vegetation, which in the summer loses its green color. And sand dunes are called Ak-kum ("white sand"). Another Kara Kum is known for the fact that in its sands was found the whole Temple city of Gonur-Depe, here they worshiped fire.

The desert is very arid and almost unsuitable for life. In the year 60-150 mm of precipitation falls here in different regions, the overwhelming majority of them (70%) falling out during the cold season. It is very hot in summer, the temperature in some parts rises to 50 ⁰ , and the sand itself heats up to +80, making the movement barefoot on it completely impossible. In winter there are severe frosts, sometimes the thermometer's column drops below 30 degrees Celsius.

Despite unfavorable weather conditions, numerous animals live in the desert - a turtle, a steppe cat, various rodents, scorpions, snakes, etc. In the northern part of the clay deserts of the Turan lowland saiga and gazelle live. Perhaps the main attraction of the desert is the picturesque Darvaz crater, which locals compare with the real door to hell. The fact is that after the failed drilling operations and the failure of the drilling rig, gas began to rise underground from under the ground, threatening to poison nearby villages. In order to avoid this, it was decided to set fire to the gas. So there was a flaming 60-meter funnel, the height of the flame emerging from it exceeds sometimes 10 meters.

Kyzylkum

This is the largest desert in Central Asia. On the territory of modern Kazakhstan there is only its northern part.

Desert, whose name can be translated as "red sand", is located in the interfluve of the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya. Her sands really have a reddish hue. They are of aeolian and alluvial origin, have a Paleogene age. Occupies a desert of 300 thousand square kilometers. The endless sands here alternate with small residual mountains (less than a kilometer in height). The sand massifs formed by the winds reach a height of sometimes 75 meters.

Unlike its Turan sister (Karakum), Kyzylkum is more conducive to life. Cattle graze here, and thanks to artesian water and the channel from the Syr Darya, in some areas it is possible to harvest rice, grapes and fruits.