Issyk Kul water salinity. Mountain lake Issyk-Kul. Crimea or Issyk-Kul
The most beautiful and most big lake Kyrgyzstan - Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located in the northeastern part of the republic between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan: Kungey Ala-Too (facing the sun) and Terskey Ala-Too (facing away from the sun) at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. Lake Issyk-Kul one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.
The basin of the lake, surrounded on all sides by powerful mountain ranges, remained for a long time a difficult-to-reach region of Kyrgyzstan. Now you can get here along the road passing through the famous Boom Gorge; there are also 2 airports on the territory of the basin: Cholpon-Ata, located near resort town, And international airport Tamchy, which was built and opened in the summer of 2003 on the basis of a military airport.
Here are some numbers about it unique place attracting everything more tourists: the volume of all water is 1738 km², the area of the water surface is 6236 km², the length of the coastline is 688 km, average depth- 278 m, the greatest depth is almost 2.5 times greater and equals 668 m, length Issyk-Kul from West to East is 182 km, and from South to North - 58 km. Over the past two centuries, the level of Lake Issyk-Kulpon has been decreasing and, as a result, both the depth and length of the coastline have decreased. According to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, since 1886 it has fallen by 4 m, according to other sources, by 9 m.
Due to the great depth of the lake, the water does not have time to cool completely - the lake never freezes, except near some shores. Issyk-Kul translated from Kyrgyz means “Hot Lake”. The ancient Kyrgyz called this pearl of the country “Tuz-Kul” - “Salt Lake” for the brackish taste of the water, which was not suitable for drinking either for people or animals.
Climate of Lake Issyk-Kul
Lake Issyk-Kul refers to those formed by tectonic means and due to the orographic isolation of the basin - the climate here is peculiar, almost marine. It is softer, warmer and wetter than in other depressions of the Tien Shan, located at the same altitude. According to the thermal regime, Issyk-Kul is a subtropical lake. Here, on the shore of the lake, it is moderately warm in summer, and not cold in winter. Average temperature air in January - minus 2 - minus 10 degrees, in July - plus 17 - plus 18. The average water temperature in summer is plus 21 - plus 23, in winter - minus 3 - minus 4. Western part The basin is arid, rains are rare, and almost no snow falls. IN western mountains, bordering the lake, only 115 mm of precipitation falls, while on the eastern shore - about 600 mm. However, in recent years the amount of precipitation has increased - the impact of Global Warming is also noticeable in Kyrgyzstan.
To Lake Issyk-Kul More than 80 rivers and tributaries flow in, but not a single river carries its waters away from this azure lake, which causes the accumulation of salts (water mineralization - 5.90%). The largest rivers flowing into the lake are Tyup (103 km) and Dzhergalan (81 km), the length of the rest does not exceed 50 km. Once upon a time, the Chu River, flowing along the western edge of the basin, carried its waters into the lake.
The contrast of natural zones is varied: in the east there are steppes on dark chestnut soils, on the slopes of the mountains in the west there is a semi-desert, but in the east, at the same altitudes, especially along the Terskey Ala-Too gorges, there are dense spruce forests. The organic world of the lake is also diverse - about 20 species of fish live here, 10 of which are acclimatized. Issyk-Kul is inhabited by: chebak, carp, marinka, osman, pike perch, bream, mirror carp, grass carp, Amur Darya and Sivan trout, whitefish and other fish.
Nature of Lake Issyk-Kul
Large vertical extent Lake Issyk-Kul, the complexity of the relief, significant fluctuations in hydrothermal parameters and other environmental factors have led to a wide variety of flora and fauna in the Issyk-Kul basin. Located at relatively close distances from each other various types vegetation - wormwood and solanchak deserts, turf-like steppes, tall grass and alpine meadows, coniferous and deciduous forests and shrubs. The most notable representatives of shrubs on the shore of the lake are thickets of sea buckthorn, and in the alpine meadows there is yellow edelweiss, listed in the Red Book.
Woody vegetation is represented mainly by forests of Schrenk spruce. Spruce forests are distributed mainly in northern slopes mountains bordering Lake Issyk-Kul. Spruce grows in separate tracts, islands, interspersed with glades, rocky screes and rocky outcrops, alternating with meadows. The mountain slopes are rich in thickets of rosehip, barberry, currant, rowan, and juniper. In the lower reaches along the banks of rivers, in places with more moisture, willows are abundant. In the east of the valley they form deciduous forests.
Animal world The Issyk-Kul region includes 50 species of mammals, 285 of birds, 11 of reptiles, 31 of fish, 4 of amphibians. The black-throated loon, bittern, black stork, mallard, gray duck, demoiselle crane, common gull, and blue kingfisher nest near the coastal waters of the lake and the inflowing rivers. A large number of bird species spend the winter and migrate. Typical of these are: gray heron, swans, gray goose. In the 40s, over 100 thousand waterfowl wintered here. By the end of the 60s, their number was reduced by half. Thanks to the introduction of a 2-km protective zone and a ban on gun hunting on the coast, the number of wintering birds has increased and now amounts to 70-80 thousand individuals.
The lake is home to 11 native and more than 10 acclimatized fish: osman, marinka, chebak and chebak, carp, trout, tench, bream, etc. Osman, bream, marinka, carp, carp, trout, pike perch, chebak and chebak are of commercial importance. The latter are also objects of traditional recreational fishing.
Additional information about the lake Issyk-Kul- Guides:
Author - Oksana_Lyutova. This is a quote from this post
Mountain Lake Issyk-KulThe most beautiful and largest lake Central Asia- Lake Issyk-Kul. It is located between the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan: Kungei Ala-Too (facing the sun) and Terskey Ala-Too (facing away from the sun) at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. Issyk-Kul is one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.
The lake is incredibly beautiful. For this reason it is called the “Pearl of Kyrgyzstan”. Greater transparency and bright sunshine change the color of the water of Lake Issyk-Kul from soft blue to dark blue tones. IN winter time water temperature + 4.2-5.0°.
There are many legends and myths about the origin of Lake Issyk-Kul. Here are three of the most common legends.
In July and August, the upper layers of water heat up to +18-20°. Even in the coldest winters the lake does not freeze. Magnificent views of snow-capped peaks open from northern shore lakes. Eighty rivers and streams flow into the lake, but the lake has no drainage, so the water in the lake is salty.
There are beliefs about cities buried under the waters of Issyk-Kul. The mountains around the lake are practically unexplored.
The lake basin, surrounded on all sides by powerful mountain ranges, remained a remote area of Kyrgyzstan for a long time. Now you can get here along the road passing through the famous Boom Gorge; there are also 2 airports on the territory of the basin: Cholpon-Ata, located near the resort town, and Tamchi International Airport, which was built and opened in the summer of 2003 on the basis of a military airport.
Here are some figures about this unique place, which is attracting an increasing number of tourists: the volume of all water is 1738 km2, the surface area of the water is 6236 km2, the length of the coastline is 688 km, the average depth is 278 m, the greatest depth is almost 2.5 times is larger and equal to 668 m, the length of Issyk-Kul from West to East is 182 km, and from South to North - 58 km. Over the past two centuries, the level of Issyk-Kul has been decreasing and, as a result, both the depth and length of the coastline are decreasing. According to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, since 1886 it has fallen by 4 m, according to other sources, by 9 m.
In terms of depth and volume of water, it has no equal in the world among high-mountain lakes. Issyk-Kul is rightfully the second largest alpine lake in size, after Lake Titicaca located in Chile.
Due to the great depth of the lake, the water does not have time to cool completely - the lake never freezes, except near some shores. Issyk-Kul translated from Kyrgyz means “Hot Lake”. The ancient Kyrgyz called this pearl of the country “Tuz-Kul” - “Salt Lake” for the brackish taste of the water, which was not suitable for drinking either for people or animals.
The lake is one of those formed tectonically and, due to the orographic isolation of the basin, the climate here is peculiar, almost marine. It is softer, warmer and wetter than in other depressions of the Tien Shan, located at the same altitude.
According to the thermal regime, Issyk-Kul is a subtropical lake. Here, on the shore of the lake, it is moderately warm in summer, and not cold in winter. The average air temperature in January is minus 2 - minus 10 degrees, in July - plus 17 - plus 18. The average water temperature in summer is plus 21 - plus 23, in winter - minus 3 - minus 4. The western part of the basin is arid, rain is rare, snow almost never falls out. In the western mountains bordering the lake, only 115 mm of precipitation falls, while on the eastern shore - about 600 mm. However, in recent years the amount of precipitation has increased - the influence of Global Warming is also noticeable in Kyrgyzstan.
More than 80 rivers and tributaries flow into the lake, but not a single river carries its waters out of this azure lake, which causes the accumulation of salts (water mineralization - 5.90%). The largest rivers flowing into the lake are Tyup (103 km) and Dzhergalan (81 km), the length of the rest does not exceed 50 km. Once upon a time, the Chu River, flowing along the western edge of the basin, carried its waters into the lake
The contrast of natural zones is varied: in the east there are steppes on dark chestnut soils, on the slopes of the mountains in the west there is a semi-desert, but in the east, at the same altitudes, especially along the Terskey Ala-Too gorges, there are dense spruce forests. The organic world of the lake is also diverse - about 20 species of fish live here, 10 of which are acclimatized. Issyk-Kul is inhabited by: chebak, carp, marinka, osman, pike perch, bream, mirror carp, grass carp, Amur Darya and Sivan trout, whitefish and other fish.
The lake was first explored by the great Russian traveler P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky. He wrote about Issyk-Kul: “It is difficult to imagine anything grander than the landscape that appears to a traveler from Kungei across the lake to the Heavenly Ridge. The dark blue surface of Issyk-Kul with its sapphire color can easily compete with the equally blue surface of Lake Geneva, it seemed to me on the western side of Kungey is almost limitless in the East, and the incomparable grandeur of the last plan of the landscape gives it a grandeur that Lake Geneva does not have."
The famous Russian traveler and scientist, explorer of Central Asia, N. M. Przhevalsky, was in love with this region and asked to be buried on the shore of the lake. Having seen the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, he said: “This is the same Switzerland, only better.” After Przhevalsky’s death, a city located next to the traveler’s grave was named in his honor. Then, after the collapse of the USSR, Prezhevalsk was renamed Karakol. The city houses the Prezhevalsky Museum.
Issyk-Kul attracts a huge number of tourists from Kazakhstan, Russia, other parts of the CIS, as well as foreign tourists. On the coast of the lake there are resorts that operate year-round, where you can not only have a great rest, but also improve your health.Lake Issyk-Kul
There are about two thousand high-mountain lakes on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, but the pearl of the country and the entire Tien Shan is considered to be Lake Issyk-Kul or Issyk-Kel (translated from Kyrgyz - “hot lake”, from ancient Turkic - “sacred lake”) with an area of 6236 sq. . km with a maximum depth of 702 m.
The first mention of Issyk-Kul is found in Chinese chronicles of the late 2nd century BC, where it is called Zhe-Hai (“warm sea”). The lake lies in the northeast of Kyrgyzstan, at an altitude of 1606.7 m above sea level, in a vast tectonic basin formed more than 50 million years ago. Directly adjacent to the lake is a narrow lakeside plain, dissected by the channels of many rivers (about 80). The basin is surrounded in a ring by the Terskey-Ala-Too (“facing the sun”) and Kyungoy-Ala-Too (“facing the sun”) ridges, rising to heights of 4500-5000 m. The ring of mountains seems to protect the lake basin from the penetration of cold air from the north and hot air from the deserts of Central Asia, because the climate here is quite mild, which turns Issyk-Kul into one of the largest resorts Central Asia. Water temperature in summer time reaches +24 C, in winter - +4 C (here it is, the source of the origin of his name). The swimming season lasts 6 months, and outdoor recreation is possible all year round.
The cleanest rivers flowing from the mountains constantly replenish the lake basin, but the water in Issyk-Kul itself is salty (5.8 ppm at the surface, up to 18 in the depths), which, coupled with the unique mineral composition of local rivers, gives the lake’s never-freezing water a thick blue color . At the same time, depending on the place and time of day, the color of the water can change from soft blue to dark blue tones. And the transparency of the water in the open part of the reservoir reaches 12-16 m. The beauty of the lake is simply amazing; P.P. Semenov-Tien-Shansky compared it with Lake Geneva in Switzerland, and gave preference to Issyk-Kul. Coastline The lake is quite indented - there are about 20 picturesque bays and bays. Crystal clear water mineral springs combined with a mountainous and at the same time mild, almost maritime climate, create unique conditions for resort holiday with mud and thermal treatment.
A whole string of resort towns and villages stretches around the lake, many of which had all-Union importance and popularity during the Soviet era. The best resorts of Cholpon-Ata are on the northern shore (it was once a resort of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, now it is interesting Museum of Local Lore), Karakol with its wooden Orthodox Church The Holy Trinity, the wooden Dungan mosque and the Przhevalsky Museum are the best starting point for exploring the lakeside and adjacent mountainous areas, the towns of Tyup, Ottuk, Balykchi (Rybachye) and others. Also good are the famous Altyn-Arashan gorge (located 30 km east of Karakol at an altitude of 3000 m) with its beautiful landscapes and hot springs, the nearby Issyk-Ata mineral water deposit (77 km southeast of Bishkek), and the Kumtor gold mines ( south coast Issyk-Kul), the majestic Jolbors gorge, the cliffs of the Jety-Oguz canyon, the Boom gorge with its fantastic red rocks and the waterfall in the Barskaun gorge (the height of the waterfall is about 100 m).
On the territory of the Issykul region there are about 1,500 historical monuments, of which 320 are under state protection. The most significant of them include the Saka "Royal Mound" (VII century BC - II century AD) near the village of Kurmenty, the Kok-Bulak and Karashar burial grounds (in total about a thousand burials of the Usun tribes), covered with Tibetan religious inscriptions on the Tamga-Tash stone (VI-I centuries BC), a cluster of petroglyphs (II millennium BC - 8th century AD) near Cholpon-Ata and further along the coast to Tamchy, as well as Cape Holy Nose on the northeastern tip of the lake - the location of the legendary monastery of the Armenian Christian Church (IV-V centuries) in which, according to legend, the tomb of St. Apostle Matthew is located. And at the bottom of the lake there are the ruins of about two dozen flooded ancient cities - Sary-Bulun, Koisary, Ulan (XII century) and so on, which died with rising water levels in Issyk-Kul. Many historical and cultural values of the Saka-Usun period (1st millennium BC) and the early Middle Ages were discovered in them.
The best time to visit Issyk-Kul is September, although trekking in the mountains is best done between July and August.
Reply from Danila Serbenyuk[guru]
not salty!)) Baikal is also a lake, and more!!!
Reply from Victoria Kormilina (Kostenko)[newbie]
But still many seas are larger
Reply from User deleted[guru]
Everything that does not have access to the World Ocean is called lakes, and it is salty because there are salt marshes there.
Reply from User deleted[guru]
unfair! I agree with you! incredible beauty!
Reply from Rus[guru]
By definition, a sea is a part of the world's oceans. Anything that is not connected to the ocean by at least a strait is not a sea. By the way, the Caspian is a lake called the “Caspian Sea”. And the Aral, until it dried up, although it was called a sea, was a lake. And please note: based on the definition, the sea cannot dry up; if the flow (evaporation) of water exceeds its arrival along the rivers and due to precipitation, the shortage will be compensated by the influx through the strait. Through what strait can water get into Issyk-Kul?
Central Asia, in addition to its numerous attractions, can safely boast of its highlight - Lake Issyk-Kul. This unique lake At the same time, it is one of the thirty largest lakes on the planet both in area and in depth.
Mountainous Issyk-Kul continues to attract the attention of the tourist community. The flow of vacationers increases every year. But, unfortunately, not everyone knows where Lake Issyk-Kul is located and what it is famous for.
Issyk-Kul is located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. This republic was part of the Soviet Union, and its landmark belonged to a huge country. Getting to the lake at that time was not difficult. Today, to enjoy the beauty of one of the most deep lakes world, you will have to cross several states with which Kyrgyzstan borders: China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Lake Issyk-Kul is among the top largest lakes in the world by area and ranks seventh in the world.
1609 meters above sea level determines the location of the Kyrgyz lake. The exact location of Issyk-Kul can be found at geographical map. If you look at it carefully, the first thing you come across is mountain system Northern Tien - Shan. The Teskey-Ala-Tau and Kungey-Ala-Tau ridges surround the reservoir on both sides.
Issyk-Kul has four bays: Pokrovsky, Tyupsky, Dzhergalansky, Rybachy. The coastline of the lake spans almost 700 km. The size of Lake Issyk Kul is impressive. From west to east, Issyk-Kul measures one hundred eighty-two kilometers, from north to south - fifty-eight kilometers. The climate in Kyrgyzstan is very mild, so even in the harshest winter the lake is not covered with ice. For several decades now, cyclical water levels have been observed in Issyk-Kul. It either increases or decreases.
The lake is of interest not only as a tourist attraction, but also as an object for research. The amazing view of the lake can be seen even from space. It did not leave a single astronaut indifferent. They all admire the Kyrgyz reservoir as one. The legendary space explorer, Alexey Leonov, compared the mountain miracle to the human eye. Usually tourists combine a visit to Lake Issyk-Kul and
What kind of water is in Issyk Kul: salty or fresh?
The answer to this question will most likely be given by its regular visitors, who will confidently confirm its salinity. However, the discoverers of the alpine lake are confident that the water in it is fresh. This opinion comes from the erroneous comparison of Issyk-Kul with Lake Baikal. However, large sizes and pure water The similarity between the two lakes is complete.
To find out for sure what kind of water is in Issyk-Kul, let’s come to a solution this issue from a scientific point of view.
Issyk-Kul is a closed lake. It has no connection with the world's oceans. Approximately eighty tributaries flow into the lake. Jergalan and Tyup flow in from the east, and Kutemaldy from the west. The last channel belongs to the Chu River, which flows very close to the lake. The six-kilometer-long Kutemaldy replenishes the Issyk-Kul only during spring floods.
Issyk-Kul can be considered the center of a cluster of glacial rivers that carry dissolved mineral salts in their waters: sodium, sulfate, chloride and magnesium. This lake can rightfully be considered a health resort of pan-European and even global importance, thanks to its healing properties. mineral water.
Where did the name of the lake come from?
There are several explanations for where the name Issyk-Kul came from. If we take into account the origin of the words in the name of the lake, then they have Turkic roots. The Turkic words Issiq-Kul became the progenitors modern name Issyk-Kul. The Kyrgyz spelling of the lake, Ysyk kol, means “hot lake” because it does not freeze in the winter season. We already know that this is due to the mild climate, very salty water and huge reserves of heat that are stored at the depths of Issyk-Kul.
EM. Murzaev, a Soviet physicist and geographer, who at one time studied the history of the origin of the name of the lake, is inclined to a theory that goes back far into antiquity. The indigenous Kyrgyz consider Issyk-Kul sacred lake. The nation has revered his holiness for many centuries, preserving it today. The ancient name is Tuz Kul, that is, “ salt lake».
Reasons to visit Issyk-Kul
The most important argument for going to Issyk-Kul as soon as possible is to get your health in order. This amazing place, which combines fresh mountain air and medicinal mineral water. The health resort awaits its visitors from the second half of June until the end of summer. Since those wishing to improve their health are growing every year, medical institutions are increasing depending on demand. In addition to sanatoriums and boarding houses, you can stay in hotels, holiday houses, and tourist complexes.
Issyk-Kul is a favorite place for avid fishermen. The species diversity of fish includes about twenty families. Most of them were brought deliberately and adapted to mountain water. One of the acclimatized species is Gegharkuni, imported from Armenia. Fishermen often boast about their catch of trout and chebak. It happens that individuals larger than 15 kilograms are caught.
The alpine lake is very attractive to those who like to contemplate beautiful places on planet Earth. Issyk-Kul, like Baikal, attracts with its clean and clear water. Throughout the day you can observe how the color palette of the water changes. The color scheme plays with a variety of colors: sometimes it blinds the eye with emerald tints, sometimes the blue waves excite the heart with their pressure.
Issyk-Kul is no less fascinating with its sights and legends.
Legends and secrets of the Kyrgyz miracle
Issyk-Kul is full of mysteries and legends. The guides tell with particular interest about local mysteries and legends. To confirm the mystery of the alpine lake, let’s get acquainted with some of them.
The first legend tells how the mountain pool appeared. This happened in the distant past, when there was no trace of any reservoir. And in its place today stood magnificent city. But the life of the large settlement was interrupted in an instant. During a strong earthquake, the earth moved apart and “swallowed” the city along with its inhabitants, leaving a huge depression in its place. The huge depression began to quickly fill with water and turned into a mountain lake.
As it turned out later, not all residents died in that disaster. Several girls remained alive, who on the day of the tragedy went to the mountains for firewood. Grief overwhelmed the young beauties so much that they could not come to terms with the loss of their loved ones. As soon as the sun rose, they came to the pond and wept bitterly, suffering from the loss of loved ones. There were so many tears that they turned the fresh water of the lake into salt water. It was the burning tears of the suffering girls that gave the name to Lake Issyk, which translates as “hot”. The Kyrgyz added Kul to the first word, which means lake.
The elders confirm that the character of Issyk-Kul fully corresponds to its name. If you peer into the waters of the lake for a long time, you can clearly trace its mood, similar to the experiences of the surviving girls. The transparent emerald color envelops you in its magic during calm periods, and the crazy waves raging in a storm are ready to tear the shore to shreds.
The legend of Tamerlane is considered no less entertaining. The Turkic commander visited the lake three times in seven years. The veracity of this legend is evidenced by the pass located in the eastern part of the lake. It was formed during Tamerlane’s military campaigns in these lands. Each time, making another campaign to capture the local population, the Central Asian conqueror ordered the soldiers to take one stone at a time and put them in one place. When the whole army passed, a formation was formed at this place stone mountain. However, Tamerlane's campaigns of conquest failed. He never managed to conquer the indigenous tribes. Local population turned out to be quite resourceful. Before the approach of Tamerlane's army, the tribes migrated from the country and waited in secluded places. Tamerlane could not stay on Kyrgyz territory for a long time; he needed to conquer other lands. Returning back, the commander gave the order to each warrior to take a stone from the first pile and move it to another. In this way Tamerlane counted his soldiers. This is where the name of the artificial mountain “Santash” came from - counting stones.
