Tunguska Plateau

The Tunguska Plateau is located in central Krasnoyarsk Krai. To the north it is limited by the Kureika River and to the south by the Stony Tunguska River.[2] To the north and northeast rise the Putorana Mountains and to the east the border with the Syverma Plateau is not clearly defined. To the west the Tunguska Plateau descends quite abruptly towards the Yenisei River valley and to the southeast rises the Angara Range. The largest river having its sources in the plateau is the Bakhta, a right tributary of the Yenisei. Other rivers river flowing from it are: Erachimo, Nimde, Kochumdek, Tutonchana, Degali and Uchami (tributaries of the Lower Tunguska); and Stolbovaya and Kondroma (right tributaries of the Stony Tunguska).[3]

The average height of the Tunguska Plateau surface is between 600 meters (2,000 ft) and 800 meters (2,600 ft). The slopes of the mountains are often stepped and river valleys tend to form deep canyons in some areas.[4] The Lower Tunguska River crosses the plateau and divides it roughly into two halves.[3] The highest point is a 962 metres (3,156 ft) high unnamed summit in the southern half of the northern part.[4]

Geologically the Tunguska Plateau is made up of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks with volcanic rock intrusions —mainly trap rock and tuff.[4]

The plateau is part of the East Siberian taiga ecoregion. It is entirely covered by somewhat sparse and undersized larch taiga, except on the highest summits where only mountain tundra grows. There are swamps in the river valleys.[4] The Tunguska Plateau is located in the permafrost zone and the soil never thaws at great depths.[5]

The climate prevailing in the Tunguska Plateau is subarctic continental.[4]

• Soil Cover of the North of Central Siberia
• Evolution of the West Siberian Basin
• Climate Changes in Siberia
• Onyoko and Erachimo rivers