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Verkhoyansk Range

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Verkhoyansk Range is a huge system of mountains in Russia. It sits within the Sakha Republic. These mountains are part of the East Siberian Mountains.

Yakutia - DSC 6164
Yakutia - DSC 6164

The range forms a massive arc of land. It stretches between the Lena and Aldan rivers to the west. To the east, it sits by the Yana River. The mountains lie just west of where two giant tectonic plates meet. These plates are the Eurasian and North American plates. This location makes the area very special to scientists.

Geologists say these mountains were made by folding. This process creates a shape called an anticline. During the Last Glacial Period, big sheets of ice called glaciers covered the range. In the north, parts like the Orulgan Range show Alpine relief. This means the peaks look very sharp and rugged.

Yakutia - DSC 6184
Yakutia - DSC 6184

Other areas have smooth mountains and wide basins between them.

Yakutia - DSC 6112
Yakutia - DSC 6112

The range is also home to many useful minerals. You can find deposits of coal, silver, lead, tin, and zinc here.

People began to map these mountains more clearly in the 1930s. In 1934, a government expedition went to study the area. A geologist named Yuri Bilibin and an engineer named Evgeny Bobin led the trip. They performed the first topographic survey of the land. Bilibin proved that the Skalisty and Sette-Daban chains were part of this system. They also explored the Yudoma-Maya Highlands for the first time. Their hard work helped people understand this remote part of the world.

The range is divided into many smaller parts called subranges. Some are north of the Arctic Circle, and some are south of it. The northern section includes the Kharaulakh and Kunga ranges. The southern end has the Ulakhan-Bom and Sette-Daban peaks. Many rivers flow through the mountains and separate different basins. The Lena River has many tributaries that start in the range. These include the Kyundyudey and the Menkere rivers. Most of these rivers freeze from September until May.

Life in the Verkhoyansk Range is shaped by the cold. This region holds some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded on Earth. The settlement of Verkhoyansk is known for its frigid climate. Deep snow stays on the ground for most of the year. Because it is so cold, the plants are special too. You might see an alpine tundra with moss and lichens. On some smooth slopes, you can find small forests of larch and dwarf Siberian pine.

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File:Yakutia - DSC 6112.jpg
Yakutia - DSC 6112.jpg
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