Geographical Profile of the Lena Delta Area and a History of Hydrologic Investigation of the Lena River Lower Reach and Delta

摘要

The delta of the Lena River is one of the most amazing river deltas of the world. It is located in the mouth of the second-large river of Russia, has a huge size, complex hydrographic and morphological structure and hydro-logical regime. The delta plays an important ecological role in the region as a sedimentation barrier to the river sediments and pollutants coming to the sea, serves as a place of spawning, feeding and migration of numerous fishes, habitat of migratory and local birds, Arctic mammals, etc. It represents the "sea gate" of Yakutia. On the other hand, being centuries-old result of specific estuarial processes, it continues to evolve also due to climate change. It involves hydrological, economic and ecological consequences, which have been the subject of research by many scientists since 1920~(th). In the last 20 years the investigation of the processes in the Lena Delta is supported by numerous Russian-German research projects on the basis of the scientific station on the Samoylovsky Island.