| Uvs Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Uvs Lake | |
| Coordinates | 50°18′N92°42′E / 50.300°N 92.700°E /50.300; 92.700 |
| Type | Saline |
| Primary inflows | Tesiin gol、Kharkhiraa River、Turuun River |
| Primary outflows | none |
| Basin countries | Mongolia andRussia |
| Max. length | 84 km (52 mi) |
| Max. width | 79 km (49 mi) |
| Surface area | 3,350 km2 (1,290 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 759 m (2,490 ft) |
| Settlements | Ulaangom |
| Official name | Lake Uvs and its surrounding wetlands |
| Designated | 22 March 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1379[1] |
Uvs Lake (Mongolian:Увс нуур[ˌʊɸs‿ˈnʊːr],ᠤᠪᠰᠤ ᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ[ubsu naɣur]) is a highlysaline lake in anendorheic basin—Uvs Nuur Basin, primarily inMongolia with a smaller part inRussia. It is the largest lake in Mongolia by surface area, covering 3,350 km2 at 759 m above sea level.[2] The northeastern tip of the lake is situated in theTuva Republic of theRussian Federation. The largest settlement near the lake isUlaangom. This shallow and verysaline body of water is a remainder of a huge salinesea which covered a much larger area several thousand years ago.
The name Uvs Nuur (sometimes spelled Ubsa Nor or Ubsunur) derives fromsubsen, a Turkic/Mongolian word referring to the bitter dregs left behind in the making ofairag (Mongolian fermentedmare milk drink), andnuur, the Mongolian word for lake. The name is a reference to the lake's salty, undrinkable water. In one Mongolian folk tale a character named Sartaktai, known for digging wondrous canals and setting courses for rivers, tries to connect Uvs lake to another nearby lake by digging a canal between them. But when the water of Uvs lake refuses to flow, Sartaktai angrily declares "Be thy name Subsennor!" A name that is defined as "bad wine, dregs of the spirit that comes from the still..."[3]
Uvs Lake has a length of 84 km and a width of 79 km, with an average depth of 6 m. Its basin is separated from the rest of theGreat Lakes Depression by the Khan Khökhii ridge; however, it is not arift lake.[citation needed]
The main feeding rivers are theBaruunturuun, Nariin gol, andTes (primary feed of the lake) fromKhangai Mountains in the east, and theKharkhiraa River and Sangil gol from theAltai Mountains in the west.[4]
The very large catchment area with no exit results in highly saline water, primarily due to sulphate and sodium ions. It has a salinity of 18.8per mille, or 1.88%, making it half as salty as the oceans.
The lake freezes over from October to May. In summer, it exhibits a temperature gradient from 25 °C at the surface to 19 °C at the bottom.[4]
29 different species of fish are known from Uvs Lake,[5] and one of them, thePotanini altai osman (Oreoleuciscus potanini),[6]is suitable for human consumption.
All of the lake and many parts of its surroundings have been declared protected sites. The UNESCO is using the designation "Uvs Lake site" as an umbrella term to summarize twelve separate clusters of protected sites, each a representative of a major easternEurasianbiome.[7]
The Uvs Lake is the terminal basin for theUvs Lake Basin, which covers an area of 70,000 km2 and represents one of the best-preserved naturalsteppe landscapes ofEurasia. The border between Mongolia and Russia runs through the northern periphery of the basin. Here the world's most northern desert meets the world's most southerntundra zone.[8] Apart from the Uvs Lake, thebasin comprises several smaller lakes. As these lakes lie to the north of other inland seas ofCentral Asia, they are of key importance forwaterfowl migration.
The Uvs Lake basin spans the geoclimatic boundary betweenSiberia andCentral Asia, and lies in a deep frost hollow near the center of theSiberian High, which createstemperature inversions averaging as much as 13 °C or 23.4 °F in midwinter.[9] Consequently, temperatures may vary from −58 °C or −72.4 °F in winter to 47 °C or 116.6 °F in summer. Despite its harsh climate, the depression is home to 173 bird species and 41 mammal species, including the globally endangeredsnow leopard,argali, and Asiaticibex. The population density is low here. The lack of industry and the reliance of the inhabitants on traditional ways such as nomadic pasturing have little impact on the landscape and allow the ecosystem to remain relatively pristine.[10]
In 2003, theUNESCO listed the Uvs Lake Basin as a naturalWorld Heritage Site.[11] It was nominated as "one of the largest intact watersheds in Central Asia where 40,000 archeological sites can be found from historically famous nomadic tribes such as theScythians, theTurks and theHuns."[12] This transboundary patrimony is one of the largest sites inscribed in theWorld Heritage List to date.
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