El'gygytgyn

Lake El'gygytgyn, also transcribed as Elgygytgyn, is a significant impact crater lake located in the Anadyrsky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in northeastern Siberia, Russia. The name "El'gygytgyn" itself translates to "white lake" in the Chukchi language. This lake is of immense scientific interest primarily because it has remained untouched by glaciers throughout its history. This unique condition has allowed for the continuous deposition of approximately 400 meters of sediment at the lake's bottom, creating an exceptionally well-preserved archive of prehistoric climate change.

Geography and Formation

The lake is situated within the Anadyr Plateau and is centered within an impact crater that boasts a rim diameter of 18 kilometers. The impact event that formed this structure is dated to approximately 3.6 million years ago, during the Pliocene epoch. The lake itself has a diameter of about 12 kilometers and reaches a maximum depth of 174 meters. It is drained to the southeast by the Enmyvaam River, a tributary of the Belaya River.

Scientific Research and Climate Data

An international drilling program conducted in 2008 and 2009 successfully extracted sediment cores from El'gygytgyn Lake. These cores have provided crucial data demonstrating the profound impact of polar amplification on past climates. Research has revealed numerous "super interglacial" periods during the Pleistocene, characterized by temperatures 4–5°C higher and precipitation 300mm greater than those experienced in the Holocene. Furthermore, during the mid-Pliocene Warm Period, when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were comparable to today, summer temperatures at El'gygytgyn were approximately 8°C warmer. The findings from the Lake El'gygytgyn Drilling Project have been extensively published in scientific journals, highlighting its role as a vital paleoclimate archive.

Endemic Fauna

Life in Lake El'gygytgyn faces extreme conditions, with the lake being ultra-oligotrophic and covered by ice for roughly ten months of the year. Despite this, the lake supports three species of char, including Salvelinus boganidae (Boganid Char), Salvelinus elgyticus (Small-mouth Char), and Salvethymus svetovidovi (Long-finned Char). The latter two species are endemic to Lake El'gygytgyn, showcasing remarkable adaptation to the lake's consistently cold waters and prolonged periods of darkness. The lake also harbors over a dozen endemic species of diatoms.