Karst Landforms Of The Sinyaya River Valley, Prilenskoe Plateau
https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2025-3966
Abstract
Unique karst evolution in Siberia is attributed to climatic factors and the presence of permafrost. Climatic fluctuations in Northern Eurasia had occurred during the Quaternary period and significantly influenced the processes of permafrost aggradation and degradation, as well as the karst activity. Despite their wide popularity and impressive manifestations, the karst landforms on the Prilenskoe Plateau still remain tenuously studied in terms of landform classification and obtaining their morphometric characteristics. The article presents the results of field studies of karst terrain in the Sinyaya River valley in Central Yakutia. Based on field observations and the analysis of the generated digital surface models, we have determined the median relative heights of different types of karst ridges in the Sinyaya River valley: “incipient ridges” - 34 m, “young ridges” - 42 m, “mature ridges” - 79 m and “old ridges” - 58 m. Most ridges that exceed 100 m are “mature and old”. The highest ridges are located on the concave parts of river meanders and belong to the type of “mature ridges”. In addition, our observations in the Sinyaya River valley have shown “old ridges” are the most common, accounting for over 58% of the overall ridge length. “Mature ridges” make up approximately 25%, “young ridges” 13%, and “incipient” ridges only 4% of the total. This distribution reflects the long history of topographic development in the valley and the significant influence of erosion processes on these features. The most prominent forms of this landscape include karst ridges, which present as rock pillars formed through physical and chemical weathering, with very active frost shattering, gravitational, and erosion processes. Using field surveys conducted with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and subsequent processing in a geographic information system (GIS), it was determined that the highest ridges are located in the lower reaches of the Sinyaya River, where it cuts through the axial, most elevated part of the Prilenskoe Plateau. The morphometric characteristics of the identified types of karst ridges and their spatial change along the river meanders are associated mainly with the activity of lateral river erosion, which ensures the removal of weathering material and slope deposits.
Supporting agencies: This research was supported by the Grant of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for young scientists, specialists, and students, MPI SB RAS Project № 122011800064-9, and MSU Project № 121051100164-0.
About the Authors
Nikolai V. Torgovkin
Melnikov Permafrost Institute SB RAS, Laboratory of General Geocryology
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yakutsk, 677010
Alexander I. Kizyakov
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Cryolithology and Glaciology Department, Faculty of Geography
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Moscow, 119991
Anastasia A. Gavrilova
Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology RAS
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
St.-Petersburg, 199034
Julustan E. Sivtsev
Melnikov Permafrost Institute SB RAS, Laboratory of General Geocryology; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Cryolithology and Glaciology Department, Faculty of Geography
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yakutsk, 677010
Moscow, 119991
Sebastian F.M. Breitenbach
Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE77XA
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Review
For citations:
Torgovkin N.V., Kizyakov A.I., Gavrilova A.A., Sivtsev J.E., Breitenbach S.F. Karst Landforms Of The Sinyaya River Valley, Prilenskoe Plateau. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY. 2025;18(3):99-106. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2025-3966
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