What are inland waters of Russia? These are numerous sources of moisture: lakes, swamps, rivers, artificial reservoirs, underground waters, glaciers and permafrost. Water is essential for life on Earth and is one of the most important natural resources. All inland waters are interconnected and with the environment, representing the cycle. This is part of the landscape, having a huge impact on its structure.
Water balance
Inland waters are unevenly distributed throughout Russia. This is largely due to the ratio of precipitation and evaporation, which make up the balance. Some areas are arid. There are not a large number of rivers and lakes, and rainfall is very rare. Surface water is negligible, and groundwater is located at great depths.
Unlike these areas, some lands are saturated with moisture. On their territory there is a large network of surface, soil and interstratal sources. Therefore, we can say that the internal waters of Russia, due to the large number of climatic zones, have varying degrees of distribution.
Human activities also affect the change in water balance.
Rivers
Of great importance for the normal functioning of Russia are rivers. They make up a significant part of inland waters. The country is rich in large river systems. They are used for fishing, shipping, electricity production, soil irrigation and water supply. The condition of the river depends on climatic conditions and terrain features. Therefore, in Russia they are distributed unevenly. The largest rivers cross several climate zones at once. Many of them are navigable and a source of hydropower.
So, the Yenisei, flowing through the steppes, forest-steppes, taiga, forest-tundra and tundra, flows into
the Kara Sea. There are three large pools where most
of the rivers are concentrated
. These are the Aral-Caspian basin and the basins of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The source of the rivers are
groundwater, glaciers, rains, drains and melting snow. Their type depends on it.
Lakes
The distribution of lakes is also uneven. Most of them are concentrated in Karelia and the Central Lowland. In the forest-steppe zone there are practically none. This factor depends on the terrain and climate humidity. Lakes are mainly of tectonic and volcanic origin.
The regime of these bodies of water depends on the source. There are flowing lakes (they are fed by flowing out and flowing rivers) or inland (usually salty sources). The water temperature in water bodies rises sharply in the summer and drops significantly in the winter. By their nature, these inland waters of Russia are short-lived. This is due to natural factors and human activities.
Ground water
Relief and types of vegetation depend on the quality indicators of soil sources. Most of the country's territory is favorable for the formation of this type of inland water. Only the depth of their occurrence differs. They are the most important source of food for rivers. There is much deeper groundwater, which sometimes form artesian pools. Of great importance are the underground thermal springs found in many parts of the country.
Permafrost and wetlands
These internal waters of Russia occupy an insignificant volume in the total mass, but play an important role in the system of the natural complex and human life. In the permafrost region, groundwater prevails. Wetlands are rich in peat, which is used for power plants and soil fertilization. All inland waters of Russia - rivers, lakes, underground and groundwater, glaciers and swamps - are of great importance for human life. This is one of the main riches of the natural complex, which must be protected and increased.