Environmental & Socio-Economic Studies
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Environmental & Socio-economic Studies DOI: 10.1515/environ-2015-0002 Environ. Socio.-econ. Stud., 2013, 1, 1: 9-16 © 2013 Copyright by University of Silesia ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Changes in local climate in the neighbourhood of the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir on the Angara, Russia Tatiana A. Tashlykova Institute of Earth Crust, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Lermontova Str. 128, Irkutsk, Russia, E–mail address: [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The paper presents results of investigations on microclimate over one of the largest artificial water reservoirs in the world – Ust-Ilimsk on the Angara in Russia. It is located in the western edge of the Central Siberian Upland in the northern part of Irkutsk Oblast. The area of reservoir at a normal level of water damming (296 m a.s.l.) amounts to 1873 km2, the capacity of stored water – 59,4 km3, and the shoreline length is equal to 2384 km. The evaluation of the influence of the water reservoir on local climate was based on the analysis of data collected over many years measurements of a series of particular elements of the climate and carried out in the direct neighbourhood of the reservoir before (1936–1975) and after its construction in 1977. From the research the results show that the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir distinctly influences the local climate of adjacent areas. The differences are mostly connected with the increase in total radiation and changes in the radiation balance of the reservoir, and the larger heat capacity of the water mass in comparison to land. As data from meteorological stations indicate, the climate in the neighbourhood of this water reservoir gains many new features and generally becomes milder. The average annual increase in air temperature over the reservoir shores reached 1.3°C, whereas with in land it was only 0.4°C. At every meteorological station (inshore and continental), in the summer period and during the whole year as well, the average sum precipitation decreased by 7–14%. In the winter, when polynya exist, the number of days with fogs increases over the reservoir. Fogs in the shore zone of the Ust-Ilimsk reservoir delay the coming of frosts by 1–2 weeks. KEY WORDS: microclimate, water dam, Central Siberian Upland ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction its area, capacity, development of the shoreline or the direction of the main axis of the reservoir in The creation and functioning of anthropogenic relation to the prevailing winds. Generally, water water reservoirs in river valleys can change the reservoirs cause thermal contrasts of air that are local climate in an essential way. Storage (damming milder. But their influence on meteorological up) of large amounts of water in the valley causes conditions is not constant during the whole year and significant changes in its relief causing a decrease depends on the heat energy supply. Periodic in relative heights and a change in the shape of the fluctuations of the thermal-humidity regime are cross-section, while water reservoirs, as new thermal connected with the release of considerable amounts elements of the environment of different physical of heat by water reservoirs in the cool season and an properties to land, influence meteorological accumulation of energy in the spring-summer season. conditions of adjacent areas. The surface, which is Investigations into the influence of anthropogenic influenced by the reservoir, is comparable with the water reservoirs on the local climate have been surface of the water table. Significant changes in widely conducted since the mid-1950s. (BORUSHKO, microclimate are observed in the inshore zone, as the 1965; VICULINA & SELJUK, 1966; CHANGNON, 1966; distance from the shoreline increases, the influence RODHE, 1968; MARZEC, 1971; LEWIŃSKA, 1974; of the water body on the local climate decreases. RASTORGUEV & ROSHCHINA, 1987; OBRĘBSKA– Size and range of influence of water reservoirs STARKLOWA & GRZYBOROWSKA, 1995; LOFGREN & on local climate depend on many factors, such as ZHU, 1999; MEIJNINGER & DE BRUIN, 2000; MAŁECKI, 9 2009; MICZYŃSKI ET AL., 2010; DEGU ET AL., 2011; reservoir and away from it in the period before WANG ET AL., 2012). Considering the wide range of (1936–1975) and after its construction in 1977. effects on climate differences in the neighbourhood of large water reservoirs these investigations are 3. Study area of special significance. In the given paper results are presented of investigations on microclimate The Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir is located in the changes over one of the largest artificial water western edge of the Central Siberian Upland, within reservoirs in the world – Ust-Ilimsk on the the Lena–Angara Plateau, limited by the Kovinski Angara in Russia. Ridge in the west and the Angara Ridge in the east. This reservoir is located in the northern part of 2. Research method Irkutsk Oblast within the administrative regions of Ust-Ilimsk, Niznieilimsk and the northern part of This evaluation of the influence of a water Bratsk. It is third in order of size of artificial water reservoir on the local climate was based on analysis reservoirs on the Angara (Fig. 1). Heights decrease of data collected over many years with a series of here from 850 m a. s. l. in the upper course of the measurements of particular elements of climate, Ilim river to 200 m a. s. l. at the dam of Ust-Ilimsk carried out at stations in the direct neighbourhood of Hydroelectric Power Station. In the internal part of the reservoir, both before and after its construction. the region some elevations reach 800–850 m a.s.l., it Comparisons of the data collected allows a real is possible to notice the general terrain inclination expression of climatic differences caused by reservoir towards north-west. The river network of the functioning. Data from the literature were also investigated area is represented by the Angara at the applied, especially from the study of GUSTOKASHINA & Bratsk–Ust-Ilimsk section, and the Ilim river with BALYBINA (2005), who made an attempt to compare tributaries and small rivers flowing into the Angara. air temperatures and precipitation at meteorological The density of the river network in the majority stations located directly on the shore zone of the of the area exceeds 1 km/km2 (ATLAS, 1962, 1997). Fig. 1. Location of the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir One of main orographic units of this area – the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station to the city of Angara Ridge, in the system of massives (called Ust-Ilimsk. The rapids occur as follows: Padunskiy, ranges), runs from the city of Nizhneudinsk towards Dolgiy, Shamanskiy, Simakhinskiy, in which the the north-east, to the central course of the Angara. average inclination of the river channel amounts Rivers – the Angara in upper and middle part of to 1.3–5‰. In the Angara part of the reservoir, Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir, and the Ilim river in after widening of the dam reservoirs there occurs the lower course, cut these ridges, which result in a narrow area in the form of narrow rocky rapids occurring in valley narrowings – from the ravines with steep slopes (more than 20–40°). 10 The drainage basin of the main tributary of the stored water – 59.4 km3. At the given level of Angara – the Ilim, in its upper part adjoins to the damming the reservoir reaches upwards to the drainage basin of the Bratsk reservoir, where Angara – to the dam of Bratsk Hydroelectric Power they have a common watershed. The river flows Station (304 km), and upwards on the Ilim river – to the village of Ilimsk in the narrow, deep valley to the village of Atalanovo in the Nizhnieilimsk of steep (more than 20°), forested slopes. The river region (302 km). At lower damming levels the channel is full of gravelly bars. In this section the range of the reservoir upwards on both rivers Ilim has a lot of tributaries, of which the most course is respectively lower. The length of flooded important is the Kochenga (UST-ILIMSKOYE VODO- valleys of the Angara and Ilim rivers and their KHRANILISHCHE, 1975). The Ilim river widens 200 tributaries reaches more than 600 km. In the m below the mouth of the Igrim river, and rocky lower flooded sections, 17 tributaries flow into banks are distant from the channel of 3–5 km. the reservoir and form bays, that are important This river flows in this area within alluvial places for fish spawning. The length of the terraces and includes a large tributary – the Tuba shoreline of the water body amounts to 2384 km, river. In the neighbourhood of its mouth, at the with a development index of 1.8 (UST-ILIMSKOYE intersection of ranges of the Angara Ridge the VODOKHRANILISHCHE, 1975; MAGOMEDOV, 2003; Simakhinskiy rapids occur. OVCHINNIKOV, 2003). The character of the flooded The Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir was built on river valleys and the geological structure of that the Angara tributary of the Ust-Ilim river. Filling area influence the outline of the reservoir, and it of the reservoir with water, coming from floods is possible to distinguish the Angara part of the and the Bratsk reservoir, lasted 2.5 years – from channel and the Ilim part. The morphometric October 1974 to 25.05.1977. The total area of the characteristics of the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir whole reservoir, at normal damming levels (296 m are presented in Tab. 1. a.s.l.) amounts to 1873 km2, and the capacity of Table 1. Morphometric characteristics of the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir (after Ovchinnikov, 2003) Average Maximum Shore length Water Volume of Average Water areas length width [km] surface area water depth [km] [km] Left Right [km2] [km3] [m] Аngara water area 1.