Lake Balqash
Lake Balkhash (Kazakh: Балқаш Көлі, Balqash kóli) is located in Kazakhstan. It is one of the largest lakes in Asia and 15th largest in the world (en).[1]
| Lake Balkhash Балқаш Көлі Озеро Балхаш | |
|---|---|
 View from Space, April 1991 | |
 Map of the Lake Balkhash drainage basin | |
| Location | Kazakhstan |
| Type | Endorheic, Saline |
| Primary inflows | Ili, Karatal, Aksu, Lepsy, Byan, Kapal, Koksu rivers |
| Primary outflows | evaporation |
| Basin countries |  Kazakhstan 85% China 15% |
| Max. length | 605 km (376 mi) |
| Max. width | East 19 km (12 mi) West 74 km (46 mi) |
| Surface area | 16,400 km2 (6,300 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 5.8 m (19 ft) |
| Max. depth | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Water volume | 106 cu mi (440 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 341.4 m (1,120 ft) |
| Frozen | November to March |
| Islands | 43 |
It belongs to a Central Asian endorheic basin shared by Kazakhstan, China, and Kyrgyzstan. Water moves from the basin to Balqash via seven rivers. The most important one is the Ili River. Water in the Ili River comes from melted snow from the mountains of China's Xinjiang.
The name of Lake Balkhash is the word balkaš, which in Turkic languages means “swampy area” (or marshland).[2]
History
The first Europeans to receive information about the lake were William of Rubruk (en) and Pian del Carpine (en) in the 13th century.
In 1886, Russian researcher Ivan Mushketov (en) wrote the book “Turkestan”, in which he wrote all the known information about Lake Balkhash.[3]
In 1903-1904, the Russian Geographical Society (en) explored the lake, the leader of the study was Lev Berg (en).
Geography
Lake Balkhash is a large, closed, and slightly saline lake. It is located in the arid (dry) zone of Central Asia on southeast of Kazakhstan.
Saryesik peninsula, located in the middle of the lake divides it into two parts that are different from each other.
Its length is 605 km, its width varies from 9 to 19 km in the east parts and up to 74 km - in the western.
The lake borders four regions: Almaty Region, the southeastern part of Karaganda Region, southwestern part of East Kazakhstan Region and eastern - Zhambyl Region, as well as the northwestern part of the province Xinjiang of China.
Climate
The climate in the lake area is semi-desert. The average temperature in July is about 24 °C (75.2 °F), in January about -8 °C. Precipitation averages 120 mm per year. Relative air humidity is 55-60%.[4]
The average annual wind speed is about 4.5-4.8 meters per second. The surface water temperature ranges from 0 °C (32 °F) in December to 28 °C (82.4 °F) in July; at depth it changes little (temperature difference is no more than 3.3 °C). The lake freezes every year; the ice usually lasts from November to March-April.[4]
Lake Balqash Media
Satellite image of the Karatal River delta
Lake Balkhash and the surrounding area viewed from space
Lake Balkhash in the spring, 2008
Lake Balkhash, near Priozersk city
A view from the lake of the Balkhash Mining and Metallurgy Plant.
Lake Balkhash, the neighborhood of the city Priozersk
A pier near Balkhash City.
The central peninsula of the lake as seen from the air.
References
- ↑ "Lake Balkhash". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. NASA Earth Observatory. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ↑ Vasper, Max (2007). "Что такое Балкаш" [What is Balkhash]. Этимологический русскоязычный словарь Фасмера (Vasmer's etymological Russian-language dictionary) (in русский). Retrieved 2023-11-18.
- ↑ In full, "Turkestan. Description of Geology and Relief on the basis of data collected during travels in 1874–1880". St Petersburg, 2 volumes (in Russian).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "ГИДРОГРАФИЧЕСКАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ОЗЕРА БАЛХАШ" [HYDROGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE BALKHASH]. su-zholdary.kz (in русский). Republican state-owned enterprise of the Transport Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Retrieved 2023-11-18.