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156:), used to form part of the early, very deep river delta but gradually became separated from it. Because of their isolation from the fresh waters of the Volga, they are becoming increasingly saline. Together they form a "vast (more than 300 km (120 sq mi)) and extremely diverse area of western substeppe
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who worked in this region. These mounds are linear ridges of clayey sands, ranging from 5 to 22 m (16 to 72 ft) in height, and averaging about 8 m (26 ft). They are between 0.4 and 10 km (0.2 and 6 mi) in length. Between the Baer's mounds are depressions that fill with
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The Volga delta has grown significantly in the 20th century because of changes in the level of the
Caspian Sea. In 1880, the delta had an area of 3,222 km (1,244 sq mi). Today the Volga Delta covers an area of 27,224 km (10,511 sq mi) and is approximately 160 km
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zone, characterized by very little rainfall. The region receives less than one inch of rainfall in
January and July in normal years. Strong winds often sweep across the delta and form linear dunes. Along the front of the delta, one will find muddy sand shoals, mudflats, and
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water and become either fresh or saline bays; the height from the bottom of a depression to the peak of its neighboring mound ranges from 10 to 15 m (30 to 50 ft). These depressions, called "
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is still debated: the early suggestion that they were formed by aeolian (wind) action is now discredited, and now they are thought to have arisen either underwater or through river flow.
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Industrial and agricultural modification to the delta plain has resulted in significant wetland loss. Between 1984 and 2001, the delta lost 277 km (107 sq mi) of
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The second zone, in the delta proper, generally has very little relief (usually less than one metre), and is the site of active and abandoned water channels, small dunes and
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286:, or an average of approximately 16 km (6.2 sq mi) per year, from natural and human-induced causes. The Volga discharges large amounts of
162:(WSI)" which, because of the varying degrees of wetness and salinization, house a wealth of flora and fauna. The origin of these mounds and
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The third zone is composed of a broad platform extending up to 60 km (37 mi) offshore, and is the submarine part of the delta.
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Volga Delta and northwestern
Caspian Sea. While most of the green seen in this image appears to be diluted mud, some may be
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and sediment into the relatively shallow northern part of the
Caspian Sea. The added fertilizers nourish the
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113:. The delta drains into the Caspian approximately 60 km (37 mi) downstream from the city of
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The delta has been protected since the early 1900s, with one of the first
Russian nature preserves (
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is considered endangered. The delta is a major staging area for many species of water birds,
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The changing level of the
Caspian Sea has resulted in three distinct zones in the delta.
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The higher areas of the first zone are known as "Baer's mounds," named after researcher
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121:(100 mi) across. It has a classical "delta pattern". The delta lies in the
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V.B. Golub, Togliatti, and N.B. Tchorbadze, , 'Phytocoenologia' 25 (4), 449-466
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that grow on the surface of the sea, allowing them to grow larger.
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362:, 'Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms, vol. 2', p. 877
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152:" (from Russian through Finnish, "small lake," as in Russia's
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Earth
Snapshot article "The Three Zones of the Volga Delta"
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are also found in large numbers in the delta region. The
398:, Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University
190:) having been set up there in 1919. Much of its local
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and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the
237:The Volga Delta is the only place in Russia where
226:– they are the sole European people of Mongolian (
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258:because it supports significant numbers of many
218:has been adopted as the motif of the national
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202:. Although the delta is best known for its
109:—the far eastern part of the delta lies in
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222:, since it is a venerated symbol in
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250:The delta has been designated an
432:Natural Heritage Protection Fund
220:flag of the neighbouring Kalmyks
101:, north-east of the republic of
504:Important Bird Areas of Russia
379:. BirdLife International. 2024
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105:. The delta is located in the
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509:Landforms of Astrakhan Oblast
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499:Biosphere reserves of Russia
396:Wetland Loss in World Deltas
262:species, including breeding
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278:Protection and Destruction
319:Sites Information Service
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188:Astrakhan Nature Reserve
16:Delta in the Caspian Sea
519:Ramsar sites in Russia
484:River deltas of Europe
423:NASA Earth Observatory
256:BirdLife International
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224:their Buddhist beliefs
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479:Freshwater ecoregions
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489:Landforms of Russia
451: /
252:Important Bird Area
246:Important Bird Area
143:Karl Ernst von Baer
377:BirdLife Data Zone
272:Dalmatian pelicans
268:great white egrets
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107:Caspian Depression
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44:Reference no.
455:46.733°N 47.850°E
419:Volga River Delta
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99:Astrakhan Oblast
89:drains into the
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39:11 October 1976
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413:External links
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373:"Volga Delta"
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402:wetlands.org
381:. Retrieved
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322:. Retrieved
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292:algal blooms
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123:arid climate
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67:algal blooms
22:Designations
514:Volga basin
494:Caspian Sea
458: /
428:Volga Delta
359:Eric Bird,
338:Eric Bird,
134:Three Zones
91:Caspian Sea
87:Volga River
79:river delta
75:Volga Delta
473:Categories
446:47°51′00″E
443:46°43′59″N
383:2024-09-05
298:References
239:flamingoes
230:) origin.
200:passerines
154:Lake Ilmen
111:Kazakhstan
36:Designated
260:waterbird
254:(IBA) by
204:sturgeons
115:Astrakhan
324:25 April
284:wetlands
182:Wildlife
103:Kalmykia
208:catfish
196:raptors
175:flats.
130:banks.
128:coquina
317:Ramsar
165:ilmens
159:ilmens
149:ilmens
95:Russia
83:Europe
228:Oirat
216:lotus
192:fauna
173:algal
326:2018
270:and
212:carp
210:and
198:and
73:The
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421:at
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93:in
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65:or
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