Tukulans. Deserts of Yakutiya (Tukulany. 'Pustyni' Yakutii)

• Main Author: Nevyazhskii, I.
• Other Authors: ARMY FOREIGN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER CHARLOTTESVILLE VA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1970
• Subjects: Geology; Geochemistry and Mineralogy; *DESERTS; USSR; PLANTS(BOTANY); RIVERS; SAND; LAKES; TREES; CLIMATE; TRANSLATIONS; DUNES; Yakutiya; Linde; Barchans
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0722892; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0722892

The author discusses an unusual geographical feature found in the basins of the Vilyuy and Linde Rivers in Yakutiya. The so-called 'Tukulans' are areas of wind-blown sands, with numerous dunes; the latter are dissimilar to barchans in that the 'cusps' are pointed backward. The typical vegetation in such areas is pine and cedar. However, the Tululans are not real deserts, because there are numberous lakes which are situated in deflation basins. Moreover, the general climatic conditions are not those typical for deserts. In addition to being a geographical curiosity, the Tukulans may in some way or another be indicative of the presence of petroleum or gas; however, this latter possibility has not been fully explored. (Author) Trans. of Nauka i Zhizn (USSR) v36 n3 p58-59 1970. Errata sheet inserted.