Lake Zaysan
| Lake Zaisan Зайсан көлі |
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| Coordinates | 48°00′N 84°00′E / 48.000°N 84.000°ECoordinates: 48°00′N 84°00′E / 48.000°N 84.000°E |
| Primary inflows | Kara-Irtysh (Black Irtysh), Kendyrlyk |
| Primary outflows | Irtysh River (White Irtysh) |
| Basin countries | Kazakhstan |
| Max. length | 105 km (65 mi) |
| Max. width | 48 km (30 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,810 km2 (700 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
Lake Zaysan (Kazakh: Зайсан көлі, Zaysan köli, زايسان كؤلئ; Mongolian: Зайсан нуур, Zaisan nuur, ~noble lake, Russian: Озеро Зайсан, Ozero Zajsan; simplified Chinese: 斋桑泊; traditional Chinese: 齋桑泊; pinyin: Zhāisāng Pō, Xiao'erjing: جَىْصْا پْ; Dungan: Җэсонпə) is a freshwater lake, ca. 1,810 km² (700 mi²), in eastern Kazakhstan, in a hollow between the Altai and the Tarbagatai Mountains. It is the largest lake in the East Kazakhstan Province.
The lake lies at an altitude of 420 m, is 105 km long and 22–48 km wide, with a maximum depth of 15 m. Its major tributaries are the Kara Irtysh (Black Irtysh) and Kendyrlyk from the east; its only outlet is the Irtysh River (or White Irtysh). The lake is generally frozen from the beginning of November to the end of April, but still has an abundance of fish. Since the construction of the Bukhtarma dam on the Irtysh downstream from the Zaysan, the lake has risen 6 m (20 ft) above its natural level. As the result, the area of lake essentially increased (nearly doubled: from about 1,800 km² to 3,500 km², or even to 5,000 km²), thus, in some sources the lake is indicated as part of an artificial reservoir.
The lake has existed since the late Cretaceous Period. Commonly, Lake Baikal is considered to be the oldest lake on the planet (about 25 million years). The approximate duration of Cretaceous Period is from 136 to 65 million years before present, and, hence, if the Lake Zaysan existed from "the late Cretaceous Period", that means Zaysan must be older than 65 million years, and is the oldest lake on the planet, nearly three times older than Baikal. The direct indication of the Lake Zaysan's age is difficult to find, although some geological studies of the Zaysan Basin have been reviewed. Artificial reservoirs cover large surrounding areas. Modern geological analysis of the entire field, apparently, supports an exceptionally old age for Lake Zaysan.
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