Bathymetry and Sedimentary Environments of Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic (Central Asia): A Large, High-Altitude, Tectonic Lake

Abstract

Lake Issyk-Kul, located in the northern Tien Shan of the Kyrgyz Republic, in the heart of Central Asia, is one of the deepest and largest lakes in the world. Although Kyrgyz and Russian scientists have studied the lake quite intensively since the 1850's, not much of the scientific literature has found its way to the international community. It is only recently that Lake Issyk-Kul has also started to attract international attention, and this is essentially thanks to the fact that the area occupies a potentially interesting location for paleoclimate research as well as for geodynamic studies.