Landscape-Hydrological Zoning of the Flat Areas of Western Siberia and Its Application in the Analysis of River Bank Erosion

This article presents an analysis of one of the main factors (i.e., water flow) affecting the dangerous manifestations of river processes (bank erosion) within the flat area of Western Siberia, including the Ob, Nadym, Pura, and Taz river basins. These processes occur under various natural conditions and are characterized by widespread coastal erosion, which poses a threat to water management and the development of water transportation on the territory. The development of a landscape-hydrological approach, which has worked well in areas with limited or no hydrological information on rivers, is considered. Based on the relationship between river order, which allows us to take into account channel morphology and changes in river size, the territory has been zoned. Six regions are identified where rivers with similar geographical and morphological, hydrological, hydrogeological, and limnological characteristics flow together. A comparison between the landscape-hydrological zones and the available data on spatial changes in bank erosion rates in the Ob–Irtysh basin reveals similarities. They are manifested in a natural decrease of bank erosion from southeast to northwest, coinciding with a general increase in the natural regulation of runoff from marshes and lakes in this direction. Additionally, the presence of permafrost in the northern region also contributes to this process. Intra-annual variations in the distribution of runoff due to changes in temperature, precipitation, and the hydrogeology of the area also play a role. The results of this landscape-hydrological analysis can be used not only to study dangerous riverbed processes and patterns of their manifestations, but also to solve water management and transportation problems.