Lake Peipus - Topography and Hydrography

Topography and Hydrography

The banks of Lake Peipus have smooth contours and form only one large bay – Raskopelsky Bay. The low shores of the lake mostly consist of peat and are bordered by vast lowland and marshes which are flooded in the Spring with the flooding area reaching up to 1000 km2. The west bank of the Peipus Lake is high and steep; the west bank of Peipus Lake is low and boggy, and the east bank is more sublime. There are sand dunes and hills, covered with pine forests. Along the sandy shores there is a 200–300 m wide stretch of shallow waters.

The relief of the bottom is uniform and flat, gradually rising near the shores and covered with silt, and in some places with sand. The deepest point of 15.3 m is located in the Teploe Lake, 300 m from the coast.

The lake is well-flowing, with the annual inflow of water equal to about half of the total water volume.

The lake water is fresh, with a low transparency of about 2.5 m due to plankton and suspended sediments caused by the river flow. Water currents are weak (5–9 cm/s); they are induced by the wind and stop when it ceases. However, during the spring flood, there is a constant surface current from south to north.

Because of the shallow depth, the lake quickly warms up and cools down. Water temperature reaches 25–26 °C in July. The lakes freeze in late November – early December and thaws in late April – early May, first lakes Teploe and Pihkva and then lake Peipus.