Ob Plateau

a plain in Altai Krai, RSFSR, on the left bank of the Ob’ River, gradually merging to the south with the foothills of the Altai. Elevations range from 250 to 260 m. The plateau is traversed from southwest to northeast by ancient gullies that are drained by the Kulunda, Kasmala, Barnaulka, and Alei rivers. It is composed of loesslike loams, while the gullies are filled with sands that have taken the shape of dunes. The predominant landscape is one of open steppe, with chernozem soils; birch groves and wooded ravines are sometimes encountered. The gullies are lined with pine forests and contain swamps and lakes. Most of the Ob’ Plateau is cultivated with grain and industrial crops.