Evidence of Tunguska 1908 Event in the sediments of two lakes in Evenkia (Siberia, Russia)

The Tunguska catastrophe of 1908 (the “Tunguska meteorite”) was the most powerful atmospheric explosion of unknown origin in human memory that occurred over the territory of the Evenki district of the Krasnoyarsk region. Traces of any cosmic body have not yet been found. Lakes Zapovednoye and Peyungda are located at a distance of 50-60 km from the supposed epicenter of the Tunguska catastrophe of 1908. In the bottom sediments of lakes Zapovednoye and Peyungda, heterogeneities in the species composition of chironomids and Сladocera were found, probably reflecting changes in ecosystems due to the Tunguska catastrophe of 1908. No significant changes in the diatom composition were detected. The new information may be useful as evidence of the reaction of lake ecosystems after a strong impact, and therefore provide new information to the knowledge about the Tunguska catastrophe of 1908.