The length of Baikal is. Interesting facts will be useful for children. Video: an interesting film about Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is the deepest on the planet Earth, as well as the richest fresh water(slightly less than 20% of world reserves are concentrated in this reservoir). Let's get acquainted with the origin of the basin of Lake Baikal and learn some interesting facts about it.

Description of the reservoir

This amazing lake is located in Eastern Siberia, on the border of the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk region. The features of the reservoir are:

• Area - more than 31 thousand square meters. km.
• Volume - more than 23,615 cubic meters. km.
• Length coastline- 2.1 thousand km.
• The length of Lake Baikal is over 630 km.
• The deepest section is 1.6 km.
• Average depth - 740 m.
• More than 330 rivers flow into it, the largest of which are the Barguzin, Selenga, Turka, Upper Angara.

The reservoir has the shape of a crescent, the width of which is from 25 to almost 80 km. Interestingly, the giant lake is equal in size to the areas of such states as Denmark or Belgium. Located on the territory of the Asian part of the Russian Federation, Baikal is surrounded on all sides by mountains and hills, in the west its coast is steep, towards the east it becomes gentle.

Briefly about depth

This unusual reservoir is a true leader, because greatest depth Lake Baikal - 1637 meters. This value was identified during a hydrographic survey in 1983. The data were later confirmed in 2002, during a joint study by several countries:

• Russia;
• Belgium;
• Spain.

It is interesting that the surface of the lake is located at an altitude of just over 450 m above the level of the World Ocean, while the lowest point is located at a depth of more than 1180 m below sea level. Therefore, the bowl of the deepest lake on the planet becomes the deepest among the continental depressions.

The average depth indicator is also amazing, more than 744 meters. It is known that there are only two lakes on the planet with places more than a kilometer deep:

• Tanganyika.
• The Caspian Sea (despite the name, this is also a lake).

But the deepest section of Baikal is almost 200 meters higher than the similar place of Tanganyika.

Origin theories

Consider the origin of Lake Baikal, which is this moment has not yet been fully explored and is controversial in scientific world. First we present scientific facts which are recognized by all researchers:

• The reservoir is located in the rift basin.
• Its structure is in many ways reminiscent of the Dead Sea.

But what caused the formation of this fault? Further opinions of scientists differ:

• According to the first theory, Lake Baikal, whose area is more than 31 thousand km 2, is located in the area of ​​a transform fault. That is why it has become so profound.
• There is an opinion that there is a mantle plume under the reservoir.
• Another version - the collision of the Eurasian plate and Hindustan (which in those eras was an independent continent) led to changes in the surface of the Earth, it was then that the highest Mountain peaks Himalayas and the Baikal depression. However, later this hypothesis was criticized, since scientists were able to prove that by the time the Himalayas were formed, the platforms of the earth's crust, on the border of which the depression is located, had already been formed and colossal changes did not affect them.
• The outpouring of basalt on the surface led to the appearance of vacuum centers and subsidence of the depression.

How do researchers explain the origin of the Baikal basin? It is believed that she is central part Baikal rift zone. Under the depression, processes of heating of the bowels take place, the substance of which, spreading, creates horizontal stretching. In turn, they contribute to the formation of new faults and the opening of ancient ones, the lowering of entire blocks and the formation of depressions.

Detailed description of the process

Let us describe in detail the origin of Lake Baikal, which is essentially rift. At the same time, the word "rift" refers to a break in the earth's crust, shaped like a crack or ditch. The Baikal rift is very long, its length is more than 2.5 thousand km, it extends in the central part of Asia from Yakutia to Mongolia. And the lake is located in the central part of the fault, in its deepest area.

The maximum rift depth was calculated: the most deep place lakes (1637 m) + debris rocks, dead animals and plant organisms (about 8 km) = 9637 meters.

How did the fracture itself form?

• Under the influence of high temperatures, the earth's crust became thinner and covered with cracks.
• This process was accompanied by earthquakes and the appearance of faults.
• The completion of the process was the appearance of the rift zone.

It is possible that the collision of Hindustan and Eurasia somehow affected the process, corrected it, but could not be the root cause.

The lake continues to form

From almost all sides, the lake basin is surrounded by tectonic depressions:

• Upper Angarsk - in the north;
• Barguzinskaya - in the northeast;
• Onotskaya and Malomorsko-Buguldeiskaya - in the west;
• Khubsugulskaya and Tunkinskaya - in the southwest.

Interestingly, the formation of the reservoir cannot be considered a fully completed process; regular earthquakes continue to modify the relief of Baikal. Minor earthquakes here are a constant phenomenon, but sometimes real disasters occur here:

• In 1862, as a result of a shaking of the earth's crust with a force of about 10 points, an entire piece of land went under water, forming Proval Bay (its depth is about 6 meters).
• In 1959, a 9.5 magnitude earthquake caused the bottom of the lake to sink 20 meters.

The researchers found that the shores of the lake are moving away from one another by about 2 cm annually. This is also due to seismic activity. This fact allowed some scientists to make a bold assumption that Baikal is not a lake, but an ocean at the stage of its inception. In 100 million years, according to this version, Asia will split, a new ocean will appear in place of the reservoir.

Now on the lake active volcanoes no, but traces of their activity in past eras continue to be studied by scientists.

Ice influence

Despite the tectonic origin of Lake Baikal, the features of its relief were seriously influenced by the Ice Age. Evidence that the lake has collided with glaciers can be found by analyzing rock fragments located at its bottom. IN scientific literature they are called bottom moraines. Also traces ice age are bottom sediments, sediments. They allow us to conclude that the thickness of the glaciers moving along the lake was at least 80 meters, but not more than 120 meters.

Scientists have found that the permanent ice cover, most likely, did not fetter the Baikal waters, otherwise life in the lake would be impossible. Meanwhile, researchers managed to discover life forms that formed long before the glaciers:

• Sponges.
• Flatworms.
• amphipods.

They indicate that there was no permanent ice cover on the lake.

Age

The age of Lake Baikal also causes an equal amount of controversy. There are several positions:

• It is traditionally considered that the reservoir is unique: from 25 to 35 million years are attributed to it, which is uncharacteristic for glacial reservoirs, as a rule, they exist for no more than 15 thousand years, after which they become covered with sediments, silt or swamp.
• In 2009, Doctor of Sciences Tatarinov expressed the idea that the deepest parts of the reservoir are no more than 150 thousand years old, and the coastline is much younger - about 8 thousand years old. This hypothesis even has a number of indirect evidence that were obtained during the study, namely the analysis of the activity of bottom mud volcanoes.

There is also a hypothesis that the outlines of the great lake were laid at the end of the Mesozoic period, that is, when the planet acquired modern look and continents were formed. This process took place 60 million years ago. However, a fact was previously indicated that refutes this version.

Water properties

Having considered the origin of Lake Baikal, we learn the properties of its water:

• She is transparent. Objects can be seen even at a distance of 40 meters.
• The color depends on the season: in spring it is blue, in summer and autumn it is densely covered with vegetation, acquiring a blue-green hue.
• Rich in oxygen.
• It contains a very meager amount of dissolved minerals and salts, so it can be used as distilled.
• Very cold, average temperature on the surface in summer time rarely exceeds +9 °C, only in some bays it reaches +15 °C. In the depths the temperature is up to +3...+4 °C.

Ice on the lake appears in the second week of January and stays until the beginning of May, covering the entire reservoir, except for a small area at the source of the Angara (no more than 20 km in length). Interestingly, the ice is also very transparent, it passes the sun's rays through its thickness, which is why plankton actively develops in the depths of the lake.

Bottom Features

We examined the origin of Lake Baikal, now let's see what the specifics of its bottom are. First of all, this is a pronounced relief:

• Shelves and underwater slopes are scattered along the coast.
• There are three basins (Southern, Middle, Northern).
• It is possible to note the presence of underwater ridges (Academic, Selenginsky).
• There are also underwater banks.

These are the features of the bottom of Lake Baikal. Thanks to modern research managed to establish that in this amazing reservoir flooded highest mountains planets whose height is more than 7 km. The thickness of bottom sediments is more than 6 km.

Let's get acquainted with a selection of interesting cognitive facts about the amazing reservoir - the pearl of Siberia:

• In Lake Baikal, whose area is 31,722 km, it is forbidden to catch sturgeon. And the total number of fish species that live here is more than 2 thousand.
• Despite the fact that the reservoir is a lake, not a sea, waves up to 5 m high and even storms are periodically observed here.
• On the coast amazing lake larches grow, the age of which is more than 700 years.
• The length of Lake Baikal is 636 km.
• In the waters of Lake Baikal there are 60-year-old long-lived sturgeons.
• The most non-standard inhabitant of the lake is a transparent fish, almost completely consisting of fatty tissues, the golomyanka is viviparous.

We examined the origin of Lake Baikal and learned that, despite numerous studies, this unusual body of water has not yet revealed all its secrets to humanity.

Tourists who have ever visited Baikal talk not only about the marvelous views, distances, water horizons of the lake, but first of all about the energy and grandeur that come from Baikal, many note its unearthly deep beauty, strength. Writers called Baikal sacred, healing, omnipotent…

Talking about beauties Russian land, it is impossible not to tell about great place— Lake Baikal. It is, perhaps, one of the main attractions and marvelous landscapes, treasures of the pantry of nature in our country.

In addition to the fact that Lake Baikal is a masterpiece of Russian land, Eastern Siberia, it also occupies a place of honor among water beauties planets: this is the most deep lake in the world, and one of the largest reservoirs fresh water(by the way - fresh water on Earth is only a few percent of the total volume of water).

About the beauty of the lake documentary"Baikal without borders":

About Lake Baikal

« Baikal - lake tectonic origin in the southern part of Eastern Siberia.

The lake and coastal areas are distinguished by a unique variety of flora and fauna, most of the animal species are endemic (that is, they are found only here).

Locals and many in Russia traditionally call Baikal the sea (as A. Chekhov said).

However, the deepest freshwater lake in the world is not only a nice place Russia, but also an enviable tidbit for other countries.

Baikal is located in the center of Asia on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia in Russian Federation. The lake stretches from northeast to southwest for 620 km in the form of a giant crescent. The width of Lake Baikal ranges from 24 to 79 km. The bottom of Baikal is 1167 meters below the level of the World Ocean, and the mirror of its waters is 455.5 meters higher.

The area of ​​the water surface of Lake Baikal is 31,722 km² (excluding the islands),which is roughly equal to the area of ​​countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands. In terms of water surface area, Baikal ranks seventh among the largest lakes in the world.

The length of the coastline is 2100 km.

The lake is located in a kind of basin, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills "(Wikipedia)

The “deepest” established value of the lake is 1642 m (recorded by the expedition in 1983), average depth- 744.4 m, which far exceeds the parameters of the depths of the most deep lakes. Only the Caspian Sea (1025 m) and Tanganyika (1470 m) are deeper than the average depths of Baikal.

“The water reserves in Baikal are gigantic - 23,615.39 km³ (about 19% of the world's fresh lake water reserves - all fresh lakes in the world contain 123 thousand km³ of water).

In terms of water reserves, Baikal ranks second in the world among lakes, second only to the Caspian Sea, but the water in the Caspian Sea is salty. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario) combined, and 25 times more than in Lake Ladoga.”

« Interesting Facts. If all the water contained in Baikal is divided among all citizens of Russia (141,927,297 people), then each will have about 166.4 thousand cubic meters of water, which is approximately 2,773 railway tanks of 60 tons each.”

Baikal water has unique properties: it is always clean, transparent, especially in spring, stones can be seen at a depth of several tens of meters; “It contains very few dissolved and suspended minerals, negligibly few organic impurities, a lot of oxygen” - mineral salts over 96 mg / l.

Some "experts" believe that water from Baikal can be drunk without treatment, while others are sure that it must either be boiled or passed through filters. There is garbage near the shore, where there is a lot of algae, especially in the heat, even if Baikal itself remains cold, but in small creeks it is warmer (where many decomposition products can accumulate off the coast), or after a storm - it’s better not to try raw water after all .

Collected far from the coast, at a depth, in a clean backwater, and raw or (at will and preference) passed through filters - Baikal water is the most useful product.

The temperature in the lake, as a rule, is always cold, even in summer it does not exceed +9 degrees Celsius (at a depth of +4), in some creeks it can reach +15 and even up to +23 degrees Celsius.

Spring on Baikal and its environs usually comes with a two-week delay, and autumn drags on. If there is a sizzling heat in the area - which, of course, is almost unrealistic for Siberia and Russia, but everything happens - then a fresh, slightly "cold", saving breeze will blow near the lake, and the cool temperature of the water will cool "as it should" anyone.

The age of the lake, according to scientists, is about 25-35 million years.. First mention: "110 BC. e. - under the name "Beihai" the lake is first mentioned in Chinese chronicles.

Most big Island Baikal - Olkhon:

« 71 km long and 12 km wide, located almost in the center of the lake at its west coast, area - 729 km², according to other sources - 700 km². There are 27 islands on the lake in total.

About 336 rivers and streams flow into Baikal (sometimes, during floods, during ravines, these figures reach - according to various estimates up to 1123) rivers and streams.

“The largest of Baikal's tributaries are the Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Turka, Snezhnaya, Sarma. One river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

About the flora and fauna of Baikal, the Baikal Reserve clearly in the film "Baikal Fantasies":

Flora of Baikal rich in algae, among which there are unique representatives, endemics. Fauna also very diverse and unusual, for example - Baikal epishura (a type of planktonic crustaceans from the copepod subclass) - a microscopic crustacean (about 1.5 mm in size), actively maintains the cleanliness of the lake, passing organic matter through its body.

In addition to epishura, about 2600 species and subspecies of endemic aquatic animals live in the water depths of Lake Baikal: fish, worms, crustaceans, sponges, etc.

Of the fish found here: Baikal omul, grayling, Baikal osset, pike, whitefish, burbot, taimen - a total of 58 species. Birds and animals living in the vicinity of the lake are also unique.

Even during the icing of the lake, algae actively live under water, ensuring the existence of the fauna, and thanks to the cracks in the ice, oxygen enters the lake.

In winter, the thickness of ice on the surface of the lake is from 1 m to 5 m. Frozen Baikal on a sunny winter day with cracks in the ice shimmering in the light is a most beautiful sight.

In the Baikalsky Reserve (located on east coast in the southern part of Baikal and covers an area of ​​165.7 thousand hectares. mountain range Khamar-Daban) there are brown bears, wild boars, roe deer, sables, black kites, capercaillie...

Most The reserve is occupied by taiga, protected from plants: calamus, common viburnum, yellow egg-pod, edible honeysuckle, etc.

It happens that Baikal “shakes”, there is a rather high seismic activity: earthquakes of 1-2 points were the norm, but more serious ones occurred last time in 2008 (9 points) and in 2010 (6.1 points).

From whom and from what is it worth saving Baikal?

Any miracle of nature is sure to suffer encroachment ... from whom would you think in the first place? Naturally - from the people themselves, the industries they built, decay products, garbage.

“Lake Baikal is a unique ecological system, legal framework the protection of which is regulated by the Federal Law “On the Protection of Lake Baikal” adopted in 1999.

In 1996, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Several foundations and environmental organizations are also engaged in the protection of Lake Baikal.

One of the main problems is poachers. They kill, catch the Baikal seal. her cubs, spawning omul.

In addition, forests in the vicinity of Lake Baikal are regularly cut down.

The Transneft company is building an oil pipeline near Lake Baikal.

Vacationers near the lake, remember that nature must be protected, because even though it is silent, it is priceless for our prosperous existence, it is better not to conduct experiments with the meaning of checking what will happen to us if the most best miracles nature, clean up after yourself at least - this is such a small thing.

Chop, saw and damage trees , any, regardless of size.

Leave trash behind. If you were able to drag a full bottle here, then do you really have to carry it when it is empty?

Light a fire where there has never been one. Nature heals the wound inflicted by fire over the years. If the parking lot is not equipped with a bonfire, and you need a bonfire to the point, make it on the shore, on pebbles, after making sure that there are no trees nearby, the roots of which can be damaged by fire.

Decorate with cretin writing, i.e. with their own names, names of places of residence and other outrages coastal cliffs . Do not flatter yourself, nature is self-sufficient, a person can only worsen it.

Catch fish by poaching methods. I'll explain how to trap her. Or do you care what your grandchildren will eat?

Pick flowers. Are they more beautiful dead?

Turn on loud music. Yes, and do not turn it on quietly, listen better to the rustle of leaves and the splash of waves. Or did you not come here for this?

Rest on Lake Baikal

Every year, Baikal and the Baikal Reserve are visited by over 400 thousand tourists, including those from other countries.

Basically, all roads to the lake go through the nearest big cities: Ulan-Ude, Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk. From any of these points you can easily get to Lake Baikal by bus.

For example, from Irkutsk (70 km to Baikal) you can get: by railway transport (electric trains, trains), from the bus station or the central market by bus, fixed-route taxi, in the summer (from mid-June to August) from the pier "Rocket" on a yacht, motor ship.

More detailed routes, options for overcoming the path from experienced travelers can be found on the resources: www.magicbaikal.ru, baikalholiday.ru, www.baikalvisa.ru, baikal-tourist.ru, you can order tours to Baikal, cruises, excursions on exatourbaikal.com - and other sites, agencies offering trips to Baikal - a lot.

You can set off on your own, the main thing is to book a place at a recreation center, in a hostel, hotel:

About cruises in reality:

“Often, tourists who are going on a Baikal cruise do not realize the true size of the lake. Only from the southern to the northern tip, its length is 636 kilometers.

With an average speed of Baikal motor ships of 15-18 kilometers per hour, the passage along the lake from Kultuk to Severobaikalsk (from south to north) will take 36 hours without stops. And this is with good weather conditions, in the absence of a wave. Well, to get around the entire coast - this is more than two thousand kilometers - it is possible only in three to four weeks!

For example, a 9-day tour by flight from Moscow (for two people, excluding the cost of the flight) will cost, depending on the tour program and the place of rest on Lake Baikal, 26-50 thousand rubles.

A popular and favorite place for tourists is the village of Listvyanka, there is a recreation center, there are excursions, cruises.

« The most visited places on the western coast of Lake Baikal:

the entire coast of the Small Sea;

western (little sea) coast of Olkhon Island;

Peschanaya Bay and its environs;

Circum-Baikal Railway;

northwestern coast from the city of Severobaikalsk to the village of Baikalskoe;

any place that can be reached by car.

If you like to relax in the midst of the masses, delighting your ears with the round-the-clock heart-rending howl of pop music, the roar of jet skis and the roar of a motorized hang glider over your head, choose any of the places listed.

If you want peace and quiet, then you need to look for places that are inaccessible. They still exist even on Olkhon, but you will have to get there either on foot or by water.

I note that silence in the most visited places also happens, but outside summer season. Unfortunately, along with the hubbub, the unsightly consequences of a valiant pastime do not disappear” (Magiya Baikal.ru).

Most best time for trips to Baikal, if you want to swim or fish - July-August: in June it is still cool, and after August cold winds are already blowing. But in winter, when Baikal is covered with a thick layer of ice, it’s also beautiful there, you just need to dress appropriately and think more thoroughly about travel options, where to stay, etc.

“It’s better to see once than hear a hundred times!”, say enthusiastic travelers who returned from Baikal. Among Russians' favorite vacation spots, Baikal is in 6th place after resorts. Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Caucasus and Mineralnye Vody. Baikal is no less beautiful, it's just not as hot there as on sunny coasts.

On Olkhon, for example (according to the reviews of tourists who were there in the summer of 2014), gorgeous views, beaches, very bright sun, cold water - it’s difficult to swim, there is a lot of garbage everywhere and this is a whole problem, people don’t clean up after themselves, alcohol bottles, dishes, dirt left by people contrast with the background of beautiful nature.

Still, if you have never been to Lake Baikal, be sure to visit this beautiful place - you will not regret it, and then it is a good alternative to the now expensive vacation abroad. Just don't forget to pick up your trash.

Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ north latitude and 103°43′–109°58′ east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, the length of the coastline is about 2000 km. The area is 31,500 km2. In terms of area, Baikal ranks 7th among the world's lakes after the Caspian, Victoria, Tanganyika, Huron, Michigan and Upper. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world - 1637 m, its average depth is 730 m.

In terms of water mass (23,000 km 3), Baikal ranks first among fresh lakes world, containing 20% ​​of the world and 80% of Russia's water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all the Great American Lakes combined.

If we assume that the flow of water into the lake due to tributaries has stopped, then a river equal to the water content of the Angara would begin to flow out of Baikal in 383, and to fill the bowl of Baikal with all rivers the globe it would take more than six months (about 200 days). The level of the lake after its regulation by the Irkutsk reservoir is maintained at 456–457 m above sea level. 336 rivers flow into Baikal (according to I. D. Chersky) and one Angara flows out. The area of ​​the drainage basin is 588 thousand km 2, with 53% of it falling on the territory of Russia and 47% on Mongolia.

Islands

In the northeastern part of the lake, near the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, there is an archipelago of the Ushkany Islands, consisting of four islands. The largest of them is Bolshoi Ushkanii, with an area of ​​9 km 2 and the highest elevation of 671 m. It rises 216 m above the lake level. The three Small Ushkanii Islands are small in size and height. According to V. V. Lomakin (1965), the Ushkany Islands rose relatively recently above the level of Baikal, as evidenced by wave-cut niches preserved in the rocks at a height of 200 m and a series of lake terraces.

Svyatoy Nos is the only peninsula on Baikal. Its length is 53 km, width up to 20 km, area 596 km2. The peninsula is a continuation of the Barguzinsky Range and rises 1000 meters above the level of Lake Baikal. Western slopes rocky, slightly dissected, in some places steeply dropping into the water. The eastern ones, on the contrary, are strongly dissected, replete with numerous bays and capes.

gulfs

Bay, like the bay, is a part of the lake that goes into the land, but it is more open. There are about two dozen bays on Baikal (Listvennichnaya, Goloustnaya, Peschanaya, Aya, etc.).

Sora. On Baikal, closed shallow bays are called sors. The depths of sors usually do not exceed 7 m. They are formed when coastal shallow waters or bays are cut off by moving coastal sediments, which form spits, embankments with breaks (straits). These formations local population calls a hag. The largest sor is Upper Angara or North Baikal. Part of its water area is swampy, covered with aquatic vegetation. The largest sors in terms of open water surface area are the Arangatuisky and the Posolsky and Cherkalov bays mentioned above. Sors warm up well in summer and are the richest fishing grounds (Galaziy, 1987).

Straits

The Olkhon Gates strait washes Olkhon from the west and southwest. Its length in the middle part is more than 8 km, and the width at its narrowest point is 1.3 km, and at its widest point it is 2.3 km. The depth in the middle part is about 30–40 m.

Report on the topic " «

- the greatest on our planet. It is inextricably linked with Russia and is one of its symbols. Located near the center of Asia, Lake Baikal is known far beyond this continent.

The Baikal basin was formed by tectonic processes: the lake lies in deep depression surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges. - ancient lake Earth. He is about 25 million years old. During all this time, the shores of Baikal diverged from average speed 2 cm per year, and in the distant future, Baikal may turn into real ocean. Baikal is the deepest lake on Earth. Its maximum depth is 1620 meters. This allows Baikal, with a relatively small surface area (31,500 km 2 .), to contain 20% of the world's fresh water reserves: 23 thousand km 3. About the same amount contain all five Great Lakes North America together taken - Upper, Michigan, Erie, Ontario and Huron. In order to fill the empty basin of Baikal, it would take the volume of water that all the rivers of the planet bring into the world ocean in 300 days. And another “Great Giant”, the Amazon River, would need to feed Baikal for four years to do this.

336 rivers flow into the lake, but the main role in the water balance of the lake is played by Selenga, contributing to the basin 50% of the annual inflow of water. At the same time, the lake gives life to only one river - Angara, on which the dam of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station was built in 1959, which raised the water level in Baikal by a meter. It is on the Angara, which is called the “daughter of Baikal”, that the largest Bratskoye reservoir on our planet with a volume of 169.3 km 3 was created. The water in Baikal is dark blue and so transparent that in June, when transparency reaches its maximum, one can observe forty-meter depths with the naked eye. It is curious that the water in the lake is fresher than the water of the rivers flowing into it, and its mineralization decreases with depth. Scientists have put forward a hypothesis about the existence of a permanent powerful superfresh source at the bottom of Lake Baikal. Until it is proven or disproven.

Water exchange of Lake Baikal

Speaking of exceptional purity, one of its inhabitants should be mentioned, thanks to which water from the lake can be safely drunk without any additional purification. This is a tiny crab epishura, which is one of the endemics of the lake (that is, it is not found anywhere except Baikal). It is this crustacean, repeatedly passing the waters of the lake through itself, and cleans them. Epishura is not the only Baikal endemic. Two thirds of the flora and fauna of the lake live only in Baikal. The most famous are the Baikal seal, the Baikal omul, the Baikal seal, some species of gobies, as well as the golomyanka viviparous fish. In total, 2.6 thousand species and varieties of plants and animals live in the lake.

Ecology of Lake Baikal

In the 20th century unique world The lake is faced with a problem that threatens the possibility of the continued existence of nature. In the early 1960s, on south coast lake, the construction of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (PPM) began. In this regard, a discussion immediately unfolded. Scientific expeditions were sent to the Baikal region, the purpose of which was to find out how the environmentally negative activity of the plant affects unique nature lakes. Newspapers actively discussed the possibility of creating "clean" technologies for pulp and paper production. The problem was reflected even in art: in 1970, director S. A. Gerasimov shot the film “ At a lake", whose heroes are looking for a compromise between the need to create a plant and the desire to preserve Baikal. Despite harsh criticism, the pulp and paper mill was built and put into operation in 1966. Its effluents, as well as those of the pulp and paper mill (PPM) on the Selenga River in in large numbers contain toxic phenols, chlorides, sulfates and particulate matter.

Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill

As a result, back in 1994, in the area of ​​the Baikal pulp and paper mill, the water pollution zone extended to 10 km2, and the area of ​​the polluted bottom area was 70 km2. The Selenga River, which plays an important role in the water balance of the lake, also brings the runoff of the city of Ulan-Ude into its basin. An increased concentration of phenols was found in its waters, and the content of oil products exceeds the MPC (maximum permissible concentration) by 3–15 times. The forces of the lake are still coping with the misfortunes that have fallen, however, the resources of Baikal are not unlimited, and if nothing is done, they will run out sooner or later. Then the life of a listed lake World Heritage UNESCO will be in danger, and it is possible that, many years later, our descendants, having gone to the water surface

Baikal is one of the most famous lakes in the world. There are legends about him. It delights and surprises travelers and tourists. In size, it is a huge sea. The area of ​​the water surface is over 31 thousand km², and the length of the coastline is 2100 km. Therefore, it is included in the seven largest lakes planets. It is not only the size of the water surface that is striking. Very beautiful and landscapes. The lake in the shape of an elongated crescent is surrounded by rocks, wooded mountains, cliffs. There are bays of extraordinary beauty with sandy beaches. Numerous islands on the lake are impressive, especially the largest Olkhon.

What is Lake Baikal famous for? This is a wonderful lake. It does not age, it is distinguished by its horizontal, as well as impressive vertical dimensions. The composition of the water, the richness and uniqueness of the flora and fauna are surprising. You won't see this anywhere else. About 2600 species and subspecies of animals and about 600 plant species live in the lake. Of these, more than half of the animals are endemic, that is, they cannot live in other waters and will die. This also applies to most aquatic plants. Baikal is included in the World Natural Heritage List.

forever young lake

The lake is 25-35 million years old. So many ordinary lakes do not exist. They can withstand no more than 15 thousand years, and then they fill with silt and die. Baikal never gets old. There is even a hypothesis that the lake is a nascent ocean. It expands by 2 cm per year. Therefore, Baikal is unique as a lake.

The lake is located in a large depression with a relief bottom. It passes through the earth's crust and is immersed in the mantle. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world. Its depth is 1642 m. According to this parameter, it is ahead of two other lakes of outstanding size, including the Caspian Sea. In this basin there are huge volumes of fresh water. This accounts for almost 20% of the world's fresh water resources.

miraculous water

Dozens of rivers and streams flow into Baikal, and only one flows out - the Angara. Main Feature Baikal water- its purity and transparency. amazing beauty stones, natural world can be seen through the huge water column. This is due to the fact that it contains few suspended solids. A pure source of water is not a river. The water is purified by some living organisms in the lake itself. Water is like distilled. It has a lot of oxygen.

On a note! The lake is cold. Even in summer, the water is cool and warms up to about +9 °C, in the lower layers - +4 °C. However, in some bays it is quite comfortable to swim, as the water temperature can reach 23 °C.

In spring, the clean water surface of the lake is especially good. It seems blue, and the transparency is the largest - up to 40 m. This is due to the fact that the inhabitants of the lake in cold water not yet reproduced enough. By summer, the water will warm up a little, and a lot of living organisms will develop. The water will turn green, and visibility in the water column will decrease by 3-4 times.

Baikal in winter