Lake Baikal parameters. Lake Baikal. The deepest lake on the planet. Why Baikal is considered a unique natural phenomenon

A story about Lake Baikal for children in the subject of the world around them will help them prepare for the lesson.

Lake Baikal short message

Lake Baikal is the most mysterious and enigmatic. Tourists have been admiring its beauty for many years. 336 rivers and streams flow into the lake.

Depth of Lake Baikal on average 730 m. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 m. Even at a depth of 40 m, the bottom is clearly visible.

Where is Lake Baikal located?

Baikal is located in the southern part Eastern Siberia. The lake is located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, as well as the Irkutsk region.

How old is Baikal? It is difficult to give an exact figure. Scientists traditionally estimate the age of the lake at 25-35 million years.

Why is Baikal considered a unique natural phenomenon?

The main wealth of the lake is water, which makes up 90% of all fresh water reserves in Russia and 20% of global reserves. It is clean and transparent, and its oxygen saturation is 2 times higher than its content in ordinary reservoirs.
There are two reasons for this phenomenon:

• The solubility of oxygen in water depends on its temperature. The lower the temperature, the more oxygen in the water. The water in Lake Baikal is very cold. At a depth of 100 m it is no more than 3-4 °C.
• Algae also saturate the water with oxygen.

Baikal water is also purified due to the activity of planktonic crustaceans. The crustaceans filter out and ingest algae and bacterial cells. A clean water returned to Baikal. Sponges, mollusks and worms contribute to water purification by eating various dying organisms.

Lake Baikal softens the continental climate of these areas. Accumulating the heat received during the summer months, Baikal releases it with the onset of winter cold.
Another inexplicable phenomenon is that the shores of the lake diverge at a rate of 1.5–2 cm per year.

Animals of Lake Baikal

The lake is home to more than 2,600 species and subspecies of animals, half of which live only in this reservoir. This lake is the only habitat of Baikal seals (nerpas).
The weight of Baikal seals can reach 130 kg and on land they become clumsy and defenseless.

In the waters of Lake Baikal there are about 50 species of fish(omul, grayling, sturgeon, burbot).
They live near Lake Baikal 200 species of birds(ducks, herons, waders, representatives of the eagle family).

Problems of Baikal

In 1996, Baikal was included in the List of objects World Heritage UNESCO. But human activities and tourists cause enormous damage to the environment. As a result, waterlogging of the once crystal clear Baikal reservoir has reached alarming proportions.

Besides:

• waste discharge from enterprises pollutes water;
• The Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, built on the main source of Lake Baikal - the Angara, causes shallowing of the lake;
• poaching leads to a decrease in the number of Baikal seals and omul, imperial eagles;
• Predatory deforestation combined with forest fires are destroying this protected area.

Lake Baikal message for grade 4 you can write using this information.

Lake Baikal - what is it like?

In outline, Baikal resembles a narrow crescent, so easy to remember that even those who are not particularly good at geography can easily find it on a map of Russia. Stretching from southwest to northeast for as much as 636 kilometers, Baikal seems to squeeze between mountain ranges, and its water surface is located at an altitude of more than 450 meters above sea level, which gives every reason to consider it mountain lake. The Baikal and Primorsky ranges adjoin it from the west, and the Ulan-Burgasy, Khamar-Daban and Barguzin massifs from the east and southeast. And all this natural landscape so harmonious that it is difficult to imagine one without the other.

Also Oleg Kirillovich Gusev (1930-2012), Candidate of Biological Sciences, professional game specialist, editor-in-chief of the oldest magazine in Russia “Hunting and Hunting Management” and author of several books on conservation issues unique nature of this lake, wrote: “Baikal gives us great joy and great pleasure.” And he added: “It amazes with its monumental style and the beautiful, eternal and powerful that lies in its very nature,” emphasizing that the more you get closer to it, the more tempting it becomes, and the clearer you understand that Baikal is unique and enchantingly inimitable. Anyone who visits here at least once can be convinced of the veracity of these words.

Lake depth

The depth of the lake is truly impressive - 1637 meters. In this indicator, Baikal surpasses such largest reservoirs as Tanganyika (1470 m), Caspian Sea (1025 m), San Martin (836 m), Nyasa (706 m), Issyk-Kul (702 m) and Great Slave Lake (614 m). m). The rest of the deepest lakes in the world, twenty-two in total, have a depth of less than 600 meters. A climatic conditions on Baikal, as they say, to match it unique features: here the sun mercilessly scorches and cold winds blow, then storms rage and the quietest weather sets in, conducive to a beach holiday.

Features and mysteries of Baikal

Length coastline The Siberian “crescent” is 2100 km long and contains 27 islands, the largest of which is Olkhon. The lake is located in a kind of basin, which, as mentioned above, is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. This gives reason to assume that the shoreline of the reservoir is the same throughout. In fact, only the western coast of Lake Baikal is rocky and steep. The relief of the east is flatter: in some places the mountain peaks are 10 or more kilometers away from the coast.

Lake Baikal water

23,615.39 km³ - this fantastic figure measures the reserves of Baikal water. According to this indicator, the lake is second only to the Caspian Sea. Considering that in the latter it is salty, it is Baikal that occupies the first place in the world ranking in terms of fresh water reserves, that is, suitable for drinking. In addition, it is extremely transparent, and all thanks to a very small amount of suspended and dissolved minerals, not to mention organic impurities - there are generally negligible amounts of them. At a depth of 35-40 meters, you can even distinguish individual stones, especially in spring, when the water turns blue. It is also distinguished by its huge reserves of oxygen. It is not for nothing that Baikal, for its combination of such unique properties and qualities, is called the national treasure of Russia.

The water in Baikal is very clean. Previously, you could drink it straight from the lake and not even boil it. But now crowds of tourists have flocked to Baikal, who still pollute this area, so now, before drinking Baikal water, you should ask local residents, in what place this can be done.

Ice of Baikal

The freeze-up period on the lake lasts on average from early January to early May. During this period it freezes almost completely. The only exception is a small 15-20 km section located at the source of the Angara. At the end of winter, the thickness of the ice can reach 1 meter, and in the bays it is even more – one and a half to two meters. At severe frosts Huge cracks form on the ice, which are called “stagnant cracks.” They are so impressive that they can reach from 10 to 30 km in length. The width, however, is small: only 2-3 m. Such “cracks” literally tear the ice blanket into separate fields. If it were not for the cracks, the formation of which is accompanied by a loud sound, like a cannon shot, then the lake fish would die en masse from lack of oxygen.

The ice of Lake Baikal also has a number of other features that are unique to it, and truly mysterious, which scientists have never been able to explain. Back in the middle of the last century, specialists from the local limnological station discovered the so-called “hills” - hollow ice hills in the shape of a cone, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. Being “open” in the direction opposite to the shore, they even somewhat resemble tents. Sometimes there are “single hills”, that is, located separately from each other. In some cases, they are grouped, forming “mountain ranges” in miniature.

Dark rings on the lake

Another mystery is the dark rings, the diameter of which is 5-7 km (and the width of the lake itself is 80 km). They have nothing in common with the “Saturn belt”, although they were also discovered through space photography. Satellite photos amazing formations, made back in 2009 in different parts of Lake Baikal, went around the entire Internet. Scientists have been scratching their heads for a long time: what could it be? And they came to the conclusion that the rings arise due to the rise of deep waters and an increase in the temperature of the upper layer in the center of the ring structure. And as a result, a clockwise flow occurs, reaching in some zones maximum speeds. As a result, vertical water exchange increases, provoking the destruction of the ice cover at an accelerated rate.

Bottom of Baikal

It is impossible not to say about the bottom of the amazing reservoir. It also differs from others, and above all in that it has a very pronounced relief - there are even underwater mountain ranges. The three main basins of the lake - northern, southern and middle, separated by the Academic and Selenginsky ridges - are distinguished by a pronounced bed. The first ridge (its maximum height above the bottom is 1848 meters), is especially expressive: it stretches for as much as 100 km from Olkhon Island to the Ushkany Islands.

Earthquakes

Another feature of these places is high seismic activity. Oscillations of the earth's crust occur regularly here, but the strength of most earthquakes does not exceed one or two points. But there have been powerful ones in the past. For example, in 1862, when a ten-point “shake” led to the sinking of an entire section of land in the northern part of the Selenga delta, one of the many tributaries of Lake Baikal. Its area was 200 km, about 1,500 people lived on this territory. Later, a bay was formed here, which is called Proval. Strong earthquakes also occurred in 1903, 1950, 1957 and 1959. The epicenter of the latter, magnitude 9, was at the bottom of the lake in the area of ​​the rural settlement of Sukhaya. The tremors were then also felt in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude - about 5-6 points. In our time, the region shook in 2008 and 2010: the strength of the tremors was 9 and 6.1 points, respectively.

Origin of Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal still hides the secret of its origin. Researchers often argue about its age, coming to the conclusion that it is at least 25-35 million years old. The indicator is impressive, especially considering that the life cycle of most lakes, and primarily glacial origin, does not exceed 10-15 thousand years. After this period, they either become swamped or filled with silty sediments. Nothing like this has happened and is not happening with Baikal. And, according to scientists, it is unlikely to happen in the future. The lack of signs of aging is explained by the fact that the lake is... an emerging ocean. The hypothesis did not arise out of the blue: as it turned out, its banks move away from each other by 2 cm every year.

Flora and fauna

Interesting fact: the purity of Baikal water - by the way, very cold (temperature surface layers even in the warm season does not exceed an average of +8-9 ° C) - is supported by the microscopic crustacean epishura, one of the most famous local endemics. During its life, this 1.5-mm crustacean consumes organic matter (algae), passing water through its small body. The role of epishura in the lake’s ecosystem can hardly be overestimated: it forms 90 percent or more of its biomass, serving in turn as food for the Baikal omul and predatory invertebrates. Oligochaetes or oligochaete worms, 84.5 percent of which are endemic, also play a significant role in the self-purification processes of Baikal.

Of the 2,600 species and subspecies of the local fauna, more than half of the aquatic animals are endemic, that is, living exclusively in this lake. Other fish include grayling, Baikal sturgeon, whitefish, taimen, pike, burbot and others. Of particular interest is the golomyanka, which from a human point of view “suffers” from obesity: its body contains about 30% fat. She loves to eat so much that in search of food every day she makes a “journey” from the depths to shallow water, which greatly surprises researchers. This underwater resident is also unique in that it is a viviparous fish. Distant “neighbors” of golomyankas can be called freshwater sponges that grow on great depth. Their presence here is an exclusive phenomenon: they are not found in any other lake.

If the biosphere of the lake is imagined in the form of a pyramid, then it will be crowned by the Baikal seal or the seal, which is the only mammal in this reservoir. Almost all the time he lives in water. The only exception is autumn, when seals lie en masse on rocky shores, forming a kind of “settlement”. The coast and islands are also inhabited by many other inhabitants of Lake Baikal, for example, seagulls, goldeneyes, razorbills, mergansers, white-tailed eagles and other birds. Characteristic of these places is the phenomenon of brown bears coming onto the shores in large numbers. And in the mountainous Baikal taiga you can find musk deer - the smallest deer on Earth.

Sights of Baikal

Lake Baikal is so majestic that it is often called Siberian Sea. In 1996, it was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. But not only due to the unique ecosystem that requires careful treatment - there are also many historical and architectural attractions concentrated here, not to mention natural and cultural monuments.

One of them is a protected rock called the Shaman Stone, located near the lake, at the source of the Angara. It can be seen in the middle of the river, between capes Rogatka and Ustyansky. If you focus on the line ferry crossing“Port Baikal”, then the rock will be 800 meters lower. Since ancient times, the Shaman Stone was endowed by the inhabitants of the Angara region with unusual powers; they prayed near it and performed various shamanic rituals.

Between the mainland and the Svyatoy Nos peninsula there is perhaps the most famous bay on Lake Baikal - Chivyrkuisky. Its area is approximately 300 km², it is the second largest on the lake, and is also shallow (depth about 10 m). Thanks to the latter circumstance, the water in the bay warms up well, on average up to +24 degrees. On southwest coast such settlements as Kurbulik, Katun and Monakhovo are located. The main wealth of the bay is its fish resources. Here you can find pike, perch, and sorog, the weight of which can reach tens of kilograms. However, fishing on an industrial scale is prohibited - only amateur fishing. Chivyrkuisky Bay is famous for its thermal spring, one of the hottest: the temperature of the water used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system ranges from 38.5-45.5 °C. The source is located in Zmeinaya Bay, on the western side.

On northeast coast Lake Baikal is located in a tract belonging to the natural-geographical region of Podlemorye. It is called Frolikha and includes the river of the same name, which flows into Baikal Bay Frolikha and flows out of the lake of the same name. In the river valley - its bed, by the way, is crossed by the famous a tourist route 95 km long - the Frolikhinsky reserve is located. Together with the Trans-Baikal National Park and the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, it is subordinate to the federal budgetary state institution “Reserve Podlemorye”.

Other attractions:

• Northern Baikal is the last area on the great lake, the nature of which, due to its remoteness and lack of highways retains its originality,
• Barguzin Bay is the largest and deepest on Lake Baikal,
• Ushkany Islands are a small archipelago with rocky shores in the Barguzin region of Buryatia,
• Peschanaya Bay, known for its unique picturesqueness,
• Cape Ryty - extreme northern point coast, where there are extensive pastures, and one of the most anomalous places,
• Cape Ludar, located near the old village of Zabaikalskoye,
• Chersky Peak - from its slopes the Slyudanka and Bezymyannaya rivers begin, flowing into Baikal,
• The Circum-Baikal Railway, which has historical significance.

Holidays on Baikal

It is along the Circum-Baikal railway In the 80s of the 20th century, the Bureau of International Youth Tourism “Sputnik” (Irkutsk) developed the first ecological tour. Since that time, ecotourism on Lake Baikal has been actively developing, despite the fact that tourism infrastructure It is not well developed here and there are some transport difficulties. There are also problems associated with pollution environment emissions from the Baikal pulp and paper mill. But all of them are to some extent compensated for by activities to create and equip excursion trails, regularly carried out by tourism organizations in the region.

The most favorable time for relaxing on the lake is from May to October. You can swim in July and August, since these months are the hottest - the air warms up to +30° C, the shallow waters - up to +25° C. A vacation on Lake Baikal will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding tourists. Beach holiday, bicycle and car excursions, hiking along the coast, rafting on catamarans and kayaks, quad biking and even helicopter excursions - these are far from full list what travel agencies offer their clients. Climbing coastal cliffs and descending into caves are popular.

Fishing

Fishing should be mentioned separately. Many amateurs fish from the rocks adjacent to the lake. The most passionate fishermen prefer to settle in specialized bases, of which there are many here, and which differ in different levels of comfort. They go fishing on rented vessels. The most popular places on Baikal for fishing The already mentioned Chivyrkuisky Bay, Mukhor Bay, shallow bays of the Small Sea and, of course, the rivers flowing into it are considered. The largest of them (besides Selenga) are Upper Angara, Snezhnaya, Barguzin, Kichera, Turka, Buguldeika and Goloustnaya. And only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

Fishing, only ice fishing, also finds its fans in the winter season, which here lasts from late December to mid-May. Fans of the “second Russian hunt” are helped by professional instructors: without them, it is difficult for inexperienced fishermen to do unusual transparent ice correct hole. They willingly share secrets on how to organize comfortable stay in conditions of 40-degree frosts, which are not uncommon for Lake Baikal. And those who don’t want to test their health with extreme cold, go underwater fishing in March and April. At this time, the ice is still strong, and the air temperature begins to reach positive levels.

Winter sports

Among the winter activities, tourists are also offered dog sledding (routes vary in complexity and length), snowmobiling ( excursion programs are also different and depend on the level of preparedness of the skiers), skiing alpine skiing, sleds and snowboards (you can rent ski equipment at numerous rental shops on the coast). In winter, as well as in summer, helicopter excursions are held in high esteem among vacationers, giving unforgettable experiences for a lifetime.

Children and youth tourism

Quite developed on Lake Baikal and children's tourism, which involves rest in summer camps. We will immediately please parents: your children will not be bored here. Staying in a children's institution involves a rich excursion and creative program, including the holding of sanatorium and health-improving events at specialized bases. One of the most convenient places on Baikal for relaxing with small children is Mandarkhan Bay. It’s as if it was specially created by nature precisely for this purpose: it’s very shallow, and in summer it’s probably the most warm water and children do not risk catching a cold.

Young people are not left behind either. For her, the interregional public organization "Great Baikal Trail", created in 2003, implements various international programs taking into account the specifics and needs of people under 30. For example, the arrangement and reconstruction of ecological trails, holding educational lectures on the topic of nature conservation. Schoolchildren are also actively involved as listeners of the latter.

Video: The underwater world of Lake Baikal

Hotels and recreation centers on Lake Baikal

Many tourists come to relax on Lake Baikal, as they say, as savages, traveling in their own cars. They choose a place they like on the coast and stop there, spending the night in tents. There are very few campsites on the lake specially equipped for car travelers. Having planned to stay at such a site, you should take into account that in this place there may not be wood for a fire and basic amenities (for example, a toilet). Therefore, think in advance about how you will “survive”.

Those who prefer to travel in comfort, even minimal, will be spared such experiences. At their service are many hotels, recreation centers and guest houses scattered along the entire coast of Lake Baikal. Moreover, each tourist will be able to find the most suitable accommodation option for him - taking into account, of course, individual preferences and financial capabilities. We have to disappoint the bohemian public: there are no five-star hotels with the highest level of service here. She, like “mere mortals,” will have to be content with ordinary rooms with all amenities. Another note: some recreation centers accept vacationers only in the summer.

Tourists traveling independently run the risk of running into unscrupulous intermediaries when booking a hotel room or recreation center. To prevent this from happening, reserve a hotel room only through proven and reliable services, which will not only save you from scammers, but will also allow you to rent a room at the lowest cost, without unnecessary markups. We recommend Booking.com, one of the first and most popular online hotel booking systems.

How to get there

You can get to Baikal in various ways. The starting point is usually nearby big cities: Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Severobaikalsk. Tourists first come to one of these settlements and already there they plan in detail their further route. The trip on the section of the Trans-Siberian Railway between Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk is especially memorable: the lake stretches right outside the train windows and you can admire its magical panorama for hours.

One of the most popular tourism destinations on the Siberian Sea is the village of Listvyanka, located at the source of the Angara River, 65 km from Irkutsk. From regional center You can get here by bus or boat, the travel time is a little more than an hour. All routes start in Irkutsk water transport, plying not only along Lake Baikal, but also on the Angara.

Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island, Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Jason Rogers / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Martin Lopatka / flickr .com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Water surface of Lake Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Khoboy Cape, Olkhon (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com White sturgeon (Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com) Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com LA638 / flickr.com

There are many places on earth that amaze with their beauty and uniqueness. Lake Baikal is one of these. This rich reservoir embodies all the ideas of primordial nature. It can be calm when there is calm on its surface, or it can be fierce and cruel when a storm breaks out.

When asking the question of what attracts attention to Baikal, the answer is quite simple. Peculiarities geographical characteristics giant reservoirs attract tourists from thousands of kilometers away.

The water surface of Lake Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com)

The greatest depth of Lake Baikal is impressive. The maximum depth point of the lake is located from the surface of the water at a distance of 1642 meters.

This indicator brings Baikal to a leading position among lakes on the planet. Following Russian Baikal African Tanganyika is far ahead. The difference between the maximum depths of these majestic reservoirs is about 160 meters.

Also deserves attention average depth over the entire area of ​​the lake. Most of Baikal has a depth of about 730 meters. As for the area of ​​this reservoir, here, for understanding, we can give an example of the area of ​​Belgium or Denmark. Equating the size of the lake to the territory of one of these countries, one can only imagine its boundless expanses.

Olkhon Island (Jason Rogers / flickr.com)

The reason for the incredible depth and length of Lake Baikal is the countless number of rivers and streams flowing into it. There are more than 300 of them: large and small streams and full-flowing powerful river streams. Despite the fact that only the Angara takes its source from the lake.

It is worth noting that Lake Baikal is considered the world's largest natural reservoir of clean fresh water. Its volumes exceed even the famous American Great Lakes. If you add up the volumes of Michigan, Erie, Huron, Ontario and Lake Superior, their sum will still not reach equality with the capacity of Lake Baikal, which is over 23,600 cubic kilometers.

The enormous depth, impressive expanses of the reservoir, the length and width of the mirror-like surface are the reason why residents often call Baikal the sea. Located in the southeast of Eurasia, the powerful lake is famous for storms and tides (similar to sea tides).

Why is the lake called Baikal?

The history of the name of the lake is associated with several legends known to the local people. According to the first version, translated from Turkic it means “rich lake”, and in the original language it sounds like Bai-Kul.

Khoboy Mys, Olkhon (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com)

The second variant of the origin of the name, according to the guess of historians, is associated with the Mongols - in their language the reservoir was called Baigal (rich fire) or Baigal dalai (large sea). There is a third version of the name, according to which the neighboring Chinese called the lake “ northern sea" In Chinese it sounds like Bei-Hai.

Lake Baikal is one of the oldest bodies of water on the earth’s surface. This orographic unit went through a rather complex and long process of formation in the earth’s crust.

More than 25 million years ago, the reservoir began its formation, which continues to this day. Recent geological studies prove that Baikal can rightfully be considered the beginning of another ocean, which, of course, will not appear in the near future, but scientists are almost certain that this will happen.

The shores of the lake are expanding significantly every year, body of water increases before our eyes, so in a few million years, according to researchers, in place of the lake, there will be an ocean.

Lake research

A unique distinguishing feature of Baikal waters is their amazing transparency. At a depth of forty meters, you can easily see every pebble at the bottom.

Olkhon Island, Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com)

This is explained by simple chemical laws. The fact is that almost all rivers flowing into Baikal pass through crystals of poorly soluble rocks.

Hence the low level of mineralization of Baikal. It is about 100 milligrams per liter of lake water.

Due to the maximum depth of Lake Baikal and the high coastline, which exceeds the surface of the ocean by 450 meters, the bottom of the reservoir is rightfully considered the most deep depression not only on this continent, but also among other continents.

Thanks to the fact that scientists found out the exact location of the maximum depth of the lake, a dive was made to this point several years ago.

It is located within the Olkhon Island. The modern deep-sea device sank to the bottom for more than 1 hour. Over the course of some time, scientists filmed and collected samples for a detailed study of the bottom composition of the water and the rocks present.

During this experiment, researchers were able to discover new microorganisms and identify the source of oil pollution in Lake Baikal.

The younger generation had to write comprehensive work“What is Lake Baikal famous for?” The 4th grade of high school did not leave much information in our memory. This is the best thing in the world, people over forty will say. But this is not the only indicator that makes Lake Baikal a record holder. Well, let's update our information about this pearl of Russia. It’s not for nothing that the lake is called the sacred sea! It is rightfully considered a unique creation Mother Nature, the pride and national treasure of Russia.

As a natural site, Baikal was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1996, at the twentieth session of UNESCO (number 754). What is unique about this lake? We will talk about this in our article.

Where is Lake Baikal located and why is it famous (briefly)

This unique natural attraction is located almost in the center of Asia. On the map of our country, the lake is located in Eastern Siberia, in its southernmost part. Administratively, it serves as the border between the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk region Russian Federation. Baikal is so big that it can be seen even from space. It stretches like a blue crescent from southwest to northeast. That's why local population often calls Baikal not a lake, but a sea. “Baigal Dalai” is how the Buryats respectfully call it. The coordinates of the lake are: 53°13′ north latitude and 107°45′ east longitude.

What is Lake Baikal famous for? Let's look at its different parameters.

Depth

Let's start with the basic truths. Baikal is not only the deepest lake on the planet, but also the most impressive continental basin. This title was confirmed by scientific research conducted in 1983. The deepest place in the lake - 1642 meters from the surface of the water surface - has coordinates 53°14′59″ north latitude and 108°05′11″ east longitude. Thus, the lowest point of Baikal lies 1187 meters below sea level. And the lake has a height of 455 meters above the World Ocean.

The average depth of Baikal is also impressive: seven hundred and forty-four meters. Only two lakes in the world have a kilometer between the water surface and the bottom. These are (1025 m) and Tanganyika (1470 m). The deepest - that's what Lake Baikal is famous for.

In English on Google, a certain Vostok is among the top three record holders. This lake was found in Antarctica. It has a depth of more than 1200 meters, and another four kilometers of ice rise above the water surface. Thus, we can say that the distance between the surface of the earth and the bottom of the East is more than five thousand meters. But this body of water is not a lake in the usual sense of the word. Rather, it is an underground (subglacial) reservoir of water.

Dimensions

The area of ​​this reservoir is 31,722 square kilometers. That is, the size of the lake is quite comparable to such European countries, like Switzerland, Belgium or the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The length of Baikal is six hundred and twenty kilometers, and its width varies between 24-79 km. Moreover, the coastline stretches for two thousand one hundred kilometers. And that's not counting the islands!

Size is what Lake Baikal is famous for, although this indicator does not make it the largest on the planet. But the reservoir occupies an honorable eighth place among the giants. Ahead are the Caspian (which is also a lake, although salty), Superior in America, Victoria, Huron, Michigan, the Aral “Sea” and Tanganyika.

Honorable age

Baikal - lake tectonic origin. This explains its record depth. But when did the tectonic fault occur? This question is still considered open among scientists. Traditionally, the age of Baikal is determined at 20-25 million years. This figure seems fantastic. After all, lakes “live” on average about ten, in extreme cases, fifteen thousand years. Then alluvial deposits and silty sediments accumulate and change the whole thing into a swamp, and it, after centuries, into a meadow. But Siberians are famous for their longevity. And what Lake Baikal is famous for is its venerable age.

It should be said that the Siberian giant is also unique in other parameters - hydrological. Baikal feeds about three hundred rivers, and only one flows out of it - the Angara. And one more unique thing: seismic activity during a tectonic fault. From time to time, earthquakes occur at the bottom of the lake. In fact, sensors record about two thousand of them every year. But sometimes large earthquakes occur. So, in 1959, the bottom of the lake dropped by fifteen meters due to a shock.

What was most remembered by the surrounding residents was the Kudarino earthquake of 1862, when a huge piece of land (200 sq. km) with six villages inhabited by one thousand three hundred people went under water. This place in the delta is now called Proval Bay.

Unique fresh water reservoir

Despite the fact that the pearl of Siberia ranks only eighth in the world in size, in terms of water volume it holds the record. What is Lake Baikal famous for in this regard? Most of the water is in the Caspian Sea. But it's salty there. Thus, Baikal can be called the undisputed leader. It contains 23,615.39 cubic kilometers of water. This is about twenty percent of the total reserve of all lakes on the planet. To demonstrate the significance of this figure, let’s imagine that we managed to block all three hundred rivers flowing into Baikal. But even then it would have taken the Angara three hundred and eighty-seven years to drain the lake.

Unique fauna and flora

Another strange thing is that, despite the enormous depth of Baikal, bottom vegetation exists in the lake. This is due to seismic activity underneath tectonic depression. Magma heats the bottom layers and enriches them with oxygen. Such warm water rises, and cold water sinks. Half of the 2,600 species of animals and plants inhabiting the water area are endemic. What surprises biologists most of all is the lake’s only mammal, which lives 4 thousand kilometers from its marine counterparts and has adapted well to fresh water.

It is difficult to say which fish Lake Baikal is most famous for. Perhaps this is a golomlyanka. She is viviparous. Her body contains up to 30 percent fat. She also surprises scientists with her daily migrations. rise to feed from dark depths in shallow water. The lake is also home to Baikal sturgeon, omul, whitefish, and grayling. And the bottom is covered with freshwater sponges.

Purity and transparency of water

With such an area of ​​water surface and the presence of industrial enterprises nearby, it would be logical to think that Lake Baikal would become polluted. Not so! The water here is not only potable, but close to distilled. You can drink it without fear. And it helps the lake to cleanse itself. This endemic one and a half millimeters in size performs the function of a natural filter: it passes water through itself, absorbing all the dirt. As a result, the pebbles at the bottom are clearly visible. Water transparency up to forty meters is what Lake Baikal is famous for. A photo of this unique reservoir demonstrates the majestic, pristine beauty of nature. It depends on us whether we preserve it for posterity.

You can find entire volumes of information about Baikal, both on the Internet and in various magazines and book publications. The lake is not deprived of attention from tourists, researchers and politicians. From year to year, stunning scientific discoveries are associated with Baikal; expeditions are constantly being equipped for thorough research. I decided to devote this topic to the most interesting facts and events related to Lake Baikal. I'll try to save you from boring geographical terms, only the most interesting things will be here. Most of the photos in the topic are clickable (open by clicking)

– one of the oldest lakes on the planet and the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is one of the ten largest lakes in the world. Its average depth is about 730 meters, the maximum is 1637 meters. In 1996, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List

Scientists disagree about the origin of Lake Baikal, as well as about its age. Scientists traditionally estimate the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. This fact also makes Baikal unique natural object, since most lakes, especially those of glacial origin, live on average 10-15 thousand years, and then fill with silty sediments and become swampy

There is also a version about the relative youth of Baikal, put forward by Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Alexander Tatarinov in 2009, which received indirect confirmation during the second stage of the “Worlds” expedition on Baikal. In particular, the activity of mud volcanoes at the bottom of Lake Baikal allows scientists to assume that the modern shoreline of the lake is only 8 thousand years old, and the deep-water part is 150 thousand years old.

Baikal contains about 19% of the world's fresh water. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great Lakes combined and 25 times more than, for example, in Lake Ladoga

The water in the lake is so transparent that individual stones and various objects can be seen at a depth of 40 m. The purest and most transparent water of Baikal contains so few mineral salts (100 mg/l) that it can be used instead of distilled water.





Baikal is home to 2,630 species and varieties of plants and animals, 2/3 of which are endemic, that is, they live only in this body of water. This abundance of living organisms is explained by the high oxygen content in the entire thickness of Baikal water


Photo of Baikal from space

The most interesting fish in Baikal is the viviparous golomyanka fish, whose body contains up to 30% fat. She surprises biologists with her daily feeding migrations from the depths to shallow waters

The second, after the golomyanka, is the miracle of Baikal, to which it owes its exceptional purity, the crustacean epishura (there are about 300 species). Baikal epishura is a copepod, 1 mm long, a representative of plankton, found throughout the entire depth (it is not found in bays where the water warms up). Baikal would not be Baikal without this copepod, barely noticeable to the eye, amazingly efficient and numerous, managing to filter the entire Baikal water

Typically lives here marine mammal- seal, or Baikal seal

Baikal's water reserves would be enough for 40 years for the inhabitants of the entire Earth, and at the same time 46 x 1015 people could quench their thirst

Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. Thus, in the 1930s, specialists from the Baikal Limnological Station discovered unusual forms of ice cover, characteristic only of Lake Baikal. For example, “hills” are cone-shaped ice hills up to 6 meters high, hollow inside. Appearance they resemble ice tents, “open” in the direction opposite to the shore. Hills can be located separately, and sometimes form miniature “mountain ranges”

Satellite images clearly show dark rings with a diameter of 5-7 km on the ice of Lake Baikal. The origin of the rings is unknown. Scientists believe that rings on the ice of the lake may have appeared many times already, but it was impossible to examine them due to their enormous size. Now using latest technologies this has become possible, and scientists will begin to study this phenomenon. Such rings were first discovered in 1999, then in 2003, 2005. As you can see, rings do not form every year. The rings are also not located in the same place. Scientists were especially interested in the reason for the shift of the rings to the southwest in 2008, compared to 1999, 2003 and 2005. In April 2009, such rings were discovered again, and again in a different place than last year. Scientists suggest that the rings are formed due to the release of natural gas from the bottom of Lake Baikal. However, the exact causes and mechanisms of formation dark rings on the ice of Baikal have not yet been studied and no one knows their exact nature

The Baikal region (the so-called Baikal Rift Zone) is an area with high seismicity: earthquakes regularly occur here, most of which are one or two points on the MSK-64 intensity scale. However, strong ones also happen, so in 1862, during the ten-magnitude Kudarin earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a land area of ​​200 km went under water? with 6 uluses, in which 1,300 people lived, and Proval Bay was formed

A unique deep-sea neutrino telescope NT-200, built in 1993-1998, was created and operates on the lake, with the help of which high-energy neutrinos are detected. On its basis, the NT-200+ neutrino telescope with an increased effective volume is being created, the construction of which is expected to be completed no earlier than 2017

The first dives of manned vehicles on Lake Baikal were made in 1977, when the bottom of the lake was explored on the Canadian-made Paisis deep-sea vehicle. In Larch Bay, a depth of 1,410 meters was reached. In 1991, "Pysis" on the eastern side of Olkhon sank to a depth of 1,637 meters.

In the summer of 2008, the Foundation for Assistance to the Conservation of Lake Baikal conducted a research expedition “Worlds” on Baikal. 52 dives of the deep-sea manned vehicles “Mir” were carried out to the bottom of Lake Baikal. Scientists delivered water samples to the Scientific Research Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences named after P. P. Shirshov. soil and microorganisms raised from the bottom of Lake Baikal

In 1966, production began at the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), as a result of which the adjacent bottom areas of the lake began to degrade. Dust and gas emissions negatively affect the taiga around the BPPM, and the forest becomes dry and dry. In September 2008, the plant introduced a closed water circulation system designed to reduce the discharge of wash water. According to the source, the system turned out to be inoperative and less than a month after its launch, the plant had to be stopped

There are many legends associated with. The most fascinating of them is connected with the Angara River:
In the old days, mighty Baikal was cheerful and kind. He deeply loved his only daughter Angara. There was no more beautiful woman on earth. During the day it is light - brighter than the sky, at night it is dark - darker than a cloud. And no matter who drove past the Angara, everyone admired it, everyone praised it. Even migratory birds: geese, swans, cranes - descended low, but the Angaras rarely landed on the water. They said: “Is it possible to blacken something light?”

Old man Baikal took care of his daughter more than his heart. One day, when Baikal fell asleep, Angara rushed to run to the young man Yenisei. The father woke up and splashed his waves angrily. A fierce storm arose, the mountains began to weep, forests fell, the sky turned black from grief, animals scattered in fear throughout the earth, fish dived to the very bottom, birds flew away to the sun. Only the wind howled and the heroic sea raged. The mighty Baikal hit the gray mountain, broke off a rock from it and threw it after the fleeing daughter. The rock fell right on the beauty's throat. The blue-eyed Angara begged, gasping and sobbing, and began to ask:

“Father, I’m dying of thirst, forgive me and give me at least one drop of water.”

Baikal shouted angrily:

- I can only give you my tears!

For thousands of years, the Angara has been flowing into the Yenisei like tear-water, and gray, lonely Baikal has become gloomy and scary. The rock that Baikal threw after his daughter was called the Shaman Stone. Rich sacrifices were made there to Baikal. People said: “Baikal will be angry, it will tear off the Shaman’s stone, the water will gush and flood the whole earth.” Currently, the river is blocked by a dam, so only the top of the shaman stone is visible from the water

There is a legend among the people about the creation of Baikal: “The Lord looked: the earth came out unkindly... as if she would not take offense at him! And, so as not to hold a grudge, he took and waved for her not some kind of bedding for her feet, but the very measure of his bounties, with which measured how much to be from him. The measure fell and turned into Baikal."