The width of Baikal is maximum. Rest on Lake Baikal. Location, history

Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ N. sh. and 103°43′–109°58′ E. e. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, the length coastline 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 equal to 730 m.

Schematic map of the Baikal Basin

In addition to these generally accepted parameters of the lake, there are others. So, according to the data of the bathymetric electronic map of the lake. Baikal, compiled by an international team of authors, there are some differences morphometric characteristics lakes. 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 than all the American Great 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 from 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 a.s.l. y. m. 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.

Source: Baikal studies: textbook. allowance / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. - Irkutsk: Publishing house Irk. state un-ta, 2009.

Baikal passport

Geological age of Baikal:

Pre-rift (Pre-Baikal) stage (Cretaceous - Late Eocene) - 70–25 Ma

Rift stage - 25 million years before the present.

Baikal coordinates: 51°29’ – 55°46’ N and 103°43’ – 109°56’ E

Lake area - 31,570 km 2

The area of ​​the drainage basin is 588,092 km2,

including:

in Russia - 53.6%

in Mongolia - 46.4%

The length of the lake is 636 km

The greatest width (Ust-Barguzin settlement - Onguren settlement) - 79.5 km

The smallest width (delta of the Selenga River - Buguldeyka) - 25 km

Coastline length - 2100 km

Maximum depth - 1637 m

Average depth - 758 m

Water volume - 23000 km 3

The bottom of the lake relative to sea level - 1183 m

Thickness of bottom sediments (according to geophysical data):

South Baikal - 700 m

river delta Selengi - 8500 m

Northern Baikal - 4500 m

Precipitation accumulation rate - 0.42 mm/100 years

The thickness of the earth's crust:

under the Siberian platform - 36–42 km

under the mountain ranges of the Baikal region - 45–55 km

The smallest thickness to the base of the crust in the center of the Baikal depression is 34 km

Thinning of the earth's crust under the Baikal Rift - 3–7 km

The highest height of the ridges surrounding Lake Baikal (Barguzinsky Range) is 2,840 m

The amplitude of the rift gap (between greatest height ridges and foundation vpa-

depth of Baikal) - 12 977 (the greatest depth of the ocean ( Mariana Trench in the Pacific

ocean) - 11 022 m)

The value of the vertical displacement of the pre-rift strata along the faults along the coasts:

For South Basin– 8–8.5 km, for the Central Basin – 9 km, for the Northern

basin - 5–5.5 km

Amplitudes of horizontal displacements of strata (spreading) surrounding Baikal – up to 100–150 km

The rate (observed) of the tectonic divergence of the shores of Baikal is 0.7–2 cm/year

Transparency (Secchi disk) – up to 40 m

The average water level at the Pacific mark after flow regulation is 456.41 m

The average water level before flow regulation is 455.67 m

Average amplitude of intra-annual water level changes:

after flow regulation - 0.94 m

before flow regulation - 0.82 m

The time of the minimum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation – May

before flow regulation - April

Time of maximum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation - October

before flow regulation - September

Water surface temperature:

in bays and sors – from 0°С to +23–24°С

Water temperature in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) – +3.8–6.5°С

Water temperature at a depth of more than 50 m - + 3.5 ° С

The number of epishura in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) is 310–1000 thousand ind./m2

The average annual epishura biomass in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) is 5.2–11 g/m2

Average annual air temperature:

South Baikal - -0.7 ° С

Middle Baikal - -1.6°С

Northern Baikal - -3.6°С

Freezing date (in full) - 12/14/1877 - 02/06/1959

Opening date (in full) - 04/17/1923–05/26/1879

Source: Baikal: nature and people: encyclopedic reference book / Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS; [res. ed. corresponding member A. K. Tulokhonov] - Ulan-Ude: ECOS: Publishing House of the Belarusian Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2009. - 608 p.: col. ill.

Literature

1. Atlas of Baikal // ed. G.I. Galazia. M.: Federal Service for Geodesy and Cartography of Russia (FSG and KR SB RAS), 1993. - 160 p. Atlas of Baikal. - M.: Ed. GUGK, 1995.
2. Vikulov V.E. Regime of special nature management (experience of organization on the territory of the Baikal basin): dis. . doc. geogr. Sciences / V.E. Vikulov. -Ulan-Ude, 1983.
3. Public administration natural resources Baikal region. - M.: Publishing House of NIA Priroda, 1999. - 244 p.
4. Grushko Ya.M. Baikal: a guide / Ya.M. Grushko. Irkutsk, 1967. -252 p.
5. Kozhov M.M. Baikal and its life / M.M. Kozhov. Irkutsk: Vost.-Sib. book. publishing house, 1963.
6. Logachev N.A. Relief and geomorphological zoning.- In the book: Baikal and Transbaikalia / Series: Istria of the development of the relief of Siberia and the Far East.- M .: Nauka, 1974.-
7. Ainbund M.M. Currents and internal water exchange in Lake Baikal. Text. / MM. Einbund. L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 19888. - 247 p.
8. Kozin A.Z. Geological and geographical description of Baikal Electronic resource. / A.Z. Kozin.
9. Votintsev K.K. Hydrochemistry of Lake Baikal. // M.: Ed. Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1961. - p. 311.
10. Grafov S. V., Kolotilo L. G., Potashko A. E. Pilot of Lake Baikal. Admiralty No. 1007. - St. Petersburg: GUNiO, 1993.
11. Gusev O. K.,

Lake Baikal

Geography Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is located in the south of Eastern Siberia. In the form of a crescent being born, Baikal stretched from southwest to northeast between 55°47" and 51°28" north latitude and 103°43" and 109°58" east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width in the central part is 81 km, the minimum width opposite the Selenga delta is 27 km (between capes Goly on the western shore of Baikal and Sredny on the eastern shore). Baikal is located at an altitude of 455 m above sea level. The length of the coastline is about 1850 km (excluding part of the coast north of Yarki Island). More than half of the lake's shoreline is included in the territory of nature reserves, sanctuaries and national parks.

Squarewater table, determined at the water's edge 454 m above sea level, 31470 square kilometers. The maximum depth of the lake is 1637 m, the average depth is 730 m. Sometimes in the literature there is a statement that the maximum depth of Baikal is 1642 m. Which value is correct? The answer to this question is somewhat paradoxical - both are correct. The fact is that the measurement error of such depths is about 2%, i.e. 30 meters. Therefore, it is correct to say that the greatest depth of Baikal is 1640 m, but do not forget about a possible error of several tens of meters.

336 permanent rivers and streams flow into Baikal, while half of the volume of water entering the lake comes from the Selenga. The only river flowing from Baikal is the Angara. However, the question of the number of rivers flowing into Baikal is rather controversial, most likely there are fewer than 336. There is no doubt that Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the closest contender for this title, the African Lake Tanganyika, lags behind by as much as 200 meters. There are 30 islands on Baikal, although, as mentioned above, there is no unanimity on this issue. The largest is Olkhon Island.

Age Lake Baikal

Usuallythe literature gives the age of the lake as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of Baikal should be considered open, since the use of various methods for determining the age gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first estimate is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed a very ancient lake. If we assume that the age of Baikal is indeed several tens of millions of years, then this is the oldest lake on Earth.

Counts, that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic processes that are still going on, which is manifested in the increased seismicity of the Baikal region and in a large number of thermal springs.

Origin titles

problemThe origin of the word "Baikal" is devoted to numerous scientific studies, which indicates a lack of clarity in this matter. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable is the version of the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - a rich lake. Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - a rich fire and Baigal Dalai - a large lake. The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - the North Sea.

Evenki the name Lamu - the Sea was used for several years by the first Russians explorers in the 17th century, then they switched to the Buryat Baigal, softening the letter “g” a little by phonetic replacement. Quite often, Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent temper, for being far away opposite the shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze ... At the same time, the Small Sea and the Big Sea are distinguished. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.

Water Baikal

Baikalthe water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent , pure and saturated with oxygen . In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, with its help, diseases were treated. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using the Secchi disk (a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm), is 40 m (for comparison, in the Sargasso Sea, which is considered the standard of transparency, this value is 65 m). Later, when mass algae blooms begin, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather, the bottom can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, due to the activity of living organisms that live in it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled.

Volume water in Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world and 90% of Russian fresh water reserves. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

Climate

Climate V Eastern Siberia sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountainous environment create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works like a big one heat stabilizer- it is warmer in winter on Baikal, and slightly cooler in summer than, for example, in Irkutsk, located at a distance of 70 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually around 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing on almost the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

Influence Lake Baikal is not reduced only to the regulation of the temperature regime. Due to the fact that the evaporation of cold water from the surface of the lake is very small, clouds cannot form over Baikal. In addition, the air masses that bring clouds from the land heat up when the coastal mountains pass, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, most of the time the skies over Baikal are clear. This is also evidenced by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the region of Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison - on the Riga seaside in 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are not lucky, then you can get one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the sunniest place of Baikal - on Olkhon, but this is extremely rare.

Average annualwater temperature on the surface of the lake is +4°C. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches +16-17°C, in shallow bays up to +22-23°C.

Wind And waves

Windon Baikal it blows almost always. More than thirty local wind names are known. This does not mean at all that there are so many different winds on Baikal, just many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that almost all of them almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Dominant winds: northwest, often called mountainous, northeastern(Barguzin and Verkhovik, also known as Angara), southwestern (kultuk), southeastern (shelonnik). Maximum wind speed, registered on Baikal, 40 m/s. In the literature, there are also large values ​​\u200b\u200b- up to 60 m / s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where wind, there, as you know, and waves. I note right away that the opposite is not true - the wave can be even with complete calm. Waves on Lake Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values ​​​​of 5 and even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate “by eye”, which has a large error, as a rule, in the direction of overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements on the high seas. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. In the summer on Lake Baikal, strong excitement is rare, and calm often occurs.

currents

How and in any sea, in Baikal there are currents. They are caused by various reasons: atmospheric pressure drops, winds, the flow of rivers flowing into Baikal, the Coriolis force.

Speed current is only a few centimeters per second, rarely exceeding 10 cm / s, it depends on many factors and decreases with distance from the coast and with depth.

superficial the current near the western shore of Lake Baikal is almost always directed from north to south, and near the eastern shore - from south to north. In other words, in general, along the Baikal coast, the current is directed counterclockwise. There is also a current along the coast of Olkhon Island. With the exception of the Olkhonskiye Vorota strait and the nearby areas of the island, it is directed clockwise. In the Olkhonskiye Vorota strait and near the western coast of the Small Sea the current is so strong that in calm weather the ship's drift is clearly visible.

Animal and flora of Baikal

More than 2600 species and subspecies of animals (2682, as of 2008) and more than 1000 species of plant organisms are found in Baikal. New species are discovered from time to time. There is reason to believe that at present only 70-80% of the species of living organisms inhabiting the waters of Lake Baikal are known to science. In the old days, when science was not yet in a coma, an average of 10 new organisms were discovered per year. About 40% of plants and about 85% of animal species living in open Baikal are endemic, i.e. found only in Baikal. Living organisms in Lake Baikal are distributed from the surface to maximum depths.

IN There are 58 species and subspecies of fish in the lake. The most famous are omul, whitefish, grayling, taimen, sturgeon, golomyanka, lenok. About 2000 species of plants grow on the coast of Baikal. 200 species of birds nest on the shores. In Baikal there is a unique, typically marine mammal - the Baikal seal. It is assumed that it came to Baikal from the Arctic Ocean during the ice age along the Yenisei and Angara. Currently, there are several tens of thousands of seals in the lake. In summer, in the central and northern parts of the lake, they can be seen quite often.

5 December 1996 at the 20th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in the Mexican city of Merida, Baikal was included in the UNESCO Natural Heritage List.

The most interesting in Baikal is the viviparous golomyanka fish, whose body contains up to 30% fat. It surprises biologists with daily feeding migrations from the depths to shallow waters. Of the fish in Baikal, there are Baikal omul, grayling, whitefish, Baikal sturgeon (Acipenser baeri baicalensis), burbot, taimen, pike and others. Baikal is unique among lakes in that great depth freshwater sponges grow here.

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 in the 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 stopped, then a river equal to the water content of the Angara would begin to flow out of Baikal in 383 years, and it would take more than half a year (about 200 days) to fill the bowl of Baikal with all the rivers of the globe. 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.

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 - 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. The main feature of Baikal water is 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 time 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