Security measures

Throughout the twentieth century, some efforts were made to preserve Baikal: the fight against poaching, illegal logging, and laws were adopted to protect the Baikal region. Nature reserves and national parks appeared in the Baikal region. In 1916, the first Barguzinsky Nature Reserve was created. To the best of our ability, scientific research was carried out to protect the Baikal nature.

A turning point in the conservation of the unique lake occurred when it received the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 5, 1996. Russia was subject to obligations to preserve its unique ecosystem. Currently underway big job for the protection of Baikal nature:

• About 97 organizations are involved in the problems of Lake Baikal, 400 dissertations have been written on the topic of protecting the lake;
• 3 institutes are responsible for monitoring the condition of Lake Baikal;
• To important work Numerous environmental societies and environmental organizations have become involved in protecting this unique corner of nature;
• in 2012, the federal program “Protection of Lake Baikal and the socio-economic development of the Baikal region” was created natural area for 2012–2020.”

The unique ecosystem of Baikal, the richest sources of resources of the Baikal flora and fauna, the beauty of its vast expanses are simply vital to preserve and protect.

Very informative article. I didn’t even suspect that there could be something unique in Russia. I was struck by the fact that the temperature on the lake differs from nearby areas by as much as ten degrees! It turns out that you can go there to cool off in the summer and warm up in the winter. Now I will definitely visit this lake, because it amazes everyone. I want to see the transparency of the waters with my own eyes.

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 events are associated with Lake Baikal. scientific discoveries, 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 will 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 a 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 clear that individual stones and various items are visible at a depth of 40 m. The purest and clearest water Baikal contains so few mineral salts (100 mg/l) that it can be used instead of distilled





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 all the Baikal water ten times or even more in a year

A typical marine mammal lives here - the 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 shapes 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 ejection natural gas from the bottom of Lake Baikal. However, the exact reasons and mechanisms for the formation of dark rings on the ice of Lake 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 closed system water circulation 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 with grief, animals scattered in fear all over 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."

The younger generation had the opportunity to write a complex 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 of 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. Therefore, the 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 depression. This title was confirmed by scientific research conducted in 1983. The most deep 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. Wherein 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 is a lake of 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 it happens major earthquakes. 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 explained by seismic activity under the tectonic basin. Magma heats the bottom layers and enriches them with oxygen. Such warm water goes up, and the cold one goes down. 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. They rise to feed from the dark depths of 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 nearby industrial enterprises It would be logical to think that Lake Baikal will 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.

Lake Baikal is a truly mysterious and wonderful place not only in Russia, but throughout the entire planet.

The flora and fauna, the composition of water and even air cannot be compared with the nature of other lakes. Baikal surpasses them in many ways.

The local population is noticeably different from residents of other regions. They honor traditions, remember and preserve legends and respectfully call Lake Baikal the sea.

The lake has a crescent shape with a width varying from 20 to 80 km and a length of about 630 sq. km, and the most deep point The lake is located at a level of 1642 meters. Baikal receives more than 300 small and large rivers, and releases only one Angara.

Where is Lake Baikal located?

Where the lake is located, there is a border between Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. Russian part Baikal is geographically located in the south-eastern part of Siberia.

How to get there

Every tourist planning a vacation on the lake is concerned with the question of how to get there. First of all, you need to get to Irkutsk or the capital of Buryatia. This can be done by plane or train. And from the administrative centers to the lake itself or the nearest populated area there are buses, minibuses, and ships.

Do not forget that tickets to Ulan-Ude or Severobaikalsk are not sold so often and are quite expensive. Therefore, travelers often purchase tickets to Irkutsk. If the choice was made in favor of the train, then you can purchase a ticket for almost any one going towards Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

The quality of the roads to Lake Baikal is relatively good, which is a definite plus for those who like to travel around the world behind the wheel of their car. And for extreme seekers, there is always a way to travel called hitchhiking.

Cities on Lake Baikal

Cities on Lake Baikal are numerous - from small villages to large administrative centers. The majority of the population is professionally employed in the tourism sector. These are employees of hotels, hotels, tourist centers, entertainment centers, guides and excursion guides, transport drivers and guides in the mountains.

Lake Baikal. Slyudyanka photo

TO major cities include Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk, Ulan-Ude. They contain architectural, historical monuments and museums. They are also centers of culture, politics and economics. The population of these cities ranges from 100 to 400,000 people.

Smaller settlements these are Slyudyanka, Listvyanka, Katun, Maksimikha, Khuzhir, Posolskoye, Turka, Goryachinsk and others. They are more visited by tourists. Whitewater rafting, mountain climbing, lake cruises, various excursions, ski resorts in winter time.

Lake Baikal on the plain or in the mountains

Lake Baikal is located more in the mountains than on the plain. The West and East coasts are different from each other. The eastern side has a smoother and flatter relief. And the western one is represented by mountains, rocks and cliffs, which can be several kilometers away from the coast. Type of lake basin and basin. The Baikal Rift Zone measures 12,500 km and extends from Mongolia to Yakutia.

A rift is a crack in the layers of the earth's surface that takes the shape of a crescent. The center of the Baikal rift is its deepest place. It was here that the basin of Lake Baikal was formed. The type of lake basin is volcanic and similar to Dead Sea in its structure and represents a system of depressions of various sizes. Volume of water in the lake. The volume of water in the lake is approximately 23 km3. This is the largest fresh water reserve in the world.

Baikal photo

The volume of water is amazing in its colossality. It exceeds the Ladoga Sea by 23 times, and the Azov Sea by 90 times. Baikal water is saturated with oxygen and practically does not contain various impurities. At a depth of 30-40 meters, individual objects can be easily distinguished. And in some places of the lake you can drink the water without fear of poisoning. Depth. The surface of Lake Baikal rises 456 meters above sea level.

Characteristics of Lake Baikal

• The area of ​​Lake Baikal is 550,000 square km
• Lake length 636 km
• Lake width 25 - 79 km
• Maximum depth - 1637m, average depth - 730m
• Lake mode. The hydrological regime is the floods and floods of its rivers. River flow is mainly observed in warm time of the year. In winter, the rivers are fed only by groundwater. The water surface freezes for about a month from mid-December to mid-January. But the source of the Angara, 15 km long, is not covered with ice, as it draws in water above freezing temperature.
• The climate is moderate continental. It is characterized by Cold winter and not a hot summer (+16+18). Winds generated by different temperatures coastal and water zones, often raise storm waves and create hurricanes.
• The age of the lake exceeds 25,000 years. This is the oldest ice age lake. Most of these lakes, reaching 15,000 years of age, disappear from the face of the Earth.
• The Baikal fissure cuts the upper mantle of the earth deeper than 50 km. Abnormally heat The subsoil under the water column forms hot springs, reaching an average of +80 degrees.

Nature of Lake Baikal

The nature of Lake Baikal is unique and picturesque. Dense forests, rocky cliffs, hills and mountains, and chains of volcanoes are scattered around the lake. More than 2,600 species of plants and animals live and grow in this territory, 70% of which are endemic. On the coast, which is more than 2000 km long, there are rapids waterfalls, sandy bays, and about 180 capes with their own bays. The number of sunny and cloudless days prevails over cloudy ones (there are about 40 of them per year).

Lake Baikal wildlife

The fauna of Lake Baikal is vividly presented. Some species have been practically untouched by evolution, while others live only in the Baikal region. The seal is the symbol of the lake. Scientists still cannot give a clear answer about the route of this seal’s entry into the fresh waters of Lake Baikal. Musk deer is a deer that weighs 17 kg. Its peculiarity is the absence of horns, but the presence of long fangs in males.

Baikal seal photo

Also inhabited are red wolf, sable, deer, squirrel, bear, wild boar, fox, lynx, and snow leopard. The most common birds are golden eagles, imperial eagles, seagulls, ducks, swans, cormorants, bustards, and peregrine falcons. In addition to fish, the water column is dominated by special crustaceans called epishura. They act as a natural filter, allowing lake water to pass through them.

A variety of mollusks and sponges are also present. For example, Baikalia and Benediction accumulate in large groups on the rocks. Fish of Lake Baikal. The fish of Lake Baikal are represented by omul, viviparous golomyanka fish, sturgeon, bream, sculpin goby, carp and others.

Lake Baikal plants

Lake Baikal is densely populated by both terrestrial and underwater plants. There are many forests in which centuries-old trees grow. For example, Siberian pine and cedar, reaching a trunk diameter of more than 6 meters and an age of more than 700 years. Also unique tree Birch with black bark is considered.

There are many medicinal plants (more than 1000 species). These are licorice, anise, bearberry, chamomile, hogweed, wormwood, thyme, bracken, and bergenia. Plants that are found mainly only in this region include circe parisis, wolfberry, yellow field poppy, sleep grass, common grass, etc.

bottom of Lake Baikal photo

In the water column, various algae and sponges dominate almost every centimeter of the bottom. These are mainly blue-green and golden algae. Green algae fills bays and bays. Sponges have various colors and prefer to attach to underwater slopes. In addition, there are quite a lot of higher underwater plants with full leaves, stems and roots (more than 70 species). These are representatives of the families Ranunculaceae, Bryophytes, Lycophytes, Burmocks and others. For example, a small water lily and a quadrangular water lily.

Flowing rivers of the lake

The flowing rivers of Lake Baikal number in the hundreds (336 rivers). These are more and less large rivers and large streams. These include the Snezhnaya River, Amga, Utulik, Upper Angara, Selenga, Bolshaya Buguldeika, Sarma, Goloustnaya, Barguzin, Zen-Murin and many others.

River flowing out of a lake

The river flowing from the lake is called the Lower Angara and boasts a length of 1,779 km. At the source of the river stands the Shaman Stone, a rock entangled in mystery and legend. According to one legend, the beautiful Angara was in love and wanted to run away to her chosen one, the hero Yenisei. And the enraged father Baikal threw this stone after his disobedient daughter.

River connecting Lake Baikal with the Arctic Ocean

The river connecting Lake Baikal with the Arctic Ocean is called the Yenisei. It divides Siberia into western and eastern and has a length of 3487 km. The river is unique in that it passes through all climatic zones. On its banks you can find both camels and polar bears.

Lakes near Baikal

The lakes near Baikal have the same tectonic origin, but are smaller in size. There are a large number of such lakes and each is unique in its own way. Lake Kolok is considered popular among fishermen.

Lake Baikal in winter photo

Frolikha is located on the northeastern coast of Baikal and has an area of ​​more than 16 square km and is included in the Red Book as an Ice Age lake. And Lake Kotokel is toxic. But although swimming in it is prohibited, there are about 40 recreation centers on the coast. Also nearby are lakes Arangatui, Gusinoye, Sobolinoye, Angarsky Sor.

Sights of Baikal

The sights of Lake Baikal are numerous, especially those created by nature itself. But there are also those to which man had a hand. Natural attractions:

• Great Baikal Trail
• Sandy Bay
• Small sea with very warm water
• Olkhon Island and Cape Kobylya Golova located on it and Lake Shara-Nur, located 750 meters above sea level
• Ushkany Islands
• Chivirkuysky and Barguzinsky bays
• Tunkinskaya Valley
• Hot Springs
• Valley of volcanoes in the Sayan Mountains
  In the Slyudyanka area there is a 300-meter-high cliff on which birds nest, called the bird market.

Sights created by man: Taltsy is an architectural monument. Buildings from various times from the flooded areas of Lake Baikal were brought here. In Listvyanka you can visit the nerpinarium and the sled dog center. Drive or walk along the Circum-Baikal railway 84 km. More than 30 tunnels were cut into the rocks for it and 248 bridges were built.

Baikal photo

The Cathedral of the Epiphany and the Astrophysical Observatory are located in Irkutsk. World Heritage Lake Baikal. Title world heritage Lake Baikal received it in 1996. The lake meets all the requirements for uniqueness. Many endangered species of plants and animals are listed in the Red Book.

• The ice reaches 30 meters deep in winter and breaks spontaneously during the winter, providing fish with an influx of oxygen.
• The height of storm waves sometimes reaches 5 meters
• In the lake, sturgeon live up to 60 years
• The world's highest mountains, 7,500 meters high, are flooded under the waters of Lake Baikal
• Scientists suggest that over time Baikal will become a sea. Its banks diverge by 2 cm every year.
• Baikal Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of September.

Problems of Lake Baikal

The problems of Lake Baikal have existed for a long time, and without proper help they will progress. It is worth noting the drying up of small rivers flowing into the lake. Thanks to this, its ecosystem changes. The banks are being destroyed and fish spawning is becoming difficult. Poachers and forest fires, mostly caused by humans, have had a hand in the decline and extinction of some species of flora and fauna. The number of seals, omul, wapiti, and musk deer has decreased almost 2-fold.

Lake pollution

Lake pollution is widespread environmental problem. The culprit in this is only man. This includes garbage left by tourists in the coastal zone, petroleum products from shipping transport, waste, carbon dioxide, wastewater from large-scale production.

The popularity of Baikal is growing every year, attracting Russian and foreign tourists, artists and scientists. Scientific developments are carried out here by archaeologists, geologists, historians, physicists, ethnographers and others. But it is precisely this factor that leads to environmental problems in the lake areas. If measures are not taken to protect it, Lake Baikal may disappear from the face of the Earth, and with it the world's supply of fresh water.

- deepest lake. Depth of Baikal about 1700 meters. In the world only one lake can be compared in depth with Lake Baikal. This lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Its depth is about 1400 meters. Depth of Lake Baikal comparable to the depth of the Northern Arctic Ocean, the average depth of which is 1220 meters.

Baikal - the most big lake in Asia. Water surface area Lake Baikal more than 30 thousand square kilometers.

Lake Baikal water- its main value. Lake Baikal – the most large fresh water storage facility in the world. Baikal contains approximately one-fifth of the world's reserves.

Deepest Bay Lake Baikal- Barguzinsky. The depth of the Barguzinsky Bay is almost 1300 meters.

The largest bay Lake Baikal- Barguzinsky. The area of ​​the bay is 725 square kilometers.

The youngest bay of Baikal– Proval Bay. Proval Bay was formed after a powerful earthquake in 1862. A part of the Selenga delta with an area of ​​about 200 square kilometers went under water. This earthquake also caused the formation the youngest cape of Baikal- Cape Oblom.

Most big Island Lake Baikal- Olkhon. The island is located in the middle part Baikal and divides lake to the Big and Small Seas. The length of the island is 71 kilometers, the width reaches 12 kilometers.

At Cape Kotelnikovsky there are the most. The water temperature in the mineral springs of Cape Kotelnikovsky is plus 81 degrees Celsius.

Basin of Lake Baikal – deepest continental depression. Bottom of Lake Baikal lies approximately 1200 meters below sea level.

Biggest influx Lake Baikal- Selenga River. The Selenga has a length of about 1000 kilometers. About half of all water that flows into lake, it is Selenga that brings.

The largest peninsula Lake Baikal- Holy Nose. The peninsula measures about 50 kilometers long and about 20 kilometers wide.

Depth of Lake Baikal

Baikal basin consists of three rather separate parts. The middle basin is the deepest. It is here on the eastern shore of Olkhon Island depth of Lake Baikal reaches almost 1700 meters. Depth southern basin Lake Baikal approximately 1432 meters. Largest measured depth northern part Lake Baikal 890 meters. Average lake depth is also very large - more than 700 meters. The biggest depth Small Sea - near the northwestern coast of Olkhon Island. It is approximately 250 meters. The smallest depth in the open Baikal- about 30 meters. Northern and middle basins Lake Baikal divides the underwater Academic Ridge. Lake depth in these places it is about 260 meters. Between the middle and southern basins Lake Baikal The Selenginskaya jumper is located. The smallest depth here 360 ​​meters.

Where is Baikal?

Baikal is located in the middle of Asia in the south of Eastern Siberia between the Republic of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region of the Russian Federation. Close to lakes The cities of Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude are located.

Length, extent, width of Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is a fracture in the earth's crust filled with water. Water in lake carry several hundred large and small streams. Lake Baikal stretches from south to northeast: length or length of Baikal about 640 kilometers. Greatest width of Baikal 80 kilometers. Small earthquakes constantly occur in the vicinity of the lake. Large ones happen occasionally. Shores Baikal moving away from each other at a rate of 2 centimeters per year – Baikal growing!