December 9, 2023
Natural wonders of Russia: Lake Baikal
You can talk endlessly about Lake Baikal. This is one of the most famous lakes in the world and one of the main natural wonders of Russia. How does it differ from other lakes?
Age. Scientists determine the age of Lake Baikal at 25-35 million years, whereas the life expectancy of an ordinary lake is 10-15 thousand years, after which the lakes begin to swamp and overgrow with silt. Baikal, on the contrary, not only does not age, but also continues to grow! These shores are moving away from each other at a rate of 2 cm per year. Some scientists even hypothesize that we are witnessing the birth of a new ocean.
The depth and volume of the water. Baikal occupies only the eighth place in terms of the area of the water mirror among the lakes of the world, but at the same time it is the deepest and most full-flowing. Its maximum depth is 1642 m, and the average depth is 750 m. The volume of water in the lake is a record 23,615.39 cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's fresh water supply.
Purity and transparency. The water in Lake Baikal is practically free of organic and inorganic suspensions. The stones on the bottom can be seen at a depth of up to 40 meters, and this is the height of a 12-storey building! Depending on the time of year, the water in the lake changes its color. In spring and summer, it is blue, and in autumn, during the algal flowering season, it turns bluish.
In winter, Baikal waters turn into ice of amazing beauty. There are about 50 species of it on Lake Baikal! Areas of ice with rounded inclusions – bubbles - look very impressive. They look like clusters of balloons or mushroom caps. But despite their beauty, it is better not to stay with them for a long time, as they are dangerous. They contain methane inside, and they can explode like real ice bombs.
Other interesting ice formations are "hills" – hollow ice hills in the shape of a cone, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. Scientists still cannot explain their origin.
The wind. Winds on Lake Baikal blow constantly, there are 30 types of them here, each of which has its own name. For example, Barguzin always brings sunny weather, and Kultuk always brings rains. There is almost no calm on the lake, and storms with wave heights up to 6 meters occur.
Endemics. About 50% of plants and animals living on Lake Baikal and in Lake Baikal are endemic. For example, freshwater sponges are found only here (let's recall the theory about the ocean).
Some of these endemics help maintain the purity and balance of the lake's water. Thus, the microscopic crustacean epicura consumes organic matter (algae) in the process of vital activity, passing water through its small body, and is food for many fish and invertebrates living in the lake. Small-scale worms also help purify the water, of which 84% also live only here.
The only mammal of Lake Baikal, the seal, is also endemic to these places. How the seals got into the lake is still a mystery, but they definitely got along well and I feel great.
More recently, water from Lake Baikal could be drunk without boiling. But recent tests have shown that it contains toxins and impurities that can be dangerous to health. The reasons are the waste products of settlements located along the shores, emissions from the Baikal Central Processing Plant and a large influx of tourists who do not always follow the rules of eco–friendly outdoor recreation (remember our article about the garbage store on Lake Baikal?). In order to preserve the unique lake, which is the national treasure of our country, since 2019 the state has been implementing the Federal project "Preservation of Lake Baikal". As part of the project, sewage treatment plants, engineering protection facilities are being built on the lake, and infrastructure for eco-tourism is being developed. It is also planned to release 753 million sturgeons and omuls into Lake Baikal over the 6 years of the project.
For our part, if we decide to visit this unique natural site, it is enough just to follow the rules of eco-friendly stay in nature. However, they must be observed, not only on Lake Baikal!
Age. Scientists determine the age of Lake Baikal at 25-35 million years, whereas the life expectancy of an ordinary lake is 10-15 thousand years, after which the lakes begin to swamp and overgrow with silt. Baikal, on the contrary, not only does not age, but also continues to grow! These shores are moving away from each other at a rate of 2 cm per year. Some scientists even hypothesize that we are witnessing the birth of a new ocean.
The depth and volume of the water. Baikal occupies only the eighth place in terms of the area of the water mirror among the lakes of the world, but at the same time it is the deepest and most full-flowing. Its maximum depth is 1642 m, and the average depth is 750 m. The volume of water in the lake is a record 23,615.39 cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world's fresh water supply.
Purity and transparency. The water in Lake Baikal is practically free of organic and inorganic suspensions. The stones on the bottom can be seen at a depth of up to 40 meters, and this is the height of a 12-storey building! Depending on the time of year, the water in the lake changes its color. In spring and summer, it is blue, and in autumn, during the algal flowering season, it turns bluish.
In winter, Baikal waters turn into ice of amazing beauty. There are about 50 species of it on Lake Baikal! Areas of ice with rounded inclusions – bubbles - look very impressive. They look like clusters of balloons or mushroom caps. But despite their beauty, it is better not to stay with them for a long time, as they are dangerous. They contain methane inside, and they can explode like real ice bombs.
Other interesting ice formations are "hills" – hollow ice hills in the shape of a cone, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. Scientists still cannot explain their origin.
The wind. Winds on Lake Baikal blow constantly, there are 30 types of them here, each of which has its own name. For example, Barguzin always brings sunny weather, and Kultuk always brings rains. There is almost no calm on the lake, and storms with wave heights up to 6 meters occur.
Endemics. About 50% of plants and animals living on Lake Baikal and in Lake Baikal are endemic. For example, freshwater sponges are found only here (let's recall the theory about the ocean).
Some of these endemics help maintain the purity and balance of the lake's water. Thus, the microscopic crustacean epicura consumes organic matter (algae) in the process of vital activity, passing water through its small body, and is food for many fish and invertebrates living in the lake. Small-scale worms also help purify the water, of which 84% also live only here.
The only mammal of Lake Baikal, the seal, is also endemic to these places. How the seals got into the lake is still a mystery, but they definitely got along well and I feel great.
More recently, water from Lake Baikal could be drunk without boiling. But recent tests have shown that it contains toxins and impurities that can be dangerous to health. The reasons are the waste products of settlements located along the shores, emissions from the Baikal Central Processing Plant and a large influx of tourists who do not always follow the rules of eco–friendly outdoor recreation (remember our article about the garbage store on Lake Baikal?). In order to preserve the unique lake, which is the national treasure of our country, since 2019 the state has been implementing the Federal project "Preservation of Lake Baikal". As part of the project, sewage treatment plants, engineering protection facilities are being built on the lake, and infrastructure for eco-tourism is being developed. It is also planned to release 753 million sturgeons and omuls into Lake Baikal over the 6 years of the project.
For our part, if we decide to visit this unique natural site, it is enough just to follow the rules of eco-friendly stay in nature. However, they must be observed, not only on Lake Baikal!
Read more
April 12, 2024
April 5, 2024