The shores of Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal

In the south of Eastern Siberia, where the Irkutsk region borders on Buryatia, there is one of the seven wonders of the world - the largest and deepest fresh water body in the world - Lake Baikal. The locals used to call it the sea, because the opposite shore is often out of sight. It is the largest reservoir of fresh water on the planet with an area of ​​​​more than 31 thousand km², which would completely fit the Netherlands and Belgium, and maximum depth Baikal is 1642 m.

Lake-record holder

The crescent-shaped reservoir has a record length of 620 km, and a width of different places fluctuates between 24-79 km. The lake lies in a basin of tectonic origin, so its relief bottom is very deep - 1176 m below the level of the World Ocean, and the water surface rises 456 m above it. The average depth is 745 m. The bottom is extremely picturesque - various banks, in other words, ancient shallows, terraces, caves, reefs and canyons, plumes, ridges and plains. It consists of great variety natural materials including limestone and marble.

Above is the depth of Lake Baikal, according to this indicator, it is in first place on the planet. The African Tanganyika (1470 m) ranks second, and the Caspian (1025 m) closes the top three. The depth of other reservoirs is less than 1000 m. Baikal is a reservoir of fresh water, it is 20% of the world's reserves and 90% of Russia's. The tonnage of its mass is greater than in the entire system of the five Great Lakes of the United States - Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario and Superior. But largest lake Europe is still considered not Baikal (it is in 7th place in the world ranking), but Ladoga, which occupies 17,100 km². Some people are trying to compare the famous fresh water bodies in Russia and are wondering which lake is deeper - Baikal or Ladoga, although there is nothing to think about, since the average depth of Ladoga is only 50 m.

An interesting fact: Baikal takes in 336 large and small rivers, and releases only one from its embrace - the beautiful Angara.

In winter, the lake freezes to a depth of about a meter, and many tourists come to admire an exceptional spectacle - a transparent ice “floor”, under which the blue and blue water pierced by the sun splashes. green water. The upper layers of ice are transformed into intricate shapes and blocks, carved by winds, currents and weather.

The famous Baikal water

Lake water was deified by the ancient tribes, they were treated with it and idolized. It is proved that Baikal water has unique properties- oxygenated and practically distilled, and due to the presence of various microorganisms, it is devoid of minerals. It is famous for its exceptional transparency, especially in spring, when stones lying at a depth of 40 meters are visible from the surface. But in the summer, during the "blooming" period, the transparency decreases to 10. The waters of Lake Baikal are changeable: they shimmer from deep blue to rich green, these are the smallest forms of life that develop and give the reservoir new shades.

Baikal depth indicators

In 1960, researchers measured the depth near Capes Izhemei and Khara-Khushun with a cable lot and documented the most deep place Lake Baikal - 1620 m. Two decades later, in 1983, the expedition of A. Sulimanov and L. Kolotilo corrected the indicators in this area using echo sounding measurements and recorded new data - the deepest point was at a depth of 1642 m. Another 20 years later, in In 2002, an international expedition under the auspices of a joint project between Russia, Spain and Belgium worked on the creation of a modern bathymetric map of Lake Baikal and confirmed the latest measurements using acoustic sounding of the bottom.

The unique reservoir has always attracted the increased attention of scientists and researchers, who equipped all new expeditions in order to clarify the previous measurements of the depth in different parts reservoir. So, in 2008-2010, the MIR expeditions organized about 200 dives throughout the entire water area of ​​this fresh sea. They were attended by prominent politicians and businessmen, journalists, athletes and hydronauts from Western and of Eastern Europe and Russia.

Where are the deepest places of Baikal

Since the bottom of the reservoir is dotted with faults, the depth of the lake in different parts of the water area differs:

• the deepest breaches lie near the western shores earth's crust;
• in the southern part, the record depth of the depression between the mouths of the rivers Pereemnaya and Mishikhi was recorded at 1432 m;
• in the north, the deepest place is located between capes Elokhin and Pokoiniki - 890 m;
• depressions in the Small Sea - up to 259 m, their location at the Big Olkhon Gates;
• The greatest depth of Baikal in the region of the Barguzinsky Bay reaches 1284 m, this point is located on the southern shores of the Svyatoy Nos peninsula.

Video: an interesting film about Lake Baikal

The unique ecosystem attracts scientists, researchers from different countries. Thousands of tourists go to the most deep lake in the world to enjoy the splendor of landscapes, landscapes that you will not find anywhere else. The boundless diversity of flora and fauna of the region, among which are mostly endemics (found only here), complements the wealth that nature has given to people.

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

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

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

Water exchange of Lake Baikal

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

Ecology of Lake Baikal

In the 20th century unique world The lake is faced with a problem that threatens the possibility of the continued existence of nature. In the early 60s of the XX century, the construction of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (PPM) began on the southern shore of the lake. In this regard, a discussion immediately unfolded. Scientific expeditions were sent to the Baikal region, the purpose of which was to find out how the negative environmental impact of the plant's activities affects the unique nature of the lake. Newspapers actively discussed the possibility of creating "clean" technologies for pulp and paper production. The problem was reflected even in art: in 1970, director S. A. Gerasimov shot the film “ At a lake", whose heroes are looking for a compromise between the need to create a plant and the desire to preserve Baikal. Despite harsh criticism, the pulp and paper mill was built and put into operation in 1966. Its effluents, as well as the effluents of the pulp and paper mill (PPM) on the Selenga River, contain toxic phenols, chlorides, sulfates and suspended matter in large quantities.

Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill

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

Lake Baikal is located on the territory of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. This is the deepest lake in the world, and it is also the largest natural reservoir of fresh water.

general description

The area of ​​Lake Baikal is 31722 square kilometers, the maximum depth is 1642 meters, the average is 744. The transparency of the water can reach 40 meters. The volume is 23.6 thousand cubic kilometers. Lake Baikal is 636 kilometers long, with a maximum width of 79.5 kilometers. The length of the coastline is two thousand kilometers.

The catchment area is 570 thousand square kilometers. The only river Angara flows out, the largest of the flowing rivers - Selenga, Barguzin, Upper Angara. The total number of tributaries is not exactly known, figures are given up to 1120 rivers and streams, but most of them are not permanent watercourses.

The water surface of Lake Baikal is located at an altitude of 456 above sea level, and the lowest point (in the place where the maximum depth) is 1187 meters below the world ocean level.

The history of the origin and development of the lake

The age of Lake Baikal is not exactly known, scientists speak of a gap of 25 to 35 million years. By the way, this makes Baikal unique in its own way, since the vast majority of lakes do not exist for such a long time. In 2009, it was suggested that the age of the lake is 150 thousand years, and the age of the coastline is modern form about 8 thousand years. This version has found indirect confirmation.

However, there is no exact information about the origin of the lake (as, for example, about the history of Lake Ladoga). In addition, the process of transformation of Baikal continues to this day - earthquakes occur here.

It is known that already two thousand years before our era, tribes lived on the lands near Lake Baikal, which were the ancestors of the Evenks. The first Russian who visited the lake was the Cossack Kurbat Ivanov, and Russian settlements on the banks began to appear at the end of the 17th century.

lake water

There is very little in the water of Lake Baikal minerals, a lot of oxygen and very little organic impurities. The exceptional purity of the water is possible due to the epishura crustacean, which consumes organic matter. It makes up about 90% of the biomass of the lake, and it is precisely because of its activity that the water in Baikal is very clean, and in some places its transparency reaches 40 meters.

The water is cold, the maximum temperature for the entire observation period is +23 degrees Celsius. In some places, even summer period the water temperature of the surface layers may not exceed +9 +10 degrees. In the deep layers, the temperature is around +4 degrees.

Due to the purity and transparency of the water, the ice in Lake Baikal is very transparent. The lake freezes in early January, opens from ice in early May. By the end of winter, the thickness of the ice usually reaches one meter, in some places it can reach up to 2 meters.

The ice of Lake Baikal is very beautiful, in addition, it has certain properties and regularly throws riddles at scientists. For example, only on this lake were discovered ice tents, which are cones of ice, the height of which can reach up to six meters. Their origin has not been fully explained so far.

It is also worth noting the “stave cracks”, which are formed in approximately the same places every year. They can be up to three meters wide and up to 30 kilometers long. The ice cracks with very loud noises, and thanks to them, the fish do not suffer from a lack of oxygen.

Climate

Of course, a reservoir with such a huge water mass and area cannot but have an impact on the climate, which is quite serious. So, in the vicinity of Lake Baikal, winter on average comes two weeks later than in other areas in the neighborhood. Winters are generally milder here, however, and summers are generally cooler.

The surroundings of the lake are rich in sunny days, here their total duration is even longer than in the Black Sea resorts. There are rarely more than 40 days without sun in a year.

Baikal winds have their own names. Here are some of the most famous ones:

• Barguzin - eastern and strong wind;
• Kultuk is the name of the southwest wind;
• Verkhovik - longitudinal wind, which usually blows in sunny weather, has a northeasterly direction;
• Sarma - this wind is the most powerful and blows in the middle part of the lake.

The average annual temperature in the lake area in last years is steadily rising. So, in 2014, an unusually warm summer was noted, then the average temperature exceeded the average value for long time by 2 degrees, a record temperature of +34 degrees Celsius was also recorded.

earthquakes

The region of Lake Baikal is called the Baikal Rift Zone, which is an area with high seismic activity. The vast majority of earthquakes are very weak, their strength does not exceed two points (that is, they are practically not felt). But there are also strong ones. One of the strongest occurred in 1862 and its strength was 10 points (on a 12 point scale). Then an area of ​​200 square kilometers went under water. Also, strong earthquakes (more than 5 points) were recorded in 1903, 1950, 1957, 1959, 2008, 2010.

Every year, seismologists record from 3 to 7-8 thousand earthquakes in the area of ​​Lake Baikal, their sources are usually located at a depth of 12 to 20 kilometers. Points occur for the most part in the central part of the lake and on the eastern shore.

According to the history of observations, fairly strong earthquakes in the area of ​​Lake Baikal occur every 2 years (strength 6-7 points), every 10 years there are shocks with a force of 8 points, every 75 years with a force of 9 points. Earthquakes of magnitude 10 or more occur on average once every 175 years. The last such was in 1905, it was called the Bolnai earthquake. Then the strength of the magnitude was estimated at 8.3 points, and the intensity of tremors at the epicenter at 11 points.

Flora and fauna

2600 species and subspecies of aquatic animals live in Lake Baikal. In addition, about half are found only here, that is, they are endemic. The abundance of living organisms can be explained by the high oxygen content in the water. Of the most valuable fish, it is worth noting grayling, whitefish, Baikal sturgeon and perch, taimen, and pike.

In the area of ​​Lake Baikal there are 236 species of birds, 29 of which are waterfowl. Of the animals, the most common are bears, foxes, wolverines, wolves, sables, ermines, wild boars and others. Generally, animal world Baikal is very diverse.

The flora is also very diverse. The forests are mainly coniferous - spruce, cedar, pine, larch and alder, but other species are also found. In general, it is simply impossible to briefly describe the flora and fauna of Lake Baikal, read other articles on our website.

• Animals of Lake Baikal;
• Fishes of Lake Baikal.

Ecology

Since Lake Baikal is a unique natural object, there is even a separate the federal law"On the protection of Lake Baikal", which was adopted in 1999. However, anthropogenic impact has a significant Negative influence on the ecology of the lake. In particular, it is worth noting the pulp and paper mill, which is one of the most famous sources of pollution, but not the main one.

The main factor that negatively affects the ecology of Lake Baikal is the Selenga River. It is the largest tributary, and its flow exceeds the flow of all other rivers and streams combined. In its course, the Selenga River is polluted in the territory of Buryatia, the Trans-Baikal Territory (through tributaries), and Mongolia.

Unfortunately, poaching is also a very significant problem. The main objects of poaching are the Baikal seal and the omul. In total, poachers catch about half of all the fish that are caught in Lake Baikal.

In general, Lake Baikal has certain ecological problems, however, on this moment they can be recognized as not too significant (considering the volumes of the lake). However, it is extremely important to prevent an increase in pollution of the lake; this unique natural object needs protection.

Tourism

Lake Baikal is a popular tourist destination. Tourists come here not only from Russia, but also from other countries of the world. As a rule, they get through Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk or Ulan-Ude. The most popular place on the lake itself is the village of Listvyanka, from where a large number of excursions and cruises on the lake.

The places visited on Lake Baikal include Barguzinsky Bay, Chivyrkuisky Bay, Posolsky Bor Bay and others. There is a developed tourist infrastructure on the shores of the lake - many tourist bases, a large number various options excursions and cruises.

In the vicinity of the lake there are also many interesting places and natural attractions, the most famous include:

• Cape Ludar;
• Circum-Baikal Railway;
• Chersky Peak;
• Sandy Bay;
• Ushkany Islands;
• Rock Shaman-stone.

Video about Lake Baikal

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

Description of the reservoir

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

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

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

Briefly about depth

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

• Russia;
• Belgium;
• Spain.

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

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

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

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

Origin theories

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

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

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

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

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

Detailed description of the process

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

The maximum depth of the rift was calculated: the deepest part of the lake (1637 m) + debris rocks, dead animals and plant organisms (about 8 km) = 9637 meters.

How did the fracture itself form?

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

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

The lake continues to form

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ice influence

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

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

• Sponges.
• Flatworms.
• amphipods.

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

Age

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

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

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

Water properties

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

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

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

Bottom Features

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

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

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

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

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

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

The continent of Asia boasts the most landscape and deep lake called Baikal.

The depth of the lake at its lowest point is 1642 meters, and the average is 730 meters. The area of ​​the lake is 31722 sq. m. The lake is considered the cleanest, because the transparency is 40 meters.

Such a beautiful and clean Lake Baikal takes its place with honor in the list of 7 wonders of Russia.

Scientists still dispute the exact origin of the lake. The approximate age of Lake Baikal is from 25 to 35 million years, and this is surprising.

The average life expectancy of lakes is 10-15 thousand years, after which the lakes either dry up or turn into swamps.

Scientists have noticed that Baikal continues to develop and does not begin to dry up.

There are a lot of legends about the origin of the lake, as well as the names. Lake Baikal has the shape of a crescent. There are 27 islands on the area of ​​the lake, of which 5 are flooded. The largest island is called the Holy Nose.

Many rivers flow into Lake Baikal, which periodically dry up, but there are 336 rivers that constantly support the filling of the lake. Angara is the only river that flows into the lake.

Because of severe frosts in winter period lake Baikal freezes. The thickness of the ice on the lake is on average 1 meter, but can reach up to 2 meters.

Baikal has a rather rich underwater world. There are 1085 species in the lake different plants and about 1550 species of different fish.

There is a unique fish in the lake - Baikal omul. Omul meat has a very pleasant taste, it is served in any form: fried, smoked, dried.

There is also a grayling fish that lives only in Lake Baikal. There are white and black grayling. The white one lives only in Baikal, while the black one also lives near the rivers flowing into the lake.

The water in the lake contains almost no mineral salts, it can be considered distilled. Enough long time They drank water from the lake in order to heal and prevent diseases. But drinking water can be collected only in some places that experienced guides know.

Baikal is a very beautiful lake that everyone should see.

Option 2

Someday everyone heard that Baikal is a very large lake, but now, those who have not seen it think that these are just words. And now let's analyze that the distance between the Northern capital and just the Capital of our country is directly 635 kilometers.

The length of the lake is 620 kilometers, it turns out that if you place the lake between Moscow and St. Petersburg, 90% of the way can be sailed. Another example, the distance from the center of Moscow to the Moscow Ring Road is about 20 km, while the width of the “rich water”, as it was called in the past, is 80 km.

Is Baikal a promising ocean?

Most often, ice age lakes exist only for 15 thousand years, and after that they begin to fade and completely disappear. But Baikal is not one of those, it is not going to disappear, but on the contrary, scientists suggest that Baikal will soon become an ocean. This is also associated with earthquakes in Baikal, usually these are shocks no higher than 2 points, but stronger ones have also been recorded, for example, the last shake of 6 points in 2010. There is only one reason for these two phenomena - this is the expansion of the lake, due to the appearance of a crack between the Amur and Siberian platforms, which diverges at a rate of 3-4 mm per year. But the moment when Baikal becomes “a little bigger” will happen only after a few million years.

"Population" of the lake

There are a lot of animals and plants on and in the lake, and some of them live only here. Why? Yes, just because here amazing water it contains only 0.1 g/l of salt and 14 mg/l of oxygen. This feature makes it possible for 2600 species of aquatic inhabitants to live. The variety of fish can neither attract fishermen. The water area is inhabited by at least 58 species of fish, for example, omul, grayling, whitefish, taimen, Baikal sturgeon, lenok, golomyanka (a unique fish consisting of 30% fat). There are more than 2,000 species of plants and nesting birds. Only the Baikal seal lives here, as well as the dwarf deer - musk deer.

Landmark of Baikal

In addition to the fact that Baikal itself is a huge attraction, it is fraught with even more beauty than it seems at first glance. Ukovsky waterfall is a wonderful place and if you have the opportunity to visit Baikal, you should definitely look there.

Uk is a tributary of the Uda River, at the mouth of which there is a pearl - a waterfall, which is a wonderful monument of nature, where tourists and foreign tourists from all over the world seek.

Passing to Uda, the river Uk cleared a basalt gorge, the walls of which are higher than 40 meters, the height of this natural monument is 20 meters, and the width is 10 meters. But both the waterfall and the power of the water, which carved an extraordinarily beautiful gorge in the rock, are interesting.

About tourism

Most nice time for a trip to Baikal begins in mid-summer and ends on the 20th of August. The rest of the time, the water either has not warmed up yet, or cold winds have already arrived. If there is a desire to feel the beautiful and fabulous Russian winter, then it is better to come to Baikal at the end of winter - early spring, when the lake is in captivity of the strongest (1.5 m thick) and most transparent ice. The main thing for a holiday without trouble is to clearly plan all travel. And carry a first aid kit with you.

Baikal - report 3

Russia is rich not only in useful and precious minerals, but also in picturesque and mysterious places. One of such majestic places is Lake Baikal.

It is not only the largest and deepest, but also the oldest. His age could not be accurately determined, but it does not matter, the main thing is that it is on the territory of our country. There are many legends about him. This is the largest reservoir of not just water, but fresh water. The lake has the shape of a crescent and is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges overgrown with dense forests. In some places, the human foot has not yet had time to set foot. And it's great! There are still places untouched by civilization, where animals, birds and insects live carefree.

The climate of Lake Baikal is unique. A strong wind constantly blows here, which has its own names. It blows along the coast, where it is simply impossible to hide from them. Baikal water affects temperature regime, winters are quite mild, and summers are cool, despite the fact that the temperature can be plus 35 degrees. Swimming is cool too. AT winter time the waters of Baikal are covered with wonderful clear ice. The lake freezes in January and only in early May is freed from ice captivity.

Clouds over the lake appear very rarely due to evaporation cold water. Accordingly, there is practically no rain and cloudy, but it is always sunny. There are few gloomy days, only about 40 for the whole year.

Cities are located away from the coast. Only in the village of Listvyanka, which is the closest of all settlements, you can stop. The tourist infrastructure is well developed here. It is in the village that the famous nerpinary is located, not far from the very source of the Angara is the Shaman-stone, here, according to legend, shamanic rites took place. Only one river, the beautiful Angara, flows out of the lake, into which many small and large rivers flow. The largest river that flows into it is the Selenga.

In the vicinity of the great and mighty lake there is a zone subject to constant earthquakes. There are a lot of invisible ones, sometimes their number reaches 8 thousand a year. Strong ones happen every 2 years and destructive power once every 10 years.

There is a separate law on the protection of the nature of the mysterious Lake Baikal.

Those who love travel and tourism come to Baikal. The most popular places are the bays Barguzinsky, Chivyrkuysky, Polsky Bor. There are many other interesting places on the lake that you can visit.

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