Lake Baikal is one of the most amazing natural attractions in Russia. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, its area is almost 32 km 2, and the deepest point is 1642 m. The length of the lake coastline is 2 km. It is so large and deep that many call it the Baikal Sea for its parameters. This freshwater lake has a huge diversity of flora and fauna, and most of the representatives are endemic. that is, they are found exclusively in the vicinity of Lake Baikal.
In addition to its unique size and deep water, Baikal, together with its basin, is an amazingly beautiful place with mesmerizing blue waters. It is not surprising that a huge number of tourists come here every year, because the topography of the lake and its waters are very beautiful at any time of the year.
Baikal is located in the territory Russian Federation within Irkutsk in the heart of Asia. The lake originates in the southwest and stretches to the southeast for 600 km, forming a crescent. At its narrowest places, the width of Lake Baikal is 24 km, and its widest part is 79 km. In terms of area, Baikal is the 7th largest lake in the world. Geographically, Baikal is located in a basin surrounded by reliefs of mountain ranges and rocky cliffs. The depth of its waters at certain points reaches almost 1.7 km. In terms of depth, Baikal ranks first and is the deepest lake on the planet. Its average depth is 744 m. Lake Baikal is freshwater and its volume is approximately 123 thousand m 3, which is 19% of the world's freshwater reserves. Baikal is connected to many rivers and streams and its basin forms 500 springs.
The water in the lake is extremely clean, simply transparent. This is due to the composition of the water: minimal content of minerals, absence of salts and organic substances. Due to the great depth of the lake, the water in it is cold and even in summer its temperature does not exceed +20 °C. The permeability of water is low, so at depth the temperature is +3 °C. The transparency of Lake Baikal is amazing, so even at a depth of several tens of meters the bottom is clearly visible. In the deeper layers, the water becomes green, so from a distance the lake appears emerald.
The relief of Lake Baikal is very ambiguous. There are three deep depressions, forming basins. The area of Baikal covers 27 islands, many of which are quite long. The geography of Baikal is amazing and original. The lake has a billion-year history of formation, as evidenced by its localization: the place where the most high mountains in the world, 7 thousand km high.
The climate of Baikal is formed on the basis of its localization. Big square water leads to evaporation, which is why Baikal has high humidity. Since the lake is surrounded by mountain ranges, the winds here are formed directly on the lake. Baikal winds are quite strong and cold, so Maximum temperature on the lake in summer does not exceed +28 °C. High humidity winter weather is also affected, so it is milder here and lasts quite a long time.
Special climatic conditions affected the vegetation of the lake. Coastal areas are characterized by an increased number of sunny days. Usually autumn begins in August and a significant cooling is felt until +20 °C, but in Lately temperatures in summer rise by 0.5-1 °C, which affects the duration of sunny and warm days. The climate of the lake has little effect on the changing seasons, so the delay in seasonal changes is usually 15-20 days.
Lake Baikal is a unique ecological zone, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fauna and flora of the lake are amazing and presented various types animals and plants found exclusively in the Baikal region. Found in the waters of Lake Baikal increased content oxygen, which affected the ecosystem of the area. The lake itself is home to more than 2.6 thousand species of animals, 50% of which are endemic, that is, found only on Lake Baikal.
One of the most amazing representatives of the fauna living in the waters of the lake is the Baikal epishura - crustacean plankton, thanks to which the water in the lake is so clean.
This epishura feeds on algae, which cleans the lake of pollution, and makes up 80% of all plankton representatives. food chain The lake is so huge that Baikal can be called a self-cleaning lake. In addition to various plankton and invertebrates, the waters of Baikal are inhabited by a large number of fish species that are often targeted by poachers. The flora of Baikal is also diverse and amazing. More than a hundred species of algae are found here.
The coastal area, thanks to access to freshwater, is lush and very rich. More than 2 thousand plants grow around the lake, of which rare tree species are of particular importance: Siberian cedar, Dahurian rhododendron and the so-called “walking” trees. Bears, moose, Barguzin sables, deer, lynxes, etc. live on the shores of Lake Baikal. The Baikal ecosystem is unique and diverse, therefore the territory of the lake and its coastal mountain ranges belong to the environmental protection and protected zone.
It is impossible to say exactly in which city Lake Baikal is located, since its waters wash a large number of cities, towns and villages. Geographically, Lake Baikal is located in the east of Siberia, between Irkutsk and Buryatia.
There are 85 settlements along the shoreline of the lake. They border on the waters of Lake Baikal:
The largest cities located near the lake are Irkutsk and Severobaikalsk. On the other side of the coast is Ulan-Ude. Where Lake Baikal is located on a map of Russia can be viewed on any physical or online map. The lake stands out very much due to its impressive parameters. Thus, it is visible even from space.
The best option for how to get to Lake Baikal is to first get to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude, and then to one of the nearby settlements. You can get to the cities by plane, train or car. Most quick way– air travel. There are direct flights from Moscow to Irkutsk, Severobaikalsk and Ulan-Ude. You can fly to Irkutsk from Kazan, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok by direct flights. From other cities you can travel by plane to regional centers with transfers. You can fly to Ulan-Ude from Yakutsk and Khabarovsk, as well as by direct flight from Moscow. The number of flights is constantly being added, so you can find out more about possible air routes and flights on the airlines’ website. Average flight time is 5.5-6 hours. Ticket price starts from 12 thousand rubles one way.
Baikal is beautiful at any time of the year. Tourism on Lake Baikal is well developed. Available activities include fishing, diving, boating. To relax on the lake in the summer, it is better to go in July, when the air temperature is at its highest and the water in the lake has time to warm up. In spring you can come to Baikal to see how nature blossoms, everything around comes to life and appreciate the riot of colors.
In winter, you can come to see frozen Baikal, which in February is completely covered with ice, only certain areas remain unfrozen. In autumn it is worth coming to Baikal to look at the variety of colors surrounding the lake. Seasonal holidays on Lake Baikal last from May to September. At this time, boat excursions are launched on the lake and you can visit the islands of Baikal.
Lake Baikal itself is the greatest and most beautiful natural attraction of Russia. You need to go to Baikal for Baikal. Everything is great here. Emerald water, beautiful nature, wonderful landscapes - all this makes Lake Baikal a popular tourist destination. But tourists are interested in numerous attractions that are worth seeing while relaxing on Lake Baikal:
You should definitely visit the village of Listvyanka, where there is a nerpinarium where three species of seal live. Listvyanka also houses museums, an observatory, and various natural attractions (caves, rocks, capes). There are many attractions on the lake, and each one deserves the attention of tourists. You should definitely visit the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula and Olkhon Island.
Lake Baikal is a valuable landmark of Russia, a beautiful vacation spot and an important natural reserve. The lake itself is beautiful place and a popular recreation area among tourists.
Address: Russia, Republic of Buryatia, Irkutsk region
Square: 31,722 km²
Greatest depth: 1642 m
Transparency: 40 m
Coordinates: 53°43"36.9"N 108°27"32.4"E
The purest and, without a doubt, the most beautiful Lake Baikal, rightfully took its place in the list of 7 wonders of Russia, according to a vote held in 2008.
The lake, fascinating with its pristine nature and mystery, is located almost in the very center of Asia on the border of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. The water surface, which shimmers with a mystical light, stretches for 620 (!) kilometers from northeast to southwest.
If you look at photographs of Lake Baikal taken from space, you will notice that it has the shape of a crescent. The width of the lake in its various places ranges from 24 to 79 kilometers. Such dimensions allow local residents and many tourists to call Baikal not a lake, but a sea.
No matter how much one would like to call this majestic reservoir of fresh water a sea, it is still a lake that is surrounded on almost all sides by the most picturesque mountains and hills of extinct volcanoes. By the way, the supply of fresh water in Lake Baikal is 90% of the entire supply of drinking water in Russia and almost 20% of the entire supply of the purest and, according to the results of many scientific experiments, healing water in the world. Speaking about Lake Baikal, one cannot help but say that it is considered the deepest in the world: the mirror of the lake is located 453 meters above the level of the World Ocean, and its bottom is almost 1170 meters lower. True, many researchers are skeptical that Baikal is the deepest lake on our planet. When calculating the depth of lakes, many scientists forget about those fresh water reservoirs that are located under eternal ice Antarctica, one of which is called Vostok. True, it is hidden by an almost 4-kilometer layer of ice, and the calculation of the depth of lakes and oceans under glacial conditions should be carried out using completely different parameters.
Alas, modern science cannot yet accurately answer the question of how old Baikal is, as well as other questions that this amazing lake constantly poses to scientists. At the moment, it is generally accepted that Baikal, whose area is almost 32,000 square kilometers, originated no less than 25 million years ago. There are more daring assumptions; some scientists believe that the age of the lake exceeds 35 million years. This is a long period of time, even by the standards of the existence of our planet. True, it is precisely these figures that pose a new problem: how has the lake remained practically in its original form for so many years? The thing is that any lake does not “live” for more than 15, maximum 20,000 years. Its bottom is covered with silt and over time it turns into an ordinary swamp. This is not observed in Lake Baikal. Perhaps it is worth paying special attention to the point of view of the authoritative scientist Tatarinov, who in 2009 put forward the idea that Baikal has existed “for now” for “only” 8,000 years.
Which theory is considered reliable, everyone decides for himself: the conclusions of most experts say that the whole point is in the unique ecosystem of the lake in its inflows and the only outflow, as well as in constant earthquakes, as a result of which a vacuum arises at the depths, filled with “fresh » groundwater.
Due to its purity, Lake Baikal and its surroundings are a favorite habitat for a huge number of species of birds and mammals. Many of the animals, birds and fish are endemic, meaning that they live only in this ecosystem and are not found anywhere else in the world. The golomyanka fish, which belongs to the viviparous family, attracts particular attention from ichthyologists. And this fish is another mystery of Lake Baikal. Firstly, the entire body of this fish consists of more than 30% fat, and secondly, this fish lives at very great depths and goes to shallow water to feed. This is not at all typical for deep-sea fish, because sudden changes in pressure in almost all species lead to death. Another representative of the ichthyofauna is the smallest crustacean, called epishura. This is also endemic to the lake. Without it, life in Baikal would probably have perished, because it is the main food for many fish and it is he, who reproduces in incredible quantities, that filters the water of Baikal, clearing it of organic matter. Maybe it is in this crustacean that the secret of such a long “life” of the lake lies...
Even elementary school students know about the purity of Lake Baikal water. Teachers talking about the nature of our planet often emphasize that you can drink water from Lake Baikal without even boiling it. By the way, the opinion is quite controversial. Naturally, there are many places where the water in the lake not only does not pose a threat to human health, but is also considered healing. The tourism infrastructure, which is constantly developing and thousands of tourists wanting to see the great Baikal, like many other lakes around the world, is becoming larger and larger. Only an experienced guide who lives near the lake can indicate in what place it is completely safe to drink from Baikal. Surprisingly, despite the presence of rock deposits and tributaries at the bottom, which includes the Selenga River, which is constantly polluted in Mongolia, the water in Baikal contains practically no dissolved salts and minerals. Simply put, it is almost identical to distilled water that undergoes multi-level purification in special laboratories.
The lake is so transparent that, according to some researchers, in some parts of the lake you can see the bottom in great detail from a boat at a depth of 40 meters.
Such transparency of water can be observed after the ice melts: usually in early spring the water of Lake Baikal becomes bright of blue color. In summer and autumn, when the water warms up, microplankton and algae begin to develop in small quantities: naturally, at this moment it is already quite difficult to distinguish underwater rocks at a depth of 40 meters, but the transparency is amazing even at these times of the year. True, its color changes: it does not turn into a cloudy green, on the contrary, it becomes soft turquoise.
Immersing yourself in the gentle and clean waters of Lake Baikal... is a dream! True, the dream is only for those who know very little about this lake. The thing is that the water here does not warm up above +9 degrees Celsius even in summer. Only in small and shallow bays can one expect that the water will warm up to +16 under the sun. Therefore, you can swim in Baikal and see the underwater world through the crystal clear water only in a wetsuit. In winter, the water surface is almost completely covered with thick ice, so thick that in the 19th century sleepers were installed on the ice and steam locomotives were transported across Baikal using horses. The ice on the lake is an amazing sight: during severe frosts, cracks run through it, sometimes 30 (!) kilometers long and 3 meters wide.
During the formation of such a crack, a powerful sound is heard throughout the entire vicinity of Lake Baikal, which can only be compared to a howitzer shot or a clap of thunder from lightning striking the ground several meters from a person. This phenomenon was provided for by nature itself; thanks to the formation of such cracks, the water is constantly saturated with oxygen and the flora and fauna of Baikal does not die in severe frosts.
As with the age of Lake Baikal, there has been confusion in scientific circles with its name. In any case, some historians agree that the name “Baikal” comes from one of the Asian languages: Mongolian, Yakut, or Turkic. However, there are also versions that the lake was first seen and named... by the Chinese. The Chinese word that sounds like “Bei-Hai” literally translates to “North Sea”. This opinion also deserves attention: after all, isn’t the majestic lake similar to the North Sea? Most experts trying to solve the mystery of the origin of the name of the deepest lake in the world believe that it came from the Buryat language.
The Buryats called the endless expanse of water “Baigal,” but members of the Russian expedition who took part in a trip to the lake back in the 17th century had difficulty coping with the letter “g” and, without thinking twice, replaced it with “k.” This is how the name of Lake Baikal came about. Although, as mentioned above, none of the listed versions are recognized scientific world reliable and proven.
No matter how many legends and myths are associated with this lake, no matter how many scientific disputes there are about its name and origin, all this instantly loses its meaning when you find yourself in front of the amazing mirror of Baikal. It is sometimes calm, and sometimes it rises up in waves. The surrounding nature is beyond description; here on a calm day, despite the singing of birds and the barely audible blow of the wind, one comes to realize what real silence, peace and tranquility are. It seems that Baikal communicates on a subconscious level with everyone who comes to see this majestic lake. It is not without reason that many travelers who have explored Lake Baikal are looking forward to the moment when they can return to this amazing world, which is more than 25 million years old.
On South Eastern Siberia, where the Irkutsk region borders Buryatia, lies one of the seven wonders of the world - the largest and deepest freshwater body of water in the world - Lake Baikal. Local residents are used to calling it the sea, because opposite bank often out of sight. This is the largest fresh water reservoir on the planet with an area of more than 31 thousand km², which would completely fit the Netherlands and Belgium, and the maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 m.
The crescent-shaped reservoir has a record length of 620 km, and a width of different places varies 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 a wide variety natural materials, including limestone and marble.
The depth of Lake Baikal is indicated above; 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 the remaining reservoirs is less than 1000 m. Baikal is a reservoir of fresh water, this is 20% of the world's reserves and 90% of Russia's. Its tonnage is greater than that of the entire system of the five Great Lakes of the United States - Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario and Superior. But largest lake In Europe, after all, it is not Baikal (it is in 7th place in the world ranking), but Ladoga, which occupies 17,100 km². Some people try to compare the famous fresh water bodies in Russia and are interested in which lake is deeper - Baikal or Ladoga, although there is nothing to think about, since the average depth of Ladoga is only 50 m.
Interesting fact: Baikal receives 336 large and small rivers, but releases only one - the beautiful Angara.
In winter, the lake freezes to a depth of about a meter, and many tourists come to admire the exceptional spectacle - a transparent ice “floor”, under which blue and green water pierced by the sun splashes. The upper layers of ice are transformed into intricate figures and blocks, carved by winds, currents and weather.
Lake water was deified by ancient tribes, they were treated with it and idolized it. It has been proven that Baikal water has unique properties - it is saturated with oxygen 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, transparency decreases to 10. The waters of Lake Baikal are changeable: they shimmer from deep blue to rich green; these are the smallest life forms that develop and give the reservoir new shades.
In 1960, researchers measured the depth near capes Izhemey and Khara-Khushun with a cable line and documented the deepest place of 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 2002, an international expedition under the auspices of a joint project of Russia, Spain and Belgium worked to create a modern bathymetric map of Baikal and confirmed the latest measurements using acoustic sounding of the bottom .
The unique reservoir has always attracted increased attention from scientists and researchers, who have organized new expeditions in order to clarify previous depth measurements in different parts reservoir Thus, in 2008-2010, expeditions of the GOA “Mir” organized about 200 dives throughout the entire water area of this fresh sea. Prominent politicians and businessmen, journalists, athletes and hydronauts from Western and Eastern Europe and Russia took part in them.
Since the bottom of the reservoir is dotted with faults, the depth of the lake in different parts of the water area differs:
The unique ecosystem attracts scientists, researchers from different countries. Thousands of tourists travel to the deepest lake in the world to enjoy the splendor of the landscapes, landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else. The limitless variety of flora and fauna of the region, among which are mainly endemic (found only here), complements the wealth given to people by nature.
The largest natural freshwater reservoir is located in Russia, in Eastern Siberia. Its shores and waters belong to the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia.
The most convenient way to get to Lake Baikal is from Irkutsk - there are many types of transport and only 70 km to the lake. Ulan-Ude is located much further away, and there are much fewer communication options.
The climatic zone in which Baikal is located is a temperate zone, however, due to its amazing and unique shape, bottom topography and coastline, the deepest lake on the planet is divided into three separate parts - Southern, Middle and Northern. Moreover, each of these zones has its own natural and climatic features, each is characterized by unique flora and.
The beauty of Baikal, the special energy of this place, the unique flora and fauna, as well as the opportunity to engage in diving, hunting, fishing, photography, etc., attract millions of tourists from all over the world.
The length of Baikal from north to south is almost 600 km, and the maximum depth of the reservoir is 1620 m. This is the deepest lake on planet Earth.
There are two main ways to get to the lake: by plane or by rail. By air you can fly from almost any major airport in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Vladivostok, etc.) and arrive on a direct flight or with a transfer to Irkutsk or Ulan-Ude.
It’s similar with railway transport: from almost any corner of Russia, regardless of the significance and size of a city or town, you can directly or by way of transport to the administrative centers of the Irkutsk region or the Republic of Buryatia.
It is noteworthy that in Africa there is a “twin brother” of Lake Baikal - Lake Tanganyika. It is also distinguished by its unique ecosystem; it has a similar shape to its Siberian counterpart, only its semicircle is turned in the opposite direction.
The distance from Moscow to Irkutsk by rail is almost 5,200 km. A high-speed train overcomes it in 3.5-4 days.
Both Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk are located several tens of kilometers from Lake Baikal, and from these cities you can get to the lake by taxi, electric trains and trains, minibus or bus. In the summer, yachts and motor ships go to the lake from Irkutsk, from the Raketa pier.
Lake Baikal and its drainage basin belong to the unique geosystems of the world. Baikal is located in the central part of Eastern Siberia, not far from the conventional geographical center of Asia. The mountain basin of the lake represents the most important natural boundary of Siberia. In this area, the boundaries of various floristic and faunal habitats converge, creating biogeocenoses that have no analogues.
Baikal is one of the greatest lakes on the planet, lake " superlatives": the deepest (1637 m) and the oldest (about 25 million years), containing the largest number of endemics (more than 1000 species) and representatives of flora and fauna (more than 2600 species) living in fresh water bodies of the Earth. The lake has a unique volume (23.6 thousand cubic km) and quality of fresh water reserves (20% of the world). The Baikal depression is the central link of the Baikal rift zone, which arose and is developing simultaneously with the global rift system. A number of factors suggest that the lake is an incipient ocean The climate of the Baikal coasts is unusually mild for Siberia - the number of sunny days here is higher than in many Black Sea resorts.336 rivers flow into Baikal (Selenga, Barguzin, Verkh. Angara, etc.), and only one flows out - the Angara.
The entire lake basin ( total area catchment area of 557 thousand sq. km, of which 332 are in Russia) is a unique and very fragile natural geosystem, the basis of which is the system of the lake itself with its natural formation process purest waters drinking quality.
Baikal is one of the greatest lakes globe, the largest freshwater lake in Russia. Its length is 636 kilometers, water surface area- 31,500 square kilometers. Baikal is 1.7 times larger than Lake Ladoga, the largest in Europe. Among the freshwater lakes of the world, it ranks sixth. There are two larger African lakes - Victoria and Tanganyika - and three of the five Great American Lakes - Superior, Huron and Michigan.
Baikal is not only one of the largest lakes, but also the deepest lake on the planet. As already mentioned, its greatest depth is 1637 meters.
The maximum depth of Tanganyika is 1435 meters, Issyk-Kul - 702. On Earth, only 8 lakes have a depth exceeding 500 meters (L. Rossolimo).
Tanganyika is a fresh body of water, but its water contains a high content of magnesium salts. The entire thickness of fresh water deeper than 800 meters can only be studied in Baikal.
Average depth The lake is also very large - 730 meters. It exceeds the maximum depths of many very deep lakes. This is what determines the water reserves in Lake Baikal.
Baikal is the largest freshwater lake on Earth in terms of water resources. His volume- 23,600 cubic meters kilometers, which is about 20% of the planet’s fresh lake waters - much more than in all the fresh lakes in the world. The volume of the latter is estimated at 123 thousand cubic kilometers of water. Baikal has more water than all five Great American Lakes combined. The Baikal volume of water is almost twice as much as in Lake Tanganyika, 90 times more than in the Sea of Azov, 23 times more than in Lake Ladoga. Based on the current need of people for water, equal to 500 liters per person per day, Baikal water can provide the entire population of the Earth for approximately 40 years (G.N. Galaziy, 1984).
The most remarkable feature of Baikal is its antiquity. Considering the deep relict endemism of the lake fauna, most researchers define it age in 20-30 million years. The vast majority of lakes, especially those of glacial and oxbow origin, live for 10-15 thousand years, then fill with sediment, become covered with rafts and sooner or later turn into swamps and then dry up. Research recent years allowed geophysicists to hypothesize that Baikal, on the contrary, is nascent ocean. This is confirmed by the fact that its shores diverge at a speed of up to 2 cm per year, just as the continents of Africa and South America, the shores of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, etc. Along with active movements of the earth's crust, significant magnetic anomalies along its axis were noted in the Baikal region. These anomalies are comparable in scale to similar anomalies in the Mid-Atlantic Rift region. The lake has many features inherent in the ocean - abyssal depths, a huge mass of water, internal waves and seiches, tides, strong storms, high waves, expansion of the basin due to the moving apart of the banks, large values of magnetic anomalies, etc.
The lake lies in the Baikal depression- a bottomless stone bowl, surrounded on all sides by mountains. The depression is framed by the mid-altitude mountain ranges Primorsky and Baikalsky - on the western side, Barguzinsky (on the maximum height 2840 m.) and Khamar-Daban - from the east and southeast. The depth of the depression is determined by the height of the mountains above it, the depth of the lake and the thickness of the loose sediment lining its bottom. The layer of these lake sediments in some places reaches 6,000 meters, and their volume is twice the volume of the lake and reaches 46,000 cubic kilometers. It is not difficult to calculate that the depth of the crystalline bed of Baikal reaches 8 - 9 kilometers.
The deepest point of Baikal's bedrock lies approximately 7,000 meters below ocean level. The Baikal depression is the deepest basin on earth's land. Its "roots" cut through the entire earth's crust and go into the upper mantle to a depth of 50-60 kilometers.
Every year, Baikal produces about 60 cubic kilometers of excellent and unique quality water, which in some cases can be used instead of distilled water. The rare purity of the water is ensured by the vital activity of its unique flora and fauna. The main properties of Baikal water are characterized as follows: it contains very few dissolved and suspended minerals, negligible organic impurities, and a lot of oxygen. General mineralization water in Baikal is 120 milligrams per liter, while in many other lakes it reaches 400 or more milligrams per liter. The total content of ions in the lake water is 96.7 milligrams per liter.
It depends on the purity of the water transparency. Baikal is not only extremely clean, but also the most transparent lake in the world. In the spring, after being freed from ice, the transparency of its water reaches 40 meters - tens of times more than in many other lakes. The standard of the highest transparency is the water of the Sargasso Sea, approaching the transparency of distilled water. Here the Secchi disk disappears from view at a record depth of 65 meters. Recent studies have shown that at depths of 250 - 1200 meters, the transparency of Baikal water is no less than in the Sargasso Sea.
In terms of the number of hours of sunshine, Baikal is richer than the neighboring territories of Siberia and even some western and southern regions of the country - in the north of the Baikal depression (Nizhneangarsk) 1948 hours per year, in the south of the lake (Babushkin) and in the middle part (Khuzhir) 2100 and 2277, and on the Riga seaside, located at the same latitude, an average of 1839 hours per year, in Abastumani in the Caucasus - 1994. Average annual air temperature along the depressions of the lake it is distributed as follows: in the southern basin -0.7 C, in the middle -1.6 C, in the northern -3.6 C.
Water temperature in the surface layer it varies from +14, +15 C (in August) to 0 C (in December-January). In coastal areas, during surges, the temperature can reach +16, +17 C, mainly under the eastern coast. In shallow bays and sora it rises in summer to +22, +23 C. On average, the freezing of Lake Baikal begins on December 21 and ends on January 16 - it takes about a month for complete freezing. From the beginning of the destruction of the ice cover in the southern basin, which occurs in April, to the complete cleansing of the entire reservoir in May-June, it also takes about a month or more. The most precipitation falls on the Khamar-Daban coast - about 800 mm/year or more, as well as in the mountains - from 1200 to 1400 mm; least of all - on the islands of Olkhon and Ushkany, on the Malomorsk coast of the lake and on the middle section of the western and eastern coasts. On average, precipitation falls here from 160 to 300 mm per year.
The exclusivity of many physical and geographical features of the lake was the reason extraordinary variety its flora and fauna. And in this regard, it has no equal among the fresh water bodies of the world. Almost half of all species of freshwater mollusks live in Baikal, as well as more than half of all species of oligochaetes, shell crustaceans, etc. Of more than 2630 species and varieties (1550) animals and plants(1085) found so far in the lake, almost 2/3 are endemic, originated in it and are not found anywhere else in the world. Of the algae, the most numerous are diatoms - 509 species, tetrasporous and chlorococcal - 99, blue-green - 90, conjugates - 48, ulotrix - 45, golden - 28, volvox - 13 species, etc. Among the animals, the most common are amphipods (gammarids) - 255 species; shell crustaceans, or ostracods, - more than 100 species, gastropods - 83, oligochaetes - more than 100, planarians - about 50, harpacticids - 56, protozoans - more than 300. The lake is home to 52 species of fish belonging to 12 families: sturgeon, Acipenseridae, (1 species - Baikal sturgeon); salmonids, Salmonidae, (5 species - davatchan, taimen, lenok, Baikal omul, Coregonus autumnalis migratorius Georgy, whitefish); grayling, Thimallidae, (1 species - Siberian grayling); pike, Esocidae, (1 species); Cyprinidae, Ciprinidae, (13 species); loaches, Cobitidae, (2 species); catfish, Sibiridae, (1 species); codfish, Gadidae, (1 species); perciformes, Percidae, (1 species); sculpin gobies, Cottidae, (7 species); Abissocottidae, (20 species); golomyanka, Comephoridae, (2 species). 29 species - very diverse in body shape, color and lifestyle of sculpin gobies, or broadheads. Two species - viviparous fish, large and small golomyanka - are known to ichthyologists around the world.
The food pyramid of the lake ecosystem is crowned by a typical marine mammal - the seal, or Baikal seal, Pusa sibirica Gmel.
There are 848 species in Baikal endemic animals- about 60% and 133 species of endemic plants - 15%. 11 families and subfamilies, 96 genera, uniting about 1000 species are completely endemic in Baikal. All this allows us to allocate the lake to the Baikal subregion of the Holarctic, equivalent in area to the enormous European-Siberian subregion.
Angara - “daughter of Baikal”, the only river flowing from the lake, length it is about 1860 km. Every year the Angara carries 60.9 cubic km of water from Baikal, and all its tributaries bring 58.75 cubic km per year. It is noteworthy that the Angara at the mouth, at the confluence with the Yenisei, brings 120 cubic km of water per year, and the Yenisei before the confluence of the Angara has a water flow of only about 100 cubic km Source of the river located at the level of Lake Baikal, i.e. at an altitude of 456 m above sea level, and the mouth is at an altitude of 76 m. Drop is 380 m, which is used by a cascade of hydroelectric power stations built on the Angara. Width Hangars at the source are about 1 km, depth fluctuates in the range of 0.5 - 6 m, current speed along the fairway 1-2 m/sec.
The Baikal omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius Georgy) is an endemic fish that came to Baikal relatively recently (during the glacial or post-glacial period), presumably from the estuarine areas of rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean. The omul has adapted well to its new ecological niche, undergone significant changes and acquired the biological characteristics of the subspecies. They live in Baikal four omul populations: Selenginskaya, Chivyrkuiskaya, Severobaikalskaya and Posolskaya. The most numerous population is Selenga. It spawns mainly in Selenga and in a number of tributaries of the lake. Inhabits the southern basin of Lake Baikal and the southern part of the middle basin. On spawning The omul enters the rivers from late August - early September until the end of November. The number of spawning herds ranges from one and a half to two to six to eight million individuals.
Total biomass of all age groups of omul in Baikal is about 25 - 30 thousand tons. Lifespan The omul is up to 20 - 25 years old, it spawns up to 6 times during its life at the age of 5 - 6 to 14 - 15 years. Average size and weight each population is different. Size 30 - 35 cm, weight from 300 to 600 g. The largest specimen found in the Selenga population weighed up to 5 kg and was about 50 cm long.
Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica Gmel.) - the only representative mammals In the lake. According to the classification, the seal belongs to family of true seals(Phocidae), genus Pusa. Researchers believe that the Baikal seal descended from a common ancestor with the ringed northern seal. It is believed that the seal penetrated from the Arctic Ocean along the Yenisei and Angara during the Ice Age, when the rivers were dammed by ice advancing from the north. In the mid-80s, there were about 70 thousand seals in Baikal. The maximum age of the Baikal seal (according to V.D. Pastukhov) is 56 years for females and 52 years for males. Childbearing age lasts from 4-7 to 40 years, pregnancy lasts 11 months. During her life, a female can give birth to more than 20 cubs. The average weight of seals in Baikal is about 50 kg, the maximum weight of males is 130-150 kg, length 1.7-1.8 m. Females are smaller in size - 1.3-1.6 m and up to 110 kg.
Based on materials from Lake Baikal TERKSOP and the USSR National Report to the 1992 UN Conference on environment and Development" in the Lake Baikal basin there are 4 main areas of harmful anthropogenic impact on the ecosystems of the region.
1. Selenga River basin in its lower reaches from 3 major industrial centers: Gusinoozerskaya State District Power Plant, Selenginsky Central Control Plant and Ulan-Ude. Ulan-Ude is the largest polluter of the Selenga, accounting for 53% of all Wastewater, discharged into the largest river in the Baikal basin. Above the city, the total concentration of impurities in the waters of the Selenga is 0.76 conventional units, below it increases to 62 conventional units. In 1988, city emissions harmful substances into the atmosphere amounted to 152.2 thousand tons, of which 58.2 thousand tons came from industrial enterprises, 94 thousand tons from vehicles.
In the same year, the Selenga Central Control Plant emitted 44.1 thousand tons of pollutants into the atmosphere. The plant discharged 11.9 thousand tons of mineral substances, 3.4 thousand tons of organic substances and 135 tons of suspended matter into the waters of the Selenga. Air emissions from the Gusinoozerskaya State District Power Plant exceeded 63 thousand tons/year.
2. Southern tip of the lake, where the main polluter is the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. In 1988, the plant's emissions into the atmosphere amounted to 30.4 thousand tons. harmful substances into the water of Baikal - 51.9 thousand tons of mineral substances, 4.7 thousand tons of organic substances and 532 tons of suspended substances. The maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) of petroleum products and phenols were exceeded 3-4 times, and the maximum permissible concentrations of sulfates and chlorides were exceeded. As a result of the plant's activities, a vast pollution zone was formed. The area of bottom sediment contamination is 20 sq. km. Over the past 10 years, the number of benthic species of living organisms has decreased here from 27 to 10, and the biomass of zoobenthos has decreased by 3 times.
3. The valley of the Barguzin River in the middle and lower reaches. Here, the cut-down areas of the estimated logging area are significantly exceeded; 67% of the arable land is covered by erosion processes. Unregulated use mineral fertilizers in this agricultural area may contribute to eutrophication of the lake.
4. Severobaikalsky area- a section of the coast between the cities of Severobaikalsk and Nizhneangarsk. The commissioning of the Baikal-Amur Railway significantly increased the anthropogenic load here. Atmospheric emissions of harmful substances in the city of Severobaikalsk amounted to 15 thousand tons in 1988. The content of petroleum products in the water near Severobaikalsk is 3-5 MPC, the coli index is 238 tons. An additional source of pollution of Lake Baikal is the bank protection work carried out in this area.
Modern influence local anthropogenic sources in the lake basin are local in nature, but if we consider the characteristics of the atmosphere, it covers large parts of the lake, mainly its southern basin. This influence, in addition to local sources, is due to the transfer of air masses from the Irkutsk territorial complex, especially the Novo-Irkutsk Thermal Power Plant.
