Lake Baikal and its drainage basin belong to the unique geosystems of the world. Baikal is located in the central part 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, a lake of “superlatives”: the deepest (1637 m) and the oldest (about 25 million years old), 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 reserve of fresh water in terms of volume (23.6 thousand cubic km) and quality (20% of the world). The Baikal depression is the central link of the Baikal rift zone, which arose and is developing simultaneously with the world rift system. A number of factors suggest that the lake is an emerging 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 one flows out - Angara.

The entire lake basin (total catchment area is 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 the greatest lake on the planet

Baikal is one of the greatest lakes globe, the largest freshwater lake in Russia. Its length is 636 kilometers, water surface area is 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 more than him 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.

The average depth of 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. Its volume is 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).

Geological features of the structure of Lake Baikal

The most remarkable feature of Baikal is its antiquity. Considering the deep relict endemism of the lake’s fauna, most researchers estimate its age at 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 an incipient 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. diverge. Along with active movements of the earth’s crust, significant magnetic anomalies along its axes. 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 sliding of the shores, large magnitudes 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 medium-high mountain ranges Primorsky and Baikalsky on the western side, Barguzinsky (with a maximum height of 2840 m) and Khamar-Daban on the eastern and southeastern sides. 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.

Hydrology of Lake Baikal

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. The total mineralization of 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.

Its transparency depends on the purity of the water. 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. Water is considered the standard of highest transparency 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.

Climatic characteristics

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. The average annual air temperature in the depressions of the lake is distributed as follows: in the southern basin -0.7 C, in the middle -1.6 C , in the north -3.6 C.

The water temperature in the surface layer 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.

Flora and fauna

The exclusivity of many physical and geographical features of the lake was the reason for the extraordinary diversity of 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, barnacles, etc. Of more than 2630 species and varieties (1550) of animals and plants (1085) found to date 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 animals, the most common 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.

In Baikal there are 848 species of 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 River

Angara is the “daughter of Baikal”, the only river flowing from the lake, its length 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. The source of the river is 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. The difference is 380 m, which is used by a cascade of hydroelectric power stations built on the Angara. The width of the Angara at the source is about 1 km, the depth varies in the range of 0.5 - 6 m, the flow speed along the fairway is 1-2 m/sec.

Baikal omul

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. There are four populations of omul in Baikal: Selenga, Chivyrkui, Severobaikalsk and Posolsk. 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. The omul spawns in rivers from the end of August - beginning of 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.

The total biomass of all age groups of omul in Baikal is about 25 - 30 thousand tons. The lifespan of the omul is up to 20 - 25 years, it spawns up to 6 times during its life at the age of 5 - 6 to 14 - 15 years. The average size and weight of 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

The Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica Gmel.) is the only representative of mammals in the lake. According to the classification, the seal belongs to the 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 entered from 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. (+ video fragment - Baikal seal on the ice of the lake, 5-10 sec) (Based on materials from O.K. Gusev and G.N. Galaziy)

The nature of anthropogenic impact in the lake basin. Baikal.

Based on materials from TERKSOP Lake Baikal and " National report USSR 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. The basin of the Selenga River in its lower reaches with 3 large 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 largest river 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, the city's emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere amounted to 152.2 thousand tons, of which 58.2 thousand tons were accounted for industrial enterprises, 94 thousand tons - 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. The southern end 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 Severobaykalsk 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.

The current influence of local anthropogenic sources in the lake basin is 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 air masses from the Irkutsk territorial complex, especially the Novo-Irkutsk Thermal Power Plant.

- 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 Arctic Ocean, average depth 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- his 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.

The largest 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!

Lake Baikal - what is it like?

In outline, Baikal resembles a narrow crescent, so easy to remember that even those who are not particularly good at geography can easily find it on a map of Russia. Stretching from southwest to northeast for as much as 636 kilometers, Baikal seems to squeeze between mountain ranges, and its water surface is located at an altitude of more than 450 meters above sea level, which gives every reason to consider it a mountain lake. The Baikal and Primorsky ranges adjoin it from the west, and the Ulan-Burgasy, Khamar-Daban and Barguzin massifs from the east and southeast. And this whole natural landscape is so harmonious that it’s hard to imagine one without the other.

Also Oleg Kirillovich Gusev (1930-2012), Candidate of Biological Sciences, professional game specialist, editor-in-chief of the oldest magazine in Russia “Hunting and Hunting Management” and author of several books on conservation issues unique nature of this lake, wrote: “Baikal gives us great joy and great pleasure.” And he added: “It amazes with its monumental style and the beautiful, eternal and powerful that lies in its very nature,” emphasizing that the more you get closer to it, the more tempting it becomes, and the clearer you understand that Baikal is unique and enchantingly inimitable. Anyone who visits here at least once can be convinced of the veracity of these words.

Lake depth

The depth of the lake is truly impressive - 1637 meters. In this indicator, Baikal surpasses such largest reservoirs as Tanganyika (1470 m), Caspian Sea (1025 m), San Martin (836 m), Nyasa (706 m), Issyk-Kul (702 m) and Great Slave Lake (614 m). m). Rest deepest lakes the world, there are twenty-two of them, have a depth of less than 600 meters. A climatic conditions on Baikal, as they say, matches its unique features: here the sun mercilessly scorches and cold winds blow, then storms rage and the quietest weather sets in, conducive to a beach holiday.

Features and mysteries of Baikal

The length of the coastline of the Siberian “crescent” is 2100 km, there are 27 islands on it, the largest of which is Olkhon. The lake is located in a kind of basin, which, as mentioned above, is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. This gives reason to assume that the shoreline of the reservoir is the same throughout. In fact, only the western coast of Lake Baikal is rocky and steep. The relief of the east is flatter: in some places the mountain peaks are 10 or more kilometers away from the coast.

Lake Baikal water

23,615.39 km³ - this fantastic figure measures the reserves of Baikal water. According to this indicator, the lake is second only to the Caspian Sea. Considering that in the latter it is salty, it is Baikal that occupies the first place in the world ranking in terms of fresh water reserves, that is, suitable for drinking. In addition, it is extremely transparent, and all thanks to a very small amount of suspended and dissolved minerals, not to mention organic impurities - there are generally negligible amounts of them. At a depth of 35-40 meters, you can even distinguish individual stones, especially in the spring, when the water becomes of blue color. It is also distinguished by its huge reserves of oxygen. It’s not for nothing that Baikal – for the combination of such unique properties and qualities – is called national treasure Russia.

The water in Baikal is very clean. Previously, you could drink it straight from the lake and not even boil it. But now crowds of tourists have flocked to Baikal, who still pollute this area, so now, before drinking Baikal water, you should ask local residents, in what place this can be done.

Ice of Baikal

The freeze-up period on the lake lasts on average from early January to early May. During this period it freezes almost completely. The only exception is a small 15-20 km section located at the source of the Angara. At the end of winter, the thickness of the ice can reach 1 meter, and in the bays it is even more – one and a half to two meters. During severe frosts, huge cracks form on the ice, which are called “stagnant cracks.” They are so impressive that they can reach from 10 to 30 km in length. The width, however, is small: only 2-3 m. Such “cracks” literally tear the ice blanket into separate fields. If it were not for the cracks, the formation of which is accompanied by a loud, as if cannon shot, sound, then lake fish would die en masse from lack of oxygen.

The ice of Lake Baikal also has a number of other features that are unique to it, and truly mysterious, which scientists have never been able to explain. Back in the middle of the last century, specialists from the local limnological station discovered the so-called “hills” - hollow ice hills in the shape of a cone, reaching a height of 5-6 meters. Being “open” in the direction opposite to the shore, they even somewhat resemble tents. Sometimes there are “single hills”, that is, located separately from each other. In some cases, they are grouped, forming “mountain ranges” in miniature.

Dark rings on the lake

Another mystery is the dark rings, the diameter of which is 5-7 km (and the width of the lake itself is 80 km). They have nothing in common with the “Saturn belt”, although they were also discovered through space photography. Satellite photographs of amazing formations, taken back in 2009 in different parts of Lake Baikal, went around the entire Internet. Scientists have been scratching their heads for a long time: what could it be? And they came to the conclusion that the rings arise due to the rise of deep waters and an increase in the temperature of the upper layer in the center of the ring structure. And as a result, a clockwise flow occurs, reaching in some zones maximum speeds. As a result, vertical water exchange increases, provoking the destruction of the ice cover at an accelerated rate.

Bottom of Baikal

It is impossible not to say about the bottom of the amazing reservoir. It also differs from others, primarily in that it has a very pronounced relief - there are even underwater mountain ranges here. The three main basins of the lake - northern, southern and middle, separated by the Academic and Selenginsky ridges - are distinguished by a pronounced bed. The first ridge (its maximum height above the bottom is 1848 meters), is especially expressive: it stretches for as much as 100 km from Olkhon Island to the Ushkany Islands.

Earthquakes

Another feature of these places is high seismic activity. Oscillations of the earth's crust occur regularly here, but the strength of most earthquakes does not exceed one or two points. But there have been powerful ones in the past. For example, in 1862, when a ten-point “shake” led to the sinking of an entire section of land in the northern part of the Selenga delta, one of the many tributaries of Lake Baikal. Its area was 200 km, about 1,500 people lived on this territory. Later, a bay was formed here, which is called Proval. Strong earthquakes also occurred in 1903, 1950, 1957 and 1959. The epicenter of the latest, magnitude 9, was located at the bottom of the lake in the area rural settlement Dry. The tremors were then also felt in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude - about 5-6 points. In our time, the region shook in 2008 and 2010: the strength of the tremors was 9 and 6.1 points, respectively.

Origin of Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal still hides the secret of its origin. Researchers often argue about its age, coming to the conclusion that it is at least 25-35 million years old. The indicator is impressive, especially considering that the life cycle of most lakes, primarily those of glacial origin, does not exceed 10-15 thousand years. After this period, they either become swamped or filled with silty sediments. Nothing like this has happened and is not happening with Baikal. And, according to scientists, it is unlikely to happen in the future. The lack of signs of aging is explained by the fact that the lake is... an emerging ocean. The hypothesis did not arise out of the blue: as it turned out, its banks move away from each other by 2 cm every year.

Flora and fauna

An interesting fact: the purity of Baikal water - by the way, very cold (the temperature of the surface layers even in the warm season does not exceed on average + 8-9 ° C) - is maintained by the microscopic crustacean epishura, one of the most famous local endemics. During its life, this 1.5-mm crustacean consumes organic matter (algae), passing water through its small body. The role of epishura in the lake’s ecosystem can hardly be overestimated: it forms 90 percent or more of its biomass, serving in turn as food for the Baikal omul and predatory invertebrates. Oligochaetes or oligochaete worms, 84.5 percent of which are endemic, also play a significant role in the self-purification processes of Baikal.

Of the 2,600 species and subspecies of the local fauna, more than half of the aquatic animals are endemic, that is, living exclusively in this lake. Other fish include grayling, Baikal sturgeon, whitefish, taimen, pike, burbot and others. Of particular interest is the golomyanka, which from a human point of view “suffers” from obesity: its body contains about 30% fat. She loves to eat so much that in search of food every day she makes a “journey” from the depths to shallow water, which greatly surprises researchers. This underwater resident is also unique in that it is a viviparous fish. Distant “neighbors” of golomyankas include freshwater sponges that grow at great depths. Their presence here is an exclusive phenomenon: they are not found in any other lake.

If the biosphere of the lake is imagined in the form of a pyramid, then it will be crowned by the Baikal seal or the seal, which is the only mammal in this reservoir. Almost all the time he lives in water. The only exception is autumn, when seals lie en masse on rocky shores, forming a kind of “settlement”. The coast and islands are also inhabited by many other inhabitants of Lake Baikal, for example, seagulls, goldeneyes, razorbills, mergansers, white-tailed eagles and other birds. The phenomenon of reaching the shores, and in large numbers, is also typical for these places, brown bears. And in the mountainous Baikal taiga you can find musk deer - the smallest deer on Earth.

Sights of Baikal

Lake Baikal is so majestic that it is often called the Siberian Sea. In 1996 it was included in the UNESCO list of sites World Heritage. But not only thanks to the unique ecosystem that requires careful attitude– there are also many historical and architectural attractions concentrated here, not to mention natural and cultural monuments.

One of them is a protected rock called the Shaman Stone, located near the lake, at the source of the Angara. It can be seen in the middle of the river, between capes Rogatka and Ustyansky. If you focus on the Port-Baikal ferry line, the rock will be 800 meters lower. Since ancient times, the Shaman Stone was endowed by the inhabitants of the Angara region with unusual powers; they prayed near it and performed various shamanic rituals.

Between the mainland and the Svyatoy Nos peninsula there is perhaps the most famous bay on Lake Baikal - Chivyrkuisky. Its area is approximately 300 km², it is the second largest on the lake, and is also shallow (depth about 10 m). Thanks to the latter circumstance, the water in the bay warms up well, on average up to +24 degrees. On the southwestern coast there are settlements such as Kurbulik, Katun and Monakhovo. The main wealth of the bay is its fish resources. Here you can find pike, perch, and sorog, the weight of which can reach tens of kilograms. However, fishing in industrial scale prohibited - amateur only. Chivyrkuisky Bay is also famous for its thermal spring, one of the hottest: the temperature of the water used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system ranges from 38.5-45.5 °C. The source is located in Zmeinaya Bay, on the western side.

On the north-eastern coast of Lake Baikal there is a tract belonging to the natural-geographical region of Podlemorye. It is called Frolikha and includes the river of the same name, which flows into the Baikal Bay of Frolikha and flows out of the lake of the same name. In the river valley - its bed, by the way, is crossed by the famous a tourist route 95 km long - the Frolikhinsky reserve is located. Together with the Transbaikal National Park and the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, it is subordinate to the federal budgetary government agency"Reserved Podlemorye".

Other attractions:

• Northern Baikal is the last area on the great lake, the nature of which, due to its remoteness and lack of highways retains its originality,
• Barguzin Bay is the largest and deepest on Lake Baikal,
• Ushkany Islands is a small archipelago with rocky shores in the Barguzinsky district of Buryatia,
• Peschanaya Bay, known for its unique picturesqueness,
• Cape Ryty is the northernmost point of the coast, where there are vast pastures, and one of the most anomalous places,
• Cape Ludar, located near the old village of Zabaikalskoye,
• Chersky Peak - from its slopes the Slyudanka and Bezymyannaya rivers begin, flowing into Baikal,
• The Circum-Baikal Railway, which has historical significance.

Holidays on Baikal

It is along the Circum-Baikal railway In the 80s of the 20th century, the Bureau of International Youth Tourism “Sputnik” (Irkutsk) developed the first ecological tour. Since that time, ecotourism on Lake Baikal has been actively developing, despite the fact that the tourism infrastructure here is not well developed and there are some transport difficulties. There are also problems associated with pollution environment emissions from the Baikal pulp and paper mill. But all of them are to some extent compensated by measures to create and equip excursion trails, regularly held by tourism organizations in the region.

The most favorable time The best time to relax on the lake is from May to October. You can swim in July and August, since these months are the hottest - the air warms up to +30° C, the shallow waters - up to +25° C. A vacation on Lake Baikal will satisfy the needs of even the most demanding tourists. Beach holidays, cycling and car excursions, hiking along the coast, rafting on catamarans and kayaks, quad biking and even helicopter excursions - this is not a complete list of what travel agencies offer their clients. Climbing coastal cliffs and descending into caves are popular.

Fishing

Fishing should be mentioned separately. Many amateurs fish from the rocks adjacent to the lake. The most passionate fishermen prefer to settle in specialized bases, of which there are many here, and which differ different levels comfort. They go fishing on rented vessels. The most popular places on Baikal for fishing The already mentioned Chivyrkuisky Bay, Mukhor Bay, shallow bays of the Small Sea and, of course, the rivers flowing into it are considered. The largest of them (besides Selenga) are Upper Angara, Snezhnaya, Barguzin, Kichera, Turka, Buguldeika and Goloustnaya. And only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara.

Fishing, only ice fishing, also finds its fans in the winter season, which here lasts from late December to mid-May. Fans of the “second Russian hunt” are helped by professional instructors: without them, it is difficult for inexperienced fishermen to make the right hole in the unusually transparent ice. They willingly share their secrets on how to organize a comfortable holiday in conditions of 40-degree frosts, which are not uncommon for Lake Baikal. And those who don’t want to test their health with extreme cold, go underwater fishing in March and April. At this time, the ice is still strong, and the air temperature begins to reach positive levels.

Winter sports

Among the winter activities, tourists are also offered dog sledding (the routes vary in complexity and length), snowmobiling (excursion programs are also different and depend on the level of preparedness of the riders), horseback riding alpine skiing, sleds and snowboards (you can rent ski equipment at numerous rental shops on the coast). In winter, as well as in summer, helicopter excursions are held in high esteem among vacationers, giving unforgettable experiences for a lifetime.

Children and youth tourism

Children's tourism is also quite developed on Lake Baikal, involving recreation in summer camps. We will immediately please parents: your children will not be bored here. Staying in a children's institution involves a rich excursion and creative program, including the holding of sanatorium and health-improving events at specialized bases. One of the most convenient places on Baikal for relaxing with small children is Mandarkhan Bay. It’s as if it was specially created by nature for this very purpose: it’s very shallow, and in the summer the water here is perhaps the warmest and children don’t risk catching a cold.

Young people are not left behind either. For her, interregional public organization The Great Baikal Trail, created in 2003, implements various international programs taking into account the specifics and needs of people under 30. For example, arrangement and reconstruction of ecological trails, holding educational lectures on the topic of nature conservation. Schoolchildren are also actively involved as listeners of the latter.

Video: The underwater world of Lake Baikal

Hotels and recreation centers on Lake Baikal

Many tourists come to relax on Lake Baikal, as they say, as savages, traveling in their own cars. They choose a place they like on the coast and stop there, spending the night in tents. There are very few campsites on the lake specially equipped for car travelers. Having planned to stay at such a site, you should take into account that in this place there may not be wood for a fire and basic amenities (for example, a toilet). Therefore, think in advance about how you will “survive”.

Those who prefer to travel in comfort, even minimal, will be spared such experiences. At their service are many hotels, recreation centers and guest houses scattered along the entire coast of Lake Baikal. Moreover, each tourist will be able to find the most suitable accommodation option for him - taking into account, of course, individual preferences and financial opportunities. We are forced to upset the bohemian public: five-star hotels with the highest level there is no service here. She, like “mere mortals,” will have to be content with ordinary rooms with all amenities. Another note: some recreation centers accept vacationers only in the summer.

Tourists traveling independently run the risk of running into unscrupulous intermediaries when booking a hotel room or recreation center. To prevent this from happening, reserve a hotel room only through proven and reliable services, which will not only save you from scammers, but will also allow you to rent a room at the lowest cost, without unnecessary markups. We recommend Booking.com, one of the first and most popular online hotel booking systems.

How to get there

You can get to Baikal in various ways. The starting point is usually nearby big cities: Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Severobaikalsk. Tourists first come to one of these settlements and already there they plan their future route in detail. The trip on the section of the Trans-Siberian Railway between Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk is especially memorable: the lake stretches right outside the train windows and you can admire its magical panorama for hours.

One of the most popular tourism destinations on the Siberian Sea is the village of Listvyanka, located at the source of the Angara River, 65 km from Irkutsk. You can get here from the regional center by bus or boat, the journey time is just over an hour. All routes of water transport, plying not only along Baikal, but also the Angara, originate in Irkutsk.

Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ northern latitude and 103°43′–109°58′ east longitude. The length of the lake is 636 km, the maximum width is 81 km, the length of the coastline is about 2000 km. Area 31,500 km2. In terms of area, Baikal ranks 7th among the lakes in the world after the Caspian, Victoria, Tanganyika, Huron, Michigan and Superior. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world - 1637 m, its average depth is 730 m.

By volume water mass(23,000 km 3) Baikal ranks 1st among freshwater lakes in the world, containing 20% ​​of the world's and 80% of Russia's water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all the Great American Lakes combined.

If we assume that the flow of water into the lake due to tributaries stopped, then a river equal to the water content of the Angara would begin to flow out of Baikal in 383 years, and it would take more than six months (about 200 days) to fill the bowl of Baikal with all the rivers of the globe. The lake level, after being regulated by the Irkutsk reservoir, is maintained at 456–457 m above sea level. 336 rivers flow into Baikal (according to I.D. Chersky) and one river flows out - the Angara. The area of ​​the drainage basin is 588 thousand km 2, with 53% of it falling on the territory of Russia and 47% in Mongolia.

Islands

In the northeastern part of the lake, near the Svyatoy Nos peninsula, there is the Ushkany Islands archipelago, consisting of four islands. The largest of them is Bolshoi Ushkany, with an area of ​​9 km 2 and a highest elevation of 671 m. It rises 216 m above the lake level. The three Small Ushkany islands have insignificant sizes and heights. According to V.V. Lomakin (1965), the Ushkany Islands relatively recently rose above the level of Lake Baikal, as evidenced by the wave-cut niches preserved in the rocks at an altitude of 200 m and a series of lake terraces.

Holy Nose is the only peninsula on Lake Baikal. Its length is 53 km, width up to 20 km, area 596 km 2. The peninsula is a continuation of the Barguzinsky ridge and rises 1000 m above the level of Lake Baikal. The western slopes are rocky, poorly dissected, and in some places they drop steeply into the water. The eastern ones, on the contrary, are strongly dissected and abound in numerous bays and capes.

Bays

Bay, like a bay, is a section of a lake protruding into the land, but it is more open. There are about two dozen bays on Lake Baikal (Larch, Goloustnaya, Peschanaya, Aya, etc.).

Sora. On Baikal, closed shallow bays are called sors. The depths of debris usually do not exceed 7 m. They are formed when coastal shallows or bays are separated by moving coastal sediments, which form spits, embankments with breakthroughs (straits). The local population calls these formations hag. The largest litter is Verkhne-Angarsky, or North-Baikal. Part of its water area is swampy and covered with aquatic vegetation. The largest bays in terms of open water surface area are Arangatuisky and the above-mentioned Posolsky and Cherkalov bays. Sora warms up well in summer and is the richest fishing ground (Galaziy, 1987).

Straits

The Olkhon Gate Strait washes Olkhon from the west and southwest. Its length in the middle part is more than 8 km, and its width at the narrowest point is 1.3 km, and at the widest point – 2.3. The depth in the middle part is about 30–40 m.

Baikal- exactly this ancient lake in the world. Its age is about 30 million years. During this period, the formation of Baikal was accompanied by earthquakes, uplifts and subsidences of huge areas of the earth's surface.

Baikal- the deepest of all lakes on our planet. Its maximum depth is 1637 m. In the literature you can find different meanings its maximum depth is, for example, 1642 m or even 1647 m. In 1991, the deepest point of the lake was found on the Paisis deep-sea manned vehicle - 1637 meters. It is located south of Cape Izhimei on Olkhon Island.

In 2008 and 2009, researchers on the Mir submersibles re-examined the deepest places of Baikal and came to the conclusion that the maximum depth of the lake still remains the same - 1637 m.

In terms of volume of water, Baikal ranks first among freshwater lakes in the world. It contains 23,000 km3 of water. This amounts to about 20% of the Earth's surface fresh water, or about 80% of Russia's surface fresh water, excluding glaciers. Russia's surface fresh water reserves account for about 30% of the Earth's surface fresh water reserves. Surface fresh waters include waters of fresh lakes, reservoirs, rivers and swamps. This list does not include underground fresh waters, as well as glaciers, both underground and above ground.

In the waters Baikal There are more than 2,500 species and subspecies of animals and more than 1,000 species and varieties of plants.

More than 50% of animal species live only in Lake Baikal and are not found anywhere else. Among them are the smallest crustacean epishura, bottom crustaceans gammarus, freshwater sponges, giant bottom worms, fish - omul, sturgeon, golomyanka, yellowwing, longwing, and of course, the Baikal seal - the ringed seal.

The Baikal coast is famous throughout the world for its unusually beautiful landscapes, magnificent bays and coves.

The listed characteristics of Lake Baikal are so amazing and unusual that in 1996 the lake was included in the List of World Heritage Sites. natural heritage UNESCO. Inclusion in the list means that the governments of the countries that own these objects and each individual must treat them with special care and protect them from pollution and destruction.

The size of Lake Baikal can be compared with the size of some European countries. The area of ​​Baikal is comparable to the area of ​​the European state of Belgium.

Are there lakes on Earth similar to Lake Baikal? Yes, I have. Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Tanganyika too ancient pond, and its shape is very similar to Baikal - just as elongated. Square Tanganyikamore area Baikal. The lake is located in the tropics, the water in it is warm. And in warm water more bacteria and algae multiply than in the cold waters of Lake Baikal. Therefore, the lake's water clarity is low and the water is less suitable for drinking.

Lake Upper in the USA and Canada. It is also often compared to Lake Baikal. The area of ​​Lake Superior is larger than the area of ​​Lake Baikal, but it is much smaller and younger. Lake Superior is only 10 thousand years old.

The lake looks more like Baikal than others Khubsugol. It is located in the Baikal rift zone, is distinguished by the same clean and transparent water, a wide variety of animals and flora. Khubsugul is several times smaller than Lake Baikal. The volume of water in Khubsugul is 383 km3, which is more than 60 times less than the volume of water in Lake Baikal. Khubsugol and Baikal are connected by a system of rivers.

The Egin-Gol River flows from Khubsugul, it carries its waters into the Selenga River, and the Selenga flows into Baikal. Therefore, Khubsugul is often called younger brother Baikal.

Comparative characteristics of some of the world's largest lakes

Baikal extends from southwest to northeast for 636 km. Is it a lot or a little? Compare on the map of Russia: the length of the lake is equal to the distance between the two most famous cities of our Motherland - between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The maximum width of Baikal is 81 km, it is located opposite the Barguzin Bay, the minimum width is 27 km at the confluence of the Selenga River.

The length of the lake's coastline is 2000 km. It will take almost 4.5 months to go around Lake Baikal. This will be a very difficult journey, since in some places impassable rocks come close to the shore, and you will have to go around them.

Main characteristics of Lake Baikal

Cartographic basis. Map of Lake Baikal.

Atlas “Lake Baikal. Past. The present. Future". FSUE "VostSib AGP", 2005.

Baikal is filled with water from more than 300 rivers, rivers and streams. In the literature you can find data, for example, that 544 tributaries, or 1123 tributaries, flow into Baikal. These results were obtained by counting not the tributaries themselves, but the mountain valleys depicted in geographical maps. And both permanent and temporary watercourses flow through the valleys. In dry years they can dry out, and in years with heavy rains they can fill with water again. Therefore, the number of tributaries is not constant.