The river flows into Baikal. Baikal is a lake from which you can drink

Lake Baikal is one of the most popular tourist destinations in . Every year tens of thousands of tourists come here from various parts, not only the Russian Federation, but all over the world. The region is rich in attractions, flora, fauna and mysteries. Many people are connected with Lake Baikal interesting facts, and it is also included in the list of Wonders of Russia.

Lake Baikal: description, photos and videos

Lake Baikal has a truly impressive size. It covers an area of more than 30 thousand square meters. The depth of Lake Baikal is 1620 meters, making it the deepest lake in the world. By the way, the maximum in Abkhazia is only 130 meters. Average the depth of Lake Baikal is 744 meters. Depending on the season and weather, the transparency of the lake water can be 40 meters.

It is 636 kilometers long and almost 80 kilometers wide. The entire coastline is 2 thousand kilometers long. Many people are interested in the question how many rivers flow into Lake Baikal? Despite its impressive size, it feeds only one river – the Angara.

Photo of Lake Baikal

Exact time of appearance Lake Baikal unknown. According to some estimates, it is approximately 30-35 million years old. At the same time, the bottom of Lake Baikal is constantly in the process of transformation, due to earthquakes. The first Russian settlements here date back to the end of the 17th century.

The water of Lake Baikal is its main advantage. It contains huge volumes of oxygen and a very minimal percentage of organics and minerals. In the warm season, the water can reach a temperature of 23 degrees, as on, but the average values in summer period are kept within 9 degrees, which is comparable to.

Photo of Lake Baikal in winter

Baikal ice is also highly transparent. It freezes in January and opens at the end of spring. The average thickness of the ice cover is 1 meter, but in severe winters it can reach 2 meters. A body of water with a large amount of water significantly affects the climate. For example, winter comes here with a 2-week delay and is significantly milder than in neighboring regions. Summer, on the contrary, is cooler. Baikal is also rich in sunny days. In total, according to this indicator, the region can give a head start to many resorts by .

More than 2 thousand people live in the waters of Lake Baikal various types animals, including those that are found exclusively here. The oxygen-rich water is home to valuable species of fish - pike, taimen, sturgeon, grayling, etc. The flora is also diverse. The local forests contain pines, cedars, spruces and many other species. In 1999, a law on Lake Baikal was developed, and in 1996 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Where is Lake Baikal located?

Lake Baikal has an oblong shape from the southwest to the northeast. On the map it looks like a crescent or a “comma”, and some see a smile in it. Where is Lake Baikal located? It is located almost in the center of the Eurasian continent, in the southern region Eastern Siberia, in Central Asia.

Latitude - 53°01’12″
Longitude - 108°41’03″

Lake Baikal on the map

The basin of the lake is located in an ancient depression of glacial origin. It, in turn, was formed in the Baikal mountain region, surrounded by impenetrable forests and mountain ranges.

How to get to Lake Baikal?

In ancient times, getting to Baikal, covered with marshy swamps, forests and mountains, was not an easy task. Now, thanks to progress, this is not difficult. How to get to Lake Baikal? You can get here in three ways:

by plane;
By railway;
by personal transport.

The last option is most suitable for those living in Siberia, although there are travelers arriving by car from the western and Far Eastern regions of Russia. The closest cities to Lake Baikal with airports are Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk. They are located on opposite sides, so you have to choose which side of the lake to look at.

Ulan-Ude Airport receives flights from the capital every day. Flight time is 5 hours. Since the fall of 2017, Pobeda Airlines has been flying here. Thanks to this, ticket prices have dropped significantly. From Ulan-Ude to the lake – 80 kilometers. You can get to the lake by minibus, car or train. In the first case, transport goes to the village of Gremyachinsk, located on east coast, and by rail you can reach the south coast. Approximate travel time is 2 hours.

Irkutsk Airport also receives flights from many major cities. From regional center There is public transport to the lake, and in the summer there is water communication to Olkhon Island. Trains also run to Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. Travel time – 4 days. The ticket price is slightly less than by plane. When traveling to western part lake you can get off at Slyudanka station. Russian Railways has a dynamic pricing system; by purchasing a ticket in advance, you can save a significant part of your budget.

Travel to Lake Baikal– this is a whole adventure. The lake is as much as 5 thousand kilometers away from the capital. The main part of the route runs along federal highways M-7 and M-53. During this time you will have to drive through large number cities and change 5 time zones. In order not to go astray, it is advisable to get a navigator or look at the location of Lake Baikal on a map of Russia.

Shamanka Rock (also Cape Burkhan, Cape Shaman, Cape Cave) - a cape in the middle part of the western coast of Olkhon Island, on Lake Baikal

According to drivers, the road to Lake Baikal is generally quite good, but there are some difficult sections.

When is the best time to visit Lake Baikal?

Lake Baikal perfect at any time of the year. There is always something to do here. The hottest months are July and August. For winter activities It is better to go at the end of winter and beginning of spring, when the ice is strong and transparent. The most popular season for relaxing on the lake is summer. At this time, almost all attractions are accessible, it is possible to go on hikes with tents, river rafting, or go on a cruise.

Autumn on Lake Baikal begins in the second ten days of September. This is the perfect time for a photo hunt for beautiful landscapes. Throughout autumn, the weather on Lake Baikal is calm and sunny. On new year holidays and Christmas on the lake there is a fabulous atmosphere. Clean air, an incredible sky dotted with hundreds of stars and a snow-white blanket can surprise anyone.

In May, Baikal nature comes to life, the first flowers and leaves appear. At the end of May you can observe freezing.

What to see in the area?

Lake Baikal is the most popular tourist destination. There are many attractions in its vicinity that will take several weeks to visit. Some of the must-see places include:

Listvyanka village. It is located at the mouth of the Angara River and is popularly considered the capital of Baikal. In winter there is a ski resort and a sled dog center. The village has a museum with a large number of exhibits and a nerpinarium. Listvyanka is rich in elevations from which a beautiful panorama of the lake opens. There is also an observatory for observing the sun on the territory of the village.
Ethnographic and cultural complex "Taltsy". It is located near Irkutsk. The life of local peoples is arranged on its territory. The territory of the complex is 70 hectares. Many excursions and master classes are available for tourists.
Peschanaya Bay. This is one of business cards Baikal. Almost no collection of photographs about the lake is complete without it. The main attraction of the bay is the stilted trees. During the process of erosion, their roots were washed away and now, like giants, on thin legs, they rise above the coast. Near Peschana there are two bays, Vnuchka and Babushka, between which Cape Ded stretches. Also within walking distance is Balanya Rock - favorite place seagulls
Khuzhir. It’s not for nothing that Baikal is often associated with the sea. You can realize this only by swimming along it. The largest island on Lake Baikal- Olkhon. Its capital is the village of Khuzhir. Tourists can see traditional dwellings and try local Buryat cuisine.

This is just a small list of what can be seen here. Lake Baikal – it's not just a vacation , but also unforgettable emotions. There are not so many words in the world to describe its beauty. There is no need to write about such sights, they need to be seen.

Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Yuri Samoilov / flickr.com Vera & Jean-Christophe / flickr.com Délirante bestiole / flickr.com Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com fennU2 / flickr.com -5m / flickr.com Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com Voyages Lambert / flickr.com Vera & Jean-Christophe / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Kyle Taylor / flickr.com Nerpa on Lake Baikal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com) Thomas Depenbusch / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Kyle Taylor / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov/ flickr.com seseg_h / flickr.com Richard Thomas / flickr.com Daniel Beilinson / flickr.com NASA's Earth Observatory / flickr.com Clay Gilliland / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com

This is the deepest lake in the world, its greatest depth reaches 1642 meters. It is also the world's largest natural reservoir fresh water. The lake basin is of tectonic origin and is a rift.

Lake Baikal is one of the most interesting natural attractions in Russia. Since 1996 it has been an object World Heritage UNESCO.

The size of this reservoir is truly impressive. The length of the lake from southwest to northeast is 620 km, and its width varies from 24 to 80 km. The area of the reservoir is 31,722 square meters. km, and its length coastline– 2100 km.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with a greatest depth of 1642 meters. Moreover, the average depth of this unique reservoir reaches 744 meters. The volume of water is 23,615 cubic meters. km, which is approximately 19% of the total volume of fresh lake water in the world. The water surface is located at absolute levels of 456-457 m.

More than 300 different watercourses flow into Lake Baikal, the largest of which are the Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Turka, etc. The only river flowing from the lake is the Angara.

There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal, the largest of which is Olkhon. Its area is 729 square meters. km. The length of this island is more than 70 km, and the width is up to 15 km.

The water level in Baikal is subject to fluctuations. The difference between the highest and lowest annual levels usually does not exceed 23 centimeters. However, these seemingly small fluctuations lead to an increase or decrease in the volume of lake water by approximately 3 cubic kilometers. The level of Lake Baikal depends mainly on the amount of precipitation falling in its catchment area.

Baikal climate

During the cold period, it is always a little warmer near the lake, and during the warm period, it is cooler than in the surrounding area. In this respect, the Baikal climate is similar to the sea.

Mirror Baikal (Yuri Samoilov / flickr.com)

As in the case of the sea, such climate features are associated with the fact that in the summer a gigantic volume of lake water accumulates a huge amount of heat, and then, in autumn and winter, releases this heat back. This is how the softening effect of the lake manifests itself on sharply continental climate Eastern Siberia, characterized by strong contrast.

The warming effect of the lake extends approximately 50 km from its shores. In the cold season, the temperature on the coast of Lake Baikal can be 8-10 degrees higher than far from the lake, and in the warm season it can be just as much lower than the temperatures of the surrounding area. Typically, this difference is about 5 degrees. Baikal smoothes out not only annual, but also daily temperature fluctuations.

To a large extent, the climate of Baikal is determined by its inland location, as well as the altitude of the lake above sea level.

Average annual temperature and precipitation

Average annual temperature varies from 0.7 degrees below zero (in the south) to 3.6 degrees below zero (in the north). Highest average temperature recorded in Peschanaya Bay in the west of the reservoir. It is 0.4 degrees above zero, which makes this bay the most warm place throughout Eastern Siberia.

The maximum amount of precipitation is characterized by the mountain slopes of the eastern and south-eastern coasts of Lake Baikal (1000 - 1200 mm), and the minimum - the western shore of the lake, Olkhon Island and the lower reaches of the Selenga (less than 200 mm).

Ice on Baikal

Baikal is under ice for about five months of the year. The timing of ice cover varies from the last week of October (shallow bays) to the beginning of January (deep water areas).

Winter evening on Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia (Thomas Depenbusch / flickr.com)

Spring ice drift begins at the end of April, and the lake is completely free of ice only in the first half of June.

The ice thickness by the end of winter is about one meter, in the bays - up to two meters. The ice of Baikal is interesting because during particularly severe frosts it breaks into separate ice fields with cracks. The width of such cracks reaches 2-3 m, and their length is many kilometers.

The cracking of the ice cover is accompanied by loud, booming sounds. In addition, the Baikal ice is famous for its amazing transparency.

Wind

A characteristic feature of the Baikal climate is its winds, each of which has its own name. The most powerful wind of Lake Baikal is the sarma, whose speed reaches 40 m/s, and sometimes up to 60 m/s. This is a strong squally wind blowing in the central part of the lake, from the valley of the Sarma River. Other winds of Baikal: Barguzin, Verkhovik, Mountain, Kultuk and Shelonnik.

One more interesting feature local climate is very large number clear days per year, the number of which is even greater than Black Sea coast Caucasus.

Nature of Baikal: flora and fauna

The Baikal flora is very diverse and rich, it includes more than 1000 plant species. The slopes of the mountains located along the shores of the lake are usually covered with taiga.

Baikal cow, Siberia, Russia (Daniel Beilinson / flickr.com)

In the local forests they are found in abundance Siberian cedar and larch. Birch, poplar, aspen, currant, etc. grow along the rivers. As for aquatic plants, there are approximately 210 species of algae. The fauna of Baikal is represented by more than 2,600 species and subspecies, more than a thousand of which are endemic. The 27 species of fish that live in the lake do not live in any other body of water in the world.

There are many species of fish in Baikal. The most unusual thing is the viviparous fish golomyanka, which is endemic to Lake Baikal. Main commercial fish– Baikal omul. More than 80% of the biomass of all zooplankton is made up of another endemic species - the epishura crustacean. This crustacean purifies water, playing the role of a filter, and also serves as an important part of the diet of the Baikal omul and other organisms.

Nerpa on Baikal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com)

Another famous endemic of the lake is Baikal seal, which is the only freshwater seal in the world. The largest rookeries of this most interesting animal are located on the Ushkany Islands, in the central part of Lake Baikal.

There is still debate among scientists about how the Baikal seal entered the lake, which is so far from the oceans. It is assumed that she entered Baikal from the Northern Arctic Ocean along the Yenisei and Angara during ice age. Of the animals that live in the Baikal forests, we can note brown bear, wolverine, musk deer, wapiti, elk, fox, squirrel, etc.

Baikal is home to 236 species of birds, of which 29 species are waterfowl. IN large quantities There are ducks and seagulls here. You can also see geese, screaming swans, gray heron, black-throated loon, golden eagle, etc.

Ecology

The unique nature of Baikal is distinguished by its fragility. All living organisms here react very sensitively to the slightest changes in conditions environment. The process of decomposition of pollutants in the lake proceeds very slowly. The ever-increasing anthropogenic load cannot but affect this fragile ecosystem.

Boat on Baikal (-5m / flickr.com)

Of the enterprises located directly on the shores of the reservoir, the most famous is the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill, founded back in the 1960s.

Bottom runoff from the Baikal pulp and paper mill spreads along the underwater slope of the Baikal depression. The area of the pollution spot covers about 299 square meters. km. Due to the bottom runoff from the pulp and paper mill, the bottom ecosystems of Lake Baikal are degraded, and emissions from this enterprise into the atmosphere negatively affect the adjacent taiga.

Despite many protests by environmentalists and activists, the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill continued to produce pulp until the end of 2013. Now the plant has ceased operations, however, it will take many more years to eliminate its waste and restore the environment.

The pollution of this unique reservoir did not end with the closure of the pulp and paper mill. A major source of pollution of the lake is its most important tributary - the Selenga River, in the basin of which there are such major cities, such as Ulaanbaatar and Ulan-Ude, as well as numerous industrial enterprises in Mongolia and Buryatia.

Partial pollutants come even from the territory Trans-Baikal Territory, from settlements located along the tributaries of the Selenga. Most of the treatment facilities in small settlements of Buryatia are not fully capable of handling wastewater treatment.

Poachers cause serious damage to the flora and fauna of the reservoir.

Tourism

Lake Baikal is one of the most popular tourist sites in Russia, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The starting points of most trips to the very deep lake in the world are Irkutsk (southwestern part of the reservoir), Ulan-Ude (east of the lake) and Severobaikalsk (northern tip). From these cities it is most convenient to start your route directly to the lake.

Old motorcycle against the backdrop of Lake Baikal (Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com)

South of Irkutsk, at the mouth of the Angara, is the village of Listvyanka, which is the most popular resort on Lake Baikal. There is a developed tourist infrastructure here, in addition, numerous excursions are organized from here. The cities of Slyudyanka and Baikalsk are also located on the southwestern coast of the reservoir. On the eastern coast there is the recreational zone Baikal Harbor.

Another well-known center of attraction for tourists is Olkhon Island, characterized by a variety of natural landscapes. You can get to Olkhon by ferry from the village of Sakhyurta; largest locality islands - the village of Khuzhir, where there is a fairly developed tourist infrastructure.

Baikal is located almost in the center of Asia within 51°29′–55°46′ N. w. and 103°43′–109°58′ E. d. The length of the lake is 636 km, maximum width 81 km, coastline length 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.

Scheme map of the Baikal Basin

In addition to these generally accepted lake parameters, there are others. So, according to bathymetric data electronic card lake Baikal, compiled by an international team of authors, there are some differences in the morphometric characteristics of the lake. 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 than in all of 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 in 383, and to fill the bowl of Baikal with all the rivers globe it would take over six months (about 200 days). The lake level, after its regulation by the Irkutsk reservoir, is maintained at 456–457 m above sea level. u. m. 336 rivers flow into Baikal (according to I.D. Chersky) and one Angara flows out. 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.

Source: Baikal Studies: textbook. allowance / N. S. Berkin, A. A. Makarov, O. T. Rusinek. – Irkutsk: Irkutsk Publishing House. state University, 2009.

Baikal passport

Geological age of Baikal:

Pre-rift (pre-Baikal) stage (Cretaceous – late Eocene) – 70–25 million years

Rift stage – 25 million years before modern times.

Baikal coordinates: 51°29’ – 55°46’ N. and 103°43’ – 109°56’ E.

Lake area – 31,570 km 2

Drainage basin area – 588,092 km2,

including:

in Russia – 53.6%

in Mongolia – 46.4%

Lake length – 636 km

Maximum width (Ust-Barguzin village – Onguren village) – 79.5 km

Minimum width (delta of the Selenga River - Buguldeika) - 25 km

Coastline length – 2100 km

Maximum depth – 1637 m

Average depth – 758 m

Water volume – 23,000 km 3

Lake bottom relative to sea level – 1183 m

Thickness of bottom sediments (according to geophysical data):

Southern Baikal – 700 m

delta river Selenga – 8500 m

Northern Baikal – 4500 m

Sediment accumulation rate – 0.42 mm/100 years

Thickness of the earth's crust:

under the Siberian platform – 36–42 km

under the mountain ranges of the Baikal region - 45–55 km

The smallest thickness to the base of the crust in the center of the Baikal depression is 34 km

Thinning of the earth's crust under the Baikal rift – 3–7 km

The highest height of the ridges surrounding Lake Baikal (Barguzinsky ridge) is 2,840 m

The amplitude of the rift gap (between the highest height of the ridges and the basement of the depression)

dines of Baikal) – 12,977 (the greatest depth of the ocean ( Mariana Trench in the Pacific

ocean) – 11,022 m)

The magnitude of the vertical displacement of pre-rift strata along faults along the shores:

For Southern Basin– 8–8.5 km, for the Central basin – 9 km, for the Northern

basin – 5–5.5 km

The amplitudes of horizontal displacements of strata (spreading) surrounding Baikal are up to 100–150 km

The speed (observed) of tectonic divergence of the shores of Lake Baikal is 0.7–2 cm/year

Transparency (Secchi disk) – up to 40 m

The average water level at the Pacific mark after flow regulation is 456.41 m

Average water level before flow regulation – 455.67 m

Average amplitude of intra-annual changes in water level:

after flow regulation – 0.94 m

before flow regulation – 0.82 m

Time of minimum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation – May

before flow regulation – April

Time maximum level in the annual cycle:

after flow regulation – October

before flow regulation – September

Water surface temperature:

in bays and litters – from 0°С to +23–24°С

Water temperature in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) – +3.8–6.5°С

Water temperature at a depth of more than 50 m – +3.5°С

The number of Epishura in the layer 0–50 m (Southern Baikal) is 310–1000 thousand specimens/m2

Average annual biomass of Epishura in the 0–50 m layer (Southern Baikal) – 5.2–11 g/m2

Average annual air temperature:

Southern Baikal – –0.7°С

Middle Baikal – –1.6°С

Northern Baikal – –3.6°С

Date of freezing (in full) – 12/14/1877 – 02/06/1959

Date of autopsy (in full) – 04/17/1923–05/26/1879

Source: Baikal: nature and people: encyclopedic reference book/ Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS; [rep. ed. Corresponding member A.K. Tulokhonov] – Ulan-Ude: ECOS: Publishing House BSC SB RAS, 2009. – 608 pp.: color. ill.

Literature

Atlas of Baikal // ed. G.I. Galazia. M.: Federal service on Geodesy and Cartography of Russia (FSG and KR SB RAS), 1993. - 160 p. Atlas of Baikal. - M.: Publishing house. GUGK, 1995.
Vikulov V. E. Regime of special environmental management (experience of organization in the territory of the Lake Baikal basin): dis. . doc. geogr. Sciences / V.E. Vikulov. -Ulan-Ude, 1983.
Public Administration natural resources Baikal region. - M.: Publishing house NIA Priroda, 1999. - 244 p.
Grushko Ya.M. Around Baikal: a guide / Ya.M. Grushko. Irkutsk, 1967. -252 p.
Kozhov M.M. Baikal and its life / M.M. Kozhov. Irkutsk: Vost.-Sib. book publishing house, 1963.
Logachev N.A. Relief and geomorphological zoning. - In the book: Baikal region and Transbaikalia / Series: History of the development of the relief of Siberia and the Far East. - M.: Nauka, 1974.-
Ainbund M.M. Currents and internal water exchange in Lake Baikal Text. / MM. Ainbund. L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 19888. - 247 p.
Kozin A.Z. Geological and geographical description of Baikal Electronic resource. / A.Z. Kozin.
Votintsev K.K. Hydrochemistry of Lake Baikal. // M.: Publishing house. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. - p. 311.
Grafov S.V., Kolotilo L.G., Potashko A.E. The navigation of Lake Baikal. Admiralty No. 1007. - St. Petersburg: GUNIO, 1993.
Gusev O.K.,

A story about Lake Baikal for children on the subject the world around us will help you prepare for the lesson.

Lake Baikal short message

Lake Baikal is the most mysterious and enigmatic. Tourists have been admiring its beauty for many years. 336 rivers and streams flow into the lake.

Depth of Lake Baikal on average 730 m. The maximum depth of the lake is 1642 m. Even at a depth of 40 m, the bottom is clearly visible.

Where is Lake Baikal located?

Baikal is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia. The lake is located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, as well as the Irkutsk region.

How old is Baikal? It is difficult to give an exact figure. Scientists traditionally estimate the age of the lake at 25-35 million years.

Why is Baikal considered a unique natural phenomenon?

The main wealth of the lake is water, which makes up 90% of all fresh water reserves in Russia and 20% of global reserves. It is clean and transparent, and its oxygen saturation is 2 times higher than its content in ordinary reservoirs.
There are two reasons for this phenomenon:

The solubility of oxygen in water depends on its temperature. How lower temperature, the more oxygen there is in the water. The water in Lake Baikal is very cold. At a depth of 100 m it is no more than 3-4 °C.
Algae also saturate the water with oxygen.

Baikal water is also purified due to the activity of planktonic crustaceans. The crustaceans filter out and ingest algae and bacterial cells. A clean water returned to Baikal. Sponges, mollusks and worms contribute to water purification by eating various dying organisms.

Lake Baikal softens the continental climate of these areas. Accumulating what you received for summer months warmth, Baikal gives it away with the onset of winter cold.
Another inexplicable phenomenon is that the shores of the lake diverge at a rate of 1.5–2 cm per year.

Animals of Lake Baikal

The lake is home to more than 2,600 species and subspecies of animals, half of which live only in this reservoir. This lake is the only habitat of Baikal seals (nerpas).
The weight of Baikal seals can reach 130 kg and on land they become clumsy and defenseless.

In the waters of Lake Baikal there are about 50 species of fish(omul, grayling, sturgeon, burbot).
Near Lake Baikal live 200 species of birds(ducks, herons, waders, representatives of the eagle family).

Problems of Baikal

In 1996, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But human activities and tourists cause enormous damage to the environment. As a result, swamping of the once crystal clear Baikal reservoir has reached alarming proportions.

Besides this:

waste discharge from enterprises pollutes water;
The Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, built on the main source of Lake Baikal - the Angara, causes shallowing of the lake;
poaching leads to a decrease in the number of Baikal seals and omul, imperial eagles;
predatory deforestation combined with forest fires- they are destroying this protected area.

Lake Baikal message for grade 4 you can write using this information.

Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island, Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Jason Rogers / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Martin Lopatka / flickr .com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Water surface of Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Khoboy Cape, Olkhon (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com White sturgeon (Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com) Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com LA638 / flickr.com

There are many places on earth that amaze with their beauty and uniqueness. Lake Baikal is one of these. This rich reservoir embodies all the ideas of primordial nature. It can be calm when there is calm on its surface, or it can be fierce and cruel when a storm breaks out.

When asking the question of what attracts attention to Baikal, the answer is quite simple. Peculiarities geographical characteristics giant reservoirs attract tourists from thousands of kilometers away.

The water surface of Lake Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com)

The greatest depth of Lake Baikal is impressive. The maximum depth point of the lake is located from the surface of the water at a distance of 1642 meters.

This indicator brings Baikal to a leading position among lakes on the planet. Following the Russian Baikal, African Tanganyika is in a significant gap. The difference between the maximum depths of these majestic reservoirs is about 160 meters.

The average depth over the entire lake area also deserves attention. Most of Baikal has a depth of about 730 meters. As for the area of this reservoir, here, for understanding, we can give an example of the area of Belgium or Denmark. Equating the size of the lake to the territory of one of these countries, one can only imagine its boundless expanses.

Olkhon Island (Jason Rogers / flickr.com)

Reason incredible depth and the length of Lake Baikal are the countless number of rivers and streams flowing into it. There are more than 300 of them: large and small streams and full-flowing powerful river streams. Despite the fact that only the Angara takes its source from the lake.

It is worth noting that Lake Baikal is considered the world's largest natural reservoir of clean fresh water. Its volumes exceed even the famous American Great Lakes. If you add up the volumes of Michigan, Erie, Huron, Ontario and Lake Superior, then their sum will still not reach equality with the capacity of Lake Baikal, which is over 23,600 cubic kilometers.

The enormous depth, impressive expanses of the reservoir, the length and width of the mirror-like surface are the reason why residents often call Baikal the sea. Located in the southeast of Eurasia, the powerful lake is famous for storms and tides (similar to sea tides).

Why is the lake called Baikal?

The history of the name of the lake is associated with several legends known local people. According to the first version, translated from Turkic it means “rich lake”, and in the original language it sounds like Bai-Kul.

Khoboy Mys, Olkhon (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com)

The second variant of the origin of the name, according to the guesswork of historians, is associated with the Mongols - in their language the reservoir was called Baigal (rich fire) or Baigal dalai (large sea). There is a third version of the name, according to which the neighboring Chinese called the lake “ northern sea" In Chinese it sounds like Bei-Hai.

Lake Baikal is one of the oldest bodies of water earth's surface. This orographic unit went through a rather complex and long process of formation in the earth’s crust.

More than 25 million years ago, the reservoir began its formation, which continues to this day. Recent geological studies prove that Baikal can rightfully be considered the beginning of another ocean, which, of course, will not appear in the near future, but scientists are almost certain that this will happen.

The shores of the lake are expanding significantly every year, the water space is increasing before our eyes, so in the place of the lake in a few million years, according to researchers, there will be an ocean.

Lake research

Unique distinctive feature Baikal waters are characterized by their amazing transparency. At a depth of forty meters, you can easily see every pebble at the bottom.

Olkhon Island, Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com)

This is explained by simple chemical laws. The fact is that almost all rivers flowing into Baikal pass through crystals of poorly soluble rocks.

Hence the low level of mineralization of Baikal. It is about 100 milligrams per liter of lake water.

Thanks to the maximum depth of Baikal and the high coastline, which exceeds the surface of the ocean by 450 meters, the bottom of the reservoir is rightfully considered the deepest depression not only on this continent, but also among other continents.

Thanks to the fact that scientists found out the exact location of the maximum depth of the lake, a dive was made to this point several years ago.

It is located within the Olkhon Island. The modern deep-sea device sank to the bottom for more than 1 hour. Over the course of some time, scientists filmed and collected samples for a detailed study of the bottom composition of the water and the rocks present.

During this experiment, researchers were able to discover new microorganisms and identify the source of oil pollution in Lake Baikal.