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See Lake Baikal what area. How deep is Lake Baikal? Maximum and average depth of Baikal

Baikal- a lake of tectonic origin located in the southern part Eastern Siberia, on the border of the Republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk region

Baikal itself

Lake Baikal stretches from southwest to north for 636 kilometers. The width of the lake varies from 25 to 80 km. The water surface area is 31,722 km. sq. The length of the coastline is 2100 km. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world - its maximum depth is 1642 meters. The lake has huge reserves fresh water- 23,615 km. cubic meters, which is 20% of all world reserves.

The area around

Lake Baikal is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountain ranges. Wherein West Coast- steep and rocky, the eastern coast is more gentle. 336 streams and rivers flow into the Lake. The largest tributaries: Upper Angara, Selenga, Turka, Barguzin, Sarma, Snezhnaya. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. There are 27 islands on Baikal, the largest of the islands is Olkhon, which is 71 km long and 12 wide, the largest peninsula is Svyatoy Nos

Climate

The huge water mass of Lake Baikal has strong influence on the coastal climate. Summers are cooler here, while winters are milder. Spring comes later by 10-15 days compared to the surrounding areas, and sometimes longer. The peculiarities of the climate are determined by the Baikal winds, which even have their own names - Sarma, Barguzin, Kultuk, Verkhovik.

When to go to Baikal

Characteristics

Briefly the main characteristics of Baikal

  • Length - 363 km.
  • Width - 79.5 km.
  • Area -31722 sq. km.
  • Volume - 23615 cubic meters. km.
  • The average depth is 744 meters.
  • The maximum depth is 1637 meters.
  • There are 27 islands on Baikal.
  • 29 fish species are endemic

Depth

Lake Baikal is the deepest in the world - 1637 meters, the depth was established in 1983. Wherein average depth also very large - 744 meters. In 2002, these data were confirmed and a depth map was compiled.

  • the area of ​​Baikal is equal to the area three countries— Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands.
  • Baikal is the deepest lake on earth
  • The lake contains 19% of the world's fresh water

Lake Baikal is located in Russia. It truly is a wonder of the world. In terms of area (31.5 thousand km2), it ranks seventh among other lakes the globe. The length of Lake Baikal is 636 km, the maximum width is 79 km, and the minimum width is 25 km. The total length of the coastline reaches 1995 km.

In terms of depth, Baikal has no equal among all freshwater lakes in the world. The most great depth Tanganyika is 1435 m, Issyk-Kul is 702 m, and Baikal is 1637 m. This deepest point is located off the coast of the largest of the Baikal islands, which is called Olkhon. The average depth of Lake Baikal is 1620 m. This figure is 396 m more than that of the second deepest lake Tanganyika (1223 m).

According to scientists, the average life expectancy of lakes is from 25 to 30 thousand years. Gradually they are filled with mud, algae grow thicker in them, an increasing layer of sediments raises the bottom closer to the surface, and, in the end, the shallow lake is overgrown with water-loving herbs and turns into a swamp. However, contrary to all laws, Lake Baikal is in no hurry to grow old. Scientists, having calculated the annual amount of precipitation falling here, predict a long life for Baikal.

Its depression was formed as a result of earthquakes about 25 million years ago. The second oldest lake - Tanganyika, which is located in Africa, is only 2 million years old.

View of Lake Baikal

The first explorer who left the "Drawing of Baikal and the falling rivers to Baikal", as well as information about fish and fur-bearing animals of the coastal taiga, was the explorer Kurbat Ivanov. In 1643, at the head of a group of Cossacks and industrial people, he reached the western shores of the lake and explored the island of Olkhon.

At the end of July 1662, returning from exile to Dauria, Baikal swam across the archpriest Avvakum, who wrote: “When they landed on the shore, a windy storm arose, and the waves found a place on the shore. Near it are high mountains, stone cliffs and so high that I have traveled more than twenty thousand miles, but I have never seen such ones anywhere. There are a lot of birds, geese, swans - they float on the sea like snow. The fish in it are sturgeon and taimen, sterlet, omul, whitefish and many other genera. The water is fresh, and seals and hares are unusually large.”

In the 18th century, long-term expeditions were engaged in the exploration of Siberia and Kamchatka. At the same time, scientists became interested in Baikal. Omul, golomyanka, seal and other animal species have been described. Over time, instrumental surveys of the area were made on Baikal, and several hydrometeorological stations were organized. Scientists began to conduct regular observations of the water level, magnetic surveys and gravitational measurements. In 1918, a permanent research base-station was established on the lake, which was later transformed into the Limnological Institute. The main research center on Baikal is currently the Baikal Ecological Museum.

Baikal has the cleanest air, there is never exhausting heat, although sunny days more per year than Black Sea resorts. The lake is also famous for its beautiful, unique water, the volume of which in Baikal is 25 thousand km3, i.e. almost the same as in all five Great Lakes of Canada. This amount corresponds to approximately 20% of all surface fresh water in the world.

Baikal water is the highest quality in the world; it, without fear, you can drink without boiling. It is pure, tasty and transparent. Local restaurants even serve it as a specialty.

Since the crystalline rocks of the bottom and shores are hardly soluble, the water of streams and rivers flowing into Baikal is not saturated with salts. In addition, organic remains quickly dissolve in the Baikal water, so it is very rare to find animal skeletons in the lake. Thus, the main properties of Baikal water can be briefly described as follows: it contains very few dissolved and suspended mineral substances, negligible organic impurities and a lot of oxygen.

Baikal water is called living water for a reason. From the surface to the bottom, the lake is home to a wide variety of life forms. In other deep lakes of the world, the lower layers are dead because they are poisoned by hydrogen sulfide and other gases. In Baikal, on the contrary, the entire water column is permeated with oxygen. Water is constantly mixed by horizontal sea currents that run around the lake-sea and around each of its three basins, as well as vertical ascending and descending currents.

Modern scientists have discovered that, despite the enormous pressure that is created on the Baikal bottom, thermal springs beat there.

Moreover, a small transparent fish calmly sinks to the bottom of the lake, more than half consisting of fat - golomyanka. This is the only representative of viviparous fish from among those that live in the Siberian regions, as well as in middle lane. It is known that all deep-seated fish have special bladders that save them from strong water pressure. Surprisingly, the golomyanka does not have such a bubble.

Baikal has the ability not only to store, but also to reproduce water. The lake throws ashore fragments of oars, boats, logs.

The cleanliness and health of Lake Baikal are protected by its inhabitants themselves. The crustacean epishura lives in the lake. Although he himself has a small size, no more than 2 mm in length, but his share in total mass zooplankton is 96%. Billions of such crustaceans, continuously passing water through themselves, cleanse it of dirt. Golomyanka also plays an important role in maintaining the cleanliness of the lake. She is the most numerous in the lake. Its total weight is about 150 thousand tons, i.e. 67% of the total number of Baikal fish. Golomyankas never gather in flocks, do not hide in algae. At any time of the day, they move throughout the lake: from the surface to the very bottom. During its endless movement, the fish seems to mix the lake water, due to which the latter is continuously saturated with oxygen. Golomyanka never forms spawning shoals, which makes it impossible to catch it commercially. Therefore, the number of this fish in the lake always remains at a constant level. The fish is also interesting because it has an absolutely transparent body that melts in the sun like ice. Previously, the Buryats rendered fat from golomyanka, which they used in everyday life and as a healing agent.

Anyone who comes to the shore of the lake is struck by its extraordinary transparency. With the naked eye, you can see everything that happens at a depth of 30–40 m. Modern instruments show that the water is clear even at a depth of 100 meters.

Siberians call Baikal water love water. It fascinates, it seems unreal, fabulous. Sailing on a boat along the shore, you just want to reach out with your hand to the gem you like, but, putting your hand into the water, you suddenly realize that this is an optical illusion, and the stone lies at the very bottom of the lake.

Even more admirable are the color metamorphoses that take place on the surface of the water. Due to its transparency, it reflects the slightest changes in the weather, the solstice, incoming clouds, haze coming from the taiga. Seasonal changes also influence its color: snow, delicate greenery of summer and multi-colored autumn. The color scheme varies from white-blue, silver-gray to piercing blue or slate-black with white splashes of waves. Artists say that neither with a brush nor with a pencil they manage to capture Baikal as it is.

From time immemorial, Baikal has been called the "sacred sea". For the first time, the Buryat name "Baigal" appeared in the chronicle "Altan Tobchi" by Mergen Gegen, which dates back to 1765, in the part devoted to the genealogy of Genghis Khan. There are many legends, legends and fairy tales about Baikal. So, Buryat myths say that Buryat and Swan swam in the Baikal waters, the Eagle soared over the sacred sea, and on its banks the bull Bukha-noyon roared and the Wolf quenched his thirst. All these animals are considered to be the ancient ancestors of the Buryats.

It is interesting that there is only one of all the main geographical elements on Baikal: one large island - Olkhon, one archipelago - the Ushkany Islands, one large peninsula - Svyatoy Nos, one large bay - Chivyrkuisky, one strait - Small Sea, one major tributary- the Selenga River, which carries as much water to Baikal as all the other rivers flowing into the lake, and there are more than three hundred of them. Also, only one river flows out of Baikal - the Angara, which ultimately flows into the Yenisei.

According to the Buryat legend, the gray-haired Baikal had many sons-rivers: Barguzin, Anga, Sarma and others, and only one daughter, beloved by Angara. When the time came to marry her off, suitors hurried to the possessions of Baikal. A fast Irkut galloped on a horse, a calm handsome man Alyat sailed. But none of them pleased the young maiden. One night, Angara ran away from her father's possessions to the mighty batyr Yenisei. Upon learning of this, Baikal became angry and, tearing out a coastal rock, threw it after the fugitive to block her path. But Angara bypassed the barrier and met with the groom.

Almost the westernmost point of the lake is Cape Shaman - one of the monuments of Baikal nature. It can be taken as a symbolic beginning of Baikal.

There are a lot of picturesque bays and capes on Baikal. Peschanaya Bay is one of the most beautiful and cozy corners of the 2000-kilometer Baikal coast. It is located on the western shore of the lake, relatively close to the source of the Angara. Against the background of blue water, the soft outlines of steep banks and rocky capes look very impressive. No wonder A.P. Chekhov compared the coast of Lake Baikal with the Crimean Yalta. From the mighty north wind- Verkhovik, or Angara, - Peschanaya Bay is protected by Bolshoy Kolokolny Cape.

Not far from Peschanaya is Babushka Bay. in sunny and warm weather many tourists rest here. In autumn, already at the beginning of October, when the lake looks especially wonderful and unique, Babushka is deserted.



Rocky Islands of Baikal


To the north of Babushka Bay is Cape Arka, or Gate II. No less attractive is the island of Olkhon, although it has a severe appearance. This is a high mountainous island, which is more than 70 km long and 12 km wide. highest point The island is Mount Zhima, which has an altitude of about 1300 m above sea level. It is separated from the western shore of the lake by the Olkhon Gates Strait and the Small Sea. Olkhon is surrounded by many calm and small bays, which are convenient for fishing.

The name of the island comes from the Buryat word "olkhan", which means "dry" in Russian. This refers to one of the winds blowing on Lake Baikal. The winds on the lake are special. Suddenly escaping from the narrow mountain gorges, they can bring a lot of trouble. Each wind is usually called by the name of the river from whose valley it blows: barguzin, kurtuk, verkhovka, gloss, sarma, shelonik, khiuz, siver, etc.

The most insidious of them are the barguzin, sung in the old Buryat song, and the ferocious sarma, which in autumn and winter time rages in the Small Sea, opposite the Olkhon Gates. That is why this small strait poses a considerable danger to navigation.

Escaping from the mountains from the valley of the Sarma River into the narrow space of the Small Sea, the wind reaches hurricane force, forms tornadoes and waves up to 4 m high. At the same time, the howling of the wind and the splashing of the waves become so strong that they drown out the sound of a shot.

Baikal winds they blow sand from under the trees on the coast, exposing their roots. So-called stilted trees appear, mostly pines growing along the edge of the beach. The trees take roots deeper and deeper, trying to withstand the pressure of autumn storms. As a result, bizarrely wind-bent plants appear near the shore, which rise 1.5–2 m above the beach on clumsy “props” legs.

Olkhon is the main sacred place of the lake-sea, where shamans of many clans perform tailagan. It is believed that it is on Olkhon that a shaman can enter into a mysterious relationship with the natural forces of Baikal. Through the rite of sprinkling with milk and vodka and prayer spells, you can beg for good weather, good luck in hunting and fishing. Pass tailagans on the island near the sacred places. One of them is Cape Burkhan, or Shaman, which, with its stone ridges, goes far into the Baikal waters. Folk legends say that the lord of the island and surrounding places lives in his cave.

The same sacred place among the Buryats is Mount Zhima. They say that somewhere at the foot of this mountain, an immortal bear is chained. It was through Olkhon on the ice of the lake that the Buryats moved and, thus, settled in the lands on both sides of Lake Baikal. In the epic about Geser, Baikal is referred to only as "Dalai", that is, "borderless", "great", "almighty".

For a long time the Buryats worship water element who, in their opinion, came down from heaven. Each river and lake had its own owners - the kings of the waters of Usan Khan. They were represented in the form of elders, who, together with their servants, live at the bottom of reservoirs. The main one was Usan-Lopson with his wife Usan-Daban. Some kings of the waters patronized fishing and even fishing gear.

In total, there are about 30 indigenous rocky islands on Baikal, 15 of them are located in the Small Sea. Each island is a real miracle of nature. There are also many picturesque peninsulas on the lake. Not only their nature is unique, but also their names: Holy Nose, Kurbulik, Ayaya, Chivyrkuy, Ongokon, Shaggy Kyltygey, Katun, Shargodagan, Kultuk, Tsagan-Morin, Davshe. The smallest island of the Small Sea is called Madote.

On the east coast of the lake interesting corner is the peninsula of the Holy Nose, known for its mysterious singing sands. Such sands are found only in a few corners of the globe. On the peninsula, they form a whole beach 7–10 m wide. The sand here is fine-grained, perfectly sorted, grayish-yellow in color.



Sandy beaches of Lake Baikal


Dry sand at the top of the beach emits a loud creak, similar to the creak of a new leather shoes. If, while walking, raking the sand with your feet, the creaking intensifies and gradually turns into a jerky howl. The same sound appears when sand is raked with a hand or a stick. If you press it vertically or hit it with something from top to bottom, then instead of a creak, only a faint crunch will be heard, as when stirring dry starch. In all likelihood, the "singing" of sand occurs at certain sizes, shape, humidity, roughness and other properties of sand grains. Until the end, the mystery of the appearance of "singing sands" has not been revealed by science.

Lake Baikal not only offers travelers an overview of magnificent views of nature, but also provides shelter for a huge number (more than 2600 species) of animals and plants. Almost all types of flora and fauna of the globe live in the lake. Among them are 50 fish species, about 600 plant species, 300 bird species and over 1200 animal species, with a truly incredible number - 960 animal species and 400 plant species - being endemic.

In terms of the number and variety of unique species, Baikal surpasses all exotic places on earth, such as the Galapagos, New Zealand and the island of Madagascar. However, if relict species survived there, the oldest animals and plants that have long since died out in other places, then local, relatively young species of flora and fauna arose in Baikal, which appeared here over the past tens of millions of years. More than 50 species of fish are found in the lake, among which there are very common ones, such as pike and perch. But almost half are species of sculpins and other fish that are not found anywhere else. Two exclusively Baikal, unique species belonging to the genus comephorus (golomyankovye) are completely transparent and live at a depth of 503 m in complete darkness.

Most fish species live in the shallow coastal part of the lake. Only five species live at depth: omul (a relative of salmon), Baikal gobies, yellowwing, longwing and two species of golomyanka comephorus. These five species make up three-quarters total fish in the lake.

Baikal is also often called a living museum because an unusual group of organisms lives in it: amphipods, worms, mollusks, sponges, goby fish.

Among the commercial fish in the lake are grayling, whitefish, sturgeon and, of course, omul. The main food for many fish species are amphipods, which inhabit the entire water column: some of them live in water, others burrow into bottom sediments.

The most famous and very mysterious animal that lives on Lake Baikal is, of course, Baikal seal – pinniped mammal belonging to the family of true seals. The seal reaches a length of 1.8 m and a weight of about 70 kg. The main objects of her hunting are gobies and golomyanka. Occasionally, she manages to catch omul if the fish is weakened for some reason. This endemic species has thrived on the lake since time immemorial and currently numbers 70,000 individuals. There are especially many seals near the Ushkany Islands. The legend tells that the ancestors of the Baikal seal came to Baikal from the Northern Arctic Ocean along the underground river. Scientists also suggest that the progenitors of the seal sailed from the Arctic Ocean, but not along the underground river, but along the Yenisei and Angara, which in ice Age were covered in ice. In addition, it has been irrefutably proven that both the Baikal seal and the modern ringed seal descended from a common ancestor.

The Barguzinsky Nature Reserve is located on the northeastern coast of Lake Baikal. vegetable and animal world The nature of the reserve, its mountains, taiga, lakes and rivers is rich and unique, but the most valuable animal of those that live here is the Barguzin sable.

The surroundings of Lake Baikal have been declared a protected area. Here is the Pribaikalsky national park. In addition to Barguzinsky, there is another reserve - Baikalsky.

In conclusion, it is worth mentioning the assumption of scientists who have carefully studied the territory in the area of ​​Lake Baikal. Some geophysicists have suggested that Baikal is turning into an ocean. In the area of ​​the lake, magnetic anomalies similar to those characteristic of the region of the mid-Atlantic fault were found (from the axis of this fault, the continents of Africa and South America are moving apart in both directions).

Scientists have established that tensile forces also act in the Baikal basin, due to which its banks diverge in opposite directions. Some researchers even cite data obtained by them indirectly, arguing that the rate of such a discrepancy reaches 2 cm per year. However, direct confirmation of such information has not yet been found, although it was they that served as the basis for putting forward a hypothesis about the transformation of Baikal into an ocean. On the other hand, if we assume that the expansion rate of Baikal is really such, then in 50-60 million years the width of the lake-sea will be about 1000 km, and this already looks like an ocean. However, any scientific hypothesis requires hard evidence.



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: “Lake Baikal - the deepest lake on the planet - is located in Eastern Siberia. This is the largest reservoir of fresh water in the world, which is of tectonic origin (the lake arose at the junction of two plates). Because of large sizes Baikal is often called the sea: it has an area of ​​​​more than 23 thousand square kilometers, and its greatest depth is 1642 meters.

1. Baikal - a place with unique nature, where thousands of tourists from Russia and abroad come every year. In this post, some of the most popular and picturesque places of Lake Baikal are filmed: the village of Listvyanka, Circum-Baikal Railway and Olkhon Island.

The largest and only inhabited island of Lake Baikal. Length - 71 km, width - up to 12 km.

6. Currently, two ferries are operating - Dorozhnik and Olkhon Gates. They walk all day long with an interval of about an hour.

8. On Olkhon, there is a whole variety of natural landscapes: steppe, sandy beaches with dunes, hills and groves along the coast, as well as marble rocks and swamps.

The length of the cape is about 1 km, the height above the lake level is 100 m.

14. Cape Khoboy is located near the widest point of Baikal (79.5 km), and only in good weather you can see the eastern shore from it.

18. The name of Cape Burkhan appeared after the penetration of Tibetan Buddhism in the Baikal region at the end of the 17th century. Buryat Buddhists began to call the main deity of Baikal with the word "Burkhan". And Cape Burkhan with a through cave in the Shaman-rock was considered his dwelling place.

19. Near the cape is the village of Khuzhir with a population of 1.3 thousand inhabitants - the largest locality on the island.

20. At present, the main occupation of local residents is the service of tourist flows.

23. Ogoy is one of the so-called "places of power" of Baikal. Many come to the lake just to visit this place - to cleanse themselves and recharge with spiritual energy. In 2005, a sacred Buddhist stupa was built on the island.

There is a belief among the people: if you walk around the stupa three times and make a wish, it will come true.

26. The island got its name from the Buryat word "oy-khon" - "a little wooded". Since 55% of the island is steppes and 45% is forests.

It should be noted that the landfill is of a spontaneous nature, is not fenced in any way, and the process of waste disposal is not controlled by anyone. Public organizations created a network of special places for waste collection on the island.

30. There are 236 species of birds on Baikal. Of these, 29 are waterfowl, mainly different kinds ducks, flocks of which are often seen while sailing on Lake Baikal. Less often on the shores of Lake Baikal you can meet geese, whooper swans.

31. In terms of the total number of dry days, Olkhon can be compared with arid regions Central Asia: there are only 48 on the island cloudy days in a year.

44. The slopes of Khamar-Daban, adjacent to the southwestern shore of Lake Baikal, are the wettest place in the Baikal region.

Baikal - large lake in Russia, in the south of Eastern Siberia, is located in a basin surrounded by mountain ranges. Administratively, it is located within the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia.

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This is the deepest lake in the world, its greatest depth reaches 1642 meters. It is also the world's largest natural reservoir of 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 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The size of this reservoir is really 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 sq. km, and the length of its coastline is 2100 km.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with the greatest depth of 1642 meters. At the same time, 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 mirror is located at absolute elevations of 456-457 m.

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

Baikal has 27 islands, the largest of which is Olkhon. Its area is 729 sq. 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 about 3 cubic kilometers. The level of Lake Baikal depends mainly on the amount of precipitation falling on the territory of its catchment area.

Baikal climate

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

Mirror Baikal (Yuri Samoilov / flickr.com)

As in the case of the sea, such climate features are due to the fact that in summer the huge volume of lake water accumulates a huge amount of heat, and then, in autumn and winter, it gives 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 for about 50 km from its shores. In the cold season, the temperature on the coast of Lake Baikal can be 8-10 degrees higher than away from the lake, and in warm time of the year is also much lower than the temperatures of the surrounding area. Usually, this difference is about 5 degrees. Baikal smooths out not only annual, but also daily temperature fluctuations.

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

Average annual temperature and precipitation

Medium annual temperature varies from 0.7 degrees below zero (in the south) to 3.6 degrees below zero (in the north). The tallest 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 slopes of the mountains on the eastern and southeastern coasts of Lake Baikal (1000–1200 mm) are characterized by the maximum amount of precipitation, and the western shore of the lake, Olkhon Island and the lower course of the Selenga (less than 200 mm) are characterized by the minimum amount of precipitation.

Ice on Baikal

Baikal is under ice for about five months a year. The time of ice cover establishment 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.

Ice thickness by the end of winter is about one meter, in bays - up to two meters. The ice of Baikal is interesting in that, at especially severe frosts it is torn apart by cracks into separate ice fields. 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 rolling sounds. In addition, 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, the speed of which 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 Baikal winds: barguzin, verkhovik, mountain, kultuk and shelonnik.

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

Nature of Baikal: flora and fauna

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)

Siberian cedar and larch are found in abundance in the local forests. Birch, poplar, aspen, currant, etc. grow along the rivers. As for aquatic plants, there are approximately 210 species of algae. The Baikal fauna is represented by more than 2600 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 kinds of fish in Baikal. Most unusual is the viviparous golomyanka fish, which is endemic to Lake Baikal. Main commercial fish- Baikal omul. More than 80% of the total zooplankton biomass is another endemic species, the epishura crustacean. This crustacean is engaged in water purification, playing the role of a filter, and also serves as an important part of the diet. Baikal omul and other organisms.

Nerpa on Baikal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com)

Another well-known endemic of the lake is the 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 located so far from the oceans. It is assumed that it entered Baikal from the Arctic Ocean along the Yenisei and Angara during ice age. Of the animals that live in the Baikal forests, it can be noted brown bear, wolverine, musk deer, red deer, elk, fox, squirrel, etc.

236 species of birds live on Baikal, of which 29 species are waterfowl. Ducks and gulls are found here in large numbers. Also, you can meet geese, screaming swans, gray heron, black-throated diver, golden eagle, etc.

Ecology

The unique nature of Baikal is notable for its fragility. All living organisms here are very sensitive to the slightest changes in conditions. environment. The process of decomposition of pollutants in the lake is very slow. The ever-increasing anthropogenic load cannot but affect this fragile ecosystem.

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

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

The bottom runoff of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill spreads along the underwater slope of the Baikal depression. The area of ​​the pollution spot covers about 299 sq. km. Due to bottom runoff, the pulp and paper mill degrades the bottom ecosystems of Lake Baikal, and the emissions of 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 stopped its work, however, it will take many more years to eliminate its waste and restore the environment.

The pollution of the nature of this unique reservoir did not end at all 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 such big cities like Ulaanbaatar and Ulan-Ude, as well as numerous industrial enterprises Mongolia and Buryatia.

Partially pollutants come even from the territory Trans-Baikal Territory, from settlements located along the tributaries of the Selenga. Most of treatment facilities in small settlements of Buryatia, they are not fully able to cope with wastewater treatment.

Serious damage to the flora and fauna of the reservoir is caused by poachers.

Tourism

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

An old motorcycle on the background of Lake Baikal (Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com)

To the 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, in addition, numerous excursions are organized from here. On the southwestern coast of the reservoir there are also the cities of Slyudyanka and Baikalsk. The recreational zone Baikalskaya Gavan is located on the eastern coast.

Another well-known center of attraction for tourists is Olkhon Island, which is distinguished by a variety of natural landscapes. Olkhon can be reached by ferry from the village of Sakhyurta; the largest settlement of the island is the village of Khuzhir, where there is a fairly developed tourist infrastructure.

Baikal is located in the center of Asia, in Russia, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The lake stretches from north to southwest for 636 km in the form of a giant crescent.

The length of the lake is approximately equal to the distance from Moscow to the Baltic. The width of Baikal ranges from 25 to 80 km.

Among the lakes of the globe, Lake Baikal occupies the 1st place in terms of depth. On Earth, only 6 lakes have a depth of more than 500 meters. The greatest depth mark in the southern basin of Baikal is 1423 m, in the middle - 1637 m, in the northern - 890 m.

Baikal depression

The Baikal depression is slightly wider than the modern lake, but much deeper than it. 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 bottom sediments lining its bottom. The deepest point of the Baikal bedrock lies about 5-6 thousand meters below the level of the world ocean. According to the geologist N. A. Florensov, the "roots" of the basin cut through the entire earth's crust and go into the upper mantle to a depth of 50-60 km. This is the deepest basin of the earth's land. He figuratively called the Baikal depression a window into the bowels of the Earth, helping to understand the essence of its deep processes.

The lake lies in the Baikal depression - a bottomless stone bowl, surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and hills. At the same time, the western coast is rocky and steep, the relief of the eastern coast is more gentle (in some places the mountains recede from the coast for tens of kilometers).