Numerous scientific studies have been devoted to the problem of the origin of the word “Baikal,” which indicates a lack of clarity on this issue. There are about a dozen possible explanations for the origin of the name. Among them, the most probable version is considered to be the origin of the name of the lake from the Turkic-speaking Bai-Kul - rich lake.

Of the other versions, two more can be noted: from the Mongolian Baigal - rich fire and Baigal Dalai - large lake. The peoples who lived on the shores of the lake called Baikal in their own way. Evenks, for example, - Lamu, Buryats - Baigal-Nuur, even the Chinese had a name for Baikal - Beihai - North Sea.

The Evenki name Lamu - Sea was used for several years by the first Russian explorers in the 17th century, then they switched to the Buryat Baigal, slightly softening the letter “g” by phonetic replacement. Quite often Baikal is called the sea, simply out of respect, for its violent temper, because the distant opposite shore is often hidden somewhere in the haze... At the same time, a distinction is made between the Small Sea and the Big Sea. The Small Sea is what is located between the northern coast of Olkhon and the mainland, everything else is the Big Sea.

Baikal water

Baikal water is unique and amazing, like Baikal itself. It is unusually transparent, clean and saturated with oxygen. In not so ancient times, it was considered healing, and diseases were treated with its help. In spring, the transparency of Baikal water, measured using a Secchi disk (a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm), is 40 m (for comparison, in the Sargasso Sea, which is considered the standard of transparency, this value is 65 m). Later, when massive algae blooms begin, the transparency of the water decreases, but in calm weather the bottom can be seen from a boat at a fairly decent depth. Such high transparency is explained by the fact that Baikal water, thanks to the activity of living organisms living in it, is very weakly mineralized and close to distilled.

The volume of water in Baikal is about 23 thousand cubic kilometers, which is 20% of the world and 90% Russian reserves fresh water. Every year, the Baikal ecosystem reproduces about 60 cubic kilometers of clear, oxygenated water.

Age of Lake Baikal

Usually in the literature the age of the lake is given as 20-25 million years. In fact, the question of the age of Baikal should be considered open, since the use of various methods for determining age gives values ​​from 20-30 million to several tens of thousands of years. Apparently, the first assessment is closer to the truth - Baikal is indeed a very ancient lake. If we assume that Baikal is actually several tens of millions of years old, then it is the oldest lake on Earth.

It is believed that Baikal arose as a result of tectonic forces. Tectonic processes also occur in present time, which manifests itself in increased seismicity in the Baikal region.

Climate in the area of ​​Lake Baikal.

The climate in Eastern Siberia is sharply continental, but the huge mass of water contained in Baikal and its mountainous surroundings create an extraordinary microclimate. Baikal works as a large thermal stabilizer - in winter it is warmer on Baikal, and in summer it is a little cooler than, for example, in Irkutsk, which is located 70 km from the lake. The temperature difference is usually about 10 degrees. A significant contribution to this effect is made by forests growing almost along the entire coast of Lake Baikal.

The influence of Baikal is not limited to temperature regulation. Due to the fact that evaporation cold water from the surface of the lake is very insignificant; clouds cannot form over Baikal. In addition, the air masses that bring clouds from land heat up when they pass over the coastal mountains, and the clouds dissipate. As a result, the sky over Lake Baikal is clear most of the time. This is also evidenced by the numbers: the number of hours of sunshine in the area of ​​Olkhon Island is 2277 hours (for comparison - on the Riga seaside 1839, in Abastumani (Caucasus) - 1994). You should not think that the sun always shines over the lake - if you are unlucky, you can end up with one or even two weeks of disgusting rainy weather even in the most sunny place Baikal - on Olkhon, but this happens extremely rarely.

The average annual water temperature on the surface of the lake is +4°C. Near the coast in summer the temperature reaches +16-17°C, in shallow bays up to +22-23°C.

Wind and waves on Baikal.

The wind almost always blows on Lake Baikal. More than thirty local names of winds are known. This does not mean that there are so many different winds on Baikal, just that many of them have several names. The peculiarity of the Baikal winds is that they almost always blow along the coast and there are not as many shelters from them as we would like.

Prevailing winds: north-west, often called mountain, north-east (Barguzin and Verkhovik, also known as Angara), south-west (kultuk), south-east (shelonnik). Maximum speed wind recorded on Lake Baikal is 40 m/s. In the literature there are also higher values ​​- up to 60 m/s, but there is no reliable evidence for this.

Where there is wind, there are, as you know, waves. Let me immediately note that the opposite is not true - a wave can occur even with complete calm. Waves on Baikal can reach a height of 4 meters. Sometimes values ​​of 5 and even 6 meters are given, but this is most likely an estimate “by eye”, which has big mistake, as a rule, towards overestimation. The height of 4 meters was obtained using instrumental measurements in the open sea. The excitement is strongest in autumn and spring. In summer, strong waves on Lake Baikal are rare, and calm often occurs.

Ichthyofauna of Baikal.

Depending on their habitat conditions, fish can be divided into several groups. Sturgeon, pike, burbot, ide, roach, dace, perch, and minnow occupy the coastal shallows and river deltas of Lake Baikal. Fish of Siberian mountain rivers: grayling, taimen, lenok inhabit small tributaries of the lake and its coastal zone. Omul, since ancient times considered a symbol of Baikal, inhabits its open and coastal part, whitefish, another famous resident of Baikal, inhabits only the coastal part.

The most remarkable group of Baikal fish are gobies, of which there are 25 species. The most interesting of them are the golomyankas. This miracle of Baikal is not found anywhere else in the world. Golomyanka is incredibly beautiful, shimmers blue and pink in the light, and if you leave it in the sun it will melt, leaving only bones and a greasy stain. It is the main and most numerous inhabitant of Lake Baikal, but rarely gets caught in fishermen’s nets. Its only enemy is the seal, for which it is the main food.

To preserve rare and endangered animals, there is a strict and complete ban on hunting, maximum conservation of habitat, the creation of special nurseries, national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries.

Since 2008, every second Sunday in October, Baikal Day is celebrated - the deepest and largest freshwater lake on the planet, a unique natural attraction and a real treasure of Russia.

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Where is it located, history

In what part of the world is it located? The lake is located in the center of Asia, on the territory of the Russian Federation, on the border of the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. Its length is 636 km.

It is estimated that the lake is approximately 25 million years old. The formation of rift basins (there are three in total) occurred during the period of seismic activity of ancient mud volcanoes. It was because of this that the earth's crust fractured. Also, the origin of Lake Baikal is associated with the location of one part of the continent on top of another in ancient times (according to this version, it is the same age as the Himalayas).

Thus, the reservoir is one of the most ancient on the planet. Interestingly, mentions of it are contained in ancient Chinese chronicles. The Chinese called it "Bai Hai", which means "North Sea".

Attention! Seismic activity in this area continues to this day. More than a hundred earthquakes occur every year, but most of them are very weak and can only be recorded using special equipment. There is also a large magnetic anomaly observed here.

Interestingly, the formation of the basins is still ongoing. Every year, water reclaims about 2 cm from the land. Some scientists believe that a reservoir can turn into, but these are just guesses.

History of the name

There are many versions of the origin of the toponym “Baikal”, but the most important of them is the Turkic one. In Turkic it sounds like “Bai-kul”, which means “rich lake”. A very accurate name.

The Buryats who inhabited this area called the lake “Baigal-Nuur”. Perhaps, with the arrival of the Russians here, the letter “g” was gradually replaced by “k”.

Attention! There are several other reservoirs in Russia with the same exact name. They are located in the Yakutsk and Tyumen regions. But, of course, other bodies of water are much smaller than the main one.

Sometimes Baikal is called a sea, comparing it with the Caspian and Aral, which are preserved parts of the ancient oceans. This name is quite correct, because storms often occur here, and the waves reach a height of 4-5 meters.

Peculiarities

Let us list the special features of Lake Baikal. Storms and wave formation also occur here due to winds. They are very strong and different in their characteristics. Scientists even gave them names:

• Kultuk;
• Mountain;
• Shelonnik.

In many respects, the lake is more like a sea.

Lake Baikal

Size and shape

Its shape resembles a crescent. Its area is 32 thousand square kilometers (length - more than 630 meters, width - 80 meters). It's interesting that some European countries For example, Albania, Malta, Denmark or Holland could easily be located entirely on its territory. There are many islands on it (22 in total), but only one is inhabited - Olkhon. Length coastline equal to the distance from Moscow to Istanbul.

Depth

The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters (average depth is 730 meters; however, according to a number of scientists, there are depressions at the bottom, the depth of which is more than 7 km), that is, it is almost 5 Eiffel Towers. But only in 2002, after lengthy research and numerous measurements, was it possible to confirm this fact.

The lake owns 19% of all world reserves fresh water

Amount of water

Baikal holds 19% of all the world's fresh water reserves. Total - 23 thousand cubic kilometers. This amount of water was formed because more than 300 rivers flow into the reservoir.

What else is the lake famous for? Of course, quality. Its purity is amazing. IN The water is incredibly transparent; through its thickness you can see what is happening at a depth of 40 meters. In terms of purity, it is equated to distilled water, since it contains extremely few minerals. But there are a lot of things that make it useful. In 2000, according to the results of scientific research, it was found that water has a glow.

Attention! In about one winter month, the water completely freezes and becomes covered with a whole network of cracks. The depth of some of them reaches 30 meters. Walking on the surface of Baikal in winter is unsafe.

The water does not warm up even in summer (the average temperature is only 8-10 degrees, although in some shallow bays the temperature can reach 20 degrees), despite the fact that there are a lot of sunny days here (this is why Baikal is also called the “Lake of the Sun” "). Swimming here is limited even for professionals, because so far not a single person has been able to cross the reservoir by swimming. Interestingly, the current here is not very strong, only 10 cm per second. There is a thermal spring nearby. The water temperature in it is over 70 degrees.

The water in the lake is very clear

Flora and fauna

Ecoworld of the Baikal region is unique. A large number of cedars and larches grow along the banks, which are long-lived. The age of several trees has already exceeded 700 years.

In terms of the number of endemic animals, this area is comparable only to Australia. More than a thousand endemic species live here (most likely, this is due to the fact that there are mountain ranges and hills around). There are more than 50 species of fish in the waters alone (the most famous are the viviparous golomyanka, which consists almost entirely of fat, and the Baikal omul, a fish from the salmon family), and on the shores there are rookeries of seals or seals.

Moreover, scientists still have not figured out how exactly they appeared here (perhaps they are the descendants of animals of the ancient north - Arctida).

The region celebrates Seal Day every year. The event is designed to attract public attention to the problem of poaching in the region.

The water is filtered by shrimp, crustaceans and sponges, which reach a size of 1 meter in 100 years. Thanks to their activity, as well as special circulation, the water is completely mixed within 5 months, which is why it remains so clean.

Nearby is the large national Barguzinsky Nature Reserve, on whose territory there are many research stations. The qualitative composition of the reserve is 1,750 species of plants and animals. All of them are under state protection.

Resources

Scientists have long discovered that there are rich oil deposits at the bottom of the lake. Almost every year about 5 tons of oil are produced here.

Interesting facts will be useful for children:

1. The territories of the Baikal region were inhabited by people back in the 2nd millennium BC. Presumably these were the ancestors of the Evenks. How many ethnic groups lived here is still unknown.
2. Baikal was discovered by Russian explorers at the end of the 17th century. It was first seen by the Russian Cossack Kurbat Ivanov. At that time, its shores were inhabited by the Buryats, who, in turn, replaced the Berguts who lived here in more distant times.
3. Scientists have found that at the bottom there are the most high mountains on (their maximum height–7500 meters), scientists also found dinosaur remains here.
4. There is a cave on the shore where mysterious shamanic rituals were held in ancient times. It is located in the Shamanka rock. It’s interesting that in ancient times, criminals were executed here: they simply stood them on the very edge of the cape and waited for a big wave. If a wave washed away a person, then he was guilty. It was believed that the waters of Lake Baikal do not touch the innocent.
5. Cape Ryty is considered a cursed place. Only very experienced shamans can enter it.
6. A lot of people drowned here. Interestingly, July is considered the most disastrous time for travelers and researchers.
7. There are more than 20 caves nearby - this is a paradise for speleologists.
8. There is a version according to which, somewhere nearby or, perhaps, at the bottom there is the grave of the famous Genghis Khan.
9. There are also suggestions that somewhere nearby are hidden the treasures of the Chinese caravan, which tried to find shelter here from the Tatars - the Mongols, and the treasures of Admiral Kolchak, who hid here a large amount of silver, which was taken to Irkutsk for the fair.
10. Local residents believe that UFOs can often be seen here.
11. In Russia, a children's carbonated drink called “Baikal” is produced. It has a special taste, which is achieved using a mixture of herbal extracts and essential oils. Interestingly, all the herbs from the composition grow on the banks of the reservoir.
12. In 1976, Crimean astronomers discovered an asteroid, which was named after the reservoir.
13. On the lake, as in deserts, mirages can often be observed.
14. Interestingly, only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. One beautiful legend is connected with this fact, according to which Angara is a naughty daughter who ran away from her father to her lover - the Yenisei.

There are rich oil deposits at the bottom of the lake

Attention! If the 336 rivers flowing into the lake stopped feeding it, and the Angara continued to flow, then it would be necessary to wait 400 years to see the bottom.

It takes about a month for the lake to completely melt. Ice melting begins approximately in March-April. A holiday here is the dream of many tourists. Celebrities have also been here, for example, James Cameron, who directed Avatar, spent his 51st birthday here. The current President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, took part in a dive inside the Mir bathyscaphe, which was used, among other things, during the underwater filming of the film Titanic.

Local residents believe that you cannot get sick from swimming in the cold waters of the reservoir. Last thing strong earthquake happened here in 2008. Its strength was equal to 9 points on the Richter scale. The area was also hit by a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.

12 secrets and wonders of Baikal

History of Baikal! How did Baikal appear?

Conclusion

We can talk about Baikal for a long time. He's incredibly handsome. Its nature and mysteries attract researchers and travelers from all over the world.

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, 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.

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. In terms of the volume of water mass (23,000 km 3), Baikal ranks first among freshwater lakes in the world, containing 20% ​​of the world's water reserves 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 the 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Public administration natural resources Baikal region. - M.: Publishing house NIA Priroda, 1999. - 244 p.
4. Grushko Ya.M. Around Baikal: a guide / Ya.M. Grushko. Irkutsk, 1967. -252 p.
5. Kozhov M.M. Baikal and its life / M.M. Kozhov. Irkutsk: Vost.-Sib. book publishing house, 1963.
6. 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.-
7. Ainbund M.M. Currents and internal water exchange in Lake Baikal Text. / MM. Einbund. L.: Gidrometeoizdat, 19888. - 247 p.
8. Kozin A.Z. Geological and geographical description of Lake Baikal Electronic resource. / A.Z. Kozin.
9. Votintsev K.K. Hydrochemistry of Lake Baikal. // M.: Publishing house. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. - p. 311.
10. Grafov S.V., Kolotilo L.G., Potashko A.E. The navigation of Lake Baikal. Admiralty No. 1007. - St. Petersburg: GUNIO, 1993.
11. Gusev O.K.,

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

Record-breaking lake

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

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

Interesting fact: Baikal receives 336 large and small rivers, but releases only one - the beautiful Angara.

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

Famous Baikal water

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

Baikal depth indicators

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

The unique reservoir has always attracted increased attention from scientists and researchers, who have organized new expeditions in order to clarify previous depth measurements in different parts reservoir Thus, in 2008-2010, expeditions of the GOA “Mir” organized about 200 dives throughout the entire water area of ​​​​this fresh sea. Prominent politicians and businessmen, journalists, athletes and hydronauts from Western and of Eastern Europe and Russia.

Where are the deepest places of Baikal

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

• the deepest breaks in the earth's crust lie along the western shores;
• in the southern part, the record depth of the depression between the mouths of the Pereemnaya and Mishikha rivers was recorded at 1432 m;
• in the north, the deepest place is located between capes Elokhin and Pokoiniki - 890 m;
• depressions in the Small Sea - up to 259 m, their location is at the Great Olkhon Gate;
• The greatest depth of Lake Baikal in the Barguzin Bay area reaches 1284 m, this point is located off the southern shores of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula.

Video: interesting film about Lake Baikal

The unique ecosystem attracts scientists, researchers from different countries. Thousands of tourists go to the most deep lake in the world to enjoy the splendor of landscapes, landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else. The limitless variety of flora and fauna of the region, among which are mainly endemic (found only here), complements the wealth given to people by nature.

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 Lake Baikal ranges from 25 to 80 km.

Among the lakes of the globe, Lake Baikal ranks 1st in 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. 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 basin lies approximately 5-6 thousand meters below the level of the world ocean. According to geologist N.A. Florensov, the “roots” of the depression 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 on earth. 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 flatter (in some places the mountains recede tens of kilometers from the coast).