Case Study
Life Adventure
By Michioflavia
Dec 20, 2021
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is a rift lake located in Russia situated in southern Siberia between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and Buryatia to the southeast.
One of the wonders of the world, Baikal is Russia's jewel. Lake Baikal is considered the world’s deepest and oldest lake. The lake is also the largest freshwater lake in the world.
Lake Baikal, a site of awe-inspiring scenery and also a place that is revered for its exceptional variety of freshwater flora and fauna that is one of the world’s richest, the lake is also sometimes called the ‘Galapagos of Russia’.
Here we go!
Here are some very cool and fantastic facts about Lake Baikal, that are simply stunning to know about.
‘Baikal’ comes from ‘Baigal’ which is basically a translated form of a Mongolian word as ‘nature’.
The lake is located in Southern Siberia between the Buryat Republic on the southeast and Irkutsk Oblast on the northwest.
It is also the deepest lake in the world.
It Is Also The Clearest Freshwater Lake In The World.
The lake is 397 miles long and 50 miles wide and it has a surface area of 31,722 km2. It covers an area that is equal to the total area of the country of Belgium.
Lake Baikal happens to be the most ancient lake in the geological timeline.
It is the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of volume.
It is one of the most incredible natural features on our planet.
It is widening by about 0.79 inches or 2 centimeters every year.
The water of Lake Baikal is also the most transparent. It is so transparent that, you can even see the bottom of the lake up to a depth of almost 130 ft.
The only endemic mammal in Lake Baikal is the Nerpa Seal which is also known as Baikal Seal. It is a lovely species of earless seal that is one of the smallest true seals.
Golomyanka which is also known as Baikal oilfish is one of the most unique fish species found in the lake. Golomyanka is an unusual gorgeous fish, which is a translucent fish that live in depths between 200 and 500 meters, this kind of fish is famous for disintegrating and become a mass of oil and bones when they are exposed to sunlight.
The water of this vast lake has created a mild microclimate around its shores.
The meandering coastline of the lake runs for about 2100 kilometers which is around 1300 miles.
More than 330 rivers and streams flow into the lake, the chief being the Selenga.
The only outlet for Lake Baikal is the river Angara.
The Angara is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is the headwater tributary of the Yenisey. It was formerly known as the Lower or Nizhnyaya Angara. Below its junction with the Ilim, it was formerly known as the Upper Tunguska and, with the names reversed, as the Lower Tunguska.
The largest lake in the world is not only a mere lake. It also houses many plains, mountains, and also many islands. According to known sources, there are about 40 rocky islands in Lake Baikal. And the Olkhon Island is the largest among them. This island also happens to be the third-largest island in the entire world.
One of the most fascinating facts to know about the lake is that the ice road to Olkhon Island (the largest in the lake) is considered the only legal ice road on the lake.
The rail route of the Trans-Siberian Railway around the southern side of the lake required 33 tunnels and 200 bridges.
Lake Baikal is the only confined freshwater lake that hosts solid-phase methane (methane gas hydrates).
There are gas or mud volcanoes at the bottom of the lake which appear as dark circles on the frozen ice surface of the lake on the photographs taken from space.
The lake’s boundaries are expanding and in the future, the lake can even end up being an ocean.
Lake Baikal experiences some strong storms and that give rise to waves that rise as high as 4 to 5 meters.
The lake freezes in the winter and grows ice that can be up to 6 feet in thickness.
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Life Adventure by Michioflavia
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