Important information about Baikal. Lake Baikal (Report)

29.09.2019

Interesting facts about Lake Baikal contain a lot of useful, entertaining and exciting information that children of different ages read with delight.

The lake is the pride of the planet, its pearl and unique place which everyone should be aware of.

Interesting facts about Lake Baikal for children associated with numerous legends, secrets, myths, enveloping the history of the reservoir, forests and mountains.

Interesting facts about Lake Baikal: what to tell the kids

Toddlers will be interested to know what is the most clear lake planet Earth, so you can drink water from it without any fear. To its taste, it resembles distilled water, since it is saturated with oxygen, and there are practically no microorganisms in it.

In addition, it must be explained that this is the largest body of water in the world with fresh water, which is equal to one fifth of the reserves drinking water in the world. The locals use the water as a source of drinking water for cooking. This is especially true for the population of Olkhon Island, where there are no rivers.

Baikal is supplied with water by 300 rivers. Their waters turn the lake into the most deep lake on the ground.

History and name

Baikal is one of the oldest lakes in the world, which appeared 20 million years ago. The lake continues to grow, which is associated with the movement of plates, earthquakes. Lake Baikal, its history and development contains many interesting facts for children.

In particular, this is the name of the reservoir. Scientists have not yet determined exactly where the name came from. In ancient times, the Buryats could call the lake in two words - Bai Gal (rich fire) or Bai Hai - the sea, which is located in the north. It was the ancient inhabitants of these lands who believed that Baikal is the sea, because they were greatly impressed by its huge size.

Throughout its existence, Baikal has been a bait for fishermen, since there is a huge amount of various fish. Many species are not found anywhere else in the world, so one of the favorite activities of tourists is fishing.

An unusual animal found in Baikal is the seal. Scientists cannot establish the path of how these marine animals got to the lake. Daredevils and brave travelers who are not afraid of the cold bathe in the lake. average temperature water is 9-10 degrees.

But people are attracted by the unusual blue color of the water, its transparency, which you want to touch and swim in the mysterious depths of the lake. In the bays and straits, the temperature can reach 15-20 degrees, so it is better to swim there.

Related materials:

Films about Baikal

If you want to get acquainted with the lake, then look documentary about Baikal of the Irkutsk Scientific and Educational Center, 2003 issue. It is called - "Baikal. Legends of the Great Lake. ...

What is the transparency of Baikal's water?

Lake Baikal impresses not only with its size, surrounding nature, but also makes you admire the water. It is very transparent in the reservoir, which allows you to see the bottom of the lake, ...

If our readers happen to visit Eastern Siberia, you should definitely visit the most mysterious and enigmatic lake on the planet - Baikal. Many generations of tourists tried to describe its beauty and unusualness, fascinated by the picturesqueness of this unique creation nature.

So, let's go to this blue pearl, nestled between the Siberian highlands.

Name and age of Baikal

The origin of the name of the lake has many versions. This is partly due to the multinationality of the peoples who have long lived in these places (Evenks, Yakuts, Buryats).

As for the age of Baikal, there is no consensus on this issue either. Scientists believe that this unique reservoir is of glacial origin. That is, many millions of years ago, as a result of earth's crust a huge depression formed, which was gradually filled with water from melting glaciers. But then the lake cannot be older than 10-14 million years. Since during such a period, glacial objects gradually become swampy. But this did not happen with Baikal. Therefore, the age of 25–30 million years attributed to it has not yet been explained.

Why Baikal is considered an amazing creation of nature

Its main wealth is, of course, water. And the point is not only that the Baikal water is 90% of all stocks fresh water Russia. It is surprisingly 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. The lower the temperature, the more oxygen is contained. Baikal the water is very cold. At a depth of 100 m, it does not warm up above 3-4 °C.
In addition, the algae living there constantly release oxygen in the course of their life.

Modern technology makes it possible to measure the depth of water bodies very accurately. Its maximum value at Baikal is 1637 m, and the average is 730 m. In spring, the water level in it rises noticeably due to melt water, which is regularly supplied to the lake by 336 rivers and streams. But even then the water retains its amazing transparency. Even at a depth of 40 m, the bottom is perfectly visible. Baikal water is constantly cleared due to the activity of planktonic crustaceans. They filter out and absorb algae and bacteria cells. BUT clean water returned to Baikal. Sponges, mollusks and worms contribute to water purification by eating various dying organisms.

This is a great lake gives rise to a single river - the Angara. This great river carries away from Baikal more than 60 cubic km of water.

The huge array of Baikal waters has a softening effect on continental climate these places. Accumulating received for summer months warmly, Baikal gives it up with the onset of winter cold.

It is impossible not to mention one more phenomenon - the shores of the ancient lake diverge at a speed of 1.5–2 cm per year. Who knows, maybe someday the ocean will rage in this place?

Inhabitants of Baikal

More than 2,600 species and subspecies of animals have found shelter in Lake Baikal, half of which live only in this reservoir. They are most likely attracted here. great content oxygen in water. For this reason, in the waters of the lake walking Baikal seals (seals), for which numerous rocky islands have become a place of rookeries. Baikal is their only habitat.

The weight of Baikal seals can reach 130 kg and on land they become clumsy and defenseless.

In the waters of Lake Baikal, about 50 kinds of fish. The most valuable of them are omul, grayling, sturgeon, burbot.

The Baikal zone is inhabited by more 200 kinds of birds. These are mainly ducks, herons, waders. But there are also more solid specimens from the eagle family. Imperial eagles stand out in particular. Their wingspan reaches 2 meters.

Winter on Baikal

From January to May Baikal covered with ice. The thickness of the ice cover is from 1 to 2 meters. The silence of ice silence is broken by booming sounds from cracking ice. Giant cracks up to 30 m long and reaching a width of 2-3 m usually appear in the same places. In some places, ice domes grow up to 6 m high. The picturesque picture is completed by dark rings formed from the rise of deep waters, and an incomprehensible glow coming from under the ice.

Problems of Baikal

This is the most beautiful lake in Russia according to the decision of UNESCO included in the list of World Heritage Sites, to be preserved for future generations. But human activity and traces of numerous tourists are causing great damage to the ecology of these places. As a result, the swamping of the once crystal clear Baikal reservoir has taken on rampant proportions.

Besides:

dumping of waste from enterprises pollute water;
The Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, built on the main source of Baikal - the Angara, causes the lake to become shallow;
ruthless poaching leads to a catastrophic decrease in the number of Baikal seals and omul;
the capture of imperial eagles, for a profitable sale to the sheikhs of the Middle East, forced these majestic birds to change their nesting sites;
predatory deforestation combined with forest fires- complete this sad picture.

All these problems have become the subject of consideration by scientists and the government of the Russian Federation. A special program has been adopted that provides not only for the protection of Lake Baikal, but also a number of measures to economic development this zone for 2012-2020.

Let's hope the lines:

“... The grace of the earth is not eternal. When a distant descendant, You let go around the world with a knapsack - She will have nothing to give ... "

They will not become things.

If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you

Baikal is one of the wonders of Russia. The depth of Lake Baikal is a record. The African Lake Tanganyika, which follows it, has a depth that is 200 meters less. The reservoir is popular with tourists and explorers. Until now, the secrets of Baikal have not been fully disclosed and excite scientists.

Where is

Located almost in the center of Eurasia, in Western Siberia, on the border of the Irkutsk region and the Buryat Republic, Baikal has the shape of a huge crescent. In terms of area, it is equivalent to the Netherlands, Belgium or Denmark. Surrounded by mountains and hills, the reservoir occupies a huge pit. The question of how deep Lake Baikal is is very interesting. We will tell about this later, and now we will describe the relief of the coast. In the eastern part it is relatively flat, the mountains are tens of kilometers away. West Bank lakes are mountainous.

The Baikal area is seismically active. Earthquakes of small magnitude occur regularly, and there are strong ones, the echoes of which are felt even in Irkutsk. So, in the second half of the 19th century, an earthquake with a force of 10 points occurred. As a result, a land plot of 200 square meters was flooded. km, where 1300 people lived. Strong tremors were noted in 1959 (9 points), in 2008 (9 points) and 2010 (6 points).

The history of the lake and the name

For a long time it was believed that the age of Baikal is 25-30 million years. But recent studies of the relief of the bottom of the lake with its mud volcanoes have shown that it is up to 150 thousand years old. In this regard, Baikal is also unique, because average age lakes of similar origin - 10-15 thousand years.

The rift basin in which Baikal is located is similar in structure to the Dead Sea. Its depth is the depth of Baikal. The opinions of scientists on the formation of the basin differ.

There are 3 versions:

The depression is the result of a transform fault.
The depression arose as a result of the action of a hot mantle flow under the lake.
The depression was formed as a result of minor collisions of Hindustan and the Eurasian plate.

Obviously, as a result of seismic activity, the relief of the bottom of Lake Baikal is changing and is still subsiding.

The origin of the name of the lake is unclear, but all four points of view reflect the greatness of the reservoir and indirectly indicate how deep Baikal is: Japanese - "great water", Turkic - "rich lake", Mongolian - "rich fire" and Chinese - "northern sea" . In our country modern name began to be used in the 17th century, it was borrowed from the Buryats (Beigkhel): in Russian the word was assimilated and the usual pronunciation was established - Baikal.

Features of the landscape and climate

The record depth of Baikal and the vast area of the watershed determine the local climate. Mild winters, but rather cool summers, a long autumn and a long spring - that's climatic characteristics areas adjacent to the lake. Also, the weather of Lake Baikal is affected by local specific winds, such as barguzin or kultuk. Because of the current winds, Baikal is referred to as the most restless lakes in the world.

Another remarkable property of the climate is mirages, which appear up to 7 times a year and last for 5-6 hours. They arise due to the difference in air temperature between the surface of the water and the space above it. Mirages occur due to the refraction of rays. Landscape objects can visually rise above the water surface so that the horizon is visible. Another kind of mirage is when natural objects that are thousands of kilometers distant optically approach.

Baikal waters: features and currents

The water of the lake has fascinated local residents: she was idolized, she was treated. It is saturated with oxygen, close in composition to distilled water, and due to the action of microorganisms, it is practically devoid of minerals. The volume of Baikal water is 90% of Russia's fresh water reserves and 20% of the world's. For comparison: there is more water in our great lake than in the 5 largest American lakes combined.

The transparency of Baikal water is surprising: visibility reaches 40 meters. True, this figure can drop to 10 meters during the flowering period of plants. Depending on the time of year and the activity of plants and microorganisms, Baikal water changes its color from bright blue in cold weather to green in summer and autumn.

Baikal is saturated with 336 rivers and streams constantly flowing into it. Turka, Snezhnaya, Upper Angara, Sarma are the largest of them. The Angara is the only river flowing from Lake Baikal.

Depth indicators

How deep is Lake Baikal? It is determined by the origin and parameters of the depression in which the lake is located. The last depth studies were carried out in 1983, they were confirmed in 2002. The lake is mesmerizing: with an average of 730 meters maximum depth Baikal - 1630 meters. There are two more lakes on Earth with a depth of more than 1000 meters: Tanganyika and the Caspian Sea. Moreover, in the latter, the water is salty, not fresh. Even the average depth of Baikal is amazing - few lakes on Earth can boast a value of 730 meters.

Currents act on the surface of Lake Baikal, encircling its shores and the largest islands. AT certain places (West Coast Small Sea) the current is quite strong, so even in calm weather the ships drift. The decrease in the intensity of water movement is affected by the depth of Lake Baikal in a given place and the distance from the coastline.

Flora and fauna

Baikal is unique in its flora and fauna: two thirds of animal representatives live exclusively here. Oxygenated water provides a favorable environment for the reproduction of species. Scientists have discovered only 70% of the fauna of Baikal. Epishura crustaceans form the basis of the food chain of the lake; in addition, they perform important function purification of water - pass it through themselves. The fauna of Baikal has 56 species of fish. Among them unique look- golomyanka. The fish is interesting in that it does not lay eggs, but gives birth to fry alive. The golomyanka is 43% fat; in search of food, it migrates from great depths to shallow ones.

seal - the only mammal that lives on Baikal.

From flora sponges can be noted that grow on great depths and are the oldest inhabitants of Baikal.

The uniqueness of the lake is recognized all over the world. Not only the depth of Baikal is taken into account, but also its unique ecosystem. Climate, geographical features lakes attract tourists and scientists from all over the world.

You can find whole volumes of information about Baikal, both on the Internet and in various magazines and book editions. The lake is not deprived of attention from tourists, researchers and politicians. From year to year, stunning events are associated with Baikal scientific discoveries, expeditions are constantly equipped for a thorough study. This topic I decided to devote the most interesting facts and events related to Lake Baikal. I will try to save you from boring geographical terms, only the most interesting will be here. Most of the photos in the topic are clickable (open on click)

- one of the oldest lakes on the planet and the deepest lake in the world. Baikal is one of the ten largest lakes in the world. Its average depth is about 730 meters, the maximum is 1637 meters. In 1996, Baikal was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Scientists disagree about the origin of Lake Baikal, as well as about its age. Scientists traditionally determine the age of the lake at 25-35 million years. This fact also makes Baikal unique. natural object, since most lakes, especially those of glacial origin, live on average 10-15 thousand years, and then they are filled with silt sediments and become swampy

There is also a version about the relative youth of Lake Baikal, put forward by Alexander Tatarinov, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences in 2009, which received indirect confirmation during the second stage of the Worlds expedition to Baikal. In particular, the activity of mud volcanoes at the bottom of Lake Baikal allows scientists to assume that the modern coastline of the lake is only 8 thousand years old, and the deep-water part is 150 thousand years old.

Baikal contains about 19% of the world's fresh water reserves. There is more water in Baikal than in all five Great Lakes taken together and 25 times more than, for example, in Lake Ladoga

The water in the lake is so transparent that individual stones and various items are visible at a depth of 40 m. The purest and clearest water Baikal contains so few mineral salts (100 mg/l) that it can be used instead of distilled

2,630 species and varieties of plants and animals live in Baikal, 2/3 of which are endemic, that is, they live only in this reservoir. This abundance of living organisms is explained great content oxygen in the entire thickness of Baikal water

Photo of Baikal from space

The most interesting in Baikal is the viviparous golomyanka fish, whose body contains up to 30% fat. She surprises biologists with daily feeding migrations from the depths to shallow water.

The second, after the golomyanka, the miracle of Baikal, to which it owes its exceptional purity, is the epishura crustacean (numbers about 300 species). The Baikal epishura is a copepod, 1 mm long, a representative of plankton, found throughout the depth (it is not found in bays where the water warms up). Baikal would not be Baikal without this copepod, barely noticeable to the eye, surprisingly efficient and numerous, managing to filter all Baikal water ten times a year, or even more

Here lives typically marine mammal- seal, or Baikal seal

Baikal's water reserves would be enough for 40 years for the inhabitants of the whole Earth, and at the same time 46 x 1015 people could quench their thirst

Baikal ice presents scientists with many mysteries. Thus, in the 1930s, specialists from the Baikal Limnological Station discovered unusual shapes ice cover, characteristic only for Baikal. For example, “hills” are cone-shaped ice hills up to 6 meters high, hollow inside. Appearance they resemble ice tents, "open" in the opposite direction from the coast. Hills can be located separately, and sometimes form miniature "mountain ranges"

Satellite images clearly show dark rings 5-7 km in diameter on the ice of Lake Baikal. The origin of the rings is not known. Scientists believe that the rings on the ice of the lake may have already appeared many times, but it was impossible to see them because of their huge size. Now using the latest technologies it became possible, and scientists will begin to study this phenomenon. For the first time, such rings were discovered in 1999, then in 2003, 2005. As you can see, rings do not form every year. The rings are also not located in the same place. Scientists were particularly interested in the reason for the displacement of the rings in 2008 to the southwest, compared with 1999, 2003 and 2005. In April 2009, such rings were found again, and again in a different place than last year. Scientists suggest that the rings are formed due to the release natural gas from the bottom of Baikal. However, the exact causes and mechanisms of the formation of dark rings on the Baikal ice have not yet been studied, and no one knows their exact nature.

The Baikal region (the so-called Baikal rift zone) belongs to areas with high seismicity: earthquakes regularly occur here, the strength of most of which is one or two points on the MSK-64 intensity scale. However, strong ones also happen, so in 1862, during a ten-point Kudarinsky earthquake in the northern part of the Selenga delta, a land area of 200 km2 went under water? with 6 uluses, in which 1,300 people lived, and the Proval Bay was formed

A unique deep-sea neutrino telescope NT-200, built in 1993-1998, was created and operates on the lake, with the help of which high-energy neutrinos are detected. On its basis, the NT-200+ neutrino telescope with an increased effective volume is being created, the construction of which is expected to be completed no earlier than 2017.

The first dives of manned submersibles on Baikal were made in 1977, when the bottom of the lake was explored on the deep-sea submersible "Pices" of Canadian production. In Listvenichny Bay, a depth of 1,410 meters was reached. In 1991 Pisis with east side Olkhon sank to a depth of 1,637 meters.

In the summer of 2008, the Foundation for Assistance to the Preservation of Lake Baikal carried out a scientific research expedition “Mira” on Baikal. 52 deep-sea manned submersibles “Mir” were dived to the bottom of Lake Baikal. Scientists delivered water samples to the P.P. Shirshov Research Institute of Oceanology soil and microorganisms raised from the bottom of Lake Baikal

In 1966, production began at the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM), as a result of which the adjacent bottom areas of the lake began to degrade. Dust and gas emissions have a negative impact on the taiga around the BPPM, dry tops and drying of the forest are noted. In September 2008, the plant introduced closed system water circulation, designed to reduce the discharge of wash water. According to the source, the system turned out to be inoperable and less than a month after its launch, the plant had to be stopped.

There are many legends associated with. The most fascinating of them is connected with the Angara River:
In the old days, the mighty Baikal was cheerful and kind. He deeply loved his only daughter Angara. She was not more beautiful on earth. During the day it is light - lighter than the sky, at night it is dark - darker than the clouds. And whoever rode past the Angara, everyone admired her, everyone praised her. Even migratory birds: geese, swans, cranes - descended low, but rarely landed on the water of the Angara. They said: “Is it possible to blacken light?”

Old man Baikal took care of his daughter more than his heart. Once, when Baikal fell asleep, Angara rushed to run to the young Yenisei. Father woke up, angrily splashed waves. A fierce storm arose, mountains sobbed, forests fell, the sky turned black from grief, animals fled in fear all over the earth, fish dived to the very bottom, birds flew away to the sun. Only the wind howled, and the heroic sea raged. Mighty Baikal hit the gray-haired mountain, broke off a rock from it and threw it after the fleeing daughter. The rock fell on the very throat of the beauty. The blue-eyed Angara pleaded, panting and sobbing, and began to ask:

“Father, I am dying of thirst, forgive me and give me at least one drop of water.”

Baikal shouted angrily:

“I can only give my tears!”

For thousands of years, the Angara has been flowing into the Yenisei with water-tear, and the gray-haired lonely Baikal has become gloomy and scary. The rock that Baikal threw after his daughter was called by people the Shaman stone. Rich sacrifices were made to Baikal there. People said: “Baikal will be angry, it will tear off the Shaman stone, the water will gush and flood the whole earth.” Currently, the river is blocked by a dam, so only the top of the shaman stone is visible from the water.

There is a legend among the people about the creation of Baikal "The Lord looked: the unkind land came out ... no matter how she began to be offended by him! And so that she would not hold a grudge, he took and waved her not some kind of foot mat, but the very measure of his generosity, which he measured how much to be from him. The measure fell and turned into Baikal.

Baikal- lake tectonic origin located in the southern part Eastern Siberia, on the border of the Republic of Buryatia and the 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 of 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. At the same time, the western coast is steep and rocky, while the eastern coast is more gentle. 336 streams and rivers flow into the Lake. Most major tributaries: Upper Angara, Selenga, Turk, 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 a strong influence on the climate of the coastal area. 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. At the same time, the average depth is 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 of three countries - Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands.
Baikal is the deepest lake on earth
The lake contains 19% of the world's fresh water