Baikal: the deepest and cleanest lake in the world. The deepest lake in the world - the mysterious Lake Baikal Communication plan the deepest lake in the world

The deepest lake in the world, freshwater Lake Baikal, is located in Russia. Its depth exceeds 1600 meters.

Lake Baikal is the largest lake in the world in terms of fresh water volume. The lake contains 20% of the world's fresh water. Baikal water is one of the cleanest in the world, and even some scientists consider it the cleanest lake in the world. You can see and observe the bottom of the lake up to 40 meters deep without any equipment.

The area of ​​the Baikal water mirror is 31,500 square km. This is about the same area as Belgium, the Netherlands or Denmark.

Baikal is also the oldest lake in the world. He is approximately 25 million years old. During these years, sediments were deposited in the lake up to 8500 meters thick. If the level of the lake remained unchanged, the depth of the lake can be up to 8.5 kilometers. This means that Lake Baikal contains the highest mountains on earth, but they are hidden from human eyes by water and mud.

Lake Baikal arose as a result of seismic activity. This activity continues today. During the earthquake of 1862, about 200 square kilometers of land with 5 villages went under water.

More than a thousand species of animals and plants live on Baikal, which are not found anywhere else. For example, a unique deep-sea predatory fish is viviparous. This fish does not spawn, but breeds small fish. Only a few species of fish found in the tropics can also do this. The water in the lake is very cold, especially in depth. To survive in such conditions has 30-40% fat. In addition, because of the fat, this fish is almost transparent. In the old days, the fat of this fish was used to make candles.

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard of a few of the largest. Do you think Baikal is the largest lake in the world? In fact, Baikal occupies only the 7th line in the ranking of the largest lakes!

Did you know that the area of ​​the largest lake on the planet is equal to the area of ​​52 million football fields and is comparable to the area of ​​Moscow multiplied by 150 times? Not? Then read below!

No. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 square kilometers. North America.

Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world by area, and it is also the deepest lake in North America. Its depth is 614 meters. The dimensions of the Great Slave Lake are 480 km long, 19-109 km wide, and the area is 28,930 square kilometers.

From October to June, the lake is covered with ice; in winter, the ice can withstand the weight of trucks. Rivers flowing into the lake: Hay, Slave, Snowdrift, etc. The Mackenzie River flows out of the lake. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 9. Lake Nyasa - 30,044 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Nyasa (Malawi) is the ninth largest lake in the world. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, the depth is 706 m. Nyasa contains 7% of the world's reserves of liquid fresh water.

Nyasa is known for its rich ecosystem, many of the species found in the lake are endemic. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

No. 8. Big Bear Lake - 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

The Great Bear Lake is located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in Canada. The lake ranks eighth in area in the world and fourth in North America. The dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake has a not very good history. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined for the manufacture of bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lake is almost always covered with ice, the ice rarely melts before the end of July. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 7. Lake Baikal - 31,500 square kilometers. Eastern Siberia.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the largest water reservoir, which contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in terms of area in the world and first in terms of volume. The dimensions of the lake are: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, the age is more than 25 million years. The fauna of Lake Baikal is one of the most unique in the world, many species are endemic.

No. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 square kilometers. Central Africa.

Lake Tanganyika is one of the deepest lakes in the world, along with Lake Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

The dimensions of the lake are: length - 676 ​​km, width - 72 km, maximum depth - 1470 m, volume - 18,900 km3. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

Tanganyika lies in the deepest tectonic basin in Africa and enters the basin of the Congo River, one of the largest rivers in the world.

No. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is the largest of the lakes located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third among the Great Lakes. The volume of the lake is 4918 m3, length - 494 km, width - 190 km, maximum depth - 281 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 square kilometers North America.

Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is located on the territory of two countries: the USA and Canada. Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 3538 m3, length - 331 km, width - 295 km, maximum depth - 229 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Victoria is located in Tanzania, Kenya. After the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was turned into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports on the territory of the three countries. On the island of Rubondo (Tanzania), a national park has been formed.

Victoria is the third largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 2760 m3, the length is 320 km, the width is 274 km, the maximum depth is 80 m. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

The lake was discovered and named after Queen Victoria by British traveler John Henning Speke in 1858.

No. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Superior is the second largest in the world and the largest among the Great Lakes, located on the border of the United States and Canada. The volume of the lake is 12,000 m3, length - 563 km, width - 257 km, maximum depth - 406 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

Etymology of the name. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, which means "big water".

No. 1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 square kilometers. Europe Asia.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth and is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the junction of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. The coastline of the Caspian Sea is approximately 6500 kilometers long.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of them are the Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Kura, Artek, etc. The Caspian Sea washes the shores of Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.

This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Its depth is 1637 meters.

Located the deepest lake in the world almost in the center of the vast continent of Eurasia. Baikal is 636 kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide.

The water of Lake Baikal accounts for 20% of all fresh water reserves in the world, and 90% in Russia. Baikal is also the cleanest lake in the world. Due to the activity of living microorganisms living in it, the water is slightly mineralized (almost distilled), which explains its crystal transparency. In spring, water transparency reaches 40 meters.

Eats the deepest lake in the world three hundred and thirty six permanent rivers and streams. The largest river flowing into Baikal is the Selenga River. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. Thus, Baikal is the most full-flowing lake and the largest storage of fresh water in the world.

The flora and fauna of the deepest lake in the world is very diverse. Whitefish, lenok, taimen are found here - representatives of the salmon family. Sturgeon, grayling, pike, carp, catfish, cod, perch and many other families of fish. Also, seals are found here, which are the only representatives of mammals in the lake. In autumn, on the rocky shores, you can see a lot of these Baikal seals.

Nerpa is not the only inhabitant of the coasts, a lot of gulls, mergansers, goldeneyes, turpans, shelducks, white-tailed eagles, ospreys and other birds nest along the coasts and on the islands.

Lake Baikal attracts numerous tourists from all over the world with its beauty and amazingness. On the shores of Lake Baikal, infrastructure, recreation centers, and hotels are widely developed.

Lake Baikal is a natural heritage not only of Russia, but of the whole world, so we must protect it, preserve its originality. Baikal opens up to us many beautiful landscapes, looking at which is breathtaking...

In the largest country in the world there is the deepest lake, its name is Baikal. More than one volume of book production is devoted to this lake; legends are made up about this lake. Every year, tourists come to admire the beauty of Baikal, researchers do not ignore the lake, do not forget about the national heritage of politics. Expeditions regularly gather in these places, ending with the most interesting discoveries.

Baikal dimensions

To walk along the bottom of the lake, you will have to descend to a depth of 1642 meters - this is the lowest point of Baikal. The average value is 744 meters. You can’t get around Baikal on foot, the narrowest point of the lake is 24 km, and the widest is 79 km, and the total length of the coast is 2,100 meters.

If you add up two countries, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, you can get an area equal to the area of ​​​​Baikal.

The pond seems to be buried in the arms of mountain ranges. Moreover, if in the western part the coast is literally lined with a fence of rocks, then the relief of the eastern one is significantly softened.

Water volume

No other lake contains so much fresh water. Just think about these figures - 23 thousand 615 km3 - this is one fifth of all world reserves.

Baikal is second only to the Caspian Sea in terms of water reserves. If we take water from the five Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario and pour it into one giant vat, we still won't get Baikal. It is so roomy!

The lake has surprisingly clear water - a 40-cm water surface allows you to see the contents of the bottom.

Origin of the lake

Baikal keeps the secret of its origin - scientists still do not know how old it is or where it was formed. A rough estimate of the age of Baikal is about thirty million years. And even in this it is unique! Usually the life expectancy of glacial lakes is no more than 15 thousand years, then they die under muddy sediments.

But not everyone agrees with the multi-million age of Baikal, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Alexander Tatarinov is ready to argue with his colleagues. According to his calculations, the lake is no more than 150 thousand years old.

Flora and fauna

Surprisingly, they still continue to discover new types of living organisms that inhabit this deep lake. At the moment, it is known about two thousand six hundred species of animals, and a little more than two thousand - plants. Presumably, this makes up no more than 80% of the entire world of flora and fauna of Baikal.

Baikal is fully populated both on the surface and in the depths. Moreover, almost half of all creatures inhabiting the reservoir cannot be found anywhere else. Most of the animals, and slightly less than half of the plants, are endemic. The lake has become home to two hundred species of birds, 58 varieties of fish.

A unique animal lives here - the Baikal seal. This typical inhabitant of the seas, most likely during the Ice Age, sailed to these places from the Arctic Ocean and has since settled here. At the moment, there are several tens of thousands of seals in the lake.

Every year, in winter, Lake Baikal is covered with an ice cover up to one and a half meters thick. The uniqueness of the Baikal ice is that, firstly, it is surprisingly transparent, and secondly, sokui appear on the surface - hills of ice. Such hollow cones can reach six meters in height.

Another mystery that scientists are struggling with is that circles form on the ice of the lake - they are clearly visible on satellite images. Every year they appear in a new place, what this is connected with, scientists have yet to find out.

Legends and myths

The locals treat the lake with respect: they believe that Baikal is a living creature that must be handled with extreme care, not to harm anyone who angers a powerful healer.

According to one of the legends, 336 sons-rivers flowed into the waters of the father of Baikal, and Angara - the only daughter. So they replenished its waters. And it was so until a bright feeling settled in the daughter's heart. And the course of the river turned back, the Angara began to give the water of her father to her beloved Yenisei. An angry father cursed and threw a piece of rock into the Angara. Since then, at the source of the Angara lies the Shaman-stone.

And people still believe that if you anger the priest of Baikal, he will tear off the Shaman stone from the place, water will gush and flood everything around. Currently, a dam has been built on the Angara, so only the top of the Shaman Stone is visible.

05/26/2015 at 18:50 · Johnny · 16 240

Top 10 deepest lakes in the world

Lakes are bodies of water that form in natural depressions on the earth's surface. Most of them contain fresh water, but there are lakes with salt water. Lakes contain more than 67% of all fresh water on the planet. Many of them are huge and deep. What the deepest lakes in the world? We present to you the ten deepest lakes on our planet.

10. Lake Buenos Aires | 590 m

This reservoir is located in South America, in the Andes, on the border of Argentina and Chile. This lake appeared due to the movement of glaciers, which created the basin of the reservoir. The maximum depth of the lake is 590 meters. The reservoir is located at an altitude of 217 meters above sea level. The lake is famous for its beauty and famous marble caves, which thousands of tourists come to see every year. The lake has the purest water, it is home to a large number of fish.

9. Lake Matano | 590 m

The deepest lake in Indonesia and one of the most important sources of fresh water in the country. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 590 meters, it is located in the southern part of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. The waters of this lake are crystal clear and are home to hundreds of species of fish, plants and other living creatures. On the shores of the lake there are huge reserves of nickel ore.

The Patea River flows out of Lake Matano and carries its waters to the Pacific Ocean.

8. Crater Lake | 592 m

This is largest lake in the usa. It is of volcanic origin and is located in the national park of the same name, located in the state of Oregon. The maximum depth of Crater is 592 meters, it is located in the crater of an extinct volcano and is distinguished by incredible beauty. The lake is fed by rivers that originate in mountain glaciers, so Crater's water is amazingly clean and transparent. It has the cleanest water in North America.

Local Indians have composed a large number of myths and legends about the lake, all of them are beautiful and poetic.

7. Great Slave Lake | 614 m

It is located in the northwestern part of Canada and has an area of ​​over 11,000 square miles. This is deepest lake in North America, its maximum depth is 614 meters. The Great Slave Lake is located in the northern latitudes and is ice-bound for almost eight months of the year. In winter, the ice is so strong that heavy trucks can easily cross it.

There is a legend that a strange creature lives in this lake, very reminiscent of a dragon. Many witnesses have seen him, but science has not yet found evidence of the existence of a mysterious creature. In the middle of the last century, gold reserves were found in the vicinity of the lake. The shores of the lake are very picturesque.

6. Lake Issyk-Kul | 704 m

This is an alpine lake, which is located in Kyrgyzstan. The water in this reservoir is salty, its maximum depth is 704 meters, and the average depth of the lake is more than three hundred meters. Thanks to salty water, Issyk-Kul does not freeze even in the most severe winters. Very interesting legends are associated with the lake.

According to archaeologists, several millennia ago, a very advanced ancient civilization was located on the site of the lake. Not a single river flows out of Issyk-Kul.

5. Lake Malawi (Nyasa) | 706 m

In fifth place among deepest lakes in the world there is another African body of water. It also formed at the site of a break in the earth's crust, and has a maximum depth of 706 meters.

This lake is located on the territory of three African countries at once: Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. Due to the high temperature of the water, the lake is home to the largest number of fish species on Earth. The fish of Lake Malawi are favorite inhabitants of aquariums. The water in it is crystal clear and attracts a huge number of diving enthusiasts.

4. Lake San Martin | 836 m

Located on the border of two South American countries: Chile and Argentina. Its maximum depth is 836 meters. This is the deepest lake not only South but also North America. Many small rivers flow into Lake San Martin, the Pascua River flows out of it, which carries its waters to the Pacific Ocean.

3. Caspian Sea | 1025 m

In third place on our list is the lake, which is called the sea. The Caspian Sea is largest enclosed body of water on our planet. It has salt water and is located between the southern borders of Russia and the northern part of Iran. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is 1025 meters. Its waters also wash the shores of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. More than a hundred rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of which is the Volga.

The natural world of the reservoir is very rich. Very valuable species of fish are found here. A large number of minerals have been explored on the shelf of the Caspian Sea. There is a lot of oil and natural gas here.

2. Lake Tanganyika | 1470 m

This lake is located almost in the center of the African continent and is considered the second deepest lake in the world and the deepest in Africa. It was formed on the site of an ancient fault in the earth's crust. The maximum depth of the reservoir is 1470 meters. Tanganyika is located on the territory of four African countries at once: Zambia, Burundi, DR Congo and Tanzania.

This body of water is considered longest lake in the world, its length is 670 kilometers. The natural world of the lake is very rich and interesting: there are crocodiles, hippos and a huge number of unique fish. Tanganyika plays a huge role in the economy of all states in whose territory it is located.

1. Lake Baikal | 1642 m

This is the deepest freshwater lake on Earth. It is also one of the largest freshwater reservoirs on our planet. Its maximum depth is 1642 meters. The average depth of the lake is more than seven hundred meters.

Origin of Lake Baikal

It was formed at the site of a break in the earth's crust (a lot of lakes with great depths have a similar origin).

Baikal is located in the eastern part of Eurasia, not far from the Russian-Mongolian border. This lake ranks second in terms of water volume and contains 20% of all fresh water that is available on our planet.

This lake has a unique ecosystem, there are 1700 species of plants and animals, and most of them are endemic. Thousands of tourists come to Baikal every year - this is a real pearl of Siberia. Locals consider Baikal a sacred lake. Shamans from all over East Asia regularly gather here. Numerous myths and legends are associated with Baikal.

+ Lake Vostok | 1200 m

Worth mentioning is the unique lake Vostok, which is located in Antarctica, not far from the Russian polar station of the same name. This lake is covered with almost four kilometers of ice, and its estimated depth is 1200 meters. This amazing reservoir was discovered only in 1996 and so far little is known about it.

Scientists believe that the water temperature in Lake Vostok is -3 ° C, but despite this, the water does not freeze due to the enormous pressure exerted by the ice. It still remains a mystery whether there is life in this gloomy under-ice world. Only in 2012, scientists were able to drill through the ice and get to the surface of the lake. These studies can provide a lot of new information about what our planet was like hundreds of thousands of years ago.

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