[89], Olkhon's most-populated village Khuzhir is an ecotourist destination. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22 to 23% of the world's fresh surface water. [108][109] Work began on the pipeline two days after President Putin agreed to changing the route away from Lake Baikal. Crater Lake in the Cascade Range, southwestern Oregon. baicalensis. Hiking trails become open,[88] many of them cross two mountain ranges: Baikal Range on the western side and Barguzin Range on the eastern side of Baikal. [24] The Kultuk blows southwest and the Verkhovik blows north or northeast. They are also endemic to the Lake Baikal basin. Drizhenko produced the first detailed contour map of the lake bed. [55], As of 2006[update], almost 150 freshwater snails are known from Lake Baikal, including 117 endemic species from the subfamilies Baicaliinae (part of the Amnicolidae) and Benedictiinae (part of the Lithoglyphidae), and the families Planorbidae and Valvatidae. Muscat: Laila Al Habsi, a geologist working in the mining industry in Oman, is the first Arab woman to dive in the Lake Baikal, considered the deepest and oldest lake in the world. It is a rift lake in the south of the Russian region of Siberia. Worldwide, there are 37 lakes known to be at least 1300 feet or 400 meters deep. King, M.I. According to the Transneft's president, numerous meetings with citizens near the lake were held in towns along the route, especially in Irkutsk. Until its completion, a train ferry transported railcars across the lake from Port Baikal to Mysovaya for a number of years. [63] A smaller number of other freshwater annelids is known: 30 species of leeches (Hirudinea),[64] and 4 polychaetes. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, in 2013, 79,179 foreign tourists visited Irkutsk and Lake Baikal; in 2014, 146,937 visitors. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey. Also known as the "blue eye of Siberia", Lake Baikal is located in Southern Siberia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. The ice season ends in mid-April. The decision to construct the plant on the Lake Baikal resulted in strong protests from Soviet scientists; according to them, the ultra-pure water of the lake was a significant resource and should have been used for innovative chemical production (for instance, the production of high-quality viscose for the aeronautics and space industries). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This usage is attested already in the Life of Protopope Avvakum (1621–1682),[118] and on the late-17th-century maps by Semyon Remezov. Crater Lake, in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, is one example. [37], There are 236 species of birds that inhabit Lake Baikal, 29 of which are waterfowl. Notable landforms include Cape Ryty on Baikal's northwest coast. [32], The watershed of Lake Baikal has numerous floral species represented. The bottom of the lake is 1,186.5 m (3,893 ft) below sea level, but below this lies some 7 km (4.3 mi) of sediment, placing the rift floor some 8–11 km (5.0–6.8 mi) below the surface, the deepest continental rift on Earth. [66] While the Baikalospongia species typically have encrusting or carpet-like structures, L. baikalensis often has branching structures and in areas where common may form underwater "forests". [50] It is estimated that the epischurans filter as much as a thousand cubic kilometers of water a year, or the lake's entire volume every twenty-three years.[51]. An oil platform in the Caspian Sea near Baku, Azerbaijan. There are many deep lakes in the world. Non-fishermen may try fresh Baikal fish in local village markets. [60][61] The endemic bivalves are mainly found in shallows, with few species from deep water. [25][43] The families Abyssocottidae (deep-water sculpins), Comephoridae (golomyankas or Baikal oilfish), and Cottocomephoridae (Baikal sculpins) are entirely restricted to the lake basin. [97] However, on 4 January 2010, production was resumed. It's a natural lake located in Sorowako area in South Sulawesi province with unique natural diversity. [26][27], In Lake Baikal, the water temperature varies significantly depending on location, depth, and time of the year. [8] It is among the world's clearest[9] lakes and is the world's oldest lake,[10] at 25–30 million years. It is the largest known subglacial lake. Schön; Pieri; Sherbakov; and Martens (2017). Although we love our country’s lakes, today, we appreciate the five deepest lakes across the globe. The area was inhabited by humans at the time, and it is generally believed that the oral traditions of the local Klamath Indians concerning the creation of the lake reflect a mythologized but authentic account of the eruption and collapse. Issyk Kul is the second largest saline lake in the world after the Caspian Sea. Ysyk-Köl has long been a site of human activity. The most popular trail starts in Listvyanka and goes along the Baikal coast to Bolshoye Goloustnoye. They were joined by another band of rioters from Krasnoyarsk, but left the Buryat country when they ran short of food. It has a lower difficulty level and could be passed by people without special skills and gear. Two of the most common species are Benedictia baicalensis and Megalovalvata baicalensis. In 1629, Yakov Khripunov set off from Tomsk to find a rumored silver mine. [23] The main ones draining directly into Baikal are the Selenga, the Barguzin, the Upper Angara, the Turka, the Sarma, and the Snezhnaya. (2014). The World's Deepest Lakes At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. Kravchinsky, V.A., M.E. It sits on the Argentina-Chile border and is fed by the O’Higgins Glacier, which flows into it from the west. That is extremely deep, but it isn’t the deepest. Commercial fishing and tourism to the Caspian shore play a vital role in the economies of the surrounding countries. The incredible average depth is around 2,442 feet deep. Karanovic, I.; and T.Y. But the southernmost third plunges down to an average depth of about 1,000 feet (300 meters). Returning, he sailed up the Vitim River into the area east of Lake Baikal (1640) where he heard reports of the Amur country. 2. This activity is most popular on Buryatia side of Baikal (Ust-Barguzin). 6- Lake Malawi / Nyasa (706 meters) At 706 meters, Lake Malawi or Lake Nyasa is the 6th deepest lake in the world. [112], Chinese owned AquaSib has been purchasing land along the lake and started building a bottling plant and pipeline in the town of Kultuk. [41][42][48][49], The lake hosts a rich endemic fauna of invertebrates. The Barguzin (named after the Barguzin river) blows northeast in the spring. According to 19th-century traveler T. W. Atkinson, locals in the Lake Baikal Region had the tradition that Christ visited the area: The people have a tradition in connection with this region which they implicitly believe. Paradina; Kulikova; Suturin; and Saibatalova (2003). Although originally reported as being successful, they did not set a world record for the deepest freshwater dive, reaching a depth of only 1,580 m (5,180 ft). The lake gets its characteristic milky turquoise color from the high concentration of rock flour suspended in the water from the glacier. Russian, U.S., and Japanese cooperative studies of deep-drilling core sediments in the 1990s provide a detailed record of climatic variation over the past 6.7 million years. [34][65], At least 18 species of sponges occur in the lake,[66] including 14 species from the endemic family Lubomirskiidae (the remaining are from the nonendemic family Spongillidae). Also known as the “blue eye of Siberia”, Lake Baikal is located in Southern Siberia the Russo-Mongolian border. The pacification was moderately successful, but in 1634, Bratsk was destroyed and its garrison killed. Visitors to the lake are struck by the lake’s unusually deep blue color, which is due to the lake’s depth and the clarity of the water, which holds very little sediment because it mostly comes from rainfall. UNESCO declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996.[16]. Two of these songs are well known in Russia and its neighboring countries, such as Japan. [117] In 1638, it was besieged unsuccessfully. Deep lakes hold a special place in the human imagination. It has a depth of 1637 meters of 5369 ft. As the autumn begins, the surface temperature falls again and a second homothermic period at around 4 °C (39 °F) of the upper circa 300 m (980 ft) occurs in October–November. [65] Most of the flatworms are predatory, and some are relatively brightly marked. He crossed the lake and explored the lower Selenge River. In 2015, the ice road to Olkhon was open from 17 February to 23 March. [18][19] Longer and deeper sediment cores are expected in the near future. Owing to increasing temperatures ice starts to melt and becomes shallow and fragile, especially in places with strong under-ice flows. The latter song was a secondary theme song for the Soviet Union's second color film, Ballad of Siberia (1947; Сказание о земле Сибирской). This body of water is both the largest and deepest lake in the world and measures 1,642 metres deep, while it contains around 20% of the unfrozen fresh surface water in the world. The lake was formed by an ancient rift valley and holds 20 per cent of all unfrozen freshwater on the planet; more than the water of the five North American Great Lakes. [101], Russian oil pipelines state company Transneft[102] was planning to build a trunk pipeline that would have come within 800 m (2,600 ft) of the lake shore in a zone of substantial seismic activity. Kuzmin. In the Lake Homes market footprint, Lake Superior ranks the deepest at 1,333 feet. [91], Lake Baikal faces a series of detrimental phenomena including the disappearance of the omul fish, the rapid growth of putrid algae and the death of endemic species of sponges across its area. The lake is so large and so deep that it is estimated to hold 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water. The plant bleached paper using chlorine and discharged waste directly into Lake Baikal. Their primitive sounding device … This allows access to the figures of ice that are formed at rocky banks of Olkhon Island, including Cape Hoboy, the Three Brothers rock, and caves to the North of Khuzhir. A popular resort in Listvyanka is home to the seven-story Hotel Mayak. Critics and environmentalists argued it would be a disaster for the region and are urging the government to reconsider. This made it difficult for other Russians to enter the area. [5][6] With 23,615.39 km3 (5,670 cu mi) of fresh water,[1] it contains more water than all of the North American Great Lakes combined. The world’s deepest lake. This lake in Russia is the deepest lake in the world, with a depth of staggering 5,387 feet. [92] Environmental advocacy for the lake began in the late 1950s. They have little effect on the lake's temperature because of its huge volume. This list contains all lakes whose maximum depth is reliably known to exceed 400 metres (1,300 ft) Geologically, the Caspian Sea, like the Black and Mediterranean seas, is a remnant of the ancient Tethys Ocean.The deepest area is oceanic rather than continental crust. as Transbaikalia or as the Transbaikal, and the loosely defined region around the lake itself is sometimes known as Baikalia. [59] In general, Baikal snails are thin-shelled and small. As many as 1,000 species of fish have been recorded in the lake, which means that it is home to about 15% of all freshwater fish species on Earth. The Soviet scientists felt that it was irrational to change Lake Baikal's water quality by beginning paper production on the shore. With a depth of 1642 m, it is the world’s deepest lake, and a storage capacity of more than 20% of unfrozen clear water makes it the deepest freshwater lake in the world. For nearly half the year, the ice on the lake is thick enough to hold trucks and cars; every day in the winter, several hundred vehicles take a shortcut from Yellowknife to the community of Dettah via an ice road. The world's deepest lake is Lake Baikal in Russia. Lake Baikal also happens to be around 25 million years old, making it the world’s oldest lake. Fault-controlled accommodation zones rising to depths about 300 m (980 ft) separate the basins. The total length of the route is 55 km, but the most part of tourists usually take only a part of it – a section of 25 km to Bolshie Koty. The deepest lake in the world is Lake Baikal in Russia. An early known tribe in the area was the Kurykans. Circle of thin ice, diameter of 4.4 km (2.7 mi) at the lake's southern tip, probably caused by convection, Delta of the Selenga River, Baikal's main tributary, Lake Baikal is rich in biodiversity. Озеро Байкал. More than a dozen streams and rivers flow into the lake. The lake is surrounded by mountains; the Baikal Mountains on the north shore, the Barguzin Range on the northeastern shore, and the taiga are protected as a national park. Baikal’s age and isolation have resulted in unique freshwater fauna. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world (by volume) and the world's deepest lake. Lying at an elevation of 5,270 feet (1,606 meters) in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan is Lake Ysyk, one of the world’s largest alpine lakes. [60] Bivalve diversity is lower with more than 30 species; about half of these, all in the families Euglesidae, Pisidiidae, and Sphaeriidae, are endemic (the only other family in the lake is the Unionidae with a single nonendemic species). Vehicles and people start to fall under ice. In 1648, Ivan Galkin built an ostrog on the Barguzin River which became a center for eastward expansion. [111], After enrichment, only 10% of the uranium-derived radioactive material would be exported to international customers,[111] leaving 90% near the Lake Baikal region for storage. 24,000 BP. Search Results. Krainov, M.E. The motif of a bottomless lake is widespread in world mythology; in such bodies of water, one generally imagines finding monsters, lost cities, treasures, mermaids, realms of the dead, and so on. Lakes ranked by maximum depth. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World (2008). The lake drains into the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisey. Its main tributary is the Mayer River together with other streams and its main outlet is the Pascua River. In 2007, the Russian government declared the Baikal region a special economic zone. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lake Baikal holds many other titles. Click the answer to find similar crossword clues. Among the most diverse invertebrate groups are the amphipod and ostracod crustaceans, freshwater snails, annelid worms and turbellarian worms: More than 350 species and subspecies of amphipods are endemic to the lake. The outlet discharges its waters into the Pacific Ocean at a rate of 18,000 cubic feet (510 cubic m). It is drained through a single outlet, the Angara. [79][80] Russian scientist and federal politician Artur Chilingarov, the leader of the mission, took part in the Mir dives[81] as did Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Lake Baikal, Russia. They say "that Christ visited this part of Asia and ascended this summit, whence he looked down on all the region around. INTAS Project 99-1669. It was formed 25 million years ago through the planet’s diverging crust. [9] During the winter, the water transparency in open sections can be as much as 30–40 m (100–130 ft), but during the summer it is typically 5–8 m (15–25 ft). Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The deepest lake in the world Baikal Soviet USSR Russia Nature Reserve Pin Badge at the best online prices at … Lake Baikal also happens to be around 25 million years old, making it the world’s oldest lake. Rosatom plans to build a laboratory near Baikal, in conjunction with an international uranium plant and to invest $2.5 billion in the region and create 2,000 jobs in the city of Angarsk.[85]. It is also considered the clearest and geologically the oldest lake on the planet with its age estimated at 25-30 million years. Peck, J.W. Научно и популярно", "Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station History", "Russian submersible dives in Lake Baikal do not establish new freshwater depth record", "Driving on frozen Lake Baikal in the winter", "Lake Baikal Travel Guide – Top Ten Attractions on Lake Baikal", "Самый теплый залив на Байкале – Чивыркуйский залив ! Kaygorodova, I.A. Local entrepreneurs offer overnight in Yurt on ice. Lake Baikal is the worlds oldest and deepest lake with a depth of 5,336 feet deep. Lake Tanganyika is not only the longest lake in the world (673 kilometres), but it’s also the second-deepest (1,470 metres) after Russia’s Lake Baikal. This list counts down the nine deepest lakes on Earth. The wind on the exposed lake was so cold, many people died, freezing in place until spring thaw. Water in the lake stays extremely cold in most places (does not exceed 10 C most of the year), but in few gulfs like Chivirkuy it can be comfortable for swimming. [34] More than 85 species of submerged macrophytes have been recorded, including genera such as Ceratophyllum, Myriophyllum, Potamogeton, and Sparganium. Пресноводные водоемы, растительность, животный мир", "Зоопланктон в экосистеме озера Байкал / О Байкале.ру – Байкал. George V. Lantzeff and Richard A. The bottom of the lake is 1,186.5 m (3,893 ft) below sea level, but below this lies some 7 km (4.3 mi) of sediment, placing the rift floor some 8–11 km (5.0–6.8 mi) below the surface, the deepest co… [100] On the day the plant was to close, 28 December 2013, the Russian government announced plans to build the Russian Nature Reserve's Expo Center in place of the closed paper mill. But for the few people tough enough to live there, there are perks. In 1653, Pyotr Beketov took Kolesnikov's route to Lake Irgen west of Chita, and that winter his man Urasov founded Nerchinsk. Lake Baikal is the worlds oldest and deepest lake with a depth of 5,336 feet deep. The lake has so much volume to it that it is also recognized as the worlds most voluminous lake, it truly holds over 20% of the worlds total unfrozen freshwater. Crater Lake, located in... Great Slave Lake (2,015 feet [614 meters]). выступили против прокладки нефтепровода к Тихому океану", "Transneft charged with Siberia-Pacific pipeline construction", "Saving the Sacred Sea: Russian nuclear plant threatens ancient lake", "The International Uranium Enrichment Center | JSC IUEC", "Siberian Authorities Halt Construction of Lake Baikal Bottling Plant After Backlash", Russia's Baikal, Biggest Lake in the World, 'Becoming a Swamp', Житие протопопа Аввакума, им самим написанное, «По диким степям Забайкалья», Русланова Лидия, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/006095373X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Lj5pAb5G9RF4N, Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent, Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings, Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Surroundings, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Baikal&oldid=994858624, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown, Articles with Russian-language sources (ru), Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without pushpin map alt, Articles using infobox body of water without alt bathymetry, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with dead external links from October 2020, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from October 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2006, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2019, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 December 2020, at 22:17. [32] They are exceptionally diverse in ecology and appearance, ranging from the pelagic Macrohectopus to the relatively large deep-water Abyssogammarus and Garjajewia, the tiny herbivorous Micruropus, and the parasitic Pachyschesis (parasitic on other amphipods). It was their position that it was also necessary to preserve endemic species of local biota, and to maintain the area around Lake Baikal as a recreation zone. Molecular evolution of the cottoid fish endemic to Lake Baikal deduced from nuclear DNA evidence. Like other lakes on this list, Baikal is home to a large number of animal and plant species that cannot be found anywhere else. Gold and bronze artifacts belonging to the Scythian people—the earliest settlers of Kyrgyzstan—have been found nearby. They are often abundant in shallow waters, where they are typically less than 2 cm (1 in) long, but in deeper parts of the lake, the largest, Baikaloplana valida, can reach up to 30 cm (1 ft) when outstretched. [58] The morphology of the Baikal ostracods is highly diverse. After blessing the country to the northward, he turned towards the south, and looking across the Baikal, he waved his hand, exclaiming 'Beyond this there is nothing.'" It is also home to Buryat tribes, who raise goats, camels, cattle, sheep, and horses[13] on the eastern side of the lake,[14][dead link] where the mean temperature varies from a winter minimum of −19 °C (−2 °F) to a summer maximum of 14 °C (57 °F). Lake Tanganyika is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest lake of any kind. It is 1,642 m deep at its deepest part. A breakthrough came in 2012, though, when a team of researchers successfully drilled all the way to the surface of the lake. The lake was formed by an ancient rift valley and holds 20 per cent of all unfrozen freshwater on the planet; more than the water of the five North American Great Lakes. [62], With almost 200 described species, including more than 160 endemics, the center of diversity for aquatic freshwater oligochaetes is Lake Baikal. The Caspian Sea, which lies between the Caucasus Mountains and the Central Asian Steppe, is the largest fully enclosed body of water on Earth and the world’s largest salt lake, stretching nearly 750 miles (1,200 km) from north to south and having an average width of 200 miles (320 km). Krainov, J.W. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. [citation needed], In 1638, Perfilyev crossed from the Angara over the Ilim portage to the Lena River and went downstream as far as Olyokminsk. Here are the 50 lakes we have listed within USA > South > Florida - compared by Deepest Lakes.. Although today we can study bodies of water with a variety of high-tech tools—including sonar, remote cameras, and miniature submarines—the ancient fascination and sense of mystery remain. Part of the Fraser River located in British Columbia, Quesnel Lake is a glacial lake. [citation needed]. [25][30] The sun continues to heat up the surface layer, and at the peak in August can reach up to about 16 °C (61 °F) in the main sections[30] and 20–24 °C (68–75 °F) in shallow bays in the southern half of the lake. [55] The vast majority of the Baikal ostracods belong in the families Candonidae (more than 100 described species) and Cytherideidae (about 50 described species),[55][57] but genetic studies indicate that the true diversity in at least the latter family has been heavily underestimated. The World's Deepest Lakes At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. ", Tide of discontent sweeps through Russia's struggling 'rust belt' – NBC News, "The Right to Know: Irkutsk Citizens Want to be Consulted", "Тема: (ENWL) Власти Иркутской обл. Half his party under Skorokhodov remained on the lake, reached the Upper Angara at its northern tip, and wintered on the Barguzin River on the northeast side. The road through the lake is 12 km (7.5 mi) long and it goes from the village Kurkut on the mainland, to Irkutskaya Guba on Olkhon Island.[86]. [111], An enrichment center was constructed in the 2010s. [38] Although named after the lake, both the Baikal teal and Baikal bush warbler are widespread in eastern Asia. Peck, H. Sakai, M.A. Together with certain abyssocottid sculpins, they are the deepest living freshwater fish in the world, occurring to near the bottom of Lake Baikal. In 1628, Pyotr Beketov first encountered a group of Buryats and collected yasak (tribute) from them at the future site of Bratsk. The Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The Crossword Solver finds answers to American-style crosswords, British-style crosswords, general knowledge crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles. The lake straddles the borders of Tanzania, Burundi, Congo DR, and Zambia. In addition, transverse winds blow locally and over shorter distances. Later that year on 13 January 2010, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin introduced changes in the legislation legalising the operation of the plant; this action brought about a wave of protests from ecologists and local residents. Price, 'Eastward to Empire',1973, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (, Raymond H. Fisher, The Voyage of Semon Dezhnev, The Haklyut Society, 1981, p. 246, "On the Baikal Sea I was in a shipwreck again" (На Байкалове море паки тонул), in the, railway around the southwestern end of Lake Baikal, Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope, Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline, "A new bathymetric map of Lake Baikal. It is also among the most cleare… [82], Since 1993, neutrino research has been conducted at the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT). [12] At some locations, hydrothermal vents with water that is about 50 °C (122 °F) have been found. In 1641, Verkholensk was founded on the upper Lena. Construction of the scenic railway around the southwestern end of Lake Baikal required 200 bridges and 33 tunnels. The first season is ice season, which starts usually in mid-January and lasts till mid-April. It was done first by following the Angara River upstream from Yeniseysk (founded 1619) and later by moving south from the Lena River. It is the deepest lake in North America and the second largest lake in Canada. [34] Except for Ulothrix, there are endemic Baikal species in all these green algae genera. Kaluzhnaya; Belikov; Schröder; Rothenberger; Zapf; Kaandorp; Borejko; Müller; and Müller (2005). But modern commercial fishing practices, introduced in the 1950s, have contributed to the problem of overfishing in recent decades. Lake Baikal is the only confined freshwater lake in which direct and indirect evidence of gas hydrates exists.[20][21][22]. [34] Of particular note are the two species of golomyanka (Comephorus baicalensis and C. dybowskii). Mountains on the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula, Zabaykalsky National Park, The river Turka at its mouth before joining Lake Baikal, Baikal is one of the clearest lakes in the world. The World's Deepest Lake Lake Baikal in southern Russia is the world's deepest lake. [94] However, the objections of the Soviet scientists faced opposition from the industrial lobby and only after decades of protest, the plant was closed in November 2008 due to unprofitability. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is officially 1,949 feet in depth. [71], Located in the former northern territory of the Xiongnu confederation, Lake Baikal is one site of the Han–Xiongnu War, where the armies of the Han dynasty pursued and defeated the Xiongnu forces from the second century BC to the first century AD. [15], The region to the east of Lake Baikal is referred to[by whom?] Some tourists may spot a Baikal seal along the route. Hunt, D. M., et al. Skipping over state and country borders, Lake Superior, the largest, deepest, coldest, cleanest, least developed, and most pristine of the Great Lakes, reigns as the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. [85] Viktor Grigorov's Grand Baikal in Irkutsk is one of the investors, who planned to build three hotels, creating 570 jobs. Озеро Байкал: экология. [10], Russian map circa 1700, Baikal (not to scale) is at top, Steam locomotive on the Circum-Baikal Railroad, Angara [ru] was launched in 1900 and is one of the oldest surviving icebreakers, Several organizations are carrying out natural research projects on Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal, located in southern Siberia, is the largest source of freshwater on Earth, containing 23% of the world’s freshwater. How the seals’ ancestors arrived in Lake Baikal remains a mystery, since the lake lies hundreds of miles inland. Ozero Baykal, IPA: [ˈozʲɪrə bɐjˈkaɫ]; Buryat: Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur)[4] is a rift lake located in southern Siberia, Russia, between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast. Because its length, depth, and temperature stratification create a number of radically different environments, Lake Nyasa has an extraordinarily high level of biodiversity. [34] Instead of vascular plants, aquatic flora is often dominated by several green algae species, notably Draparnaldioides, Tetraspora, and Ulothrix in water shallower than 20 m (65 ft); although Aegagrophila, Cladophora, and Draparnaldioides may occur deeper than 30 m (100 ft). The lake became the site of the minor engagement between the Czechoslovak legion and the Red Army in 1918. Also this season attracts fans of ice fishing. Approximately 25 million years old, Lake Baikal is also the oldest lake in the world. [45] The golomyankas are the primary prey of the Baikal seal and represent the largest fish biomass in the lake. Baikal has seen an influx of visitors from China and Europe. See, Cancelled east Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline the cichlid family at Tomsk seal,! Are agreeing to news, offers, and Zambia Solver finds answers to the Scythian people—the earliest of... A Site of human activity than 20 million years old, making it the world at... [ 45 ] the endemic bivalves are mainly found in relatively shallow water delivered right to your.. ] more than a dozen streams and its role in the southern Siberia Russo-Mongolian. Some are relatively brightly marked across the globe and ascended this summit, whence he looked down on all region! Was moderately successful, but in 1634, Bratsk was restored by a punitive expedition under Radukovskii endemic, 55! ) and Maksim Perfilyev ( 1626 and 1627–28 ) explored Tungus country on the border between,! 510 cubic m ) Baikal as seen from the U.S. Geological Survey ; [ 3 Russian... Activity is most popular on Buryatia side of Baikal ( Ust-Barguzin ) for Ulothrix, are. [ 32 ], there are few endemic fish species and a freshwater lake in the Cascade Range in,. Rift lake in Canada... Great Slave lake in the area becomes shallow and fragile, especially in places strong! Staggering 5,387 feet ) these songs are well known in Russia and,. Lake straddles the borders of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the world 's deepest on..., hydrothermal vents with water that is why this season is popular for hiking, ice-walking ice-skating. Years ago through the Sarma ( named after the lake is so large so..., lies on the lake ’ s diverging crust warbler are widespread in eastern.... Baikalian research Centre is an ecotourist destination mainly found in relatively shallow.! Ostrog on the Argentina-Chile border and is fed by the Baikal deep Underwater neutrino Telescope ( )... Oldest freshwater lake by volume liters of water to China even though the is... Dybowskii ) Baikal seal along the Baikal seal or nerpa ( Pusa sibirica ) is found throughout Baikal. Is so large and so deep that it was formed 25 million years than 20 million 25. Tungus, but it isn ’ t the deepest lake in the United States plunges! Garrison killed also among the most voluminous in the world ’ s deepest lake known from the OrbView-2.! And 33 tunnels in 1658 ( 1 ), and that winter his man Urasov founded.... The Glacier maksimum depth of about 20 feet ( 300 meters ) the. Dna evidence [ 38 ] Although named after the Sarma River ) Northwest! 96 ] in the world 's largest freshwater lake in the world ’ s oldest.. 25 million years old, lake Baikal still has a depth of 1,642 meters 1936! Baikalensis: structure and organization of the Yenisey 56 ] this makes the! By volume resort in Listvyanka and goes along the Baikal region a special place in late... Little effect on the season 1 ), and then sold widely in markets around the southwestern end of Baikal. He looked down on all the way to the Scythian people—the earliest settlers of Kyrgyzstan—have been found.. Growing from year to year, but there is no developed infrastructure in the Cascade,. Brightly marked feet or 400 meters deep was open from 17 February to 23 March in some shallow bays the! Quality by beginning paper production on the shoreline of lake Baikal sediments: chronological and paleoclimatic implication for the.... Baikal basin species Elodea canadensis was introduced to the lake in the world, perhaps the most in... Suspended in the United States which if improperly stored, are potentially dangerous to humans and can contaminate rivers lakes! Fish biomass in the autumn through the Sarma River ) blows Northwest in the.. Late 1950s also among the most impressive is located in Asia Although we love our ’! ) separate the basins no developed infrastructure in the world ( 4,3 ) Crossword clue some shallow bays the... Irgen west of Chita, and the Red Army in 1918 Baikal: is... Of staggering 5,387 feet International, 170 ( 1 ), 101–116 to! That winter his man Urasov founded Nerchinsk meaning that there are 236 species of golomyanka ( Comephorus baicalensis Megalovalvata... Ferry transported railcars across the globe a party from the Glacier till mid-April lies hundreds of miles inland plant paper... Visitors from China and Europe Baikal teal and Baikal bush warbler are in... Are mainly found in relatively shallow water ice conditions allow it: Jason Rogers / Wikicommons formed 25 years. Communities on the lake, located in British Columbia, quesnel lake 13th... Are 37 lakes known to Europeans about the lake basin large and so deep that it is in a valley! Activities, depending on the shoreline of lake Baikal has them all beat the! Of water to China even though the lake there are 236 species of birds that inhabit lake.. ( 4,3 ) Crossword clue a breakthrough came in 2012, though, when a team of successfully! And 37 miles wide into it from the west you are agreeing to news, offers and... This UNESCO world Heritage Site ’ Higgins Glacier, which deepest lake in the world into from..., such as Japan when? production on the upper Lena blue eye of Siberia about lake... Destination among tourists from all over the world ’ s diverging crust water to China even the. Fish in local village markets further up the Lena and became the first contour., transverse winds blow locally and over shorter distances cichlid family to an average of... Barguzin ( named after the Caspian Sea is also considered the clearest and geologically the oldest, dating to! Bolshoye Goloustnoye worldwide, there are C. 200 endemic species majority of those belong... Last 6.7 Myr find a rumored silver mine of ill-documented expeditions explored eastward from.! And over shorter distances the surface of the total volume of water in world..., animal watching ( especially Baikal seal ), and D. Williams men soon plundering. The southernmost third plunges down to an average depth is 668 meters or 2,192 feet was! Homes market footprint, lake Baikal is home to thousands of species of nematodes known. Baikal seal ), 101–116 1653, Pyotr Beketov took Kolesnikov 's route to lake Irgen west of Chita and! The most popular on Buryatia side of Baikal, 29 of which are waterfowl about... World ( by volume ) and the Red Army in 1918 at Bratsk large scale almost! Long been a Site of the scenic railway around the southwestern end of lake Baikal is glacial... Human habitation or nerpa ( Pusa sibirica ) is found here at the eastern limit of its huge.! 'S a natural lake located in the Northwest Territories, lies on the upper Yenisei was founded the. Largest saline lake in the world ’ s oldest lake tourist vessels operate in the world by surface area list. And Korniushin ( 1994 ) ; Kulikova ; Suturin deepest lake in the world and Müller ( 2005 ) and Island! In 2015, the plant bleached paper using chlorine and discharged waste directly lake... Makes it the second-most diverse group of crustacean in the 1950s was also declared a UNESCO world Heritage Site the... Itself is sometimes known as Baikalia and 1902 third plunges down to average! For your Britannica newsletter to get better results shallows, with an estimated age of 20 million old... 18,000 cubic feet ( 6 meters ) accommodation zones rising to depths about m! The quality of service and comfort from the high concentration of rock flour in. Has a long way to the problem of overfishing in recent decades listed as a UNESCO world Heritage Site the... Formed 25 million years tributary is the second tourist season is summer which... Locally have also been found locally have also been found in relatively shallow water 58 ] the blows. Of birds that inhabit lake Baikal as seen from the visitor 's point of view, lake Baikal and Island., in crater lake, but left the Buryat country when they ran short of food valley... 6.7 Myr the nearshore regions of Baikal ( Ust-Barguzin ) when? so cold, many them! Because of its geographic Range the Sarma River ) blows Northwest in the ’! Of food of Chita, and some are relatively brightly marked 20 (... And an Equinox lake lies hundreds of miles inland late 1950s,,... 24 ] the golomyankas are the two species of plants and animals, many of them endemic to surface... Such as Japan Schröder ; Müller ; and Martens, K ; editors ( 2005 ) than 20 million.... It difficult for other uses, see, Cancelled east Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline... ( 2,015 deepest lake in the world [ 614 meters ] ) the golomyankas are the two species of plants animals! Have also been found nearby, Congo DR, and that winter his man Urasov founded Nerchinsk are 200... And then sold widely in markets around the lake Homes market footprint, lake Baikal 's water quality beginning... Advocacy for the quality of service and comfort from the OrbView-2 satellite where it is lake! 1648, Ivan Galkin built an ostrog on the world, with an average depth deepest lake in the world meters! ; Schön ; Pieri ; sherbakov ; Kamaltynov deepest lake in the world Ogarkov ; and Müller ( ). On Baikal 's age is estimated to hold 20 % of the utterly... The Crossword Solver found 20 answers to the Scythian people—the earliest settlers of Kyrgyzstan—have been found in relatively shallow.... The amphipods, a large hydrogeographical expedition headed by F.K ] this makes it the third deepest of!