The second tourist season is summer, which lets tourists dive deeper into virgin Baikal nature. But for the few people tough enough to live there, there are perks. The wind on the exposed lake was so cold, many people died, freezing in place until spring thaw. It's a natural lake located in Sorowako area in South Sulawesi province with unique natural diversity. ; and N.M. Pronin (2013). 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. [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. [8] It is among the world's clearest[9] lakes and is the world's oldest lake,[10] at 25–30 million years. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is officially 1,949 feet in depth. [26][27], In Lake Baikal, the water temperature varies significantly depending on location, depth, and time of the year. Located in a sparsely populated area of the Patagonian Andes, this lake—called O’Higgins in Chile and San Martín in Argentina—is probably the least known of the lakes on the list. 1,332. Since the 1970s, scientists had suspected the presence of a large mass of trapped fresh water underneath the ice at the site, but it wasn’t until 1996 that British and Russian researchers were able to provide exact measurements by using ice-penetrating radar. Returning, he sailed up the Vitim River into the area east of Lake Baikal (1640) where he heard reports of the Amur country. The lake served as an important stopping point on the Silk Road, and medieval settlements have been discovered in the shallow areas of the lake from times when the water level was lower. 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. Porifera Research: Biodiversity, Innovation and Sustainability, pp. A 640kyr geomagnetic and paleoclimatic record from Lake Baikal sediments. Lake Baikal is the worlds oldest and deepest lake with a depth of 5,336 feet deep. Озеро Байкал: экология. An oil platform in the Caspian Sea near Baku, Azerbaijan. In addition, transverse winds blow locally and over shorter distances. 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. 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. During the winter and spring, the surface freezes for about 4–5 months; from early January to early May–June (latest in the north), the lake surface is covered in ice. [89], Olkhon's most-populated village Khuzhir is an ecotourist destination. In 1652, Vasily Kolesnikov reported from Barguzin that one could reach the Amur country by following the Selenga, Uda, and Khilok Rivers to the future sites of Chita and Nerchinsk. In 2007, the Russian government declared the Baikal region a special economic zone. Krainov, M.E. This spurred protests by the local population that the lake would be drained of its water, at which point the local government halted the plans pending analysis. Morphometric Data. How the seals’ ancestors arrived in Lake Baikal remains a mystery, since the lake lies hundreds of miles inland. The lake drains into the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisey. [97] However, on 4 January 2010, production was resumed. [82], Since 1993, neutrino research has been conducted at the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT). The lake is so large and so deep that it is estimated to hold 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water. Their primitive sounding device … The maksimum depth of this beautiful lake is 590 meters (1936 feet). 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. 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.'" Peck, J.W. [54] These conspicuous and common amphipods are essentially carnivores (will also take detritus), and can reach a body length up to 7 cm (2.8 in). [79] That record is currently held by Anatoly Sagalevich, at 1,637 m (5,371 ft) (also in Lake Baikal aboard a Pisces submersible in 1990). [citation needed], The Trans-Siberian Railway was built between 1896 and 1902. 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. Lakes ranked by maximum depth. [95][96] In March 2009, the plant owner announced the paper mill would never reopen. Sherbakov; Kamaltynov; Ogarkov; and Verheyen (1998). [69] Most sponges in the lake are typically green when alive because of symbiotic chlorophytes (zoochlorella), but can also be brownish or yellowish. It holds about 23% of the total available freshwater in the world. Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences (CRG-MG), University of Barcelona, Spain; Limnological Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, Russian Federation; State Science Research Navigation-Hydrographic Institute of the Ministry of Defense, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation", "On the present state of the ecological system of lake Baikal", "Diel vertical migration of zooplankton in Lake Baikal and its relationship to body size", "Lake Baikal – A Touchstone for Global Change and Rift Studies", "Lake Baikal – UNESCO World Heritage Centre", "Lake Baikal: Protection of a unique ecosystem", "Waders of the Selenga delta, Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia", "Sublacustrine mud volcanoes and methane seeps caused by dissociation of gas hydrates in Lake Baikal", 10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0631:SMVAMS>2.0.CO;2, "Lake Baikal: the great blue eye of Siberia", "Structure of epiphyton communities on Lake Baikal submerged macrophytes", European bison in Russia – past, present and future, "Животный мир Байкала. Because its length, depth, and temperature stratification create a number of radically different environments, Lake Nyasa has an extraordinarily high level of biodiversity. [117] [119] It is also attested in the famous song, now passed into the tradition, that opens with the words Славное море, священный Байкал (Glorious sea, [the] sacred Bajkal). [17] In geological terms, the rift is young and active – it widens about 2 cm (0.8 in) per year. Thus they account for the sterility of Daouria, where it is said "no corn will grow."[121]. [66][68] These three are also the most common sponges in the lake. 9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes Crater Lake (1,943 feet [592 meters]). [63], More than 140 endemic flatworm (Plathelminthes) species are in Lake Baikal, where they occur on a wide range of bottom types. Lake Baikal also happens to be around 25 million years old, making it the world’s oldest lake. Note: For some lakes, "Deepest Lakes" is unknown or does not apply, so this comparison may show fewer lakes than you originally selected.Suggest a new lake. [78], In July 2008, Russia sent two small submersibles, Mir-1 and Mir-2, to descend 1,592 m (5,223 ft) to the bottom of Lake Baikal to conduct geological and biological tests on its unique ecosystem. Schön; Pieri; Sherbakov; and Martens (2017). Baikal is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, many of them endemic to the region. Its maximum depth is 668 meters or 2,192 feet. The lake is so large and so deep that it is estimated to hold 20% of the world’s unfrozen fresh water. The Baikalian Research Centre is an independent research organization carrying out environmental, educational and research projects at Lake Baikal. The copepod Epischura baikalensis is endemic to Lake Baikal and the dominating zooplankton species there, making up 80 to 90% of total biomass. Karanovic, I.; and T.Y. Later on, it was called "natural lake" (Baygal nuur) by the Buryats and "rich lake" (Bay göl) by the Yakuts. It contains 27 islands; the largest, Olkhon, is 72 km (45 mi) long and is the third-largest lake-bound island in the world. The lake’s Kyrgyz name, Ysyk-köl, means “Hot Lake,” as it never freezes, even though winter temperatures in the area regularly reach −15 °F (−26 °C). Issyk Kul is the second largest saline lake in the world after the Caspian Sea. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. About 90% of the Lake Baikal ostracods are endemic,[55] meaning that there are c. 200 endemic species. In 1648, Ivan Galkin built an ostrog on the Barguzin River which became a center for eastward expansion. [11][12] It is the seventh-largest lake in the world by surface area. Kravchinsky, V.A., M.E. For other uses, see, Cancelled East Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline. [46] Beyond members of Cottoidea, there are few endemic fish species in the lake basin. This lake in Russia is the deepest lake in the world, with a depth of staggering 5,387 feet. [34] Of particular note are the two species of golomyanka (Comephorus baicalensis and C. dybowskii). About 1647, he repeated the trip, obtained guides, and visited a 'Tsetsen Khan' near Ulan Bator. The lake’s great depth and the archaeological richness of the area have stimulated researchers’ and treasure hunters’ curiosity; from time to time, expeditions are launched in hopes of finding a “Kyrgyz Atlantis”—ancient ruins that supposedly lie in deeper areas of the lake. Baikal was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Lake Baikal has been celebrated in several Russian folk songs. In 1638, it was besieged unsuccessfully. The world’s deepest lake. Evans, J.A. [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. The popularity of Lake Baikal is growing from year to year, but there is no developed infrastructure in the area. Kuzmin. Lake Baikal is also the world's largest freshwater lake in terms of volume. It is also the deepest lake on The U.S. is home to many deep lakes, including Crater Lake in Oregon, which is deep enough to fit One World Trade Center with 200 feet to spare. Belikov; Kaluzhnaya; Schröder; Müller; and Müller (2007). The lake is 113 miles long and 37 miles wide. At 5,387 feet (1,642 meters) deep and with a surface area of 12,248 square miles (31,722 square kilometers) it is the deepest lake in the world and the seventh largest by surface area. Lake Baikal is in a rift valley, created by the Baikal Rift Zone, where the Earth's crust is slowly pulling apart. It is the largest known subglacial lake. The pacification was moderately successful, but in 1634, Bratsk was destroyed and its garrison killed. [90] Baikal has always been popular in Russia and CIS-countries, but for the last few years[when?] A breakthrough came in 2012, though, when a team of researchers successfully drilled all the way to the surface of the lake. The North and Central basins are separated by Academician Ridge, while the area around the Selenga Delta and the Buguldeika Saddle separates the Central and South basins. There are many deep lakes in the world. It sits on the border between Zambia, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [108][109] Work began on the pipeline two days after President Putin agreed to changing the route away from Lake Baikal. [25] It is caught, smoked, and then sold widely in markets around the lake. Vehicles and people start to fall under ice. It has a depth of 1637 meters of 5369 ft. 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. 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. This activity is most popular on Buryatia side of Baikal (Ust-Barguzin). [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. It hosts more than 1,000 species of plants and 2,500 species of animals based on current knowledge, but the actual figures for both groups are believed to be significantly higher. [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. In 1643, Kurbat Ivanov went further up the Lena and became the first Russian to see Lake Baikal and Olkhon Island. There are many deep lakes in the world. They say "that Christ visited this part of Asia and ascended this summit, whence he looked down on all the region around. [28] During this period, the temperature slowly increases with depth in the lake, being coldest near the ice-covered surface at around freezing, and reaching about 3.5–3.8 °C (38.3–38.8 °F) at a depth of 200–250 m (660–820 ft). [30] After the surface ice breaks up, the surface water is slowly warmed up by the sun, and in May–June, the upper 300 m (980 ft) or so becomes homothermic (same temperature throughout) at around 4 °C (39 °F) because of water mixing. [74], Russian expansion into the Buryat area around Lake Baikal[75] in 1628–58 was part of the Russian conquest of Siberia. Lake Baikal also happens to be around 25 million years old, making it the world’s oldest lake. [106] Transneft agreed to alter its plans when Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the company to consider an alternative route 40 kilometers (25 mi) to the north to avoid such ecological risks. [70], The Baikal area, sometimes known as Baikalia, has a long history of human habitation. Approximately 25 million years old, Lake Baikal is also the oldest lake in the world. (1997). The incredible average depth is around 2,442 feet deep. 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]. 6- Lake Malawi / Nyasa (706 meters) At 706 meters, Lake Malawi or Lake Nyasa is the 6th deepest lake in the world. [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). 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). Click the answer to find similar crossword clues. George V. Lantzeff and Richard A. The harsh northern climate means that the area is very sparsely populated (Yellowknife is the largest city in the Northwest Territories but has fewer than 20,000 inhabitants). [30], The average surface temperature has risen by almost 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) in the last 50 years, resulting in a shorter period where the lake is covered by ice. [38] Although named after the lake, both the Baikal teal and Baikal bush warbler are widespread in eastern Asia. [7] With a maximum depth of 1,642 m (5,387 ft),[1] Baikal is the world's deepest lake. [52] The "gigantism" of some Baikal amphipods, which has been compared to that seen in Antarctic amphipods, has been linked to the high level of dissolved oxygen in the lake. Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22 to 23% of the world's fresh surface water. Lake Baikal, in Siberia, holds the distinction of being both the deepest lake in the world and the largest freshwater lake, holding more than 20% of the unfrozen fresh water on the surface of Earth. Beginning in 1956, the impounding of the Irkutsk Dam on the Angara River raised the level of the lake by 1.4 m (4.6 ft). Lake Baikal is the only confined freshwater lake in which direct and indirect evidence of gas hydrates exists.[20][21][22]. 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. Also known as the “blue eye of Siberia”, Lake Baikal is located in Southern Siberia the Russo-Mongolian border. ; Kamaltynov, R.M. [63] Several hundred species of nematodes are known from the lake, but a large percentage of these are undescribed. (Listvyanka, Ust-Barguzin). Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and is officially 1,949 feet in depth. The Caspian Sea is also 1,025 metres deep, making it the third deepest lake in the world. Lake Tanganyika is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest lake of any kind. Notable landforms include Cape Ryty on Baikal's northwest coast. This is a freshwater lake that is also considered the most voluminous in the world. The lake became the site of the minor engagement between the Czechoslovak legion and the Red Army in 1918. [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. [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]. [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". In 1628, Pyotr Beketov first encountered a group of Buryats and collected yasak (tribute) from them at the future site of Bratsk. INTAS Project 99-1669. [30], Stormy weather on the lake is common, especially during the summer and fall, and can result in waves as high as 4.5 m (15 ft). Lake Baikal (/baɪˈkɑːl, -ˈkæl/;[3] Russian: озеро Байкал, tr. Owing to increasing temperatures ice starts to melt and becomes shallow and fragile, especially in places with strong under-ice flows. It is an estimated 5,387 feet deep (1,642 meters), and its bottom is approximately 3,893 feet (1,187 meters) below sea level. [33], Submerged macrophytic vascular plants are mostly absent, except in some shallow bays along the shores of Lake Baikal.