Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal (Russian :о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, pronounced [ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl]; Buryat (Russia) :Байгал нуур Baygal nuur, meaning "the rich lake") is the world's second most voluminous lake, after the Caspian Sea. It is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world with an average depth of 744.4 m (2,442 ft) and contains a total of roughly 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water. Located in the south of the Russian region of Siberia (between Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Buryat Republic to the southeast, near the city of Irkutsk), the body of water is also known as the "Pearl of Siberia".

At 1642 metres (5387 ft) (Baikal central part ), Lake Baikal is the deepest, and among the clearest of all lakes in the world. At more than 25 million years old, Baikal is also the world's oldest lake. Like Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal was formed as an ancient rift valley, having the typical long crescent shape with a surface area of 31722 km² (12248 sq mi), less than that of Lake Superior or Lake Victoria. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is also home to Buryat tribes who reside on the eastern side of Lake Baikal, rearing goat, camel, cattle and sheep, where the regional temperature varies from a minimum of -17°C in winter to maximum of 14°C in summer.

Geography and hydrography

Lake Baikal was known as the "North Sea" in historical Chinese texts. It was situated in the then Xiongnu territory. Very little was known to Europeans about the lake until the Russian expansion into the area in the 17th century.

The Trans-Siberian railway was built between 1896 and 1902. The scenic railway around the southwestern end of Lake Baikal required 200 bridges and 33 tunnels; until its completion, a train ferry transported railcars across the lake (from Port Baikal to Mysovaya) for a number of years.

As the railway was being built, a large hydrogeographical expedition headed by F.K. Drizhenko produced the first detailed atlas of the contours of Baikal's depths. Known as the "Galápagos of Russia", its age and isolation have produced some of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater fauna.

Lake Baikal is in a rift valley, created by the Baikal Rift Zone, where the crust of the earth is pulling apart. At 636 kilometres (395 mi) long and 79 kilometres (49 mi) wide, Lake Baikal has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in Asia (31722 km² (12248 sq mi)) and is the deepest lake in the world (1642 m (5387 ft)). The bottom of the lake is 1186.5 metres (3892.7 ft) below sea level, but below this lies some 7 kilometres (4 mi) of sediment, placing the rift floor some 8–11 kilometers (more than 5 miles) below the surface: the deepest continental rift on Earth. In geological terms, the rift is young and active—it widens about two centimeters per year. The fault zone is also seismically active; there are hot springs in the area and notable earthquakes every few years. The lake drains into the Angara tributary of the Yenisei.

Its age is estimated at 25–30 million years, making it one of the most ancient lakes in geological history. It is unique among large, high-latitude lakes, in that its sediments have not been scoured by overriding continental ice sheets. U.S. and Russian studies of core sediment in the 1990s provide a detailed record of climatic variation over the past 250,000 years. Longer and deeper sediment cores are expected in the near future. Lake Baikal is furthermore the only confined fresh water lake in which direct and indirect evidence of gas hydrates exists.

The lake is completely surrounded by mountains. The Baikal Mountains on the north shore and the taiga are technically protected as a national park. It contains 27 islands; the largest, Olkhon, is 72 kilometres (45 mi) long and is the fourth-largest lake-bound island in the world. The lake is fed by as many as three hundred and thirty inflowing rivers. The main ones draining directly into Baikal are the Selenga River, the Barguzin River, the Upper Angara River, the Turka River, the Sarma River and the Snezhnaya River. It is drained through a single outlet, the Angara River.

Despite its great depth, the lake's waters are well-mixed and well-oxygenated throughout the water column, compared to the stratification that occurs in such bodies of water as Lake Tanganyika and the Black Sea.

Wildlife

Few other lakes can equal the extent of biodiversity present in Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal hosts 1,085 species of plants and 1,550 species and varieties of animals. More than 80% of the animals are endemic. Epischura baikalensis is endemic to Lake Baikal and the dominating zooplankton species there: 80 to 90 percent of total biomass. The Baikal Seal or nerpa (Phoca sibirica) is found throughout Lake Baikal. It is one of only three entirely freshwater seal species in the world, the other being the two subspecies of freshwater Ringed Seal. Perhaps the most important local species is the omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius), a smallish endemic salmonid. It is caught, smoked and then sold widely in markets around the lake.

Of particular note are the two species of golomyanka or Baikal oil fish (Comephorus baicalensis and C. dybowskii). These long-finned, translucent fish normally live in depths of 200 to 500 metres (656 to 1640 ft) and are the primary prey of the Baikal seal, representing the largest fish biomass in the lake. They are famous for disintegrating into a pool of oil and bones when exposed to sunlight. The Baikal grayling (Thymallus arcticus baicalensis), a fast swimming salmonid, popular among anglers and the Baikal sturgeon (Asipenser baerri baicalensis), are both important endemic species with commercial value. The lake also hosts rich endemic fauna of invertebrates. Among them turbellarian worms, snails and amphipod crustaceans are particularly diverse.

Research

"Miri Na Baykale" redirects here.

Several organizations are carrying out natural research projects on Lake Baikal. Most of them are governmental or associated with governmental organizations. The Baikalian Research Centre is an independent research organization carrying out environmental educational and research project at Lake Baikal.

In July 2008, Russia sent two small submersibles, Mir-1 and Mir-2, to descend 1592 metres (5223 ft) to the bottom of Lake Baikal to conduct geological and biological tests on its unique ecosystem. Although originally reported as being successful, they did not set a world record for the deepest fresh water dive, reaching a depth of only 1580 metres (5184 ft).. That record is currently held by Anatoly Sagalevich, at 1637 metres (5371 ft) (also in Lake Baikal aboard a Pisces submersible in 1990). Russian scientist and federal politician, Artur Chilingarov, also joined the 60 dives.

Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope

Since 1993, neutrino research has been conducted at the Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT). The Baikal Neutrino Telescope NT-200 is being deployed in Lake Baikal, 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from shore at a depth of 1.1 kilometres (0.7 mi). It consists of 192 optical modules (OMs).

Tourism

The lake, called "the Pearl of Siberia", drew investors from the tourist industry as energy revenues sparked an economic boom. Viktor Grigorov's Grand Baikal in Irkutsk is one of the investors, who planned to build three hotels creating 570 jobs. In 2007, the Russian government declared the Baikal region a special economic zone. The popular resort of Listvyanka is home to the seven-story Hotel Mayak. Baikal was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Rosatom plans to build a laboratory in Baikal, in conjunction with an international uranium plant and to invest $2.5bn in the region and create 2,000 jobs in the city of Angarsk.

Access

To reach Lake Baikal, there are mainly three starting points.

Irkutsk

Irkutsk is on the Angara River which flows out from the southern tip of Lake Baikal. It has the international Irkutsk Airport and is a major stop on Trans-Siberian Railway (Moscow-Novosibirsk-Taishet-Irkutsk-Vladivostok) and of Trans-Siberian Highway.

Severobaikalsk

Severobaikalsk on the northen tip of Lake Baikal is a relatively new town, on Baikal-Amur Mainline railway (Taishet-Severobaikalsk-Komsomolsk-na-Amure-Sovetskaya Gavan). Its airport is Nizhneangarsk Airport in its adjacent town of Nizhneangarsk.

Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude is about 100 km west of Lake Baikal, but one can stop on the southern shore of the lake on the way to Irkutsk along Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Highway, or on the eastern shore on the way north to Novy Uoyan along a major road.

Environmental concerns

Baykalsk pulp and paper mill

Baykalsk Pulp and Paper Mill (BPPM) was constructed in 1966, directly on the shore line, bleaching paper with chlorine and discharging waste into Baikal. After decades of protest, the plant was closed in November 2008. In March 2009 the plant owner announced the paper mill would never reopen.[http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-03-13/Economic_crisis_saves_Lake_Baikal_from_pollution.html] A source from Baikal Wave, an active environmental group in Irkutsk, said that the Mill reopened on Monday 24 August 2009. Whether or not the mill is in full operation yet is unclear, but plans are being made to give back jobs to local Baikalsk people.

Planned East Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline

Russian oil pipelines state company Transneft was planning to build a trunk pipeline that would have come within 800 m of the lake shore in a zone of substantial seismic activity. Environmental activists in Russia, Greenpeace, Baikal pipeline opposition and local citizens were strongly opposed to these plans, due to the possibility of an accidental oil spill that might cause significant damage to the environment. According to the Transneft's president, numerous meetings with ordinary citizens were held in towns along the route, especially in Irkutsk. However, it was not until Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the company to consider an alternative route 40 km to the north to avoid such ecological risks that Transneft agreed to alter its plans. Transneft has since decided to move the pipeline away from Lake Baikal, so that it will not pass through any federal or republic natural reserves. Work began on the pipeline, two days after President Putin agreed to changing the route away from Lake Baikal.

Sensitive to Russia's growing environmental movement, Putin while president changed the route of a planned oil pipeline to avoid Lake Baikal, which contains one fifth of the world's unfrozen freshwater. ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090801/wl_nm/us_russia_lake_putin )

Proposed nuclear plant

In 2006, the Russian Government announced plans to build the world's first International Uranium Enrichment Centre at an existing nuclear facility in Angarsk, 95 kilometres (59 mi) from the lake's shores. However, critics argue it would be a disaster for the region and are urging the Government to reconsider.

After enrichment, only 10 percent of the uranium-derived radioactive material would be exported to international customers, leaving 90 percent in the Lake Baikal region for storage. Uranium tailings contain radioactive and toxic materials, which if improperly stored are potentially dangerous to humans and can contaminate rivers and lakes.

Historical Traditions

The first Russian to reach the lake is said to be Kurbat Ivanov in 1643 According to 19th century traveler T.W. Atkinson, locals in the Lake Baikal Region had the tradition that Christ visited the area. The following quote is found on page 385 of Atkinson's book[http://books.google.com/books?id=c3EEAAAAYAAJ&vq=christ&pg=PP11] of his travels published in 1861:

The people have a tradition in connection with this region which they implicitly believe. They say "that Christ visited this part of Asia and ascended this summit, whence he looked down on all the region around. 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." Thus they account for the sterility of Daouria, where it is said "no corn will grow."

Folk songs

Lake Baikal has been sung in several Russian folk songs. Two of these songs are well known in Russia and its neighboring countries, such as Japan.

The Glorious Sea - Sacred Baikal
The Glorious Sea - Sacred Baikal (in Russian :Славное Mope, Священный Байкал is about a katorga fugitive. The lyrics as documented and edited in the 19th century by Dmitriy P. Davydov (1811-1888). See "Barguzin River" for sample lyrics.
The Wanderer
The Wanderer (in Russian :Бродяга) is about a Decembrist of 1825 who had escaped the jail and sent himself to Transbaikalia. The lyrics often heard were collected and edited in the 20th century by Y.K. Kondratyev:
<ul><ul> Russian :По диким степъям Забайкалья,
In the wild steppes of Transbaikalia,
Russian :Где золото роют в горах,
Where they mine gold in the mountains,
Russian :Бродяга, ...
The wanderer, ... </ul></ul> The latter song was a secondary theme song for Soviet Russia's second color film, Ballad of Siberia (in Russian :Сказание о земле Сибирской).

Translation

The phrase "Lake Baikal" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Fiji Hindi, Simple English.

Translation(s) in other languages: Afrikaans: Baikalmeer, Arabic: بحيرة بايكال, Aragonese: Laco Baikal, Azeri: Baykal, Bengali: বৈকাল হ্রদ, Belarusian: Возера Байкал, Belarusian (Taraškievica): Байкал, Bosnian: Bajkalsko jezero, Breton: Lenn Baikal, Bulgarian: Байкал, Catalan: Baikal, Chuvash: Байкал, Czech: Bajkal, Welsh: Llyn Baikal, Danish: Bajkalsøen, German: Baikalsee, Divehi: ބައިކަލް ކުޅި, Estonian: Baikali järv, Greek: Βαϊκάλη, Spanish: Lago Baikal, Esperanto: Bajkal, Basque: Baikal Lakua, Persian: دریاچه بایکال, French: Lac Baïkal, Scottish Gaelic: Loch Baikal, Galician: Lago Baikal, Korean: 바이칼 호, Hindi: बैकाल झील, Croatian: Bajkalsko jezero, Ido: Baikal, Indonesian: Danau Baikal, Ossetian: Байкал, Icelandic: Bajkalvatn, Italian: Lago Bajkal, Hebrew: ימת באיקל, Kannada: ಬೈಕಲ್ ಸರೋವರ, Kazakh: Байкөл, Swahili: Baikal (ziwa), Latin: Lacus Baical, Latvian: Baikāls, Lithuanian: Baikalo ežeras, Lojban: baikal. zei lalxu, Hungarian: Bajkál-tó, Macedonian: Бајкалско Езеро, Malayalam: ബൈകാല്‍ തടാകം, Marathi: बैकाल सरोवर, Mazandarani: Baykal, Mirandese: Lago Baikal, Mongolian: Байгал нуур, Dutch: Baikalmeer, Japanese: バイカル湖, Norwegian (Bokmål): Bajkalsjøen, Norwegian (Nynorsk): Bajkalsjøen, Occitan: Lac Baikal, Polish: Bajkał, Portuguese: Lago Baikal, Romanian: Lacul Baikal, Quechua: Baykal qucha, Russian: Байкал, Sakha: Баай Күөл, Sicilian: Lacu Baikal, Slovak: Bajkalské jazero, Slovenian: Bajkalsko jezero, Serbian: Бајкалско језеро, Serbo-Croatian: Bajkalsko jezero, Albanian: Liqeni i Bajkalit, Finnish: Baikaljärvi, Swedish: Bajkalsjön, Tagalog: Lawa ng Baikal, Tamil: பைக்கால் ஏரி, Thai: ทะเลสาบไบคาล, Turkish: Baykal Gölü, Ukrainian: Байкал, Urdu: جھیل بیکال, Vietnamese: Hồ Baikal, Võro: Baikali järv, Waray-Waray: Danaw Baikal, Samogitian: Baikals (ežers), Chinese: 贝加尔湖.