Lake Baikal: A Gorgeous Siberian Gem.

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Greetings. The Earth has some truly unique and awe-inspiring natural sights. Lake Baikal is one of the most gorgeous of them all. 


Located in southern Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake on the planet, with a maximum depth of 1,642 meters. Baikal, the planet's seventh-largest lake, is slightly larger in area than the country of Belgium, coming in at 31,722 square kilometers. Incredibly, Lake Baikal contains more fresh water than all of the Great Lakes combined, and possesses approximately 23% of the planet's supply of fresh water. 


Lake Baikal was formed about 30 million years ago, during the Oligocene, making it the oldest lake on the planet, at least in geologic terms. Baikal has some truly unique features, especially from a numbers standpoint. It contains 27 islands, including Olkhon, the third-largest lake-bound island on Earth, and is fed by no less than 330 rivers, all contributing to Baikal's massive cache of fresh water. The mean temperatures of the land surrounding Lake Baikal range from -19° Celsius during winter months, to 14° Celsius in summer months. 


Lake Baikal, and its surrounding habitats, support thousands of animal species, many endemic to the area, creatures found nowhere else on the planet. Populations of brown bear, red fox, sable, stoat, reindeer, red squirrel, Eurasian wolf, Siberian roe deer, Siberian musk deer, Siberian chipmunk, among many others, successfully occupy the habitats in and around the lake, with the Baikal seal being endemic to Baikal. 236 species of bird call Baikal home, with 64 species of fish living within the lake's depths, about half being found nowhere else. Invertebrates are strongly represented in the lake, with amphipods, aquatic worms, bivalves, sponges, isopods, snails, and various other forms calling Baikal home, roughly half being endemic. 


Lake Baikal is completely frozen over from January thru May, with water temperatures varying widely depending on location, depth, and specific season. Of special note, Baikal is an especially clear body of water, with winter months featuring transparencies of up to 40 meters, summertime transparencies being substantially less impressive.


A magnificent feature indeed. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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