Lake Baikal is the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume, the world’s deepest lake and is considered the world’s oldest lake.
The rift lake located in southern Siberia is also considered among the world’s clearest lakes. And look at its ice, it looks like giant raw diamonds!
Transparency of Lake Baikal
The high degree of transparency of Baikal’s waters is due to a number of factors:
- The lake’s shores are made up mainly of rock.
2. There are few shallow areas along the shores with the result that there is little stirring up of floor silts.
3. Suspended organic matter in part decays and in part is transported to considerable depths to be deposited in sediment under the influence of complex biochemical processes including the activity of Baikal organisms.
4. Diatomic algae assimilate silicon from non organic mineral suspensions drawing it into floor sediments.
5. Baikal acts like a kind of treatment plant, turning out clear, pure water.
In the deep water layer the transparency increases dramatically. This is where the clearest waters are.
Formation of Lake Baikal
Here, a legend about Lake Baikal’s origin:
It is said that a huge stone fell from the sky like they do now, sometimes.
While it was falling it became red hot.
When it hit the earth there was a great rainfall.
Earth, stone, and water came to a boil and in that turmoil Lake Baikal was born.
Pretty coll formation isn’t it? Almost as awesome as its crystal clear ice! You should also listen to the music of this amazing ice. Similar wondrous nature phenomena on Strange Sounds or Steve Quayle. [VK]
