What is the largest freshwater lake in Asia?
The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is1640m. If the four tallest buildings in the world are stacked one by one in the deepest part of the lake bottom, the TV mast on the fourth roof is still 58 meters below the lake. Although the lake is very clear, people can see things 40 meters below it. But these four buildings are still out of sight.
Lake Baikal is said to have arisen because the Asian crust slowly pulled apart along a fault and a trench appeared. At first, the ditch was eight kilometers deep, but with the passage of time, it was gradually filled with silt, and the microbial fossils in the silt can show its formation age. There are hot springs at the bottom of the lake, and small earthquakes often occur. There are 336 rivers flowing into Lake Baikal, but only one river-angara River flows out of the lake. In winter, the icing depth of the lake is 1 m, which lasts for 4-5 months. However, the temperature in the depth of the lake remains unchanged, about 3.5 degrees Celsius.
The width of the outlet of Lake Baikal is about 1 000m. The boulder standing in the center of the lake outlet is called "Schemansky". When the river overflows, this magical boulder will look like it is rolling. The streams around the lake are scattered and surrounded by mountains. There are few impurities in the lake, which is extremely clear. It is said that the lake is clear because there are frequent earthquakes at the bottom of Lake Baikal, and the chemicals produced by the earthquakes precipitate at the bottom of the lake, making the lake clear, so Lake Baikal is always crystal clear. The transparency of the lake is as deep as 40.5 meters, so it is known as "the bright eye of Siberia". With abundant sunshine and more than 300 hot springs, Lake Baikal has become the largest health resort in eastern Russia.
There are all kinds of plants and animals in Lake Baikal, and about 1800 species (another data: more than 1200 species) live in the lake, three quarters of which are endemic to Lake Baikal and cannot be found in other parts of the world, thus forming its unique biological population, such as various mollusks, sponges and seals. There are about 50 species of fish in Lake Baikal, belonging to 7 families, with 25 species of Dolphinidae being the most. There are also many salmon, fried fish, herring white fish and sturgeon. The most noteworthy is a special fish from Lake Baikal, called viviparous shellfish. In addition, there are two completely transparent bell fish. There are 255 species of shrimp in the lake, including some that are almost white. There are more than 320 kinds of birds and different kinds of invertebrates in this area. .
The only freshwater seal in the world lives in Lake Baikal. In winter, seals bite holes in the ice to breathe. Because seals usually live in seawater, it was once thought that Lake Baikal was connected to the Atlantic Ocean through an underground tunnel. In fact, seals may have come to Lake Baikal against the river during the last ice age.
On both sides of Lake Baikal are mountains covered with coniferous forests. There are more than 600 kinds of grassland vegetation in mountainous areas, including poplar, fir and deciduous trees, Siberian pine and birch, of which 3/4 are endemic to Lake Baikal. The west bank of Lake Baikal is a continuous mountain, covered with coniferous forests and with many cliffs. Most of the east coast is plain. Due to the climate difference between the two sides of the strait, the natural landscape is very different.
Looking at the lake view in the forest near Lake Baikal, you will see many ribbons and strips fluttering on the branches of the forest, which are tied by tourists to express their desire to come here again in the future. Indeed, this dark blue lake is a very attractive tourist attraction. Tourists from all directions regard Lake Baikal as a "holy sea".
There are about 40 towns near Lake Baikal. In the past, residents here could drink clear and pure lake water, but today, the lake water has been polluted by industry. Even so, the lake looks clear. In May, the ice and snow melted, and objects 40 meters underwater could be seen clearly: it is rare for other lakes to see through 20 meters of water.
The land around Lake Baikal freezes earlier than the lake. Since October, the cliffs are covered with silver, and forests such as larch, spruce and Siberian fir are also covered with snow and ice. From a distance, you can only see a silver world that glows slightly. Before 1 month, most lakes were frozen, and the ice thickness in some places reached 1.5 meters. Local people drive cars and trucks to dig holes in the ice and fish. The frozen ice layer in calm is as transparent as glass, and fish can be seen swimming under the ice. But most of them are undulating chunks of ice floes. Ice cubes often burst and make a sound like a gun.
In August, the lake gets warmer and the ice melts, so people can swim comfortably in the lake. The weather on the lake is unpredictable, and dangers lurk all year round. Dense fog in summer may force the ship to stop suddenly. Even on a calm day, there may be big winds and waves rolling in at any time. According to local legends, Lake Baikal is the kingdom of the goddess.