Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal located in eastern Siberia (Russia) is the world's deepest and largest lake by volume. It hosts a unique ecosystem with a high degree of biodiversity and numerous endemic species.
Since 1991, scientists of EAWAG participate in research programs organized by the Baikal International Center of Ecological Research (BICER) and conduct their own projects. First studies focused on hydrothermal activities and on processes and rates of deep-water renewal in Lake Baikal. Ongoing projects concentrate on the salt budget of the lake as well as on the formation of recent sediments and on fluxes across the sediment water interface.
More information about the research activities of EAWAG scientists on Lake Baikal are given on the following pages. Don't hesitate to contact us for comments and questions to the various topics.
General informations
Lake Baikal, located in the Baikal Rift in East Siberia, is the deepest (1632 m) and largest lake by volume (23015 km3) on Earth. It holds roughly one fifth of the global inventory of unfrozen fresh surface water. The lake is located between the foothills of the East Sayan Mountains between the Primorskii and Baikalskii mountain ranges in the west, and the Khamar-Daban, Ulan-Burgasy and Barguzinskii mountain ranges in the east. Its basin stretches over a distance of 636 km from the south-western to the northern tip and has a maximum width of approximately 80 km. It is divided into three major basins by underwater sills. A sill in the vicinity of the Selenga Delta separates the Southern Basin (max. depth 1432 m) from the Central Basin (max. depth 1636 m). The Academician Ridge, which runs between Olkhon and Ushkanii Islands, separates the Central Basin from the Northern Basin (max. depth 900 m).
Among the 500 inflows to the lake, which together drain a catchment area of approximately 540000 km2, the Selenga (discharge 31.0 km3 yr-1), the Upper Angara (8.3 km3 yr-1) and the Barguzin (4.4 km3 yr-1) are the most important. The only outflow is the Angara (65.3 km3 yr-1), located at the north-western shore of the Southern Basin. 1853 km downstream, it joins the Yenisei River, which eventually flows into the Arctic Ocean. The mean residence time of the water in the lake is approximately 350 yr.
Lake Baikal from Space. Clearly visible are the Angara at the sout-western tip of the lake, the Selenga Delta separating the Southern and the Central Basins, Olkhon Island, the lake's largest island and Bolshoi Uskanii Island located off the «Svyatoi Nos» (Holy Cape) peninsula. Academician Ridge which separates the Central and Nrothern Basins runs between Olkhon and Bolshoi Uskanii Islands. Irkutsk, the Capitol of East Siberia, is located on the shore of the Angara about 60 km below the outlet.
Morphometric and hydrographic data on Lake Baikal (Shimaraev et al., 1994).
| Altitude | 456 m a. s. l. | |
| Maximum depth | 1636 m | |
| Mean depth | 731 m | |
| Surface area | 31500 km2 | |
| Catchment area | 540000 km2 | |
| Volume | 23015 km3 | |
| Drainage | 61 km3 yr-1 | |
| Residence time | 350 yr |
Of the lake’s 22 islands, Olkhon Island (690 km2) is the largest. It delimits the «Maloye More» (Small Sea) at the southern end of the Northern Basin from the Central Basin. The second largest island is Bolshoi Uskanii Island (9.4 km2), one of the archipelago of four islands located off the «Svyatoi Nos» (Holy Cape) peninsula. It is famed as the favorite haunt of the endemic fresh-water seal (Phoca sibirica).
The formation of the Baikal Rift occurred 35 Myr ago. It gave rise to a deep-water basin within the southern depression (30-10 Myr) and, later on, to a deep-water basin in the North (10-3.5 Myr). The lake acquired the shape it has now during the Late Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene.The sedimentary record in the Baikal depression is more than 7 km thick and records more than 15 Myr of the lake’s history making it a promising site for paleoclimate studies. The Baikal Rift is still active today. Examples of this tectonic activity are the numerous hot springs found in the Selenga region and the hydrothermal vents located at Frolikha Bay in the northern part of the Northern Basin.
During the lake’s long existence, a unique ecosystem with a high degree of biodiversity has evolved. 1825 animal species and 569 algal species have been reported so far. These are minimal values because numerous new species have been described since. About 54% of the animal species and 35% of the algal species are endemic. For the gammarid species alone, the rate of endemism is nearly 98%. Among the numerous endemic species, prominent examples are the fresh-water seal(Phoca sibirica) and the Omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius).
In 1989, the European members of the World Health Organisation signed the European Charter on Environment and Health. The charter identifies the protection and restoration of surface waters as one of its main objectives. In late 1996 the United Organisation of Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) included Lake Baikal in the list of the World Heritage Sites and declared the protection and conservation of Lake Baikal as one of the responsibilities of mankind.
References
Martin, P., 1994. Lake Baikal. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. Ergebn. Limnol. 44: 3-11.
Shimaraev, M. N., V. I. Verbolov, N. Granin and P. P. Sherstayankin. 1994. Physical limnology of Lake Baikal: a review. Irkutsk, Okayama. 80 pp.
Baikal International Center of Ecological Research
The Baikal International Center of Ecological Research (BICER) was founded in 1988 by the Limnological Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk (Russia). BICER is an international research collaboration between various nations and universities. Its main objectives are the coordination of the research activities on Lake Baikal and the conservation of the lake's unique ecosystem.
Besides Russia, founding members of BICER are Belgium, the United Kingdom, Japan and the University of South Carolina (USA). Switzerland, represented by the Environmental Physicsdepartment of the Swiss Federal Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), joined BICER in 1992 and received the status of a founding member. The Swiss membership of BICER was funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Science and Education.
BICER guarantees high quality science on Lake Baikal to be continued. The research covers all facets of modern limnology and oceanography and provides the basis for a better understanding of the lake and of its natural dynamics. The international collaboration additionally allows the Russian partner to proceed with its own research. The conceptual structure of BICER builds on the infrastructure of the Limnological Institute, e.g. on research vessels and laboratory facilities, as well as on the financial support of both the Russian Academy of Sciences and the non Russian BICER members. During the last years the relative support of the non-Russian BICER Members steadily increased. In 1996 it covered about 25 to 30% of the financial needs of the Limnological Institute.
Contact
For further information on BICER please contact Rolf Kipfer, the scientific coordinator of BICER.
Limnological Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science
The Limnological Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science in Irkutsk employs more than 300 scientists, technicians and engineers. The institute maintains a limnological station in Lystvianka on the shore of Lake Baikal. The institutes two research vessels RV Vereshchagin and RV Titov are stationed in the Lystvianka harbour.
In 1988, Prov. M. Grachev, the director of the Limnological Institute, initiated the foundation of the Baikal International Center of Ecological Research (BICER). Since then, the institute plays an important role within BICER and provides the major part of the infrastructure for BICER expeditions on Lake Baikal, e.g. research vessels and laboratory facilities.
The Limnological Institute conducts numerous research activities on Lake Baikal which focus on the following topics:
- interdisciplinary studies of the ecological system of Lake Baikal,its dynamics in space and time using methods of classical limnology and oceanography, physico-chemical biology, hydrochemistry, climatology, applied mathematics and computer science, satellite imaging and other remote sensing technics;
- research on the origin and the evolution endemic baikalian flora and fauna;
- studies of the paleolimnology and the geological history of Lake Baikal;
- development of a scientific basis for integrated monitoring of the state of Lake Baikal
- studies on the natural cycling of elements (carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, heavy metals etc.) and of the global transfer of the most important ecotoxicants (polychlorobiphenyls, dioxins, radionuclides, etc.) by means of most sensitive methods and instruments using Lake Baikal as remote active «background site» that is fare away and not affected by large-scale pollution;
- assessment of the influence of human activities on the state and the natural dynamics of Lake Baikal and its ecosystem to generate rational scientific arguments for policy and decision makers for the protection Lake Baikal.
The Limnological Institute of the Siberian Division of the Russian Academy of Science in Irkutsk.
The research vessel RV Vereshchagin, named after Gleb Vereshchagin, the pioneer of physical limnological research on Lake Baikal, was built in 1960. As ocean going ship, it can host complete «oceanographic» expeditions covering all branches of aquatic research. RV Vereshchagin is equipped with a trawl winch, 3 diesel generators, 5 laboratories and one more laboratory for samples preparation. It is operated by crew of 24 sailors and can accommodate up to 14 scientists.
Contact
For further information on the Limnological Institute please contact Nadja Cherepanova in Irkutsk.
Results (Lake Baikal)
Bottomwater formation due to hydrothermal activity in Frolikha Bay, Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia
by Rolf Kipfer, Werner Aeschbach-Hertig, Markus Hofer, Roland Hohmann, Dieter M. Imboden, Heiri Baur, Vladimir Golubev, and Jean Klerkx
Description of Stability and Neutrally buoyant transport in freshwater lakes
by Frank Peeters, Gabriel Piepke, Rolf Kipfer, Roland Hohmann, and Dieter M. Imboden
Processes of Deep-Water Renewal In Lake Baikal
by Roland Hohmann, Rolf Kipfer, Frank Peeters, Gabriel Piepke, M. N. Shimaraev, and Dieter M. Imboden
Distribution of Helium and Tritium in Lake Baikal
by Roland Hohmann, Markus Hofer, Rolf Kipfer, Frank Peeters, Heiri Baur, M. N. Shimaraev, and Dieter M. Imboden
Modelling Transport Rates in Lake Baikal: Gas Exchange and Deep-Water Renewal
by Frank Peeters, Rolf Kipfer, Roland Hohmann, Markus Hofer, G.G. Kodenev, Tamara Khodzher, and Dieter M. Imboden
Ongoing Projects (Lake Baikal)
Short report on the GIPAC expedition on Lake Baikal June 21 - July 16, 1996
by Beat Müller
Particles and Recent Sedimentation of Lake Baikal
by Mike Sturm
Salt Budget of Lake Baikal
by Rolf Kipfer