Baikal

WATER AREA: 31 500 sq km
DEPTH: 1,6 km (1 mile)
VOLUME: 23,000 cubic meters
AGE: 25,000,000 years
CLIMATE: Lake Baikal (Ozero Baykal), occupies a rift valley and is the world’s deepest lake. It is fed by over 300 rivers and drained by just one, the Angara. The shores of Lake Baikal are mixture of forest and grassy steppes seen here. The lake freezes to the depth of 33 ft (10 m) in winter. Baikal lake influences on climate and makes it softer. Huge water mass of Baikal like a battery, which accumulates large quantity of heat and it warms itself up to 200 – 250 meters deep in summer period. That is why Baikal winter is softer, and summer – cooler, than it’s on the other part of Siberia. The average temperature in January is 6 °F, in July – 64°F.

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