Page 119 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

DEEP FREEZE

LAKE BAIKAL

Just north of Mongolia, the continent of Asia is
being torn apart to create a huge rift in Earth’s crust.
At least 5.6 miles (9 km) deep, the rift has filled with
sediment and water to form the world’s deepest
lake. During the bone-chilling Siberian winter, the
exceptionally pure lake water freezes at the surface
almost overnight, forming a vast sheet of thick ice that
is as clear as glass. It freezes so fast that waves in the
lake surface are frozen solid. But stresses in the ice
make it crack and fracture, pushing up tumbled
blocks that glow turquoise in the cold winter light.

AT A GLANCE
• LOCATION Southern Siberia,

eastern Russia
• LENGTH 395 miles (636 km)
• AREA 12,245 sq miles (31,722 sq km)

• MAXIMUM DEPTH Lake bed is 5,387 ft
(1,642 m) below the surface

STATS AND FACTS

CAPACITY FRESH WATER
Lake Baikal formed
about 25 million Lake Baikal holds Lake Baikal
contains about
more water than
years ago, when the five North 20 percent of
Earth’s crust pulled American Great the world’s
apart to create Lakes combined. fresh water.
a rift valley, which
filled with water. ACTIVE RIFT The rift continues to
widen at a rate of about
1 in (2.5 cm) per year.
cm 2 4 6 8
in 1 2 3

The temperature in the area
TEMPERATURE averages -6°F (-21°C) in winter
and 52°F (11°C) in summer.
°C -20 -10 0 20 FROZEN WORLD
LAKEBED SEDIMENT
UP TO °F -4 14 32 50 68
4
MILES
(7 KM)
THICK
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