The deepest lake on earth. The deepest lakes in the world The deepest and oldest lake

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard about a few of the largest ones. Do you think that Baikal is the most big lake in the world? In fact, Baikal takes only 7th place in the ranking of the largest lakes!

Did you know that the area of ​​the largest lake on the planet is equal to the area of ​​52 million football fields and is comparable to the area of ​​Moscow multiplied by 150 times? No? Then read below!

No. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 square kilometers. North America.

Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world in terms of area, and it is also the most deep lake V North America. Its depth is 614 meters. The dimensions of Great Slave Lake are 480 km long, 19-109 km wide, and an area of ​​28,930 square kilometers.

From October to June the lake is frozen; in winter the ice can support the weight of trucks. Rivers flowing into the lake: Hay, Slave, Snowdrift, etc. The Mackenzie River flows out of the lake. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 9. Lake Nyasa - 30,044 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Nyasa (Malawi) is the ninth largest lake in the world by area. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, depth - 706 m. Nyasa contains 7% of the world's liquid reserves fresh water.

Nyasa is known for its rich ecosystem, many of the species found in the lake are endemic. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

No. 8. Big Bear Lake- 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

Great Bear Lake is located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in Canada. The lake ranks eighth in area in the world and fourth in North America. Dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake does not have a very good history. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined to make the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lake is almost always covered with ice; the ice rarely melts before the end of July. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 7. Lake Baikal - 31,500 square kilometers. Eastern Siberia.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the largest water reservoir, which contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water reserves. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in area in the world and first in volume. Dimensions of the lake: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, its age is more than 25 million years. The fauna of Lake Baikal is one of the most unique in the world; many species are endemic.

No. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 square kilometers. Central Africa.

Lake Tanganyika is one of the deepest lakes in the world, along with Lake Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - Democratic Republic Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

Dimensions of the lake: length - 676 ​​km, width - 72 km, maximum depth - 1470 m, volume - 18,900 km3. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

Tanganyika lies in Africa's deepest tectonic basin and is part of the Congo River basin, one of the largest rivers in the world.

No. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is the largest lake located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third largest among the Great Lakes. The volume of the lake is 4918 m3, length - 494 km, width - 190 km, maximum depth - 281 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is located on the territory of two countries: the USA and Canada. Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 3538 m3, length - 331 km, width - 295 km, maximum depth - 229 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Victoria is located in Tanzania and Kenya. With the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was converted into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports in three countries. A national park has been established on the island of Rubondo (Tanzania).

Victoria is the third largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 2760 m3, length - 320 km, width - 274 km, maximum depth - 80 m. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

The lake was discovered and named in honor of Queen Victoria by British traveler John Henning Speke in 1858.

No. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Superior is the second largest in the world and the largest among the Great Lakes, located on the border of the United States and Canada. The volume of the lake is 12,000 m3, length - 563 km, width - 257 km, maximum depth - 406 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

Etymology of the name. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, which means “big water.”

No. 1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 square kilometers. Europe Asia.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth, which is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. Length coastline The Caspian Sea is approximately 6500 kilometers.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of them are the Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Kura, Artek, etc. The Caspian Sea washes the shores of Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.

Each of us has seen a lake at least once in our lives. Most likely, it was small, warm, with silted shores and a modest selection of fish. But these natural bodies of water can be different.

Completely different. So big that the opposite shore is lost in the distance. So huge that they can belong to several states. So deep that the devil himself doesn’t know what’s going on at the bottom. We don’t know about you, but we would be interested to learn more about them, and most importantly, to understand where the deepest lake in the world is located.

Baikal

And first of all, we want to please all Russian patriots. After all, the deepest and clear lake world - this is our Baikal. We know about this, but we know it somehow abstractly. And to better understand the scale of this unique natural object, we will give some numbers:

1. The maximum depth of Lake Baikal is 1642 meters. Not every sea can boast of this.
2. The average depth is 744 meters. Likewise.
3. The mirror area is 31,700 square meters. This is approximately the size of the Netherlands or Belgium.
4. Volume – about 23.6 million cubic meters. This represents about 19% of all freshwater reserves.
5. About 2,600 species live above, in and near Lake Baikal, more than half of which are found nowhere else.
6. One liter of Baikal water contains about 96 milligrams of impurities and a lot of oxygen. It is so pure that it can be used as a distillate.

This list can be continued for several more pages, because there is no such lake on the planet, and, apparently, there will never be another. But there are others.

This African lake takes an honorable second place in our ranking, slightly inferior to Baikal in depth - 1470 meters maximum and 570 average. But it is considered the longest lake, stretching like a crescent for 676 kilometers. As a result, its shores were divided between four states: Tanzania, Burundia, Zambia and Congo. Fortunately, there is enough water, fish and other benefits for everyone. True, in exchange it is not the ungrateful residents who pour waste, sewage and sewage into it.

It's good that the drains are not visible

Therefore, if you want to swim in the waters of Tanganyika, you should do it as quickly as possible. And it's better to hurry, because freshwater lake boasts very clean and warm water, beautiful scenery and an abundance of wildlife, ranging from all kinds of fish to hippos and alligators.

East

We thought for a long time about where to put this extraordinary lake. Its maximum depth is 1200 meters (presumably). But it is separated from the surface by more than 4 kilometers of ice! The fact is that it is located in Antarctica and is the largest and deepest underwater lake on Earth.

It has been studied for several years, but so far scientists have not been able to overcome the ice sheet and get to the water. It is not difficult to explain such interest, because the lake was separated from our world for millions of years, and its ecosystem (if it exists) developed in isolation from the whole world.

Most of all, scientists are interested in whether there is life in this deepest lake. Firstly, it is interesting what kind of form it could have taken over millions of years of independent evolution. And secondly, the very fact of its discovery will significantly increase our chances of finding another habitable planet. The fact is that several of Jupiter’s satellites have similar subglacial water reservoirs. And if life was able to adapt to Lake Vostok, it will be able to catch on there too.

The data obtained to date does not allow us to confidently confirm or refute the existence of living organisms in the waters of the East. Drilling will continue this year. Perhaps then scientists will be able to obtain more accurate data.

Don't be surprised what the sea does in the competition for the title of "deepest lake." It is called a sea only because of its impressive size, because it has no connection with the World Ocean. On the other hand, unlike most lakes, the Caspian has salt water, from 0.5 to 13‰.

Well, why not the sea?

The Caspian Sea honestly deserves fourth place on our list thanks to maximum depth at 1025 meters. The average, however, is smaller - about 200. However, this lake is one of the few with a depth of more than a kilometer at its maximum points. All the rest, even the next one in the ranking, San Martin, can only boast 836 meters.

With this, we believe that we have answered the question of what is the deepest lake and we can finish our article.

This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Its depth is 1637 meters.

Located deepest lake in the world almost in the center of the huge continent of Eurasia. Baikal stretches 636 kilometers in length and 80 kilometers in width.

The water of Lake Baikal accounts for 20% of all fresh water reserves in the world, and 90% in Russia. Baikal is also the cleanest lake in the world. Thanks to the activity of living microorganisms living in it, the water is slightly mineralized (almost distilled), which explains its crystal transparency. In spring, water transparency reaches 40 meters.

Feeds deepest lake in the world three hundred thirty-six permanent rivers and streams. The most big river, flowing into Lake Baikal, the Selenga River. Only one river flows out of the lake - the Angara. Thus, Baikal is the deepest lake and the largest reservoir of fresh water in the world.

Very diverse animal life and vegetable world deepest lake in the world. Here you can find whitefish, lenok, taimen - representatives of the salmon family. Sturgeon, grayling, pike, carp, catfish, cod, perch and many other fish families. There are also seals here, which are the only representatives mammals in the lake. In autumn, you can see many of these Baikal seals on the rocky shores.

The seal is not the only inhabitant of the coasts; many gulls, mergansers, goldeneyes, scoters, scorches, white-tailed eagles, ospreys and other birds nest along the coasts and on the islands.

Lake Baikal attracts numerous tourists from all over the world with its beauty and amazingness. Infrastructure, recreation centers, and hotels are widely developing on the shores of Baikal.

Lake Baikal is a natural heritage not only of Russia, but of the whole world, so we must protect it and preserve its pristine state. Baikal reveals to us many beautiful landscapes, looking at them will take your breath away...

Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Lake Tanganyika, Central Africa Lake Vostok, Antarctica Caspian Sea, Baku Lake San Martin (O'Higgins) Lake Malawi - the deepest in Africa (706 meters) Lake Matano with a depth of 590 meters

As you know 70% earth's surface is made up of water. Therefore, it would probably be more logical to call our planet the Planet of Water.

The Earth's hydro resources are represented by the following categories: oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, small rivers, ponds, springs and springs - this is the sequence of dimensional gradation that we have all become accustomed to since childhood. Meanwhile, in each category there may be an example that will surpass the category in front in its characteristics.

Some lake storms are in no way inferior to sea disturbances, while the depth of others is several times greater than the greatness of the sea depths. It is these water giants that are worth getting to know in more detail. So, let me present the ranking of the 10 deepest lakes in the world.

Let's start with the most famous and deepest lake in the world - Baikal.

Baikal is a unique body of water. This is the largest natural reservoir of fresh water. Baikal is also considered the oldest lake on our planet; according to scientists, its age is about 15,000 years.

The reservoir amazes with the uniqueness of its flora and fauna, the species diversity of which amounts to 1,700 specimens, many of them endemic.

The lake is an object national treasure Russian Federation and is included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Baikal is rightly called the sea by the people. Its depth in some areas reaches 1,642 meters

Olkhon Island on Lake Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island, Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Olkhon Island (Jason Rogers / flickr.com) Jason Rogers / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Martin Lopatka / flickr .com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Water surface of Lake Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Khoboy Cape, Olkhon (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com White sturgeon (Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com) Heaven Ice Day / flickr.com LA638 / flickr.com miquitos / flickr.com Cape Burkhan (Shaman Rock), Olkhon. (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Baikal seal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com) Shamanka Rock. View from Olkhon Island. Baikal (Tanya Legkobyt / flickr.com) Olkhon Island, Baikal (alexey_nitsa / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Klas Š. / flickr.com Klas Š. / flickr.com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Baikal seal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Klas Š. / flickr.com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com Olkhon, Baikal (Konstantin Malanchev / flickr.com) Oleg Gant / flickr.com Sunset in Siberia, Northern Baikal, Russia (Yuri Samoilov / flickr.com) Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Yuri Samoilov / flickr.com Vera & Jean-Christophe / flickr.com Délirante bestiole / flickr.com Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com fennU2 / flickr.com -5m / flickr.com Vladislav Bezrukov / flickr.com Voyages Lambert / flickr.com Vera & Jean-Christophe / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Kyle Taylor / flickr.com Nerpa on Lake Baikal (Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com) Thomas Depenbusch / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov / flickr.com Kyle Taylor / flickr.com Sergey Gabdurakhmanov/ flickr.com seseg_h / flickr.com Richard Thomas / flickr.com Daniel Beilinson / flickr.com NASA's Earth Observatory / flickr.com Clay Gilliland / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com Aleksandr Zykov / flickr.com

TOP 2: Lake Tanganyika (1470 meters)

Another lake giant is located on the distant African continent - Lake Tanganyika. Its waters are 1,470 m deep. It is called the second deepest lake in the world.

Tanganyika is also unique in that it is the only lake in the world whose shores are shared by four countries - Tanzania, Congo, Burgundy and Zambia. It is from the waters of Tanganyika that the longest and deepest river in the world, the Nile, begins its source.

Lake Tanganyika, Central Africa

TOP 3: Lake Vostok in the ice of Antarctica (1200 meters)

Are you used to the fact that a lake is always an open body of fresh water? It turns out that it happens differently.

“Vostok”, the same lake that is located in the ice of Antarctica. The existence of the reservoir became known relatively recently, in 1996, and it is still full of mysteries.

Currently, active work is underway to study the “deep-sea northerner”; perhaps it will help reveal a picture of the past of our planet.

Lake Vostok, Antarctica

The reservoir received its name from the Russian polar station “Vostok”, near which it was discovered.

TOP 4: Caspian Sea (1025 meters)

4th place and the most controversial lake in our ranking is the Caspian Sea. We are all accustomed to the name Caspian Sea, however, this is not so. It refers to the seas very conditionally: the Caspian Sea is located on the basis of the earth's crust of oceanic origin, hence its second name - the Caspian Sea.

The reservoir is located between two continents, European and Asian, and its water resources belong to five states - Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

Caspian Sea, Baku

The most deep point lakes-sea - 1025 meters. The waters of the lake will be filled by 130 freshwater rivers, but the chemical composition of the lake is saturated with salts. The Caspian Sea has no drains.

TOP 5: San Martin - the deepest lake on the South American continent

The reservoir is a natural dividing line between two South American countries - Argentina and Chile.

The lake has another name - O'Higgins, as the Chileans called it, giving the name of their national hero who fought for independence South America. By the way, the Argentine name of the lake - San Martin - is also given by the name of the hero-liberator.

Lake San Martin (O'Higgins)

San Martin is famous for its unusual milky blue hue. This color is given by particles of stone sediments flowing into the lake along with the meltwater of glaciers.

TOP 6: Malawi - the deepest lake in Africa (706 meters)

Although the Black Continent is considered the driest, it is here that another lake “giant” is located, the second deepest lake in Africa – Malawi.

Lake resources belong to three countries - Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania. Malawi is a champion in fish species diversity. At the present time, the reservoir is rapidly becoming smaller; the main reasons for the loss of water resources are the natural process of evaporation and the Shire River, which takes its source from here.

Lake Malawi is the deepest in Africa (706 meters) Children play on the shore of Lake Malawi Fisherman on the water surface of Malawi

The depth of Malawi is 706 meters and the lake ranks 6th in the ranking.

TOP 7: Issyk-Kul - the deepest lake in Central Asia (702 meters)

In seventh place is the deepest lake Central Asia– Issyk-Kul, whose depth is 702 m. It is located in the north of the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

Issyk-Kul gained world fame thanks to its beautiful legends. According to legend, it is here, in the depths of the water, that an ancient Armenian church rests, and Tamerlane’s warriors once laid their mounds along the shores of the lake.

Since 2006 to mountain lake Scientific interest also intensified in connection with the remains of an ancient civilization found at its bottom.

The reservoir received its name, and in the Kyrgyz language it literally means “hot lake”, due to the fact that its salty waters do not freeze even in the most severe frosts.

TOP 8: Great Slave Lake in Canada (614 meters)

The eighth deepest lake in the world and the body of water with the most durable ice is Great Slave Lake. It is geographically located in Canada.

The depth of Great Slave Lake is 614 meters and it ranks 8th in the ranking.

For almost eight months of the year, the lake's waters are like a giant skating rink - its ice is so strong that it can support the weight of several multi-ton trucks.

In the south of Eastern Siberia, surrounded by mountain ranges and hills, there is the deepest lake in the world - the ancient, mysterious and mystical Baikal. The fantastically unique beauty of the surrounding nature, 1800 endemic species, crystal clear water and mysterious origins have made it the pearl of Eurasia.

The deepest and cleanest lake in the world was formed as a result of filling the rift basin. Its origin remains a mystery to scientists and a subject of scientific debate.

Which lake is the deepest in the world: are there any competitors?

Scientists in our country managed to find out which is the deepest lake on the planet at the end of the 20th century. During hydrographic work by specialists from the Ministry of Defense in 1983, a depth of 1642 meters was recorded. These data were confirmed during a unique international project to develop a bottom relief map. In 2002, hydrographic specialists from Russia, Belgium and Spain checked the depth at 1.3 million points in the water area and confirmed the maximum value established by earlier studies.

Islands and peninsulas of Baikal. Source: 1baikal.ru

The deepest lake in Russia is located in a stone bowl; its coastline is located quite high - 456 m above sea level. The most extreme point lies below the level of the world ocean at around 1187 m. This is one of the most impressive depressions on all the continents of the planet, exceeding in depth the depression of the Caspian Sea, the bed of which is formed by the oceanic crust.

In a similar rift depression called Albertine formed on the African continent of Tanganyika, its water surface is located in the mountains even higher - 773 meters and there was a high chance that the depth of the reservoir would exceed the characteristics of Lake Baikal. The measurements taken stopped at a maximum level of 1470 meters. These studies confirmed that Baikal is the deepest lake in the world with the greatest average depth. It is 744 m; there are only four inland bodies of water in the world whose depth exceeds this average value.

TOP of the deepest lakes in the world and Russia

Lakes are the main reservoirs of fresh water; they contain up to 67% of drinking resources. The largest share falls on the deepest lake on Earth, which contains about 19% of all reserves of humanity’s most important resource. The uniqueness of inland reservoirs lies not only in these practical characteristics, which are important for every person. Many lakes are deeper than the sea, and the amazing diversity of fauna and flora has impressed scientists for centuries.

The deepest inland bodies of water are located on all continents and differ in origin, area, fauna and history:

1. Baikal – 1642 m, deepest freshwater lake in the world with unique fauna, clean water and amazing surrounding nature. Echo sounders recorded a depth of 1940 m, but this data was not confirmed.
2. Tanganyika – 1470 m, located in a rift basin in Central Asia, fed by one of the most ancient rivers in the world - Malagarasi.
3. East – 1200 m, a unique underwater reservoir at the south pole of our planet, the oxygen content in the water is 50 times higher than the average value.
4. Caspian Sea – 1025 m, largest lake planet with an area larger than Italy. It has rich reserves of hydrocarbons and sturgeon fish.
5. San Martin – 836 m, the reservoir is located on the Chilean-Argentine border, attracts tourists from all over the world with the unusual white and blue color of the water.
6. Nyasa – 706 m, located in the south of the Great Rift Valley in Africa, contains 7% of fresh water, has a highly developed fishery and is home to about 1000 species of fish.
7. Issyk-Kul – 702 m, located in Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia, in the mountains at an altitude of 1609 m above sea level. The water is salty, which gives an original combination of sea and mountain climate.

The deepest lake in Europe occupies 12th position in the TOP with a depth of 514 m, it is located in Norway and is called Hornindalsvatnet. Located in the south of the country, the reservoir has an area of ​​12 sq. km and is even 19th in Norway in terms of this indicator.

Determining which is the deepest lake in Russia is not difficult - the palm belongs to Baikal.

The TOP of domestic reservoirs is as follows:

1. Baikal – 1642 m.
2. Caspian Sea – 1025 m.
3. Khantaiskoe - 420 m, located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in the south of Taimyr.
4. Koltsevoe – 369 m, located in the caldera of a volcano on the island of Onekotan, not far from Sakhalin.
5. Teletskoye – 325 m, pearl Altai Territory.
6. Kurilskoe - 316 m, one of the largest in Kamchatka.
7. Lama - 300 m, located south of Norilsk in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Is different untouched nature and an extremely low degree of knowledge.

It is assumed that Lama can have a depth of up to 600 m, which will raise it in the TOP to an honorable 3rd place.

Anthropogenic influence and water level in Lake Baikal

Industry leaders in our country, scientists, and people in government are well aware that Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, where the main supply of fresh water on the planet is located. They also know about the unique natural wealth flora and fauna, amazing nature along the banks of the reservoir. Nevertheless, decisions have been and are being made regularly that have irreversible consequences on the environmental situation.

In 1950, construction of a hydroelectric power station began in Irkutsk on the Angara River; after its completion, the water level of Lake Baikal rose by more than a meter. As a result, the deepest lake became de facto part of the deepest reservoir. At the same time, about 500 square meters were flooded. km of land, which had negative consequences on coastal forests, led to the degradation of spawning grounds, and accelerated soil erosion in the coastal zone.

They know which lake is the deepest in Mongolia, but despite the uniqueness of this natural object, they are planning the creation of a cascade of hydroelectric power stations on the Selenga River, which provides Baikal with up to 50% of the water influx. The construction of dams can destroy a river delta that is unique on a planetary scale, deteriorate the quality of water and lower its level.

Industrial enterprises in the region also have a negative impact on the ecosystem. Domestic companies act locally, with the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill causing the greatest problems. The pollution of the Selenga by enterprises in Ulan-Ude, Selenginsk and Mongolia is becoming increasingly alarming. Thanks to the public and scientists, it was possible to move the construction of the Eastern Oil Pipeline, the thread of which was planned to be laid in close proximity to the coastline.

Baikal is included in the lists World Heritage, this status contributes to the preservation of the pristine beauty of the surrounding nature, helps to protect environment from negative anthropogenic impact. Baikal should give joy and pleasure to all subsequent generations.