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79-465: From the beginning of the 9th century to the beginning of the 13th century, the Khori-Tumed lived near the western side of Lake Baikal . They lived in what is now southern Irkutsk Oblast , in some parts of Tuva and in southwestern Buryatia . In 1207, Genghis Khan , after conquering the Khori-Tumed , decided to move some of these groups south and these people eventually settled in the southern parts of

158-415: A quarter meant one-quarter of a fathom. A cable length , based on the length of a ship's cable, has been variously reckoned as equal to 100 or 120 fathoms. Most modern nautical charts indicate depth in metres. However, the U.S. Hydrographic Office uses feet and fathoms. A nautical chart will always explicitly indicate the units of depth used. To measure the depth of shallow waters, boatmen used

237-435: A sounding line containing fathom points, some marked and others in between, called deeps , unmarked but estimated by the user. Water near the coast and not too deep to be fathomed by a hand sounding line was referred to as in soundings or on soundings . The area offshore beyond the 100 fathom line, too deep to be fathomed by a hand sounding line, was referred to as out of soundings or off soundings . A deep-sea lead ,

316-634: A Tumed Mongol born near Huhhot , the capital of Inner Mongolia , who dominated the politics of the region until his death in 1989, and was the highest-ranking Mongol in the Chinese Communist Party . After the 1920s, as the Tumed began to interact with other Mongols, they began to feel an acute sense of inadequacy regarding their Mongolian language skills. In the 1950s, they set up many nationality ( mínzú ) primary schools and middle schools that recruited only Mongolian students. In these schools, Mongolian

395-519: A depth of 200–250 m (660–820 ft). After the surface ice breaks up, the surface water is slowly warmed up by the sun, and in May–June, the upper 300 m (980 ft) or so becomes homothermic (same temperature throughout) at around 4 °C (39 °F) because of water mixing. The sun continues to heat up the surface layer, and at the peak in August can reach up to about 16 °C (61 °F) in

474-549: A long history of human habitation. Near the village of Mal'ta, some 160 km northwest of the lake, remains of a young human male known as MA-1 or "Mal'ta Boy" are indications of local habitation by the Mal'ta–Buret' culture ca. 24,000 BP . An early known tribe in the area was the Kurykans . Located in the former northern territory of the Xiongnu confederation, Lake Baikal is one site of

553-636: A number of years. The lake became the site of the minor engagement between the Czechoslovak legion and the Red Army in 1918. At times during winter freezes, the lake could be crossed on foot, though at risk of frostbite and deadly hypothermia from the cold wind moving unobstructed across flat expanses of ice. In the winter of 1920, the Great Siberian Ice March occurred, when the retreating White Russian Army crossed frozen Lake Baikal. The wind on

632-563: A rich endemic fauna of invertebrates. The copepod Epischura baikalensis is endemic to Lake Baikal and the dominating zooplankton species there, making up 80 to 90% of the total biomass . It is estimated that they filter as much as a thousand cubic kilometers of water a year, or the lake's entire volume every twenty-three years. Among the most diverse invertebrate groups are the amphipod and ostracod crustaceans, freshwater snails , annelid worms and turbellarian worms: More than 350 species and subspecies of amphipods are endemic to

711-652: A summer maximum of 14 °C (57 °F). The region to the east of Lake Baikal is referred to as Transbaikalia or as the Transbaikal, and the loosely defined region around the lake itself is sometimes known as Baikalia . UNESCO declared Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996. Lake Baikal is in a rift valley, created by the Baikal Rift Zone , where the Earth's crust is slowly pulling apart. At 636 km (395 mi) long and 79 km (49 mi) wide, Lake Baikal has

790-640: Is Lake Baikal. A smaller number of other freshwater annelids is known: 30 species of leeches (Hirudinea), and 4 polychaetes . Several hundred species of nematodes are known from the lake, but a large percentage of these are undescribed . More than 140 endemic flatworm (Plathelminthes) species are in Lake Baikal, where they occur on a wide range of bottom types. Most of the flatworms are predatory, and some are relatively brightly marked. They are often abundant in shallow waters, where they are typically less than 2 cm (1 in) long, but in deeper parts of

869-480: Is a center for ostracod diversity. About 90% of the Lake Baikal ostracods are endemic, meaning that there are c. 200 endemic species. This makes it the second-most diverse group of crustacean in the lake, after the amphipods. The vast majority of the Baikal ostracods belong to the families Candonidae (more than 100 described species) and Cytherideidae (about 50 described species), but genetic studies indicate that

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948-412: Is also the world's oldest lake at 25–30 million years, and among the clearest. Lake Baikal is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, many of them endemic to the region. It is also home to Buryat tribes, who raise goats, camels , cattle, sheep , and horses on the eastern side of the lake, where the mean temperature varies from a winter minimum of −19 °C (−2 °F) to

1027-416: Is an independent research organization carrying out environmental, educational and research projects at Lake Baikal. In July 2008, Russia sent two small submersibles , Mir-1 and Mir-2 , to descend 1,592 m (5,223 ft) to the bottom of Lake Baikal to conduct geological and biological tests on its unique ecosystem. Although originally reported as being successful, they did not set a world record for

1106-400: Is around 200 km. Some tourists may spot a Baikal seal along the route. Local entrepreneurs offer overnight in yurt on ice. The ice season ends in mid-April. Owing to increasing temperatures ice starts to melt and becomes shallow and fragile, especially in places with strong under-ice flows. A range of factors contribute to an increased risk of falling through the ice towards the end of

1185-416: Is caught, smoked , and then sold widely in markets around the lake. Also, a second endemic whitefish inhabits the lake, C. baicalensis . The Baikal black grayling ( Thymallus baicalensis ), Baikal white grayling ( T. brevipinnis ), and Baikal sturgeon ( Acipenser baerii baicalensis ) are other important species with commercial value. They are also endemic to the Lake Baikal basin. The lake hosts

1264-688: Is equal to: In the international yard and pound agreement of 1959 the United States , Australia , Canada , New Zealand , South Africa , and the United Kingdom defined the length of the international yard to be exactly 0.9144 metre . In 1959 United States kept the US survey foot as definition for the fathom. In October 2019, the U.S. National Geodetic Survey and the National Institute of Standards and Technology announced their joint intent to retire

1343-495: Is lower with more than 30 species; about half of these, all in the families Euglesidae , Pisidiidae , and Sphaeriidae , are endemic (the only other family in the lake is the Unionidae with a single nonendemic species). The endemic bivalves are mainly found in shallows, with few species from deep water. With almost 200 described species, including more than 160 endemics, the center of diversity for aquatic freshwater oligochaetes

1422-501: Is occasionally used: 1 ⁄ 1000 nautical mile or 1 ⁄ 100 cable length . A burial at sea (where the body is weighted to force it to the bottom) requires a minimum of six fathoms of water. This is the origin of the phrase " to deep six" as meaning to discard, or dispose of. The phrase is echoed in Shakespeare's The Tempest , where Ariel tells Ferdinand , " Full fathom five thy father lies". Until early in

1501-653: Is one of the investors, who planned to build three hotels, creating 570 jobs. In 2007, the Russian government declared the Baikal region a special economic zone . A popular resort in Listvyanka is home to the seven-story Hotel Mayak. At the northern part of the lake, Baikalplan (a German NGO) built together with Russians in 2009 the Frolikha Adventure Coastline Track , a 100 km (62 mi)-long long-distance trail as an example for sustainable development of

1580-425: Is prepared by specialists every year and it opens when the ice conditions allow it. In 2015, the ice road to Olkhon was open from 17 February to 23 March. The thickness of the ice on the road is about 60 cm (24 in), maximum capacity allowed – 10 t (9.8 long tons; 11 short tons); it is open to the public from 9 am to 6 pm. The road through the lake is 12 km (7.5 mi) long and it goes from

1659-451: Is rich in oxygen, even in deep sections, which separates it from distinctly stratified bodies of water such as Lake Tanganyika and the Black Sea . In Lake Baikal, the water temperature varies significantly depending on location, depth, and time of the year. During the winter and spring, the surface freezes for about 4–5 months; from early January to early May–June (latest in the north),

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1738-651: Is surrounded by mountains; the Baikal Mountains on the north shore, the Barguzin Range on the northeastern shore and the Primorsky Range stretching along the western shore. The mountains and the taiga are protected as a national park. It contains 27 islands; the largest, Olkhon , is 72 km (45 mi) long and is the third-largest lake-bound island in the world. The lake is fed by as many as 330 inflowing rivers. The main ones draining directly into Baikal are

1817-497: Is unique among large, high-latitude lakes, as its sediments have not been scoured by overriding continental ice sheets. Russian, U.S., and Japanese cooperative studies of deep-drilling core sediments in the 1990s provide a detailed record of climatic variation over the past 6.7 million years. Longer and deeper sediment cores are expected in the near future. Lake Baikal is the only confined freshwater lake in which direct and indirect evidence of gas hydrates exists. The lake

1896-599: The Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope (BDUNT). The Baikal Neutrino Telescope NT-200 is being deployed in Lake Baikal, 3.6 km (2.2 mi) from shore at a depth of 1.1 km (0.68 mi). It consists of 192 optical modules. The lake, nicknamed "the Pearl of Siberia", drew investors from the tourist industry as energy revenues sparked an economic boom. Viktor Grigorov's Grand Baikal in Irkutsk

1975-458: The Byzantine period , this unit came in two forms: a "simple orguia" ( ἁπλὴ ὀργυιά , haplē orguiá ) roughly equivalent to the old Greek fathom (6 Byzantine feet , c.  1.87   m ) and an "imperial" ( βασιλικὴ , basilikē ) or "geometric orguia" ( γεωμετρικὴ ὀργυιά , geōmetrikē orguiá ) that was one-eighth longer (6 feet and a span , c.  2.10   m). One fathom

2054-565: The Early Middle Ages , populations of the European bison ( Bison bonasus ) were found near the lake; this represented the easternmost range of the species. There are 236 species of birds that inhabit Lake Baikal, 29 of which are waterfowl . Although named after the lake, both the Baikal teal and Baikal bush warbler are widespread in eastern Asia. Fewer than 65 native fish species occur in

2133-626: The Han–Xiongnu War , where the armies of the Han dynasty pursued and defeated the Xiongnu forces from the second century BC to the first century AD. They recorded that the lake was a "huge sea" ( hanhai ) and designated it the North Sea ( Běihǎi ) of the semimythical Four Seas . The Kurykans, a Siberian tribe who inhabited the area in the sixth century, gave it a name that translates to "much water". Later on, it

2212-780: The Selenga , the Barguzin , the Upper Angara , the Turka , the Sarma , and the Snezhnaya . It is drained through a single outlet, the Angara . Regular winds exist in Baikal's rift valley. Baikal is one of the clearest lakes in the world. During the winter, the water transparency in open sections can be as much as 30–40 m (100–130 ft), but during the summer it is typically 5–8 m (15–25 ft). Baikal

2291-424: The 20th century, it was the unit used to measure the depth of mines (mineral extraction) in the United Kingdom . Miners also use it as a unit of area equal to 6 feet square (3.34 m ) in the plane of a vein. In Britain, it can mean the quantity of wood in a pile of any length measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) square in cross section. In Central Europe , the klafter was the corresponding unit of comparable length, as

2370-573: The Amur country by following the Selenga, Uda, and Khilok Rivers to the future sites of Chita and Nerchinsk . The Trans-Siberian Railway was built between 1896 and 1902. Construction of the scenic railway around the southwestern end of Lake Baikal required 200 bridges and 33 tunnels. Until its completion, a train ferry , the SS Baikal , transported railcars across the lake from Port Baikal to Mysovaya for

2449-575: The Amur country. In 1641, Verkholensk was founded on the upper Lena. In 1643, Kurbat Ivanov went further up the Lena and became the first Russian to see Lake Baikal and Olkhon Island . Half his party under Skorokhodov remained on the lake, reached the Upper Angara at its northern tip, and wintered on the Barguzin River on the northeast side. In 1644, Ivan Pokhabov went up the Angara to Baikal, becoming perhaps

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2528-403: The Angara and arrived at Yeniseysk. Vikhor Savin (1624) and Maksim Perfilyev (1626 and 1627–28) explored Tungus country on the lower Angara. To the west, Krasnoyarsk on the upper Yenisei was founded in 1627. A number of ill-documented expeditions explored eastward from Krasnoyarsk. In 1628, Pyotr Beketov first encountered a group of Buryats and collected yasak ( tribute ) from them at

2607-694: The Great Gobi Desert . But it seems that the Tumed people had no strong connection with those forest people in Siberia. The Tumeds first appeared as the tribe of the Mongolian warlord Dogolon, who was taishi in the mid-15th century. In Mongolian chronicles, they were called seven Tumeds or twelve Tumeds. Because the Kharchin and other Mongol clans joined their league, they were probably called 12 Tumeds later on. Under Dayan Khan (1464-1517/1543) and his successors,

2686-799: The Mongol tribes converted to Buddhism . They submitted to the Qing dynasty and allied against the Chahar Mongols in the early 17th century. They were included in Josotu league of the Qing . The Tumed were Sinicized linguistically in the late 19th century, and by the early 20th century. Many of their leaders rose to the very top government, party, and military positions in the newly founded IMAR , and some attained leading national posts in Beijing and elsewhere. Ulanhu (1906–1988),

2765-604: The Tumeds formed the right wing of the eastern Mongols. The Tumeds reached their peak under the rule of Altan Khan (1507–1582) in the mid-16th century. They raided the Ming dynasty and attacked the Four Oirats . The Tumeds under Altan Khan recaptured Karakorum from the hands of the Oirats but the outcome of the war was not decisive in the 16th century. They are also famous for being the first of

2844-561: The U.S. survey foot, with effect from the end of 2022. The fathom in U.S. Customary units is thereafter defined based on the International 1959 foot, giving the length of the fathom as exactly 1.8288 metres in the United States as well. The British Admiralty defined a fathom to be a thousandth of an imperial nautical mile (which was 6080 ft) or 6.08 feet (1.85 m). In practice the "warship fathom" of exactly 6 feet (1.8 m)

2923-526: The Vikings) and means "embracing arms" or "pair of outstretched arms". It is maybe also cognate with the Old High German word "fadum", which has the same meaning and also means "yarn (originally stretching between the outstretched fingertips)". The Ancient Greek measure known as the orguia ( Ancient Greek : ὀργυιά , orgyiá , lit .   "outstretched") is usually translated as "fathom". By

3002-535: The animals are endemic . The watershed of Lake Baikal has numerous floral species represented. The marsh thistle ( Cirsium palustre ) is found here at the eastern limit of its geographic range. Submerged macrophytic vascular plants are mostly absent, except in some shallow bays along the shores of Lake Baikal. More than 85 species of submerged macrophytes have been recorded, including genera such as Ceratophyllum , Myriophyllum , Potamogeton , and Sparganium . The invasive species Elodea canadensis

3081-644: The basins. The North and Central basins are separated by Academician Ridge , while the area around the Selenga Delta and the Buguldeika Saddle separates the Central and South basins. The lake drains into the Angara , a tributary of the Yenisey . Landforms include Cape Ryty on Baikal's northwest coast. Baikal's age is estimated at 25–30 million years, making it the most ancient lake in geological history. It

3160-497: The deepest freshwater dive, reaching a depth of only 1,580 m (5,180 ft). That record is currently held by Anatoly Sagalevich , at 1,637 m (5,371 ft) (also in Lake Baikal aboard a Pisces submersible in 1990). Russian scientist and federal politician Artur Chilingarov , the leader of the mission, took part in the Mir dives as did Russian president Vladimir Putin . Since 1993, neutrino research has been conducted at

3239-405: The deepest living freshwater fish in the world, occurring near the bottom of Lake Baikal. The golomyankas are the primary prey of the Baikal seal and represent the largest fish biomass in the lake. Beyond members of Cottoidea, there are few endemic fish species in the lake basin. The most important local species for fisheries is the omul ( Coregonus migratorius ), an endemic whitefish . It

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3318-562: The deepest parts of the lake, from about 300 m (980 ft), the temperature is stable at 3.1–3.4 °C (37.6–38.1 °F) with only minor annual variations. The average surface temperature has risen by almost 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) in the last 50 years, resulting in a shorter period where the lake is covered by ice. At some locations, hydrothermal vents with water that is about 50 °C (122 °F) have been found. These are mostly in deep water but locally have also been found in relatively shallow water. They have little effect on

3397-496: The depth of water . The fathom is neither an international standard (SI) unit, nor an internationally accepted non-SI unit. Historically it was the maritime measure of depth in the English-speaking world but, apart from within the US, charts now use metres. There are two yards (6 feet ) in an imperial fathom. Originally the span of a man's outstretched arms , the size of a fathom has varied slightly depending on whether it

3476-667: The exposed lake was so cold, many people died, freezing in place until spring thaw. Beginning in 1956, the impounding of the Irkutsk Dam on the Angara River raised the level of the lake by 1.4 m (4.6 ft). As the railway was built, a large hydrogeographical expedition headed by F.K. Drizhenko produced the first detailed contour map of the lake bed. Several organizations are carrying out natural research projects on Lake Baikal. Most of them are governmental or associated with governmental organizations. The Baikalian Research Centre

3555-470: The family Asellidae . There are four species of the genus Baicalasellus , and the two species Mesoasellus dybowskii and Limnoasellus poberezhnii. These six endemic species are found on rocky substrata in depths varying from 3–10 meters (Baicalasellus angarensis) to more than hundred meters (Mesoasellus dybowskii). There are about 60 known species of cladocerans (water fleas), several of them endemic. Similar to another ancient lake, Tanganyika , Baikal

3634-461: The figures of ice that are formed at rocky banks of Olkhon Island , including Cape Hoboy, the Three Brothers rock, and caves to the north of Khuzhir . It also provides access to small islands like Ogoy Island and Zamogoy. The ice itself has a transparency of one meter depth. That is why this season is popular for hiking, ice-walking, ice-skating, and bicycle riding. An ice route around Olkhon

3713-415: The first Russian to use this route, which is difficult because of the rapids. He crossed the lake and explored the lower Selenge River . About 1647, he repeated the trip, obtained guides, and visited a 'Tsetsen Khan' near Ulan Bator . In 1648, Ivan Galkin built an ostrog on the Barguzin River which became a center for eastward expansion. In 1652, Vasily Kolesnikov reported from Barguzin that one could reach

3792-463: The future site of Bratsk . In 1629, Yakov Khripunov set off from Tomsk to find a rumored silver mine. His men soon began plundering both Russians and natives. They were joined by another band of rioters from Krasnoyarsk, but left the Buryat country when they ran short of food. This made it difficult for other Russians to enter the area. In 1631, Maksim Perfilyev built an ostrog at Bratsk. The pacification

3871-468: The heaviest of sounding leads, was used in water exceeding 100 fathoms in depth. This technique has been superseded by sonic depth finders for measuring mechanically the depth of water beneath a ship, one version of which is the Fathometer (trademark). The record made by such a device is a fathogram . A fathom line or fathom curve , a usually sinuous line on a nautical chart, joins all points having

3950-400: The high level of dissolved oxygen in the lake. Among the "giants" are several species of spiny Acanthogammarus and Brachyuropus ( Acanthogammaridae ) found at both shallow and deep depths. These conspicuous and common amphipods are essentially carnivores (will also take detritus ), and can reach a body length up to 7 cm (2.8 in). The number of isopods is low; they belong to

4029-434: The lake are Listvyanka village, Olkhon Island, Kotelnikovsky cape, Baykalskiy Priboi, resort Khakusy and Turka village. The popularity of Lake Baikal is growing from year to year, but there is no developed infrastructure in the area. For the quality of service and comfort from the visitor's point of view, Lake Baikal still has a long way to go. The ice road to Olkhon Island is the only legal ice road on Lake Baikal. The route

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4108-705: The lake basin, but more than half of these are endemic. The families Abyssocottidae (deep-water sculpins), Comephoridae (golomyankas or Baikal oilfish), and Cottocomephoridae (Baikal sculpins) are entirely restricted to the lake basin. All these are part of the Cottoidea and are typically less than 20 cm (8 in) long. Of particular note are the two species of golomyanka ( Comephorus baicalensis and C. dybowskii ). These long-finned, translucent fish typically live in open water at depths of 100–500 m (330–1,640 ft), but occur both shallower and much deeper. Together with certain abyssocottid sculpins, they are

4187-401: The lake surface is covered in ice. On average, the ice reaches a thickness of 0.5 to 1.4 m (1.6–4.6 ft), but in some places with hummocks , it can be more than 2 m (6.6 ft). During this period, the temperature slowly increases with depth in the lake, being coldest near the ice-covered surface at around freezing, and reaching about 3.5–3.8 °C (38.3–38.8 °F) at

4266-433: The lake's temperature because of its huge volume. Stormy weather on the lake is common, especially during the summer and autumn, and can result in waves as high as 4.5 m (15 ft). Lake Baikal is rich in biodiversity . It hosts more than 1,000 species of plants and 2,500 species of animals based on current knowledge, but the actual figures for both groups are believed to be significantly higher. More than 80% of

4345-908: The lake, and about half of these are endemic to Baikal; however, significant taxonomic uncertainties remain for this group. The Baikal seal or nerpa ( Pusa sibirica ) is endemic to Lake Baikal. A wide range of land mammals can be found in the habitats around the lake, such as the brown bear ( Ursus arctos ), Eurasian wolf ( Canis lupus lupus ), red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), sable ( Martes zibellina ), stoat ( Mustela erminea ), Eurasian otter ( Lutra lutra ), snow leopard ( Panthera uncia ), moose ( Alces alces ), elk ( Cervus canadensis ), reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ), Siberian roe deer ( Capreolus pygargus ), Siberian musk deer ( (Moschus moschiferus ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), red squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ), Siberian chipmunk ( Eutamias sibiricus ), marmots ( Marmota sp.), lemmings ( Lemmus sp.), and mountain hare ( Lepus timidus ). Until

4424-615: The lake, the largest, Baikaloplana valida , can reach up to 30 cm (1 ft) when outstretched. At least 18 species of sponges occur in the lake, including about 15 species from the endemic family Lubomirskiidae (the remaining are from the nonendemic family Spongillidae ), which colonized the lake about 3.4 million years ago. The lake's sponges makes up around 44% of the benthic animal biomass. Lubomirskia baicalensis , Baikalospongia bacillifera , and B. intermedia are unusually large for freshwater sponges and can reach 1 m (3.3 ft) or more. These three are also

4503-468: The lake. They are exceptionally diverse in ecology and appearance, ranging from the pelagic Macrohectopus to the relatively large deep-water Abyssogammarus and Garjajewia , the tiny herbivorous Micruropus , and the parasitic Pachyschesis (parasitic on other amphipods ). The "gigantism" of some Baikal amphipods, which has been compared to that seen in Antarctic amphipods, has been linked to

4582-468: The largest surface area of any freshwater lake in Asia, at 31,722 km (12,248 sq mi), and is the deepest lake in the world at 1,642 metres (5,387 feet; 898 fathoms). The surface of the lake is 455.5 m (1,494 ft) above sea level, while the bottom of the lake is 1,186.5 m (3,893 ft; 648.8 fathoms) below sea level, and below this lies some 7 km (4.3 mi) of sediment , placing

4661-494: The main sections and 20–24 °C (68–75 °F) in shallow bays in the southern half of the lake. During this time, the pattern is inverted compared to the winter and spring, as the water temperature falls with increasing depth. As the autumn begins, the surface temperature falls again and a second homothermic period at around 4 °C (39 °F) of the upper circa 300 m (980 ft) occurs in October–November. In

4740-407: The majority mainly live at shallower depths. About 30 freshwater snail species can be seen deeper than 100 m (330 ft), which represents the approximate limit of the sunlight zone , but only 10 are truly deepwater species. In general, Baikal snails are thin-shelled and small. Two of the most common species are Benedictia baicalensis and Megalovalvata baicalensis . Bivalve diversity

4819-409: The middle, was used to take fish from a larger seine . A line attached to a whaling harpoon was about 150 fathoms (900 ft; 270 m). A forerunner — a piece of cloth tied on a ship's log line some fathoms from the outboard end — marked the limit of drift line. A kite was a drag, towed under water at any depth up to about 40 fathoms (240 ft; 73 m), which upon striking bottom,

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4898-493: The most common sponges in the lake. While the Baikalospongia species typically have encrusting or carpet-like structures, L. baikalensis often has branching structures and in areas where common may form underwater "forests". Most sponges in the lake are typically green when alive because of symbiotic chlorophytes ( zoochlorella ), but can also be brownish or yellowish. The Baikal area, sometimes known as Baikalia , has

4977-624: The region. Baikal was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. Rosatom plans to build a laboratory near Baikal, in conjunction with an international uranium plant and to invest $ 2.5 billion in the region and create 2,000 jobs in the city of Angarsk . Lake Baikal is a popular destination among tourists from all over the world. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, in 2013, 79,179 foreign tourists visited Irkutsk and Lake Baikal; in 2014, 146,937 visitors. The most popular places to stay by

5056-624: The rift floor some 8–11 km (5.0–6.8 mi) below the surface, the deepest continental rift on Earth. In geological terms, the rift is young and active – it widens about 4 mm (0.16 in) per year. The fault zone is also seismically active; hot springs occur in the area and notable earthquakes happen every few years. The lake is divided into three basins: North, Central, and South, with depths about 900 m (3,000 ft), 1,600 m (5,200 ft), and 1,400 m (4,600 ft), respectively. Fault-controlled accommodation zones rising to depths about 300 m (980 ft) separate

5135-569: The same depth of water, thereby indicating the contour of the ocean floor. Some extensive flat areas of the sea bottom with constant depth are known by their fathom number, like the Broad Fourteens or the Long Forties , both in the North Sea . The components of a commercial fisherman's setline were measured in fathoms. The rope called a groundline , used to form the main line of a setline,

5214-497: The season, resulting in multiple deaths in Russia each year, although exact data for Baikal are unknown. Viktor Viktorovych Yanukovych , son of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych , reportedly died after his car fell through the ice while driving on Baikal in 2015. Fathom A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to 6 feet (1.8288 m), used especially for measuring

5293-595: The second largest lake in Eurasia after the Caspian Sea . However, because it is also the deepest lake , with a maximum depth of 1,642 metres (5,387 feet ; 898 fathoms ), Lake Baikal is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume, containing 23,615.39 km (5,670 cu mi) of water or 22–23% of the world's fresh surface water , more than all of the North American Great Lakes combined. It

5372-599: The true diversity in at least the latter family has been heavily underestimated. The morphology of the Baikal ostracods is highly diverse. As of 2006 , almost 150 freshwater snails are known from Lake Baikal, including 117 endemic species from the subfamilies Baicaliinae (part of the Amnicolidae ) and Benedictiinae (part of the Lithoglyphidae ), and the families Planorbidae and Valvatidae . All endemics have been recorded between 20 and 30 m (66 and 98 ft), but

5451-504: The village Kurkut on the mainland to Irkutskaya Guba on Olkhon Island. Baikal has a number of different tourist activities, depending on the season. Generally, Baikal has two top tourist seasons. The first season is ice season, which starts usually in mid-January and lasts till mid-April. During this season ice depth increases up to 140 centimeters, that allows safe vehicle driving on the ice cover (except heavy vehicles, such as tourist buses, that do not take this risk). This allows access to

5530-649: Was called "natural lake" ( Baygal nuur ) by the Buryats and "rich lake" ( Bay göl ) by the Yakuts. Little was known to Europeans about the lake until Russia expanded into the area in the 1600s. The first Russian explorer to reach Lake Baikal was Kurbat Ivanov in 1643. Lake Baikal was under the Anbei Protectorate of the Tang dynasty from 647 CE to 682 CE. Russian expansion into the Buryat area around Lake Baikal in 1628–1658

5609-403: Was defined as a thousandth of an (Admiralty) nautical mile or as a multiple of the imperial yard . Formerly, the term was used for any of several units of length varying around 5– 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet (1.5–1.7 m). The term (pronounced / ˈ f æ ð ə m / ) derives (via Middle English fathme ) from the Old English fæðm , which is cognate with the Danish word favn (via

5688-529: Was introduced to the lake in the 1950s. Instead of vascular plants, aquatic flora is often dominated by several green algae species, notably Draparnaldioides , Tetraspora , and Ulothrix in water shallower than 20 m (65 ft); although Aegagrophila , Cladophora , and Draparnaldioides may occur deeper than 30 m (100 ft). Except for Ulothrix , there are endemic Baikal species in all these green algae genera. More than 400 diatom species, both benthic and planktonic , are found in

5767-592: Was moderately successful, but in 1634, Bratsk was destroyed and its garrison killed. In 1635, Bratsk was restored by a punitive expedition under Radukovskii. In 1638, it was besieged unsuccessfully. In 1638, Perfilyev crossed from the Angara over the Ilim portage to the Lena River and went downstream as far as Olyokminsk . Returning, he sailed up the Vitim River into the area east of Lake Baikal (1640) where he heard reports of

5846-506: Was part of the Russian conquest of Siberia . It was done first by following the Angara River upstream from Yeniseysk (founded 1619) and later by moving south from the Lena River. Russians first heard of the Buryats in 1609 at Tomsk. According to folktales related a century after the fact, in 1623, Demid Pyanda , who may have been the first Russian to reach the Lena, crossed from the upper Lena to

5925-724: Was taught as a subject, one considered of equal importance to Chinese, though all other subjects were taught in Chinese. During the Cultural Revolution years, 1966–1976, Mongolian instruction was largely abolished. A new attempt to provide a Mongol education began in September 1979. The Tumed banner built a "Mongolian Nationality Primary School" in October 1982 in the banner center. The school had eight classes divided into three grades, with 201 boarding pupils, all taught in Mongolian, while Chinese

6004-493: Was taught only starting from grade 5. Lake Baikal Lake Baikal is the deepest rift lake in the world. It is situated in southern Siberia , Russia between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Republic of Buryatia to the southeast. At 31,722 km (12,248 sq mi)—slightly larger than Belgium —Lake Baikal is the world's seventh-largest lake by surface area, as well as

6083-457: Was upset and rose to the surface. A shot , one of the forged lengths of chain joined by shackles to form an anchor cable, was usually 15 fathoms (90 ft; 27 m). A shackle , a length of cable or chain equal to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 fathoms (75 ft; 22.9 m). In 1949, the British navy redefined the shackle to be 15 fathoms (90 ft; 27 m). The Finnish fathom ( syli )

6162-593: Was used in Britain and the United States. No conflict between the definitions existed in practice, since depths on imperial nautical charts were indicated in feet if less than 30 feet (9.1 m) and in fathoms for depths greater than that. Until the 19th century in England, the length of the fathom was more variable: from 5 + 1 ⁄ 2  feet on merchant vessels to either 5 or 7 feet (1.5 or 2.1 m) on fishing vessels (from 1.7 to 1.5 or 2.1 m). At one time,

6241-469: Was usually provided in bundles of 300 fathoms. A single 50-fathom (300 ft; 91 m) skein of this rope was referred to as a line . Especially in Pacific coast fisheries the setline was composed of units called skates , each consisting of several hundred fathoms of groundline, with gangions and hooks attached. A tuck seine or tuck net about 70 fathoms (420 ft; 130 m) long, and very deep in

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