Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia , in the vicinity of Saint Petersburg .
113-564: It is the largest lake located entirely in Europe, the second largest lake in Russia after Lake Baikal , and the 14th largest freshwater lake by area in the world. It is comparable in size to Lake Ontario . Ladoga Lacus , a methane lake on Saturn 's moon Titan , is named after the lake. In one of Nestor's chronicles from the 12th century a lake called "the Great Nevo" is mentioned,
226-479: A clear link to the Neva River and possibly further to Finnish nevo 'sea' or neva 'bog, quagmire'. Ancient Norse sagas and Hanseatic treaties both mention a city made of lakes named Old Norse Aldeigja or Aldoga . Since the beginning of the 14th century this hydronym was commonly known as Ladoga . According to T. N. Jackson, it can be taken "almost for granted that the name of Ladoga first referred to
339-523: 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
452-494: A few localities like today. The limited geographical extent of Jotnian sediments at present is indebted to their erosion over geological time . Sedimentary rocks as old as the Jotnian sediments age have a low preservation potential . The distribution of some Jotnian sediments is spatially associated with the occurrence of rapakivi granite. Korja and co-workers (1993) claim the Jotnian sediment–rapakivi granite coincidence at
565-562: 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
678-652: A number of other Salmonidae as well as, albeit rarely, endangered Atlantic sturgeon (formerly confused with European sea sturgeon ). Commercial fishing was once a major industry but has been hurt by overfishing. After the war, between 1945 and 1954, the total annual catch increased and reached a maximum of 4,900 tonnes. However, unbalanced fishery led to the drastic decrease of catch in 1955–1963, sometimes to 1,600 tonnes per year. Trawling has been forbidden in Lake Ladoga since 1956 and some other restrictions were imposed. The situation gradually recovered, and in 1971–1990
791-657: 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
904-563: 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
1017-535: A rift or a graben and lie in Dalarna , Sweden. It has been suggested that the sedimentary basins hosting Jotnian sediments at Dalarna, Gävle , the Bothnian Sea , Satakunta and Lake Ladoga form an alignment of subsidence parallel to the area of inferred Hallandian-Danopolonian subduction , possibly corresponding to an ancient back-arc basin . Between Finland and Sweden Jotnian sediments are common in
1130-659: A river as paleocurrents are somewhat uniform. It is also possible that some beds were deposited in tidal flats or as aeolianites . Similarly to the Gävle sandstones, the outcrops at Nordingrå are linked to the Satakunta outcrops in Finland. The sediments are both intruded and covered by diabase . In the island of Tärnö Jotnian sandstone xenoliths have been found in a diabase dyke . These xenoliths have been interpreted as originating from Jotnian cover rocks lying above
1243-656: A total area of about 435 km. Ladoga is, on average, 5 m above sea level. Most of the islands, including the famous Valaam archipelago, Kilpola and Konevets , are situated in the northwest of the lake. Separated from the Baltic Sea by the Karelian Isthmus , it drains into the Gulf of Finland via the Neva River . Lake Ladoga is navigable, being a part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway connecting
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#17327871334571356-525: A tributary of the Gulf of Finland , between 4,000 and 2,000 BP. Dating of some sediments in the northwestern part of Lake Ladoga suggests it happened at 3,100 radiocarbon years BP (3,410–3,250 calendar years BP). The Ladoga is rich with fish. 48 forms (species and infra specific taxa) of fish have been encountered in the lake, including roach , carp bream , zander , European perch , ruffe , endemic variety of smelt , two varieties of Coregonus albula (vendace), eight varieties of Coregonus lavaretus ,
1469-646: 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
1582-484: 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
1695-531: Is a site of Jotnian sediment occurrence. At this location Jotnian sediments can be found within the Muhos Graben that has had a downward displacement of about one kilometre. The sediments in the Muhos Graben at the bottom are conglomerates and arkoses whose contact with the underlying metamorphic rocks constitute an unconformity . The pebbles of the conglomerate are made of schist and granite while
1808-411: Is a small strip of these sediments running north from the main area. The Almesåkra Group extends over an area of about 380 km (150 sq mi). The Almesåkra Group consists of feldspar -rich sandstones, argillites and minor amounts of conglomerate. The deposits are believed to be of fluvial origin. Argillites constitute about 10% of the outcrops while the sandstones and conglomerates make up
1921-416: 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
2034-400: 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
2147-551: Is at least 600 metres thick but might likely be as thick as much as 1800 metres. 1270–1250 million years old Postjotnian olivine -bearing diabase dykes cuts through the Satakunta Sandstones. Sedimentary and volcanic rocks crop out on the eastern shores of the Lake Ladoga in Russia. Among these are the "Salmi series" or "Salma suite" and the "Priosersk suite", which are Jotnian units. These rocks overlie
2260-416: 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
2373-545: Is due to their deposition in subaerial (e.g. non-marine) conditions. Jotnian sediments are the oldest known sediments in the Baltic area that have not been subject to metamorphism . Their age is poorly constrained, but generally they are younger than the rapakivi granites and older than Postjotnian diabases that intrude the sediments. This means that Jotnian sediments were deposited approximately 1600–1260 million years ago. Some Jotnian sediments are, however, younger than
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#17327871334572486-655: Is known as the "Trysil sandstone". At Idre drilling has revealed that the Dala sandstone extends beneath the Caledonian nappes . The Dala sandstone unconformably overlies the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt basement. The unconformity, believed to have been formed by subaerial erosion, was the surface of a peneplain at the time of deposition of the Dala sandstone. The peneplain landscape formed after protracted periods of erosion. Sedimentation of
2599-609: Is known, hosts Jotnian sediments . During the Pleistocene glaciations the depression was partially stripped of its sedimentary rock fill by glacial overdeepening . During the Last Glacial Maximum , about 17,000 years BP , the lake served likely as a channel that concentrated ice of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet into an ice stream that fed glacier lobes further east. Deglaciation following
2712-500: 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
2825-678: 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
2938-471: Is possible that the Dala sandstone was once connected to the Gulf of Bothnia by an epicontinental sea . The Dala sandstone constitute a part of broad north-south aligned syncline . Sedimentation at Dalarna happened apparently not in a graben or rift as is the case for most other Jotnian sediments. Onshore Jotnian sediments at Gävle (Gävle sandstone) have an estimated maximum thickness of 900 metres. Along with
3051-425: 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
3164-586: 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
3277-456: 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),
3390-673: 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
3503-514: 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 the second largest lake in Eurasia after
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3616-497: 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
3729-624: 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
3842-662: The Baltic Sea with the Volga River . The Ladoga Canal bypasses the lake in the south, connecting the Neva to the Svir . The basin of Lake Ladoga includes about 50,000 lakes and 3,500 rivers longer than 10 km. About 85% of the water inflow is due to tributaries, 13% is due to precipitation , and 2% is due to underground waters. Geologically, the Lake Ladoga depression is a graben and syncline structure of Proterozoic age ( Precambrian ). This "Ladoga–Pasha structure", as it
3955-596: 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 is also the world's oldest lake at 25–30 million years, and among
4068-582: 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
4181-614: The Gulf of Bothnia , the Bothnian Sea and the Åland Sea including South Kvarken . Known Jotnian rocks at the Åland Sea are sandstones and belong to the Söderarm Formation (informal). Above these there are Upper riphean and Vendian sandstones and shales. Fully within Swedish waters there is a Jotnian sediment occurrence at the Landsort Basin between Gotland and Stockholm archipelago . Jotnian rocks found in
4294-639: 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
4407-740: The Ingrian War , a fraction of the Ladoga coast was occupied by Sweden. In 1617, by the Treaty of Stolbovo , the northern and western coast was ceded by Russia to Sweden. In 1721, after the Great Northern War , it was restitutioned to Russia by the Treaty of Nystad . In the 18th century, the Ladoga Canal was built to bypass the lake which was prone to winds and storms that destroyed hundreds of cargo ships. Later, from around 1812–1940
4520-813: 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
4633-531: The Tersky Coast at the southern shores of the Kola Peninsula . These outcrops are an overfill of the neighbouring Kandalaksha Graben , which is also filled with these sediments. The formation has silty beds within a matrix of mica and clay . The Tersky Formation was deposited in the timespan between 1263 and 1080 million years ago (±40 million years of error). The neighboring Kerets Graben in
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4746-587: The Weichselian glaciation took place in the Lake Ladoga basin between 12,500 and 11,500 radiocarbon years BP . Lake Ladoga was initially part of the Baltic Ice Lake (70–80 m. above present sea level ), a historical freshwater stage of Baltic Sea . It is possible, though not certain, that Ladoga was isolated from it during regression of the subsequent Yoldia Sea brackish stage (10,200–9,500 BP). The isolation threshold should be at Heinjoki to
4859-418: The matrix is made of arkose. The bulk (90–80%) of the sequence of sediments is made up of siltstones and shales . The colour of the siltstones and shales vary from red and brown to grey to green. The siltstones and shales are intercalated with arkosic sandstone. The red arkosic sandstones of Muhos Graben are comparable to the ones of Satakunta. These sediments are of fluvial origin. Southern Satakunta near
4972-557: The "Pasha–Ladoga structure", which is also in part a syncline, thus being referred to as graben-syncline. The maximum thickness of the pile of sediments is no less than 800 metres. Jotnian sediments are exposed only as small outcrops on land but exposures are larger at the lake bottom. The Rybachy Peninsula in northern Murmansk Oblast hosts Jotnian sedimentary rocks dated to have sedimented 1126±50 million years ago. These rocks are thrusted over by younger Vendian and Upper Riphean rocks. The Jotnian Tersky Formation crops out along
5085-537: The Almesåkra Group as originating from first phases of erosion of the uplifted Sveconorwegian region to the west. Near Brevik in Eksjö Municipality and Röjda [ sv ] , there are diabase dykes hosting numerous rounded clasts of red Jotnian sandstone including both quartz arenite and arkose . These Jotnian xenoliths are interpreted as having been part of a conglomerate that
5198-587: 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
5311-590: 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
5424-403: 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
5537-468: The Baltic, occasionally invaded Ladoga between 7,000 and 5,000 BP. Around 5,000 BP the waters of the Saimaa Lake penetrated Salpausselkä and formed a new outlet, River Vuoksi , entering Lake Ladoga in the northwestern corner and raising its level by 1–2 m. The River Neva originated when the Ladoga waters at last broke through the threshold at Porogi into the lower portions of Izhora River , then
5650-411: The Dala sandstone happened between 1650 and 1200 million years ago. The maximum thickness of the sediments at Dalarna is 800 m. The lowermost sediments are conglomerates and breccias . Above this basal layer, sediments are mainly stratified red sandstone intercalated with shale and conglomerate. Among the sandstones there are greywacke sandstones and quartz-rich sandstones. A remarkable feature on
5763-715: The Dala sandstone the Gävle sandstone has been subject to low grade burial metamorphism of the pumpellyite type, meaning they must once have been buried beneath several kilometres of sediments. Together with the Jotnian sediments of Nordingrå the Gävle sandstone share links with the Satakunta Jotnian rocks. Archaeological finds show that Gävle sandstone has been used as millstone in Lejstaån near Uppsala . Jotnian sandstone crops out around Södra Björkfjärden in Lake Mälaren . Visible outcrops can be found in
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#17327871334575876-479: The Dala sandstones is that delicate features like ripple marks , rain drop marks and mudcracks have survived in the sediments. The sandstones in Dalarna are of aeolian origin and represent ancient dunes and interdune sediments. The Dala sandstone has an imprint of low grade burial metamorphism of the pumpellyite type , meaning they must once have been buried beneath several kilometres of sediments. It
5989-444: The Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia is associated with the existence of thin crust at these locations. At present Jotnian sedimentary rocks are commonly found in half-grabens , narrow grabens , in slightly downfolded (syncline) positions or in mixed graben-synclines. Most of the grabens hosting Jotnian sediments are northwest-southeast oriented. The largest occurrence of Jotnian sediments appear however to occur neither in
6102-673: The Landsort Basin are red sandstones. In the Bothnian Sea offshore Pori in Satakunta Jotnian sediments reaches a thickness of thousand metres, in other locations thickness is much less, for example 100 m at the Sylen shoal and yet in other places of the Bothnian Sea Jotnian sediments are absent. The Sub-Cambrian peneplain cuts across Jotnian rocks in the Bothnian Sea. Muhos in the northeastern Gulf of Bothnia
6215-399: The Nordingrå area display often cross-bedding and ripple marks . There are also fossil dunes . At Ringkallen the pile of Jotnian sediments is of 65 metres. Exposed sediment profiles show considerable variation in sedimentary facies . The deposition environment for sandstones including the arkose was one of an embankment or a channel with little current. The environment was likely one of
6328-437: The Old East Slavic metathesis ald- → lad- to Old East Slavic : Ладога . The Old Norse intermediary word between Finnish and Old East Slavic word is fully supported by archeology, since the Scandinavians first appeared in Ladoga in the early 750s, that is, a couple of decades before the Slavs . Other hypotheses about the origin of the name derive it from Karelian : aalto 'wave' and Karelian : aaltokas 'wavy', or from
6441-407: The Russian dialectal word алодь, meaning 'open lake, extensive water field'. Eugene Helimski by contrast, offers an etymology rooted in German. In his opinion, the primary name of the lake was Old Norse : * Aldauga 'old source', associated to the open sea, in contrast to the name of the Neva River (flowing from Lake Ladoga) which would derive from the German expression for 'the new'. Through
6554-410: The Salma rapakivi granite and igneous and metamorphic rocks of Paleoproterozoic age. Gritstone , sandstone and conglomerate are the sedimentary components of the Salmi suite which further includes mafic volcanic rocks . As with Satakunta and Muhos in Finland, the sediments at Lake Ladoga are located in a graben of Late Proterozoic age. The graben structure that hosts the sediments is known as
6667-443: The Soviet Union. During World War II not only Finnish and Soviet, but also German and Italian vessels operated there (see also Naval Detachment K and Regia Marina ). Under these circumstances, during much of the Siege of Leningrad (1941–44), Lake Ladoga provided the only access to the besieged city as a section of the eastern shore remained in Soviet hands. Supplies were transported into Leningrad with trucks on winter roads over
6780-400: The White Sea is filled with 2000–1500 metres of Jotnian sediments. In Sweden Jotnian rocks can be found in Dalarna , Gävle , Nordingrå , Svartälven [ sv ] , Lake Mälaren and Almesåkra [ sv ] (Almesåkra Group). The Jotnian Almesåkra Group of sediments lie in northern Småland in a triangle-shaped area centered around Nässjö , in addition to this there
6893-535: 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
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#17327871334577006-521: The basement below the sediments is made of granites and pegmatites of the Svecofennian orogeny . In the Nordingrå area, spanning from Malmön to Hernön , Jotnian sediments rest on a complex of gabbros , monzogranite , granites and anorthosites . Jotnian sediments consist of quartz-rich sandstone , arkose and conglomerate . The sandstone and arkose have black and violet coloured siltstone and shale lenses and beds. Siltstone beds are commonly 5 to 10 centimetres thick. Jotnian sediments in
7119-429: 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
7232-413: The catch ranged between 4,900 and 6,900 tonnes per year, about the same level as the total catch in 1938. Fish farms and recreational fishing are developing. It has its own endemic ringed seal subspecies known as the Ladoga seal . Since the beginning of the 1960s Ladoga has become considerably eutrophicated . Nizhnesvirsky Natural Reserve is situated along the shore of Lake Ladoga immediately to
7345-420: 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 a summer maximum of 14 °C (57 °F). The region to the east of Lake Baikal
7458-462: The course of the Swedish–Novgorodian Wars , the area was disputed between the Novgorod Republic and Sweden. In the early 14th century, the fortresses of Korela (Kexholm) and Oreshek (Nöteborg) were established along the banks of the lake. During the Russo-Swedish War of 1656–1658, the Swedes deployed several armed vessels (called Lodja) on lake Ladoga to combat the Russians though no large sea battles were fought. The ancient Valaam Monastery
7571-451: 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
7684-405: 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
7797-562: 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
7910-430: The diabase usually cuts the sandstone) than temporal (all the Jotnian sandstones not necessarily older than all the Postjotnian diabases). At large scale, Jotnian sediments are classified as being part of a "quasiplatform" group of sediments of the East European Platform not being metamorphosed enough to be part of the "protoplatform" and not being undeformed enough to be part of the "cataplatform" category. By analogy to
8023-437: The diabases, meaning they can be younger than 1260 million years. Jotnian sediments are usually assigned to the Riphean Stage of the Mesoproterozoic Era . Jotnian sediments rests on what is known as Subjotnian rocks which include weathered rapakivi granites and the Hogland Series . Amantov and co-workers comments about the terms Jotnian and Postjotnian that: the terms should be interpreted as more descriptive (i.e.
8136-543: The dyke that have since been eroded. Once the dyke intruded, Jotnian rock fragments would have been incorporated into the dyke and then went down during a "reversal of magma ascent". The relationships of the dyke with Jotnian sediments suggest that magma intruded wet sediments as a sort of peperite . Jotnian sediments (mostly quartz sandstone and siltstone) exist at some locations beneath the Phanerozoic platform sediments of western Latvia and western Lithuania within
8249-578: The east of Vyborg , where the Baltic Sea and Ladoga were connected by a strait or a river outlet at least until the formation of the River Neva, and possibly even much later, until the 12th century AD or so. At 9,500 BP, Lake Onega , previously draining into the White Sea , started emptying into Ladoga via the River Svir . Between 9,500 and 9,100 BP, during the transgression of Ancylus Lake ,
8362-532: The established Sub-Cambrian peneplain that extends across much of Fennoscandia there have been suggestions of the existence of an exhumed Subjotnian peneplain . This surface actually exists but its extent is very limited, represented as small valley plains at Sveg and along the Västerdalälven - Dalälven system. There is evidence suggesting that Jotnian cover rocks or a Jotnian platform once covered much of Fennoscandia and were not restricted to
8475-679: 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
8588-470: 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
8701-468: 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
8814-457: The finding of glauconite in the Jotnian rocks of the northwestern part of the outcrop , it has been suggested that at least in that place the diagenesis occurred under water. It is found in a northwest-southeast trending graben structure that has helped to preserve the sediments. This graben has seen a downward displacement of about 650 metres. The Satakunta sandstone is not younger than 1400–1300 million years. The Satakunta sedimentary pile
8927-415: 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
9040-467: 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
9153-400: 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
9266-577: The ice, the " Road of Life ", and by boat in the summer. After World War II, Finland lost the Karelia region again to the USSR, and all Finnish citizens were evacuated from the ceded territory . Ladoga became an internal Soviet basin once again. The northern shore, Ladoga Karelia with the town of Sortavala , is now part of the Republic of Karelia . The western shore, Karelian Isthmus , became part of Leningrad Oblast . Lake Baikal Lake Baikal
9379-519: The intermediate form *Aldaugja , Old Norse : Aldeigja came about, referring to the city of Ladoga. The lake has an average surface area of 17,891 km (excluding the islands), slightly larger than Kuwait . Its north-to-south length is 219 km and its average width is 83 km; the average depth is 47 m, although it reaches a maximum of 230 m in the north-western part. Basin area: 276,000 km, volume: 837 km (earlier estimated as 908 km). There are around 660 islands, with
9492-434: 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
9605-710: 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
9718-401: 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
9831-539: The lake was shared between Finland and Russia. According to the conditions of the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty militarization of the lake was severely restricted. However, both Soviet Russia and Finland had flotillas in Ladoga (see also Finnish Ladoga Naval Detachment ). After the Winter War (1939–40) according to the Moscow Peace Treaty , Ladoga, previously shared with Finland, became an internal basin of
9944-433: 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
10057-908: 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
10170-615: 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
10283-473: 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
10396-472: 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
10509-552: The locality of Rasta in western Ekerön island and several small islands and islets: Midsommar, Pingst, Gåsholmen, Gåsholmsskäret and Gåsholmshatten, the last three being part of a nature reserve. Jotnian sandstone also occurs at the bottom of Björkjärden and studies of glacial erratics suggest there is unexposed Jotnian sandstone to north of the Björkfjärden area, where the outcrops are vestiges of an eroded Precambrian meteorite crater , filled with Jotnian sediments. At Rasta,
10622-494: 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
10735-407: 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
10848-500: 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
10961-614: The next freshwater stage of the Baltic, Ladoga certainly became part of it, even if they hadn't been connected immediately before. During the Ancylus Lake subsequent regression, around 8,800 BP Ladoga became isolated. Ladoga slowly transgressed in its southern part due to uplift of the Baltic Shield in the north. It has been hypothesized, but not proven, that waters of the Litorina Sea , the next brackish-water stage of
11074-710: The north of the mouth of the River Svir . The Ladoga has a population of Arctic char that is genetically close to the chars of Lake Sommen and Lake Vättern in southern Sweden. In the Middle Ages , the lake formed a vital part of the trade route from the Varangians to the Eastern Roman Empire , with the Norse emporium at Staraya Ladoga defending the mouth of the Volkhov since the 8th century. In
11187-472: The oldest known sediments in the Baltic area that have not been subject to metamorphism . Stratigraphically , Jotnian sediments overlie the rapakivi granites and other igneous and metamorphic rocks and are often intruded by younger diabases . Jotnian sediments include quartz -rich sandstones , siltstones , arkose , shale and conglomerates . The characteristic red colour of Jotnian sediments
11300-640: 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
11413-440: The remaining 90% of outcrops. The sedimentary pile is at most not more than 1200 metres thick. The Almesåkra Group is tectonically disturbed, shows considerable folding and is intruded by diabase. Almesåkra Group overlies the plutons of the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt . At least in some outcrops the lowermost sediments are arkoses, presumably of local origin as grus . Geologists Eva-Lena Tullborg and co-workers consider
11526-624: 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
11639-536: The river, then the city, and only then the lake". Therefore, he considers the primary hydronym Ladoga to originate in the eponymous inflow to the lower reaches of the Volkhov River whose early Finnic name was Alodejoki (corresponding to modern Finnish : Alojen joki ) 'river of the lowlands'. The Germanic toponym ( Aldeigja ~ Aldoga ) was soon borrowed by the Slavic population and transformed by means of
11752-563: 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. Jotnian In north European geology , Jotnian sediments are a group of Precambrian rocks assigned to the Mesoproterozoic Era ( Riphean ), albeit some might be younger. Jotnian sediments include
11865-426: The shores of the Bothnian Sea hosts some Jotnian sediments known as Satakunta sandstone. This sediments are arkosic sandstones of red colour and clear stratification that are intercalated with lesser amounts of red or black shale. According to the sediments mineralogical as well as geochemical characteristics they are classified as immature . The Satakunda sandstones is a fluvial sediment formation . Based on
11978-612: 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
12091-504: 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
12204-670: 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
12317-520: Was disintegrated by the diabase magma. The conglomerate which contained the rounded Jotnian sedimentary rock clasts has only been deduced to exist and has not found in the proximity of the diabases in question. The occurrence at Dalarna (Dala sandstone), with its 50 km x 150 km area, constitutes the largest region known to be covered at present with Jotnian sediments. The sandstone extends beyond Sweden's border into Hedmark in Norway where it
12430-721: Was founded on the island of Valaam , the largest in Lake Ladoga, abandoned between 1611 and 1715, restored in the 18th century, and evacuated to Finland during the Winter War in 1940. In 1989 the monastic activities in the Valaam were resumed. Other historic cloisters in the vicinity are the Konevets Monastery , which sits on the Konevets island, and the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery , which preserves samples of medieval Muscovite architecture . During
12543-529: 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
12656-608: 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
12769-517: 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
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