What's the Largest Lake in the World?

Siberia's Lake Baikal is so massive that it contains islands that have their own lakes. Learn about this ocean in the making, its amazing wildlife, and the myths about it in today's episode of BrainStuff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain Stuff,
Lauren folk Bomb Here. The Siberia's Lake Vical is not
your average lake. At forty nine miles wide by three
nine miles long, that's seventy nine by six and thirty
five kilometers, it's the world's largest freshwater lake, and with

(00:24):
history that dates back twenty five million years, it's also
Earth's oldest. But size and age aren't the only things
that make this lake special. Lake by Caw is also
home to more than three thousand, seven hundred different species,
many of which are only found in the Bycal region.
That's why Lake Bycal is often considered the Galapagos of Russia. Now,

(00:47):
in case it's biodiversity doesn't dazzle you, here's another peculiar fact.
Lake Baikal has its own version of the Lockness Monster.
Its name apparently translates to water Dragon Master, and it's
just arrived as a giant sturgeon with a prominent stout
and armored plating along the back. The monster's history goes
back centuries, with ancient carvings depicting this terrifying creature. Interest peaked,

(01:12):
we thought, so here's a starter guide to this ancient,
beautiful and mysterious lake, which is by the way, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lake Baikal is located in southern Russia,
near the border of Mongolia. Its depth of five thousand,
three hundred feet about one thousand, six hundred meters makes
it the world's deepest lake by about five hundred feet

(01:33):
or two hundred meters. It's also famous for its clarity
of water and ice. When the lake is frozen, you
can see dozens of meters or hundreds of feet down
and as we set at the top. It's also the
world's largest lake. That size a twelve thousand, two hundred
square miles or thirty one thousand, six hundred square kilometers

(01:54):
makes it comparable in volume to the entire Amazon Basin
first scale, it reportedly takes about three d and thirty
years for a single water molecule to flow from inlet
to inlet. So how did Lake by Cal get so massive?
About million years ago, Lake bi Cal formed through fractures

(02:15):
and shifting within Earth's crust. It wasn't Lake by Cal
as we know it now, though experts believe it was
a series of lakes. Is similar to the Great Lakes
in the United States. While scientists aren't positive how Lake
by Caw went from many lakes to the behemoth it
is today, they do have theories. It could have been
sinking earth erosion, earthquakes, or increased water from melting glaciers,

(02:38):
although it's likely a mix of these factors and more.
That unifying change took place in the Poli Scene epoch
about five point three to two point five million years ago.
But this lake isn't finished growing. It's expanding at a
rate of about point seven inches or two centimeters every year,
the same speed at which Africa and South America are

(02:59):
drifting apart. At this speed, some scientists believe Lake by
Caw is actually an ocean in the making. The lake
boasts twenty seven islands, the largest of which spans two
hundred and eighties square miles or seven square kilometers and
has its own lake mountains and the population of undred residents.

(03:20):
The locals connected to power via an underwater cable in
two thousand five, and we're connected to the Internet shortly after.
Some call Lake by Caw the Galapagos of Russia, not
only because it has an impressive array of those nearly
four thousand species, but also because of those animals are
found nowhere else. One reason for this unique biodiversity is

(03:44):
the lake's array of hydrothermal vents, which are commonly found
in oceans, but Lake by Caw is the only freshwater
lake known to have them. Cold water from the lake
enters cracks and the Earth's crust through these hydrothermal vents.
When the water reaches magma, it heats up then returns,
resurfacing with minerals and heat. These rich minerals are probably

(04:07):
the reason some of the lake's most unusual species were
able to develop, including several unique fish and the Nerpa
seal species, which is the only exclusively freshwater seal species
in the world, and its evolution is mysterious and some
scientists believe it arrived via a prehistoric river from the Arctic.
But beyond seals fish, other common animals found in the

(04:30):
forests and mountains surrounding Lake Baikal include bears, elk, reindeer, lynx,
wild boar, and of course, the lakes frequently reported water
dragon master and this ancient lake has another air of
mystery about it ufo sightings. Many locals have reported strange
lights and alien spacecraft throughout the years, and several Soviet

(04:51):
era documents mentioned UFO incidents and sightings around Earth's largest lake. However,
for all of its natural wonder a in wildlife and
stranger sides, for Lake Bikel's a hundred thousand permanent residents,
it's simply home. Their main occupations are forestry, agriculture, fisheries, hunting,
and tourism, though that's currently on hold due to COVID nineteen.

(05:15):
Here's hoping they open back up soon. Today's episode was
written by Stephanie Vermillion and produced by Tyler clang Or.
More on this and lots of other curious topics visit
how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production of
by Heart Radio. Or more podcasts in my heart Radio,
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(05:36):
you listen to your favorite shows,