Lake Baikal in Siberia has been delighting people all over social media with its unique ice formations which make it appear like a rock is balancing on moving water.
Called “Baikal Zen” this “leg” of ice was created when the stone froze to the ice and winds wore away at the area beneath it, forming this pedestal. A team in Ukraine explained this beautiful process during the International Physicist’s Tournament in 2018.
It is home to many incredible phenomena as a result of its cold, harsh climate. The freezing temperatures, which can get as low as −19 °C, and harsh winds sculpt the environment in unique ways.
Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest and most voluminous freshwater lake. It is also considered the world’s clearest and oldest lake at an estimated 25–30 million years old. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.
The lake attracts tourists in both summer and winter, with winter activities including ice-walking and ice-skating and the summer activities ranging from hiking to fishing.
Take a look at this incredible frozen wonderland:
This rare phenomenon is called “Baikal Zen”.
Rocks that have fallen on the ice of Lake Baikal are heated by sunlight and emit infrared rays that melt the ice below. Once the sun is gone, the ice becomes solid again, creating a small support for the rock above.
Via Colin Monteath pic.twitter.com/UaxRI4pQca— Gwydhar (@Gwydhar) November 11, 2020
This is going to be a thread of new things i discover moving forward: 1) Lake Baikal: The deepest and oldest lake in the world in Siberia. Its frozen most of the year and forms bubbles from the trapped methane. It contains 20% of the world’s total unfrozen freshwater reserve. pic.twitter.com/qnMx3Tyy3s
— Shaz 🌻 (@ShazaWattar) November 9, 2020
#ILoveNature – This rare phenomenon is called #BaikalZen. Rocks that have fallen on the ice of #LakeBaikal located in southern #Siberia, #Russia, are heated by sunlight and emit infrared rays that melt the ice below#nature #photography #naturephotography #naturalphenomena #ice pic.twitter.com/pZDBIE6w4L
— Marilyn R. Wilson (@oliobymarilyn) November 10, 2020
We will be able to calculate freshwater volumes, flows, consumption, balances, health, etc. for a growing population on a thirsty planet. Large stores of surface freshwater will become increasingly strategic and valuable. (Lake Baikal, Russia) 2/ pic.twitter.com/EjyVdZsW7G
— PatriotBlok (@PatriotBlok) November 6, 2020
Picture: @JasnaMishevska/Twitter
