Voyage to the bottom of the world's deepest lake

Russia Today ^ | July 27, 2008 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

The two Russian submersibles which dived to the sea-bed beneath the North Pole last year are now attempting to reach the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia. Mir One and Mir Two will try to measure the maximum depth of the world's deepest lake.

A preliminary dive to test the equipment under water was postponed on Saturday because of bad weather.

Research work on the bottom of the lake is scheduled to begin on July 29. Scientists intend to go as deep as 1,700 metres to study the tectonics of Lake Baikal and to inspect archaeological artefacts. The operation, which will last till mid-September, will also provide data for geological, chemical and biological studies.

Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia is estimated to be 25 million years old. It contains around 23,000 cubic metres of fresh water - about 20 per cent of the world's fresh water and 90 per cent of Russia's. The majority of flora and fauna of the lake are unique to the area.

Scientists are still divided about how the lake originated.

[aruanan]

23 trillion cubic meters (~20% of world's fresh water) compared with 440 trillion cubic feet for Lake superior (~10% of world's fresh water).

1 cubic meter = 35.314 cubic feet.

So 440 trillion cubic feet = 12.459 cubic meters or about half of 23 trillion cubic meters.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I agree.

[SunkenCiv]

I think a cube root is part of SpongeBob’s family tree, or somethin’.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks again to KoRn for the updated story link. Click the pic.

[Old Professer]

This whole thing is about the author stating cubic meters when it would seem obvious that he meant a much larger number; since metric measurements are denoted with common prefixes we feel compelled to think he meant kilometers.

To appreciate a volume one needs to be able to make a picture ; if we have a 100 cu ft regrigerator in the shape of a cube we intuitively recognize that it is constructed with 10 foot sides, tops and bottoms or that we could stuff 100 one cu ft boxes in it.

[Old Professer]

I can’t believe I did that!!!Substitute 1,000 for 100.

If this lake were a pool having 23,000 square kilometers as its surface and a depth of one kilometer, would you agree that it contained 23,000 cubic kilometers?

[Nowhere Man]

Maybe they will use the flying sub. B-)

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I agree, but my comments were based on a Google search, and all of the links said thzt Lake Baikal has a volume of 23,000 cubic kilometes.