Lake Baikal

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Sunday, 17 February 2008, 08:05 CST Download full size image

This image, captured by the MODIS on the Terra satellite on February 7, 2008, shows the Irkutsk region of Russia. Snow and ice blanket the ground - even Lake Baikal, which extends down from the upper right corner of the image, is frozen over. There are 336 rivers that flow into Baikal, but only the Angara River flows from it. The Angara flows northward from the north bank of the eastern end of the Lake. It's a little hard to see in this wintery image. It's easier to see in this summertime image of the region. Just north of where the river leaves the lake is the city of Irkutsk.

Lake Baikal is the largest (by volume) freshwater lake on Earth, as well as the deepest and oldest. It contains over 20% of the world's liquid fresh water and more than 90% of Russia's liquid fresh water.

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