Novosibirsk, August 20 (RIA-Novosti):
The second stage of a major expedition to explore the depths of Siberia’s Lake Baikal began on Wednesday, to the south of the central site where a series of deep-water dives were carried out in recent weeks. The Mir-1 and Mir-2 DSRVs will explore Talanka Bay near the mouth of the Selenga River on the south-eastern shore during the current stage, set to run until the beginning of September, a spokesman for the Baikal Conservation Foundation told RIA-Novosti. During the first stage, conducted from 29 July to 18 August in the deepest part of the lake, the DSRVs conducted 26 dives. One of the researchers’ main discoveries was a natural oil leak in the bedrock. Scientists also took samples of organisms and sediments from the lake’s bed, and found evidence confirming the theory that the lake was previously around 500 metres (1,640 feet) shallower. The deepest point reached in the first series of dives was 1,680 metres (5,512 feet).
Over the course of the expedition, which started in late July, scientists will conduct around 160 dives in various areas of the lake. Research will include gathering information on tectonic plates and a search for archaeological artefacts. The lake has been the focus of major environmental scares in recent years, with a last-minute change to an oil pipeline route that was set to pass near Baikal’s shores, and environmental regulators’ claims against a pulp mill accused of pumping large volumes of toxic waste into the lake. Baikal is the world’s oldest lake, with an age estimated at 25 million years. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the lake holds around 20% of the planet’s freshwater.
RIA-Novosti
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080820/116154625.html (in English)
