Forming of Baikal ice
Each year Lake Baikal is covered by a thick layer of ice. At the beginning of winter (December), storms form types of stalactites and stalagmites on the rivers, some reaching as much as 10 meters. As the temperatures decrease further and the snow comes, these ice formations, "choulga" begin to join together on the lake to create large plates. In certain areas, water is frozen so quickly by the cold that the ice it forms is absolutely smooth and transparent. Once temperatures drop below -20'C, for 3 or 4 days, the sea ice thickens very quickly, from 5 to 7 cm per day. During the first half of the month of January, the sea ice covers the lake. From the North to the South the thickness varies between 70 and 130cms. The ice blocks can obtain a height of 3 meters and in some instances as much as 5 meters. Composed of fresh water, the ice of Lake Baikal is solid: one square meter of ice with a thickness of 50cm can support 15 tonnes. In winter, we can move around on the...
