Lake Baikal, the oldest, deepest, and largest (in terms of volume - about 20% of the Earth's fresh unfrozen surface water) freshwater lake in the world, may have another unique characteristic: it may help us understand how oil is formed.
From Russia Today:
Scientists of the Limnological Institute which studies lakes and other internal waters at the Russian Academy of Sciences, have been studying oil formation processes in Lake Baikal for years and are hoping the new Mir submersibles will help them to better understand the nature of black gold. They believe that oil is formed from fossils and organic elements at the bottom the lake.
Mikhail Grachev, an academic at the Limnological Institute says that he and his colleagues are particularly interested in the oil stains found on the lake’s surface.
“We believe that oil is being formed nowadays from fossils and organic remains at a depth of 2-3 kilometres,” Grachev said.
Scientists estimate around 4 tons of oil are formed each year in Lake Baikal. Oil seeps through cracks in the lake’s bottom and is then absorbed by micro organisms living in Baikal; therefore it does not spread across the lake.
There are two basic points of view on the origins of oil formation. The first hypothesis is the organic nature of oil, according to which it is formed from the organic remains of animals and plants. The second is mineral (inorganic).
Here is some related information.
Amazing stuff!
"Like swift water, an active mind never stagnates." -- Unknown
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