Previous Year Question
Which of the following is the oldest and deepest lake of the world?
Lake Baikal
Lake Huron
Victoria Lake
Lake Winnipeg
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Lake Baikal is situated in south-eastern Siberia, Russia. According to UNESCO, it is approximately 25 million years old, making it the oldest lake in the world.
It is also the deepest lake in the world. Its maximum depth is approximately 1,637 metres; UNESCO descriptions also commonly round its depth to about 1,700 metres.
Baikal is a huge rift lake, formed through the long-term tectonic process of crustal separation and subsidence in the Baikal Rift Zone. This continuing tectonic activity is an important reason for its exceptional depth.
Its importance is not limited to age and depth. Lake Baikal contains about 20% of the world's unfrozen surface freshwater and is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume. It also contains a large number of endemic species, including the famous Baikal seal (Nerpa).