Top 30 Deepest Lakes In The World

Lake Baikal in Russia at 5,387 feet deep is the world’s deepest lake. It is around 2,000 feet deeper than the Caspian Sea which is 3rd. Lakes are typically generated in rift zones, melting glaciated areas, hilly regions, or river basins. All lakes are transient in geologic time. Lakes may dry up due to spills or be filled up with sediments over time. Although active processes, such as tectonic origin lakes, might delay lake drying. Landslides, sinkholes, ice damming, volcanic eruptions, and glacier movements are some of the events that cause lakes to originate. Here is the list of Deepest Lakes In The World.

Deepest Lakes In The World
Deepest Lakes In The World ( Image Credit: Flickr )

Deepest Lakes in The World

1. Lake Baikal – 5,387 feet

Lake Baikal in Russia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s deepest lake. It is also the world’s oldest lake, dating back 25 million years. Half of the lake’s 60 native fish species and a freshwater seal are endemisms. Baikal has 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater, which equates to around 5,662 cubic miles of crystal pure freshwater, which is greater than the total volume of the Great Lakes of North America.

2. Lake Tanganyika – 4,823 feet

Lake Tanganyika, at 4,823 feet deep, is the world’s second deepest lake. It is also the longest lake in the world, stretching over four countries: Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia. It holds around 18% of the world’s freshwater, or to nearly 4,500 cubic miles of water. Tanganyika is bordered by six major and many minor islands. It has a pH of 8.4 water and 250 cichlid species, 98% of which are indigenous. Cichlids exhibit adaptive and evolutionary radiation as well. Tanganyika has its own species of freshwater sardine, jellyfish, and sponge.

3. Caspian Sea – 3,363 feet

The Caspian Sea is the third deepest lake in the world, measuring 3,363 feet and bordered by Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Although it has no connection to the ocean, it stores approximately 18,800 cubic miles of water with a salinity of 1.2%. The Volga River supplies 80% of its water. The caviar-producing Beluga sturgeon is located in the lake with the tuna, which has been the centre of the local fishing economy. It has its own population of fish and seals. The lake’s surroundings and the lake itself have oil deposits, some of which have been exploited.

4. Lake Vostok – 3,300 feet

Vostok Lake in Antarctica is the world’s fourth deepest lake, at 3,300 feet. It got its name from the nearby Russian Vostok Station. It contains around 1,300 cubic miles of freshwater and is located 1,600 feet beneath the ice surface. Its water has a high percentage of oxygen and nitrogen and is always under tremendous pressure in complete darkness. Microbial creatures have been discovered in ice core drillings, and extremophile microorganisms discovered on frozen lake waters indicate the presence of further life. Environmental organisations are defending the lake, claiming that the ice drilling technologies used might contaminate the lake water beneath the ice.

5. O’Higgins-San Martin Lake – 2,742

At 2,742 feet, O’Higgins-San Martin Lake is the world’s fifth deepest lake, and its area in Patagonia is shared by Chile and Argentina. It takes its name from two Chilean independence fighters. In Chile, the lake is known as Lago O’Higgins, while in Argentina, it is known as Lago San Martin. Its design creates finger-like extensions that finish in both nations’ flooded lowlands. The majority of its water comes from the Mayer River, while the Pascua River empties into the Pacific Ocean.

6. Lake Malawi – 2,315

Lake Malawi is the sixth deepest lake in the world, measuring 2,316 feet and straddling the borders of Malawi, Mozambique (where it is known as Lago Niassa), and Tanzania (where it is known as Lake Nyasa). It has around 2,000 cubic miles of freshwater and is a meromictic lake with non-mixing water levels. In addition to non-cichlid species, Malawi is home to around 1,000 cichlid fish species that are still evolving. The majority of its water comes from the Ruhuhu River, while the Shire River empties its water into the Zambezi River.

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Limnology of Lakes

Lakes are divided into three zones. The littoral zone is close to land, the photic zone is in open water where sunlight is abundant, and the benthic zone is home to deep-water lake ecosystems. A lake influences the temperature of its surroundings by reducing the air temperature during the day and raising the air temperature at night. Although lakes offer livelihood and food for the people who live around them, there are certain risks when landslides and earthquakes mix the benthic water, causing carbon dioxide to be released into the surface air. The emitted carbon dioxide has the potential to enter human-populated areas and cause mass asphyxiation.

What are the Deepest Lakes in the World?

With a depth of 5,387 feet, Lake Baikal in Russia is the deepest lake in the world. The second deepest lake is Lake Tanganyika, in Africa, which reaches a depth of 4,823 feet.

Deepest Lakes In The World

 
RankLakeCountryDepth (m)Depth (ft)
1BaikalRussia1,6425,387
2TanganyikaTanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia1,4704,823
3Caspian SeaIran, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan1,0253,363
4VostokAntarctica1,0003,300
5O’Higgins-San MartínChile, Argentina8362,742
6MalawiMozambique, Malawi, Tanzania7062,316
7Issyk KulKyrgyzstan6682,192
8Great SlaveCanada6142,015
9CraterUnited States5941,949
10MatanoIndonesia5901,936
11General Carrera-Buenos AiresChile, Argentina5861,923
12HornindalsvatnetNorway5141,686
13QuesnelCanada5061,660
14TobaIndonesia5051,657
15SarezTajikistan5051,657
16TahoeUnited States5011,645
17ArgentinoArgentina5001,640
18KivuDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda4801,575
19GrandCanada4751,558
20SalsvatnetNorway4641,523
21Nahuel HuapiArgentina4641,523
22HaurokoNew Zealand4621,516
23Cochrane / PueyrredónChile, Argentina4601,509
24Lake TinnNorway4601,509
25AdamsCanada4571,499
26ChelanUnited States4531,486
27VanTurkey4511,480
28PosoIndonesia4501,476
29FagnanoArgentina, Chile4491,473
30Great BearCanada4461,463

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