Shelf zone of the Baikal Lake is a permanent source of natural emission of oil and gas, which lake ecosystems successfully quench. Emission process is a study subject for scientists from Russian Institute of Limnology, Institute of Oceanology and Institute of Geochemistry.
      
      For the first time oil traces were detected in the Baikal in 2003, when satellite broadcasted image of dark spot on lake’s ice. Later scientists discovered a 500 m high underwater plume, flowing with gas, oil and depth waters.
      
      Analysis of Baikal oil showed it originated from organic matter, buried in the lake, in Oligocene or early Miocene. Mixture of oil and gas enters lake’s waters as gas bubbles, covered with oil film. Gas mainly consists of methane (99%) and its homologues.
      
      Despite new oil spots appearing on the lake’s surface, their area doesn’t grow, which is evidence of fast transformation of oil in Baikal, mainly due to microbial population of the lake, where oil oxidizing bacteria prevail.
      
      However, natural oil transformation cannot be compared with anthropogenic oil contamination and doesn’t excuse oil production and transportation near the lake.
      
      Source: Science News