The Reason for the Unusual Shapes of the Frozen Water in Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is known to be the deepest lake in the world, but that’s not all the lake has going for it. In the winter, Lake Baikal’s ice forms unique rings on the surface. These ice rings are abundant throughout the frozen water in Lake Baikal, and many crazy theories have come out to try and explain these shapes.

However, the rings appear because of a rather normal process. If you want to learn more about the unusual shapes, continue reading below.

When Were the Ice Rings First Discovered?

People in the area have likely known about ice rings for a long time. Or at least, that something unusual happens in certain parts of the water. However, the rings were not officially discovered and recognized until the early 2000s.

This is when the ice rings were found in satellite images. Still, the mysterious shapes in the frozen water of Lake Baikal weren’t the focus of any research until 2009.

This is when two astronauts on the International Space Station took photographs of two of the rings. When the photos were released to the public, a lot of speculation and conspiracy theories were made to explain them.

One of the most common conspiracy theories behind the rings of ice has to do with aliens. It’s thought that the rings are basically crop circles but on ice and water instead of on farms and fields.

The Scientific Theory on Why the Ice in Lake Baikal Forms Ice Rings

Though full studies haven’t been conducted to prove the theory yet, scientists strongly believe that the reason for the ice rings is due to eddies.

Shortly before the ice rings appear, there are warm eddies that form under the ice, usually swirling in a clockwise direction. It’s a weak, but warm current.

The weakness of the current is what keeps the center of the ring frozen. If the current were stronger, the whole picket of ice would be melted, leaving areas of the lake unfrozen.

However, since the warmth, and the current, are strongest around the edges, all that happens in Lake Baikal is a thin line of a circle that melts. This separates a bit of the ice from the rest and creates unique circles, or ice rings, in the water.

Methane Bubbles

For a while, it was believed that methane bubbles were causing the rings. As the methane bubbled up, it created a weaker patch of ice and melted the outside to create a circle of water around the ice.

However studies were done on the lake and no methane in the water, or methane bubbles were discovered. This led researchers to start looking at other possibilities.

The Dangers of Ice Rings

Though they look quite cool, these ice rings are quite dangerous. Though some ice rings are small, many are three to four miles in diameter. This means they’re far too large to see when walking or driving on the ice.

Heavy objects rolling over the ring can cause the ice to flip or tilt, causing serious harm and often pushing people and vehicles into the water. These areas of ice may also be thinner and more liable to crack under extra weight.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Onfokus/iStock via Getty Images