Researchers from the Earth Crust Institute of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Limnology Institute SB RAS have identified a new population of mud volcanoes beneath Lake Baikal. Their findings were reported through a news brief by Interfax, which cites SB RAS as published in the SB RAS journal Science in Siberia. The discovery broadens our understanding of underwater geology in one of the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater bodies, highlighting features that were previously undocumented at Baikal’s mid-depths. The emergence of these mud volcanoes adds to a growing map of submarine structures that shape the lake’s bottom, influencing local hydrodynamics and sediment transport over time.
These newly observed features lie at surprisingly shallow depths for mud volcanoes, with active sites documented at approximately 130 meters below the surface. By comparison, many well-known submarine mud volcanoes at other sites form at considerably greater depths, which underscores Baikal’s unique geologic setting. Scientists infer that the appearance of the volcanoes is linked to tectonic activity connected to the Severobaikalsky fault system, a major regional structure that influences crustal deformation in the Baikal region. The fault’s movements likely create the pressure and pathways needed for mud and fluids to well up through the lake floor, manifesting as cone-shaped mounds that episodically release sediments into the water column.
The surveyed tops of the mud volcanoes present a fine-grained sediment veneer, a surface that hosts a small ecosystem of invertebrates. Amphipods and gastropods live among the loose sediments, while planarians, flatworms, move with a glide across the microtopography. Within the craters carved into the central cores, cottoid fishes have been observed seeking shelter, and sponge fragments adhere to scattered rock fragments, forming a sparse but recognizable biotic signature on these vent-like structures. The juxtaposition of microbial and macrofaunal life with active sedimentary processes paints a picture of a transient but evolving community that thrives in a harsh, dynamically changing niche at the lake bottom.
To document these features, the research team employed remotely operated vehicles, specifically unmanned underwater vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras and an integrated hydroacoustic navigation system. The ROVs enabled precise mapping of the volcano structures, imaging of surface textures, and collection of sediment samples for later analysis. These tools also allowed researchers to observe the distribution of fluids and particulates around the vents, offering clues about the fluid chemistry and the rate at which sediments are expelled into the surrounding water. The resulting visual and sensor data provide a robust baseline for interpreting the local relief and for understanding the processes shaping the Baikal floor, which have remained underexplored in prior expeditions.
Beyond the immediate findings, scientists emphasize that the data gleaned from these new mud volcanoes will contribute to a broader interpretation of the lake’s geologic history and ongoing bottom dynamics. Baikal is renowned for its crystal-clear waters and remarkable depth, yet its seabed remains less studied than its surface and water chemistry. The current work demonstrates how submarine sedimentary systems, driven by fault activity and groundwater flow, can create complex habitats while simultaneously influencing sediment transport, nutrient cycling, and local water chemistry. The implications extend to paleoenvironmental reconstructions, improving models that describe how Baikal’s bottom landscape has evolved through time and how similar processes may operate in other continental rift zones around the world. In this sense, the discovery not only documents a new feature but also invites a longer-term research agenda focused on deep-water processes in freshwater lakes and their ecological consequences for resident species and microbial communities.
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