Complex winter expedition in Middle Baikal
In March 14-24, a comprehensive winter expedition in Middle Baikal was carried out within the state assignments No. 0279-2021-0004 “Study of advective and turbulent water exchange of Lake Baikal and its impact on the lake ecosystem...” (led by I.A. Aslamov) and No. 0279-2022-0004 “Assessment of ecological and economic aspects of the impact on Lake Baikal from ongoing and planned anthropogenic factors in the Baikal natural area, rational nature management, water and bioresource potential of Lake Baikal” (led by M.M. Makarov).
Hydrophysical studies of the area of formation of ring structures on the lake ice near Cape Nizhneye Izgolovye of the Svyatoy Nos Peninsula were carried out. A number of stations were made at which vertical profiles of temperature, mineralisation, dissolved oxygen, and other hydrophysical and hydrochemical parameters were measured. Besides, velocities and directions of currents up to depths of 150 metres were investigated in a transect, and area radar surveys of ice cover thickness were carried out.
Hydroacoustic studies of the spatial distribution of sound-scattering layers of zooplankton and fish aggregations were conducted in the water area of Barguzin Bay.
Together with colleagues from Research Institute of Applied Physics at Irkutsk State University, the equipment for deep-water video recording and transmission of video signals, depth of video camera immersion, and azimuthal direction of anchor capture in real time was developed. Modified firmware for IP-camera developed by the OpenIPC community (openipc.org) enabled video stream transmission in conditions of highly limited and unstable communication channels, as well as the ability to flexibly adjust shooting parameters during operation. Using the developed equipment, transect deep-water surveys of the lake bottom were carried out, and the methodology of searching, capturing, and lifting sunken objects from depths of more than 1,400 metres was worked out.
With the participation of the video studio of Institute of Oceanology and “Irkutskkino” under the direction of director Vladimir Marin and the funding of the regional cinema support fund, within this expedition, photo, video, and audio materials were shot for the popular science film “Rings of the off-season. Baikal”. The film will premiere in December 2024. Details can be found in the news video: https://smotrim.ru/article/3880074
