Baikal World - information about lake Baikal and Baikal region
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People of Lake Baikal
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Explanation of the local terms and geographical names at lake Baikal
The Thickness of the Earth's Crust

baikal earth crust thickness The Earth's crust is a part, of the solid envelope of the Earth (lithosphere), bounded at the top by its surface and at the bottom by seismic division, named after the discoverer Mohorovicic discontinuity. On the whole, depth to the crustal foot around the globe ranges from less than 10 km in oceanic basins to more than 60km under, continental mountain structures. In the southern part of East Siberia the crustal thickness varies from 35 to 55 km. Minimum thickness is observed in the area of
Lake Baikal as well in the band of meridional strike within the platform. Maximum thickness is found in the mountain regions of Sayan-Baikal mountain area and in individual blocks of Siberian platform.

Thickness of the Earth's crust:
under Siberian platform: 36 - 42 km under the mountain ridges of Pribaikalye: 45 - 55 km Min. thickness to the Earth's crust subface in the center of the Baikal basin: 34 km Cenozoic sediment thickness in the basin: 3 - 8.5 km Crystalline Earth's crust attenuation under the Baikal rift: 3 - 7 km

The lithosphere thickness:
under Siberian platform: 200 km
under mountains ridges of Sayano-Baikalian highland: 40 - 50 km
under the mountainous western part of Mongolia: 50 - 70 km
under Zabaikalian highland and high plains of Eastern Mongolia: 100 - 150 km
under the Baikal basin: 60 - 80 km
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