The secret of the "zen stones" on Lake Baikal has been revealed

An unusual phenomenon is periodically observed on the ice of Lake Baikal: pebbles rise above the ice surface, supported by a thin ice leg. Externally, this composition looks like a Japanese rock garden. For which the phenomenon got its name - "Baikal zen". Why is it formed?

Researchers from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and l'Université Claude Bernard Lyon, who studied the nature of the phenomenon, experimentally proved a previously existing theory. Namely: the cause of the occurrence of a natural phenomenon is the sublimation of ice. Sublimation assumes that ice passes from a solid state to a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid form. On Lake Baikal, this becomes possible due to climatic conditions.

The sun over Lake Baikal shines 2200 hours a year and the ice under the rocks is constantly melting. At the same time, the winds that blow in different directions do not allow it to move into the liquid phase and hold it. A pebble that lies on the surface acts as an "umbrella", obscuring a small part of the ice and not allowing it to sublimate. Thanks to this, an ice "pedestal" is formed.