The depth of fresh water

Baikal and all the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes cover nearly a quarter-million square kilometres on a map. Baikal looks modest beside them, yet it holds more fresh water than all five combined.

The map intuition

The Great Lakes cover an enormous area on the map and Baikal is a narrow sliver. So the Great Lakes must hold far more water.

What measurement says

Baikal holds about 23,615 km³ of water. All five Great Lakes together hold about 22,684 km³. A smaller outline does not mean a smaller volume because depth also matters.

A lake can be described by both area and volume. Baikal covers about 31,700 km², while the Great Lakes cover about 244,000 km² together. Their combined surface is therefore almost eight times larger.

Baikal, however, is the deepest lake on Earth and exceeds 1,600 m in depth. UNESCO reports that it contains nearly 20 percent of Earth's unfrozen freshwater reserve. Its volume is greater than that of all five Great Lakes combined.

Set the slider to your intuition: how many times more (or less) water Baikal holds compared with all the Great Lakes together. Then reveal the answer.

Estimate first, then check

How many times more water does Baikal hold than all the Great Lakes combined?

Set the slider to the value you consider most likely.

Sources and data year
What this means
  • A lake's area is not enough to estimate its volume. Depth must also be considered.
  • Baikal contains nearly 20 percent of Earth's unfrozen freshwater reserve.
  • The smallest bodies on a map can be the largest in the third dimension.

Baikal questions and answers

Yes. Baikal holds about 23,615 km³, while all five Great Lakes together hold about 22,684 km³. Baikal has the larger volume despite having only about 13 percent of their combined surface area.

Because volume depends on depth, not just area. Baikal is over 1,600 m deep and the deepest lake on Earth, while the Great Lakes are far shallower.

UNESCO reports that Baikal contains nearly 20 percent of Earth's unfrozen freshwater reserve, more than any other single lake.

See also

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