Fifteen scientists from China and Russia kicked off their tour to Russia's Lake Baikal on Sunday. They are going to launch the first joint investigation into the ecological environment of the lake by the two neighboring countries.

Tao Baoxiang, the head of the research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says the 22-day mission will collect information about the regional climate, forestry and the hydrobiology of the Baikal area.

"The investigation involves experts in many areas, including geology, biology, lake and remote sensing. More importantly, it will serve as a platform for a long-term scientific partnership between China and Russia."

Lake Baikal is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia. With an area of 31,500 square kilometers, it is the oldest and deepest freshwater lake on earth.

And the lake harbors more endemic species of plants and animals than any other lake in the world.

Liu Qiang is one of the Chinese researchers.

"Since Lake Baikal is on the rib of Eurasia and has a high latitude, it is sensitive to changes in solar radiation and other climate components. Moreover, it contains a huge and heavy deposition layer. All of these will provide precious information for us to study the ancient climate and environment."

Lake Baikal and the Siberia region where it is located was among the areas which experienced the largest climate changes in the late 20th century.

(CRI August 22, 2005)