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«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «NAUKI O ZEMLE»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «EARTH SCIENCES»
ISSN 2073-3402 (Print)

List of issues > Series «Earth Sciences». 2026. Vol 56

A Structural and Hydrographic Typology of the River Systems in the Lake Baikal Basin

Author(s)

I. Yu. Amosova

Irkutsk State University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

V. B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
The article discusses the water regime and the main hydrological and hydrographic characteristics of the river systems in the Lake Baikal basin, their structure and composition, the morphometric parameters of the riverbed and river basin, and their role in the formation of the hydrographic network in the region. The classification criterion is the order of the river system according to the HortonStrahler ranking of watercourses. Graphs of river systems of the permanent river network and talwegs of the water-erosion network have been construct. The number of watercourse mouths directly discharging into Lake Baikal was correct following a combined analysis of static modeling data from the latest topographic maps and dynamic modeling. Inflow types are define by their hydrological regime, reflecting water flow dynamics influenced by climate and geography. The hierarchy of all river systems within the Lake Baikal basin has been determined, followed by their systematization. Based on the typological classification, five classes were establish, comprising nine orders. Identified classes of river systems allow for the systematization of information about the rivers within a basin and the identification of patterns in their distribution and functioning. The persistence of the regularities observed in the static model when moving to the dynamic model is substantiate by the bifurcation coefficient. Low values indicate a more stable and less complex network, predominantly of 2nd-3rd order. High values are an indicator of a developed river system, marked by its complexity and branching. The conducted systematization of river systems is of great importance for understanding the processes of formation of Lake Baikal's water regime, assessing its ecological state, and developing measures for the rational use of water resources.
About the Authors
Amosova Irina Yurievna, Lecturer Department of Hydrology and Environmental Management Irkutsk State University 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation Junior Researcher Scientist, Laboratory of Hydrology and Climatology V. B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS 1, Ulan-Batorskaya st., Irkutsk, 664033, Russian Federation e-mail: irinaamosova_83@mail.ru
For citation
Amosova I.Yu. A Structural and Hydrographic Typology of the River Systems in the Lake Baikal Basin. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Earth Sciences, 2026, vol. 56, pp. 3-15. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3402.2026.56.3 (in Russian)
Keywords
typology, river system, structural hydrography, classification, Lake Baikal.
UDC
556.522 (571.51)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3402.2026.56.3
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