Gleb Yuryevich Vereshchagin – distinguished investigator of lake Baikal

Abstract

This article presents significant biographical information about Gleb Vereshchagin, the founder of Russian and Soviet limnology, the organizer of complex scientific research on Lake Baikal, which is the worlds deepest and oldest freshwater lake. The authors describes Vereshchagins developmental milestones as an outstanding researcher of lakes. He began work on Lake Baikal simply as a participant and then became head of the expedition of the Academy of Sciences Commission for the Study of Lake Baikal and the scientific Secretary of the Commission. In 1928, the Baikal expedition was transformed into the Baikal Limnological Station of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which Vereshchagin headed until 1944. His multi-faceted scientific heritage includes fundamental works on lakes hydrology and hydrophysics, plankton studies, the problem of the origin of Lake Baikals endemic fauna and flora, the first methodological guide to field hydrochemical analysis of natural waters, and extensive bibliographical reports on limnology.