Diurnal rhythms of carbon dioxide concentration in the sea-level air layer and in the surface water of Lake Baikal in different hydrological seasons

Results of studying processes of gaseous exchange of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the water surface-atmosphere system of Lake Baikal are considered. Measurements were carried out in the littoral of the lake near the settlement of Bol’shie Koty. The measurement point was selected for the following reasons. First, it is the place where water chemistry and biota have been studied for several tens of years. Second, by its meteorological conditions the place can be considered as background. It is shown that during all hydrological seasons the gas exchange of CO₂ in the Baikal water surface-atmosphere system has a well-pronounced trend, whose amplitude depends on the season. The data obtained are indicative of the main role that Lake Baikal biota plays in regulating the intensity of gas exchange.