Extension in the Baikal rift: Present-day kinematics of passive rifting

Despite the fact that the pattern and deep structure of the Baikal rift system is well understood, there is no general agreement as to the model of its formation. Consistently suggested were mechanisms of passive and active rifting, a model combining both mechanisms, and then again a model with predominating active rifting under the effect of a local mantle source or gravitational instability of sediments. This work offers additional arguments for substantiating the passive mechanism of extension in the Baikal rift at the present stage of evolution, which were adduced on the basis of the analysis of long-term measurements by the method of GPS geodesy.