###### Abstract  
This research used the geostatistical analysis of snow cover samples taken in 2017-2022 in the Baikal basin. Groups of snow cover pollution sources were identified by the method of empirical Bayesian kriging (ArcMap software) and mathematical data processing. The studied area was divided into fourteen districts. Geovisualization of marker substances accumulated in the snow cover allowed for the zoning of the studied area according to the degree of anthropogenic load. It was revealed that the atmospheric pollution of the territory from local sources extended for tens of kilometers along the prevailing wind direction. The maximum concentrations of anthropogenic aerosols in the snow cover were determined in towns that were sources of pollution and near settlements located on the coast of Lake Baikal and at the Selenga River mouth. The industrial centers of the region and the southern basin of Baikal, being affected by the air emissions from the Irkutsk agglomeration, were determined to be the most susceptible to anthropogenic pollution. The middle and northern basins could be attributed to the background regions being affected only by local heating sources and the natural background. The main atmospheric pollutants and the areas of their distribution were established. The main sources of snow cover pollution in the region, in addition to the natural background, were emissions from thermal power plants and motor vehicles. air pollutants; snow cover; the Baikal natural territory; geostatistical analysis +
Footnote †: journal: Applied  
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Footnote 1: institutetext: Lippard University, Ottawa, Ontario  
characterized by the presence of stable snow cover for a long time. Studies on snow cover monitoring can be divided into several groups: local, regional, or global. Most of them are devoted to the state of the environment in industrial centers [14; 15; 16; 17; 18; 19; 20]. Some studies assess the impact of a specific industrial group of sources [21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26] or a certain anthropogenic substance [27; 28] on the environment by means of snow cover analysis. Much fewer studies are devoted to regional monitoring in large areas [29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36] and in background regions [37; 38], which is associated with the laboriousness of selecting specific samples over large areas. Lake Baikal is the world's largest reservoir of pure fresh water (contains 23,000 km\({}^{3}\)). The significance of the lake as a world natural heritage site is defined in UNESCO documents and the Federal Law of 1 May 1999 no. 94-FZ \"On the Protection of Lake Baikal\". Due to the ongoing development of industry in the region, the expansion of the infrastructure of tourist and recreational areas of the coastal zone of Lake Baikal, anthropogenic impacts on various ecosystems of the Baikal natural territory and the lake have increased in recent years. The state of atmospheric air over Baikal is determined not only by its geographical location and climatic features but also by anthropogenic emissions from objects located along the coast and the main air mass transfer pathways from the industrial centers of the Baikal region. An analysis of the studies of the chemical composition of the snow cover in the Baikal region has shown their rather large fragmentation: the studies were performed mainly in separate areas, not covering large areas of the Baikal basin. In this study, for the first time, the assessment of snow cover pollution in the vast territories of the Baikal region, including industrial centers (cities), rural areas, and background areas, was carried out. This research was aimed at performing ecological zoning in the Baikal basin using the results of the chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation accumulated in the snow cover.