Extreme water temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit promote blooms of haloarchaea, salt-loving microorganisms that give the lake its red appearance. Why is Lake Natron red?ĭespite its ominous chemical composition, Lake Natron is actually a thriving ecosystem for a select few species adapted to its caustic waters. Lakes in which such activity occurs are referred to as limnically active lakes or exploding lakes. Scientists believe earthquakes, volcanic activity, and other explosive events can serve as triggers for limnic eruptions. The explosions occur due to high levels of carbon dioxide and methane in the water. If there is any type of volcanic activity, even the lightest of earthquakes can cause the lake to explode killing millions of people nearby. Their throats, on the other hand, can take on boiling water from geysers and saltwater, which they filter if no fresh water is available.ġ. Those seemingly puny legs regularly withstand subzero temperatures. On the night of 21 August 1986, between 1,600 and 1,800 people and countless animals were killed by a large natural release of carbon dioxide gas. The lake responsible for the most deaths without drowning is Lake Nyos in Cameroon, Central Africa. The mixture moves through the ground via a system of faults and wells up in more than 20 hot springs that ultimately empty into the lake. Volcanoes, such as Ol Doinyo Lengai (about 20 kilometers to the south), produce molten mixtures of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate salts. Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake-lower salinity lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. “Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time.” So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest. And deposits of sodium carbonate which was once used in Egyptian mummification also acts as a fantastic type of preservative for those animals unlucky enough to die in the waters of Lake. But your eyes or any open wounds would sting like crazy because of all the salt. If you waded into the lake at a time when the water temperature was lower, it could feel more like a hot tub. What would happen if you touched Lake Natron? And for those animals that do become interred here, animals don’t immediately die and turn to stone upon touching the lake. Lake Natron is a hotspot for beautiful life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |