![]() The red colour is due to its alkali salt crust & salt-loving microorganism. This is a vital environment for flamingos in addition to local invertebrates, algae, and certain fish who can endure in such saline waters. Lake Natron (Tanzania) An eerie lake with a pH level of 9-10, burning hot at C or F. The Lake can become quite warm, reaching temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit/50 degrees Celsius, and alkaline as ammonia with an alkalinity level with a pH of 9 to 10.5.Īs the high water temperature and the high alkalinity do not support much life, there are not manya very creatures who live by Lake Natron. During drier seasons, the water evaporates, leaving behind minerals and salt, which is typical for this area of Africa due to minimal precipitation. While Lake Natron is not deep at a depth of three meters (ten feet), its width can vary as the water level changes. South of the Kenyan border, this salt lake in the northern region of Tanzania and is generated by the Ewas Ng’iro River as well as hot springs that are plentiful in minerals. Hope you enjoy reading, please share and comment on the article.Situated in the eastern area of the Great Rift Valley lies Lake Natron. This Lake will definitely make it to the list of most unique places in the world! The lake has been listed on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance due to its unique biodiversity and has been recognized as an important ecoregion by the World Wildlife Fund. Infact Lake Natron’s alkaline waters supports thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed. The salty crust, however, changes over time, giving the lake a different appearance each time.Īnimals that die here can turn into calcified statues over time, because of the unique chemical makeup of the lake, which encrusts the carcasses with layers of salt, sodium carbonates, and sodium bicarbonates.ĭespite turning animals to stones, the lake still supports life. The lake gets this reddish hue from salt-loving microorganism called halophiles that thrive in its alkaline waters and produce reddish pigments, which colour the lake’s salt crust red. The lake turns any animal that come near its waters to STONE! It also possesses a bright red colour, which acts as a warning signal, cautioning most life forms to stay away. The lakes excessive salinity makes it impossible for most animal species to thrive, with the exception of minor pink flamingos (lesser flamingo), which gather. The water’s pH has been measured as high as 10.5 – nearly as high as ammonia! The point to note here is that unlike other lakes, though, Lake Natron is extremely alkaline, due to high amounts of the chemical natron (a mix of sodium carbonate and baking soda) in the water. Over time however, as water evaporates, it leaves behind high concentrations of salt and other minerals, like at the Dead Sea and the Utah’s Great Salt Lake in the U.S.A. When I told you Lake Natron is a salt lake, what I meant is that water flows in, but doesn’t flow out, so it can only escape by evaporation. As shallow lakes in a hot climate, do you know their water temperatures can reach as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius)ĭo you know Lake Natron is fed principally by the Southern Ewaso Ng’iro River, which rises in central Kenya, and by mineral-rich hot springs? It is quite shallow, less than three meters’ deep, and varies in width depending on its water level. The image shows what appears to be the petrified remains of two birds sitting on a. An image shared on Facebook claims it turns any animal that touches it to stone. Both can be said to be terminal lakes that do not drain out to any river or sea they are both fed by hot springs and small rivers. Lake Natron in Tanzania is a saltwater lake with a pH of 10.5 (nearly as high as that of ammonia) and temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The lake is one of the two alkaline lakes in that area of east Africa the other is Lake Bahi. The lake is within the lake Natron basin. It is in the Gregory Rift, which is the eastern branch of the east African rift. Lake Natron is one of the many shallow salty lakes in the Great Rift Valley area with fantastic views of the Ol’Doinyo Lengai volcano. Lake Natron is a salt lake in the Arusha Region in Tanzania. Lake Natron is a rugged and remote place of extraterrestrial beauty, northeast of the Ngorongoro crater. The beautiful deep reds of the open water of the lake, and pink and orange colors of the shallow parts of the lake are due to the salt loving microorganisms.
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