Lakes are landlocked bodies of water that make up 0.013 percent of the Earth's surface. There are around 300 million lakes on our world. Every lake has a unique feature that distinguishes it from the others. Some lakes, like Lake Maracaibo or Lake Natron, are noted for odd natural phenomena, while others, like Lake Maracaibo, are known for strange animals like stingless jellyfish.
There are lakes of unusual colors, such as the crimson lake in Bolivia and the neon green lake in New Zealand. Many lakes have unique water compositions, such as the world's most acidic lake, Kawah Ijen, or Canada's very saline Spotted Lake. Some lakes are as cold as ice, while others are as hot as a cauldron.
Top 10 Most Surprising Lakes in the Planet in 2022:
10. Laguna Colorada
Bolivia is home to this blood-red lake. The lake has a 60-square-kilometer surface area and a 1.5-kilometer depth. The lake's red tint is caused by red algae that thrive in the water, as well as red debris carried up from the bottom. The red tint of this lake lasts all year. When the temperature and salinity of the lake change, a different species of algae may bloom, turning the lake green.
Andean, Chilean, and James flamingos can be found on the lake. The James flamingo is the rarest of them all. These flamingos were assumed to be extinct until 1957, when they were rediscovered. They eat the red algae that grows abundantly in this lake. The pink colouring of flamingos is also due to red algae.
9. Lake Abraham
Lake Abraham is a man-made lake that was created in 1972 when the Bighorn dam on the Saskatchewan River was built. It has a length of 32 kilometers and a surface area of 53.7 kilometers squared.
The columns of milky orbs that form in the lake throughout the winter set it apart from other frozen lakes. These milky spheres are methane gas bubbles. When bacteria in the lake decomposes decaying organic stuff, these bubbles form. These bubbles then rise to the surface and freeze in the lake's frigid waters.
8.Lake with a spotting
In British Columbia, Canada, this saline-alkali lake is located northwest of Osoyoos. It is 0.7 kilometers long and 0.25 kilometers wide. In the winter and spring, this lake appears to be a typical lake. However, as the summer sun shines, the majority of the water evaporates, leaving hundreds of shallow mineral-rich ponds in hues of purple, yellow, green, brown, and blue.
Minerals such as salt, magnesium, titanium, and sulfates create these vibrant pools. The hue of each pool is determined by its mineral concentration. As the water evaporates, the color, shape, and size of each pool varies over the summer. During WWI, the minerals from this lake were mined and utilized as munitions.
The Okanagan Valley's First Nations people refer to this lake as "Klikuk Lake." For ages, they have revered this lake as a sacred spot due to its healing abilities. Only a few salt-loving algae live in the lake due to its extreme salinity.
7. Lake of the Devil's Bath
Wai-o-Tapu, New Zealand, is home to this bright green lake. The lake was formed 200,000 years ago during a period of strong geothermal activity. Sulfur, ferrous salts, and other minerals give it its green hue. The intensity of the green hue is determined by two factors.
The sun's angle with the ocean is one of them. The other factor is the sulfur and iron content. When the lake has a lot of iron in it, it turns brilliant green, but when it has a lot of sulfur in it, it turns greenish-yellow. Sulfur gases give the lake its "half sewage" and "half-rotten egg" scent.
6. Lake Kawah Ijen
With a PH as low as 0.5, this turquoise blue lake in the crater of Kwah Ijen volcano is the world's largest acidic lake. This lake is 1 kilometer long and 200 meters wide. This lake's turquoise color comes from a high concentration of dissolved metals, as well as hydrochloric and sulfuric acids. Anything, including metals, dissolves in this lake.
The lake's acidity is caused by hydrogen chloride gas released by volcanoes. When the gas comes into contact with water, it cools and forms hydrochloric acid. The eruption of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen sulfide gases from the Kawah Ijen volcano below is the source of the lake's acidity. Hydrochloric acid is formed when hydrogen chloride gas combines with water.
Since 1968, this lake has been used for sulfur mining. Sulfuric gases are released by the volcano. When these gases condense, the sulfur rises to the surface. It's then shattered into huge chunks and hauled away in baskets.
5. Lake Boiling
Dominica is home to this flooded fumarole. The lake is surrounded by molten lava. It is the world's second-largest boiling lake. The molten lava emits hot gases and steam, raising the temperature of the lake to around 160°F-190°F towards the edges. Its bluish blue waters are frequently obscured by dense clouds of steam and fog.
Rainwater and two tiny streams feed the lake. Henry Alfred Nicholls and Edmund Watt, two Englishmen, found the lake in 1870.
4. Hillier Lake
Australia is home to this bubble gum pink lake. This lake is distinguished by its capacity to maintain its color throughout the year, as opposed to other pink lakes that change color with temperature. Even when dradrunk a bottle, the water does not change color.
The algae Dunaliella Salina is responsible for the lake's pink tint. It generates energy by harnessing all visible light frequencies except those found in the orange-redectrum. These algae also contain carotenoids, a red pigment that intensifies the lake's pink color. Halobacteria and archaea, which thrive on the lake's crust, are another reason for the lake's pink color. With the help of their cell membrane, they also synthesize a red pigment similar to carotenoids.
Matthew Flinders discovered this lake in 1802 and named it after a deceased crew member named William Hillier. The lake was used to harvest salt in the nineteenth century, but the project was eventually abandoned due to the poisonous nature of salt.
3. The Lake of Jellyfish
The golden jellyfish in this lake are known for their strange migration pattern and are completely harmless. Every day, millions of golden jellyfish migrate from one side of the lake to the other. Zooxanthellae, symbiotic interaction between jellyfish and zooplankton, is the cause of this strange migration. These algae-like critters live inside the tissues of jellyfish and use photosynthesis to generate energy for their host.
Once a result, as the sun rises, these jellyfish migrate to the lake's eastern edge in search of sunshine. They take a break here since there is plenty of sunlight. When the sun begins to set, they change their course and proceed to the western end of the lake, where they will wait until the next day.
This migration pattern also protects jellyfish against anemones that consume jellyfish. These anemones are usually hiding in the lake's shadows. Jellyfish are safe as long as they remain away from the gloomy borders; otherwise, they would perish at the hands of anemones.
2. Natron Lake
Lake Natron is the world's most petrifying lake. It is situated close to the Kenyan border in Tanzania. Salts like sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate flow into the lake from a nearby active volcano, making it very alkaline. Instead of silicates, this volcano spews lava in the form of nitro carbonatites. When lava cools, it turns into a fine white powder. This waste is carried by rainwater and deposited in the lake.
When a bird dies in the lake, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and other salts calcify its body as natural preservation. These are the same chemicals that ancient Egyptians employed thousands of years ago to mummify their bodies.
Despite the extreme conditions, the lake is not completely devoid of life. This lake is a popular breeding spot for lesser flamingos. The thick skin on these flamingos' legs allows them to survive in such alkaline and salty environments. Other species that thrive in this lake include indigenous algae and the Acolapia latilabris fish.
1. Maracaibo Lake
Lake Maracaibo is recognized as the world's electricity capital. With 250 lightning strikes per square kilometer, it boasts the highest concentration of lightning on the planet. Lightning hits 140 to 160 evenings a year where Lake Maracaibo meets the Catatumbo River. It lasts 7 to 10 hours every day on average, with 280 lightning strikes per hour. Catatumbo lightning is the name for this strange meteorological phenomenon. For generations, this lake has served as a lighthouse, guiding boat navigators.
Scientists are still trying to figure out what causes lightning. Few believe that methane gas causes strange lightning by boosting the magnetic field at night, while others believe that thunderstorms are formed when warm Caribbean breezes collide with chilly Andes Mountain air. The lightning storm in January 2010 mysteriously vanished. It resurfaced in its customary location a few months later.
Content created and supplied by: Melkynews (via Opera News )
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