The Salt Lakes in the World That Are Interesting to Visit
About 71 percent of the earth is water. There are various types of water bodies, one of which is a salt lake. This lake is different from most other lakes in terms of salt and mineral content. In salt lakes there are more than three grams of salt per liter of water.
You must have heard of the Dead Sea. Yes, it turns out that even though the name is the Dead Sea, it turns out that this is a lake with a high salt content.
- Dead Sea
Called Al-Bahr Al Mayyit in Arabic, the Dead Sea or the Sea of Death is not actually a sea even though it is called a sea. Actually the Dead Sea is a very large landlocked salt lake. This lake is located between Israel and Jordan which is in West Asia.
Among the saltiest locations on Earth, perhaps the Dead Sea is the most famous. It so happens that the Dead Sea is also the lowest body of water on Earth, which is about 430 m below sea level. Every year it drops about 1 m.
What causes the subsidence is because this lake occupies the graben which is the lower part of the earth's crust that lies along tectonic plate boundaries. The Dead Sea is in a desert area with little rainfall. Often seen a light fog in this lake because the evaporation of water per year is about 55 inches.
In the Dead Sea there is no life form other than bacteria. Even fish that enter the Dead Sea through flowing water cannot survive in it.
- Qarhan Danau Lake
Qarhan Lake is another salt lake in the world located in Qinghai Province, China. Qarhan forms a beautiful landscape, forming salty corals and pillars that sometimes look like a land of crystals.
As one of a group of salt lakes in the basin, Lake Qarhan is one of the saltiest locations on Earth. Salt and minerals are widely harvested in this lake. Lake Qarhan has a very high potassium salt content. It is estimated that its potassium salt reserves are around 274 million tons.
The formation of this lake is from salt deposits originating from rivers in the basin area that do not have an outlet. In addition, this lake also draws water through rainfall and groundwater.
The function of this lake is as the largest potassium production base in China. Due to the high levels of potassium, Qarhan lake water is very dangerous for most life.
- Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre which has a length of about 144 kilometers with a width of about 77 kilometers is the largest salt lake in Australia. The location of the lake is 647 kilometers northeast of Adelaide. Formed about 200 million years ago, the lake is the lowest point below sea level on the Australian continent.
When the water level of the lake is low, as far as the eye can see the sparkling crystal surface is visible. During a flood, fish gather in the channel, thousands of waterbirds descend and wildflowers blanket the floodplain.
The lake turns a spectacular pink as the water begins to evaporate. This is due to the pigment found in certain types of salt-loving algae.
- Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia in Iran is another salt lake in the world that has long suffered from falling water levels. Now this lake is recovering quickly due to natural high rainfall as well as action from the government.
Although this lake can no longer claim the title of being the second largest saltwater lake in the world, Lake Urmia remains one of the largest lakes in the Middle East. The inhabitants of this lake are brine shrimp and birds such as flamingos and pelicans.
The waters look absolutely stunning as they change from the usual aquamarine to a coppery and even blood-red color caused by the halophilic bacteria.
- Lake Assal
Literally the translation of Lake Assal is a honey lake. The location of this lake is west of Djibouti. The lake is located in close proximity to the City of Djibouti, the Great Rift Valley, the Dikhil region and the Tadjoura region. Lake Assal is one of the saltiest locations on Earth.
A volcanic lake, Lake Assal sits at the top of the Great Rift Valley that passes through the Danakil Desert. This lake has two main parts. The first is a dry expanse with a salty white color. This is the result of evaporation of water from lakes in the past that left behind dry salt beds. The second part is a very salty body of water in the lake.
The area where the lake is located is also the hottest area on Earth. Temperatures in this area can reach up to 50oC. Due to volcanic activity, the closer you get to the lake, the warmer it gets.
The locals harvest salt in this lake. In addition, Lake Assal is also a source of income for residents. The area around the lake is very rarely vegetated although it is rich in salt and several other minerals. There isn't much life in this lake other than an abundant bacterial population.
- Lake Vanda
Located in Victoria Land in Antarctica, Lake Vanda is one of the salt lakes in the world. This lake is about 5 km long and the maximum depth is about 69 m. Lake Vanda is a very strange lake that has a salinity of about 10 times that of seawater. Compared to the Dead Sea this lake is saltier.
When compared to Lake Assal, Lake Vanda is still saltier. Lake Vanda has a characteristic geological condition called meromictic, ie the deeper waters of the lake and the shallower waters do not mix. Although it does not serve as a habitat for any fish species, Lake Vanda is a home for microorganisms such as algae.