It is believed that Lake Assal is the most unusual natural reservoir. It formed in the crater of a volcano. The lake lies 115 meters below sea level. This place represents the lowest point and the lowest lying body of water located in Africa. In addition, this is the most s alty lake on Earth (the three include the Dead Sea and Lake Elton).
After reading the article, you can find out in which country Lake Assal is located, how it was formed. But first, let's talk a little about the small state in which the reservoir was formed.
Djibouti: relief, climate
Massifs of mountains here alternate with lava plateaus and cone-shaped peaks of extinct volcanoes. The central part of the country is dominated by sandy, rocky and clayey plains. S alt lakes are located in the lowest parts of the state. The climate in the country is hot, dry, desert.
The average January temperature is plus 26 degrees, July - 36. Precipitation is extremely rare (up to a maximum of 130 mm per year).
Lake location, water sources
For the first time only in the 20s of the twentieth century, Europeansvisited Lake Assal. The geographic coordinates of the reservoir are as follows: 11°40' north. latitude, 42°24'E longitude.
There is a reservoir in the northeastern part of Africa, in the small country of Djibouti. An amazing lake is located 120 kilometers from the capital of the state of the same name, almost in the very center of the country.
This unique body of water is filled with several underground springs that bring water from the Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Tadjoura. The water flowing down from the hills after the short winter rains also comes here.
Tectonics
Lake Assal in Africa is located in one of the corners of the so-called Afar Triangle, which is the most geologically hectic place on Earth. At this point, three huge cracks in the Earth's crust converge: the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the East African Rift System. Due to such a complex tectonic structure, earthquakes often occur in these places.
Assal is a lake that is located quite close to the Indian Ocean (20 kilometers). There are suggestions that a strong earthquake could destroy the narrow barrier between the African Rift and the ocean (this process is already observed), after which Somalia could become an island.
Description of the lake
The name "assal" is translated as "s alty". The area of the reservoir is approximately 54 square meters. km. Its length is 10 kilometers, width - 7 km, and the average depth is approximately 7.5 meters, and its maximum indicator is40 meters.
Lake Assal is the second among the lowest places on the planet (the Dead Sea is in the first place). The salinity of the water is 35 ppm, and at depths of more than 20 meters this figure reaches 40 ppm. A huge number of s alt crystals are scattered along its shores, having a variety of sizes and colors. The surface has a beautiful aquamarine color almost all year round.
Due to the proximity to the lava, the water here is always hot, sometimes it warms up to 35-40 degrees Celsius.
Why is the water s alty here? The reservoir is surrounded by vast fields of exposed s alt. In these places, this natural mineral, which is important for people's life, is being harvested.
Neighbourhood
Where Lake Assal is located, only bare plains with highly saline soil stretch across the surroundings. They are adjacent to the peaks of extinct volcanoes and fields of dark lava. The water in the lake is completely lifeless, and a haze of evaporation constantly hangs over it.
A crater with a lake inside is surrounded by a large number of seemingly unremarkable volcanoes. However, surprisingly blue water in combination with fields devoid of any vegetation creates an unusually beautiful picture. Delicate-looking s alt crusts float on the water surface, resembling palm branches and fans in shape, painted in a wide variety of fantastic colors due to mineral impurities. Lake Assal looks great.
In the vicinity of the reservoir locatedmagnificent s alt canyons and several hot springs. All this creates unique landscapes and fabulous landscapes, for which tourists come here.
About s alt
Lake Assal is not always calm. It often splashes s alt water onto the shore, as strong winds constantly blow in the area. Therefore, bizarre forms of s alt crystals form on the banks of the reservoir. Thanks to these minerals, islands appear on the lake. Stones of different sizes, animal remains and plants (thorns) are covered with a dense layer of s alt. This is how amazingly beautiful and bizarre forms arise. Crystallized minerals look especially picturesque and fabulous.
It should be noted that Lake Assal has such pure s alt that it is suitable for consumption without any processing. Here you can often see nomads collecting it from the shores and successfully trading for a long time.
Extraction of table s alt has long been put into production. She is sent by large caravans of camels to the neighboring state - Ethiopia.
S alt is mined by hand. It is removed from the surface and hewn in the form of rectangular plates weighing about 6 kilograms. Then it is loaded onto donkeys and camels.
In conclusion, a bit of what happened before
This place has not always been so hot and dry. About 10 thousand years ago, the water surface level was 80 meters higher than the current one, and the climate was more humid. This is evidenced by the shells found along the former coastline (on the hills).freshwater shellfish.
