Lake Natron - Wikipedia
Jump to content
Search
Search
Donate
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Donate
Create account
Log in
Lake Natron
55 languages
Afrikaans<br>العربية<br>Asturianu<br>Azərbaycanca<br>Български<br>भोजपुरी<br>Čeština<br>Чӑвашла<br>Dansk<br>Deutsch<br>Ελληνικά<br>Esperanto<br>Español<br>Eesti<br>Euskara<br>فارسی<br>Suomi<br>Français<br>Ghanaian Pidgin<br>Hausa<br>עברית<br>Hrvatski<br>Magyar<br>Հայերեն<br>Արեւմտահայերէն<br>Bahasa Indonesia<br>Igbo<br>Italiano<br>日本語<br>ქართული<br>한국어<br>Lietuvių<br>Latviešu<br>Македонски<br>Bahasa Melayu<br>Nederlands<br>Norsk bokmål<br>Polski<br>پنجابی<br>Português<br>Română<br>Русский<br>Ikinyarwanda<br>Simple English<br>Slovenčina<br>Slovenščina<br>Soomaaliga<br>Српски / srpski<br>Svenska<br>Kiswahili<br>தமிழ்<br>Українська<br>اردو<br>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча<br>中文
Edit links
Coordinates: 02°25′S 36°00′E / 2.417°S 36.000°E / -2.417; 36.000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alkaline lake in Arusha Region, Tanzania
"Medusa Lake" redirects here; not to be confused with Medusa Lake (Antarctica).
{{Cite web|title = Lake That Turns Animals to Stone? Not Quite : DNews|url = http://news.discovery.com/earth/photographer-rick-brandt-lake-natron-131003.htm|website = DNews|access-date = 2016-01-05}}{{Cite web|url=https://beachsafari.com/en/kb/lake-natron|title=Lake Natron|website=Beach Safari}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/site/factsheet/6994|title=Key Biodiversity Areas|website=www.keybiodiversityareas.org}}"},"depth":{"wt":""},"max-depth":{"wt":""},"residence_time":{"wt":""},"shore":{"wt":""},"elevation":{"wt":"{{convert|600|m}}"},"islands":{"wt":""},"cities":{"wt":""},"frozen":{"wt":""},"embedded":{"wt":"{{Designation list\n | embed = yes\n | designation1 = Ramsar\n | designation1_offname = ''Lake Natron Basin''\n | designation1_date = 4 July 2001\n | designation1_number = 1080{{Cite web |title=Lake Natron Basin |website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service |url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1080 |access-date=25 April 2018}}}}"}},"i":0}}]}'>Lake Natron (Medusa lake)The lake on 6 March 2017 (satellite image)
Lake Natron (Medusa lake)
Location within Tanzania
LocationNgorongoro District, Arusha Region, Tanzania,<br>Kajiado County, Narok County, KenyaCoordinates02°25′S 36°00′E / 2.417°S 36.000°E / -2.417; 36.000[[Geographic coordinate system|Coordinates]]: {{#parsoid\u0000fragment:14}}[https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Lake_Natron¶ms=02_25_S_36_00_E_region:TZ_type:waterbody 02°25′S 36°00′E / 2.417°S 36.000°E / -2.417; 36.000][[Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas]]"}}'/>Lake typesalineBasin countriesTanzaniaSurface area<br>850–1,040 km2 (330–400 sq mi)[1][2][3]Surface elevation<br>600 metres (2,000 ft)[4]Ramsar Wetland<br>Official name<br>Lake Natron BasinDesignated4 July 2001Reference no.1080[5]
The southern half of Lake Natron (top). Fault scarps and the Gelai Volcano can also be seen. Numerous near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper the shallowest parts of the lake (inset).
Lake Natron is a highly alkaline salt lake located in north Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region in Tanzania with its far northern end crossing into Kajiado County and Narok County in Kenya. It is in the Gregory Rift, which is the eastern branch of the East African Rift.[4] The lake is within the Lake Natron Basin, a Ramsar Site wetland of international significance.[5]
Description<br>[edit]
This lake is fed principally by the Southern Ewaso Ng'iro River, which rises in central Kenya, and by mineral-rich hot springs.[4] It is quite shallow, less than three metres (9.8 ft) deep, and varies in width depending on its water level. The lake is a maximum of 57 kilometres (35 mi) long and 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide.[4] The surrounding area receives irregular seasonal rainfall, mainly between December and May totalling 800 millimetres (31 in) per year.[4] Temperatures at the lake are frequently above 40 °C (104 °F).[4]
High levels of evaporation have left behind natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate). The alkalinity of the lake can reach a pH of greater than 12. According to Live Science, the lake's high alkalinity is caused by sodium carbonate and other minerals that flow into the water from the surrounding environment. The surrounding bedrock is composed of alkaline, sodium-dominated trachyte lavas that were laid down during the Pleistocene period. The lavas have significant amounts of carbonate but low calcium and magnesium levels, which has allowed the lake to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine. These extreme chemical conditions create a harsh environment where only specialized organisms can survive.[6]
The chemical properties of the water are known to calcify the bodies of any living thing that died in the lake.[7]
Flora<br>[edit]
The colour of the lake is characteristic of those where very high evaporation rates occur. As water evaporates during the dry season, salinity levels increase to the point that salt-loving microorganisms begin to thrive. Such halophile organisms include some cyanobacteria that...