Lake Assal: photo, description, coordinates

It is believed that Lake Assal is the most unusual natural reservoir. It was 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 reservoir located in Africa. In addition, it is the most salty lake on Earth (the Dead Sea and Lake Elton are in the top three).

After reading the article, you can find out in which country the lake Assal is, how it was formed. But first, let's talk a little about the small state in which a pond was formed.

Djibouti: relief, climate

Arrays of mountains here alternate with lava plateaus and cone-shaped peaks of extinct volcanoes. The central part of the country is dominated by sandy, stony and clay plains. Salt lakes are located in the lower parts of the state territory . The climate in the country is hot, dry, deserted.

The average January temperature is plus 26 degrees, July is 36. Precipitation is extremely rare (maximum up to 130 mm per year).

Location of the lake, water sources

For the first time, only in the 1920s the Europeans visited Lake Assal. The geographical coordinates of the water body are as follows: 11 ° 40 'north. Latitude, 42 ° 24 'east. Longitude.

It is a pond in the north-eastern part of Africa, in a small country of Djibouti. There is an amazing lake from the eponymous capital of the state in 120 kilometers, almost in the center of the country.

This unique pond is filled with several underground springs that bring water from the Indian Ocean through the Bay of Tajur. Here comes the water flowing after the winter short rains from the hills.

Tectonics

Lake Assal in Africa is located in one of the corners of the so-called Afar triangle, which is the most geologically disturbed place on Earth. At this point three huge cracks of the Earth's crust converge: the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the East African rift system. In connection with such a complex tectonic structure, earthquakes often occur in these places.

Assal is a lake that is located quite close to the Indian Ocean (kilometers 20). There are suggestions that a strong earthquake can destroy a narrow partition between the African rift and the ocean (this process is already observed), after which Somalia can become an island.

Description of the lake

The name "assal" is translated as "salted". The area of the reservoir is approximately 54 square meters. Km. Its length is 10 kilometers, width - 7 km, and the average depth is about 7.5 meters, with a maximum of 40 meters.

Lake Assal - the second among the lowest regions of the whole planet (in the first place is the Dead Sea). Salinity of water is 35 ppm, and at depths of more than 20 meters this figure reaches 40 per mil. On its banks scattered a huge number of crystals of salt, having a variety of sizes and colors. The surface almost all year round casts a beautiful color of aquamarine.

Because of the proximity to the lava, the water here is always hot, sometimes it warms up to 35-40 degrees Celsius.

Why is the water salty here ? The pond is surrounded by vast fields of salt. In these places, this important for life natural mineral is being fished.

Neighborhood

Where Lake Assal is located, only bare plains with heavily saline soil extend around the environs. They are adjacent to the peaks of extinct volcanoes and fields of dark lava. The water in the lake is completely lifeless, and above it constantly hangs a haze of fumes.

A crater with a lake inside is surrounded by a large number of seemingly unremarkable volcanoes. However, surprisingly blue water in a complex with vegetation deprived of any vegetation creates an unusually beautiful picture. On the water surface, soft salt crusts float, reminiscent of the shape of palm branches and fans, painted due to mineral impurities in a variety of fantastic colors. Excellent looks Lake Assal.

On the outskirts of the pond there are magnificent salt canyons and several hot springs. All this creates unique landscapes and fabulous landscapes, for which tourists come here.

About salt

Lake Assal is not always calm. It often spills salt water ashore, because in this area there are always strong winds blowing. Therefore, on the shores of the reservoir, bizarre forms of salt crystals are formed. Owing to these minerals, islands form on the lake. A thick layer of salt covers stones of different sizes, the remains of animals and plants (spines). So there are surprisingly beautiful and bizarre forms. Crystallized minerals are especially picturesque and fabulous.

It should be noted that Lake Assal has so pure salt that it is suitable for eating without any treatment. Here you can often see nomads who gather it from the coast and successfully trade for a long time.

The production of table salt has long been put into production. She travels in large caravans of camels to a neighboring state - Ethiopia.

The salt is extracted manually. It is removed from the surface and wrought in the form of rectangular plates weighing approximately 6 kilograms. Then it is loaded onto donkeys and camels.

In conclusion, a little of what was before

The place was not always so hot and arid. About 10 thousand years ago the water surface was higher than the current level by 80 meters, and the climate was more humid. Evidence of this is found along the former shoreline (on the hills) shells of freshwater mollusks.