A crater lake in the western state of Maharashtra, India, turned pink overnight, delighting fans around the world and intriguing specialists who attributed this change to changing salinity levels and presence of algae in the water.
The Lonar crater lake formed some 50,000 years after a meteorite crashed on Earth. It is located 500 kilometres from Mumbai, and about 100 kilometres from the famous Ajantâ caverns. This crater is the largest crater dug in basalt rocks. Partially filled by a saltwater lake, it is a site known to tourists and environmentalists. Almost circular in shape, the crater has a diameter of 1.83 kilometres and is 170 meters deep.
It is interesting to note that the very first research was directed towards a volcanic origin of the crater. However, it has now been identified as an impact crater: this origin of impact is clearly demonstrated by the presence of plagioclase which was converted into maskelynite, a transformation which could only be done by the shock of an impacting meteorite.
Now, while photos showing the new colours of the lake’s waters are starting to circulate on social networks, experts have said that, although Lonar Lake has already changed colour in the past, the transformation certainly never had was also blatant.
” The salinity in the lake has increased as the water level has dropped dramatically this year and it has also warmed, causing an algae bloom, ” said geologist Gajanan Kharat in a published video by the state-owned Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, on Twitter. ” This alga becomes reddish at warmer temperatures and the lake, therefore, turned pink overnight, ” said Kharat.
Forest department officials collected water samples to determine the exact cause of the change.
As businesses, factories and offices have been closed for months, due to the containment which only started to ease this week, blue skies are returning to many of India’s highly polluted cities, also sparking speculation, according to which the restrictions could also have had an impact on the lake.
” There has not been much human activity due to the confinement, which could also have accelerated the change, ” said Madan Suryavashi, head of the geography department at Babasaheb Ambedkar University in Maharashtra. ” But we will not know the exact causes until our scientific analysis is completed in a few days, ” he said.
When I first read the article, I had dumbfounded by the writer’s limited faith in…
I recently sat down with Eric Z. Yang, host of the Virtual Summit Launch Secrets, to…
Isabella Mastrodicasa is a talent manager and producer at Heroes and Villains Entertainment where she spearheads the digital…
There’s never been a more critical time for business leaders to claim their market category…
Her passion for changing the dynamics of entrepreneurship, combined with her legal experience has earned…
Few scenes seem as sympathetic to us as a child recriminating their parents for trying…