Why did the meteorite lake in India change its color dramatically?

About 5,000 years ago on the territory of modernIndia, a meteorite fell and left behind a rather wide and deep depression. Subsequently, a perfectly round lake was formed on this place, which was long known as Lonar. For many years now, tourists from all over the world have been visiting this place with special interest, because the water regularly changes its color from blue to pink and vice versa. In 2020, the lake changed its color in just one night - this, according to frequent visitors to an unusual place, is an absolute record. But why is the meteorite lake changing so often and what caused such dramatic changes?

Indian Lake Lonar changed color in one night

Meteorite lake

Diameter located 500 kilometers fromthe Indian city of Mumbai, Lonar Lake is 1800 meters and a depth of 132 meters. The water in the lake does change color from time to time and it looks amazing. But there is something disgusting in the Indian lake - the water drains the pungent smell of rotten water. But the terrible stench does not scare tourists and this place is their favorite place. In 2020, the lake attracted even more attention, because the water in it turned from blue to pink in just one night.

Meteorite lake - This is a lake that formed on the site of a crater left by a fallen meteorite. As a rule, such lakes are perfectly round.

Scientists already know the reason for the change in water colorlong. According to the science publication ScienceAlert, various types of algae grow on the bottom of the lake. Most of them react sharply to an increase or decrease in air temperature by a color change. In cold periods, the lake shimmers with a bluish color, and on warm days it turns red. Changes occur frequently, but this year the color change is especially active.

It looks like Lake Lonar

According to biologists, the occurrence of this phenomenoncould provoke several factors at once. Firstly, at the moment, the weather is hot in India. According to Gismeteo, in mid-June, even in the city, even at night, there is a 27-degree heat. And in warm weather, as mentioned above, algae growing in the lake just tend to turn red.

There are many varieties of red algae, but most of them grow only in salt waters.

In addition to this, in warm weather, the water level inthe lake is markedly reduced, which leads to an increase in salinity. A sharp change in the composition of water can also significantly accelerate the rate of change in the shade of water in a meteorite lake. However, in order to draw more accurate conclusions, and not rush assumptions, it is necessary to carefully study the composition of the liquid. Biologists have already taken up this.

See also: How does a coronavirus pandemic affect animals?

According to Professor Madan Suryavashi (MadanSuryavashi), an unusually rapid change in the color of water could trigger a coronavirus pandemic. As in many other countries, quarantine in India closed factories, cafes and other enterprises. Due to the reduction of harmful emissions, nature literally began to recover - my colleague Lyubov Sokovikova already wrote about this in early April.

Types of Algae

Due to the fact that the water in the meteorite lake containsa lot of salt, it is logical to assume that the so-called red algae or scarlet (Rhodophyta) grow in it. They grow mainly in salt waters, and at the moment, science knows about 10,000 varieties of these plants. They can grow in fresh waters, but there are very few such species - if you believe the scientific literature, at present biologists have described only 200 of these varieties.

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They are considered relatively safe for humans.and animals - in some countries they are even eaten. Only here there are hardly any algae from the meteorite lake, because the water clearly gives off a terrible smell for a reason. And so, red algae, extracted from the bottom of clear seas, are actively used in medicine. The agar-agar substance is also made from them - this is an excellent substitute for gelatin on a plant basis.

Blue-green algae are also known as cyanobacteria.

Perhaps in the meteorite lake also growblue-green algae, but they can be very dangerous for the health of living organisms. Last year, at least four dogs died in the United States because of these plants - they simply swam in the water and died a few hours later. At its core, these algae are bacteria that, when ingested by living organisms, cause nausea and serious liver problems. From 2009 to 2010, about 60 people were affected by these plants. More information about the dangers of blue-green algae can be found in this material.