Page 144 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

SODA LAKE

LAKE NATRON

Lake Natron is one of the world’s most hostile
wildlife habitats. It simmers in the scorching heat of
Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Water flowing into the lake
evaporates in the heat, leaving minerals behind that
make the remaining water very salty. Volcanic hot
springs add more chemicals, creating a caustic
alkaline brew of salt and soda that can burn like acid.
But amazingly, some forms of life thrive in it, especially
vast blooms of a microorganism called Spirulina.
It attracts flocks of lesser flamingos, which use their
especially adapted bills to filter it from the water.
The birds eat so much that it tints their feathers pink.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Eastern Rift Valley,
northern Tanzania, Africa
• LENGTH 35 miles (57 km)
• WIDTH 14 miles (22 km)
• SEASON Lake turns red in the dry
season, June–October

STATS AND FACTS

ALKALINE LAKE PATTERN
The lake takes its With a pH level
name from natron— of about 12, the Alkali salt deposits
form a distinctive
a salt deposit lake’s alkalinity is criss-cross pattern
(hydrated sodium as strong as that on the lake.
carbonate) that is of oven cleaners.
left when the lake TEMPERATURE reach a scalding 140°F (60°C).
water evaporates.
WATER WORLD DEPTH °C 20 105 140 175
The water temperature may
60
80
40
70
°F

10
FEET
(3 M)
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