A trio of technicolor lakes in Ethiopia, with each a different color from the others, is seen in stunning detail in a satellite image released recently by NASA. The unusual colors result from numerous factors, which include
A satellite image of Lake Shala(blue), Lake Abijatta (green), and Lake Langano (yellow) in Ethiopia. The striking image was captured by the Landsat 8 satellite on March 29.
A trio of technicolor lakes in Ethiopia, with each a different color from the others, is seen in stunning detail in a satellite image released recently by NASA. The unusual colors result from numerous factors, which include depth, water chemistry, and inhabiting wildlife.
The three lakes are Lake Abijatta, which is green; Lake Shala, which has a deep blue hue; and Lake Langano, which has a sandy-yellow shade similar to the surrounding land. The lake is located in Ethiopia's Great Rift Valley, which is around 124 miles (200 kilometers) south of Addis Ababa's capital.
The Landsat 8 satellite, co-owned by the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA, snapped the striking real-color image months ago using the onboard Operational Land Imager. NASA's Earth Observatory released the image online on October 7.
Lake Shala is about 17.4 miles (28 km) across at its widest point and 7.5 miles (12 km) long. It is the deepest among the three lakes, with an 873 feet (266 meters) maximum depth, which makes the water appear a deep blue color from above. In addition, the lake has numerous vents on its bottom that pump sulfur into the water. As a result, the lake is highly alkaline, meaning it has a very high pH. According to Earth Observatory, the lake contains many small crustaceans and microorganisms supporting great flocks of visiting pelicans and flamingos despite extreme conditions.
Lake Ajibatta, around 10.6 miles (17 km) long and 9.3 miles (15 km) wide, is the shallowest of the three lakes, with a maximum depth of 46 feet (14 m). As a result, Abijatta is the most variable of the pictured lakes; within the last 50 years, the lake has lost around one-third of its area, according to Earth Observatory. Lake Abijatta's green color is most likely due to a phytoplankton bloom on its surface.
Lake Langano, around 11.2 miles (18 km) long and 9.9 miles (16 km) across, is fed mainly by streams to the east. The lake's yellow color comes from brown sediment transported from nearby mountains by the rivers that feed it. According to the Earth Observatory, Langano is a very popular destination for beachgoers because it is the only lake in the region not inhabited by parasitic worms that transmit a potentially fatal disease known as schistosomiasis.
All three lakes used to be part of the same ancient body of water.