Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Yellowstone National Park

A natural museum of geographical features


Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, US

yellowstone national park in winter

Yellowstone National Park in Winter

A natural museum of geographical features

The Yellowstone is the first designated national park in the United States; established in March 1, 1872; it has an area of 8987 sq miles. This park is mainly located in Wyoming State with some of the portions come under Idaho and Montana. The Yellowstone Lake, volcanic caldera, endemic wildlife, famous geysers like the Old Faithful, strange volcanic stone formations are its main attractions. It may seem strange that this whole area remained unknown to the outside world till 1860. The place was home to the native Indians since 9000 BC; people known as the ‘Mountain Men’ were the only visitors from the civilized society to this area, they were set to forest to hunt beavers for their fur.

Hallucination

The Yellowstone Region is extremely rich in history; it was home to the Paleo Indians who belonged to the ‘Clovis’ culture (ancient American of the 9500 BC period); these people used the obsidian that is abundant in this region to make weapons like spear and arrow heads, knife etc. They built houses and temples with the stone; there are still more than one thousand remnants belonging to this culture in the Yellowstone. In 1806 John Colter happened to reach there by an accident; he told about the strange phenomena existing at Yellowstone; but Colter’s -he was a member of the Lewis Clark Expedition- stories were taken as mere hallucination and called this unknown area as Colter’s hell by the modern world.

Bridges Spinning Yarn!

morning glory pool yellowstone national park

Morning Glory Pool at the Yellowstone National Park

In 1856; fifty years after Colter’s ‘hallucination’; John Bridges reported about the ‘boiling springs and the spouting water’ of this land; that too was taken for ‘spinning of yarn’! It was Ferdinand Vandeveer Haydenwent to explore but the weather did not let it to complete. Folsom Expedition in 1869 alone could convince the doubting toms of that time; it surveyed the entire area from Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake. At this time the world was really amazed and clamor for establishing a national park for the protection of the ecosystem was arose from all corners. Bowing to the public demand the area was notified as a National Park in March 1, 1872 with Nathaniel P Longford as its first Superintendent.

nathaniel p langford

Nathaniel P. Langford, the first superintendent of yellowstone national park.

Geysers

Though there are many things in this park quite exclusive; the geysers may perhaps the most attractive and a natural feature that made this park so famous. Yellowstone is one of the earth’s volcanic hot spots with a long history of violent eruptions. The present activity of the volcano is heating up the ground water and emitting it violently to the air; there are geysers (that works under pressure as a hot water fountain), hot springs (pressure is lower and hence water flows), fumaroles (extreme temperature sends only steam out – there are gaseous fumaroles also) and mud-pots (this is a strange feature where muddy water in a pit bubbles with hot steam). Altogether there are about 10,000 geothermal sites in this park.

Old and Faithful

yellowstone national park

Historical poster of Yellowstone National Park from 1938

The Yellowstone Park has more than 300 geysers and all these features like mud-pots and fumaroles but theOld Faithful is the most famous among its geysers. It was Old Faithful that got a name first among the numerous geysers (named by Washburn-Longford - Daone Expedition). This was the first comprehensive expedition by a team of three who explorers to the Yellowstone region in 1870. They did extensive mapping of its wildlife, geyser basins, mountains, lakes etc; they named the geyser so as to express its regularity of its eruption.

Marvelous timing!

The Old Faithful geyser’s eruption is intermittent erupts for a while then pause for few minutes and repeat the process. The water jet may shoot up 3700 to 8400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 180 feet. It erupts in every 90 minutes apart and each eruption can last up to 100 minutes. Researchers who have made observations about its timing have found for the last 150 years there have been little change in the timing of its eruption.

In quantity of water discharged and the height of water jet there is one who can excel the Old Faithful; theSteam-Boat Geyser located in the Yellowstone itself; although a bit remotely placed; the Steam Boat is the biggest geyser in North America.

Yellowstone Lake

The Yellowstone Lake that lies centered on Yellowstone Caldera is the biggest one among high altitude lakes (7732 feet above sea-level); it is 136 sq miles in area with a shoreline of 110 miles. Its deepest portion measures 390 feet. This lake is home to Trumpeter Swans –the largest among swans in size (6 feet long with 10 feet wing span). The trout fish of the lake is immensely tasty and hence expensive. During winter (December to May) this lake gets covered under 3 feet thick snow excluding the areas where there are hot springs.

Geography

yellowstone castle geysir




Castle Geyser eruption at the yellowstone national park

The Yellowstone is a plateau about 8000 feet above sea-level and 80% of its area is forests, 5% lakes and rivers and the rest grasslands. It is highly mountainous and more than five mountain ranges stand in guard of the area like, Gallatin, Bear tooth, Madison, Teton, Absaroka etc; its highest mount is Mount Washburn which is 10,243 feet high. Its water is mainly drained by the Yellowstone and the Snake River; while Yellowstone River falls in to the Atlantic the Snake River flows in to the Pacific.

The Grand Canyons and Yellowstone

The Yellowstone Park has two Grand Canyons of its own! (The real Grand Canyon is at Arizona; what Yellowstone has is its pocket edition) Formed by the erosion activities of the rivers; they are with classic ‘V’ shaped banks. The bigger one made by the Yellowstone River is 900 feet deep and half a mile wide. Its steep cliff has exposed rocks with iron compounds that give the rocks a characteristic yellow color; these rocks must be the reason for the place to be called Yellowstone.

The Yellowstone Caldera

The Yellowstone is the largest volcanic caldera in this continent with 40 miles diameter; often called a super volcano because of the intensity of its eruption (one eruption occurred 64,000 years back released 240 cubic miles of ash, stones and pyroclastic materials! A caldera is formed when the pressure under the ground of a volcano intensifies and bursts swallowing the entire volcanic cone making a circular pit like that of Ngorongoroin Africa famous for the Serengeti Migration.

Ecology

yellowstone national park bison

Bison graze near a hot spring at the yellowstone national park

The Yellowstone National Park is at the center of the Greater Yellowstone Eco-System which includes the Greater Teton National Park which is the largest continuous reserve in the US after Alaska. The wild life protection has been so serious that almost all the animal species that were eliminated by rampant poaching have been reintroduced successfully and they all thrive in this park. The Trumpeter Swan itself is an example the population that dwindled to about 100 have been revived and at present there are more than 5000 swans at the Yellowstone Lake and its surroundings.

Water falls of Yellowstone

The Yellowstone is famous for its numerous waterfalls; there are more than a hundred fall of substantial heights. Most of them are accessible by roads and some of them only visible only after hiking,

Fairy Falls is located in Midway Geyser Basin and it is one of the tallest of the falls from a height of 197 feet; the fall plunges in to a shallow pool down with a thunder.

Kepler Cascades is named after Kepler Hoyt the son of Wyoming’s Territorial Governor. The Boy happened to tour this park with his father John Hoyt. The fall is located about two miles from the Old Faithful Village and it can be seen form the roadside. The Kepler Falls fall to 50 feet depth in three stages.

Gibbon Falls is located between Norris Geyser Basin and Madison Junction in the Gibbon River. It is accessible and offers great vantage points to view the falls; parking spaces are also available to visitors.

Fire Hole Falls is along the Fire Hole Canyon Road about one and a half mile from Madison Junction. It is a forty feet high fall and offers great sight during spring and early summer seasons.

Tower Falls is one of the most beautiful sites of this park; the volcanic pillar like formations which abound the area is reason for getting the falls the name ‘Tower Fall’. In winter the entire fall gets frozen like an ice pillar and the area can be accessed by skiing; there by offering a great opportunity for skiing enthusiasts. The fall is 132 feet in height and located seventeen miles from North Canyon near Roosevelt.

The Upper Falls located south of Canyon Village can be reached via Uncle Tom’s Parking area to its trail head. It is 109 feet long and one of the most exquisite falls of the park. The Lower Falls, Mystic Falls, Lewis Falls, Undine Falls, Virginia Falls and Union Falls etc are all locations of Yellowstone National Park area visited by tourists.

A virtual Garden of Eden

The Yellowstone is not a cluster of hills, spring or waterfalls; it is a very much living environment; hundreds of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles thrive there as if in a mega garden of Eden. Its grizzly bears (that has a coat of mixed black and grey fur), wolves (Mackenzie Valley Wolves) Elks, bisons were all threatened at a time have been successfully rehabilitated and they have started multiplying to their original strength. This park is home to numerous endemic plants like Douglas fir, White bark pine etc; altogether there are 1700 types of plants in these forests of the Yellowstone.

Preserved wilderness

What the park authority first did was to repair the damages; they brought back many threatened and endangered animals back to its previous strength that is before the arrival of ‘civilized’ men and guns. When at the park one can feel the difference thousands of sq kms of land are left for wilderness itself and no ‘development’ of any sort is allowed as whole the area land is entirely allocated to its original inhabitants –its animals.

Tourist friendly

yellostone national park wolf

A reintroduced gray wolf in Yellowstone National Park

For tourists this wilderness coupled with numerous natural wonders offer a life-time experience; there are all sorts of packages offered by tour companies just a phone-call away, packaged tour for one week, one day, half day, guided tours on horse back, on sledges etc are all available along with lodging, spa, restaurants etc.



Friday, May 16, 2008

Yosemite National Park, California US

Yosemite National Park


Yosemite National Park, California US

jabathehutt yosemite national park
yosemite National Park Lower Cathedral Lake

Pronounced as ‘yo – SEM – it – ee’ The Yosemite National Park is a 761266 acre wilderness reserve is thesecond national park in US after Yellowstone National Park. It is located in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties in the State of California United States. The Yosemite Valley forms the central part of this park which is famous for its scenic locations presented by the Sierra Nevada Mountain Chain that lies as a backbone to this National Park. In 1964 the Yosemite National Park gained accreditation from the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. If about 3.5 million tourists visit a spot every year; there must be reason behind it; let us see; what are the unique selling points of the Yosemite National Park?

History

bierstadt albert mariposa indian encampment yosemite valley california

Mariposa Indian Encampment Yosemite Valley California by Albert Bierstadt

Since 6000 BC the valley was inhabited by people of Miwok Indian ancestry; who owned a very rich culture with religion, traditions, rituals, dance, music, and even politicking. They made arrow heads with obsidian that is abundantly available here, did trade with neighboring areas; pinyon pine-nuts and obsidian etc were there main article of trade (pinyon pine is a tree that produce edible fruits found in Mexico and US). These people worshipped and protected the trees especially the Giant Sequoia trees. The Giant Sequoia trees nurtured by them still exist in the Sequoia National Park coming with the administration of the Yosemite National Park Service.

Miwok Indians were of three types 1, Lake Miwok (who lived on the banks of South Clear Lake); 2, Coast Miwok (who lived on the Pacific Coast) and 3, Eastern Miwok (who lived in Central California; present Sacramento).

The gold rush

The Valley was first sighted by Joseph Walker and his team but actual entry took place years after. The discovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada Mountain slopes changed the entire scenario as fortune hunters from the surrounding areas swarmed to the valley and confronted by the natives who tried to protect their land. These conflicts were described as Mariposa Indian War and a battalion was set up to ‘tame’ the revolting Indians.

New possibilities

yosemite national park half dome

Yosemite National Park Half Dome

There was a brighter side to all these adversities as these strife and issues brought the attractions of the wonderful locations in this park to limelight and outside world and people began to flock to witness the natural wonders of the Yosemite area; it was the beginning of a revolution; money from tourists began to open new avenues for the local people. Hotels, restaurants, resorts etc sprung up all around and the ecology of the area began to degenerate as a result.

The park now

The Yosemite Valley forms just one percent of the National Park area but it remains the most visited part in the entire park. In 1903 US President Theodore Roosevelt camped in the Glacier Point for three days and got convinced of the taking over the entire site by the Federal Government. The National Park Service was formed in 1916 and the area from Tuolumne Meadow to Tioga Pass Road was given to the agency’s jurisdiction. Tuolumne Meadows Lodge still remains as the popular base camp for hiker to this park.

National Park Agency

joint plane on lambert dome

Joint plane on Lembert Dome - Yosemite National Park

The park is best known for its waterfalls but this 1200 sq mile area is much more than that the towering Sierra Nevada Peaks, intimidating vertical rock formations, impressive mounts like the El Capitan, deep valleys with carpets of wild flowers, grand meadows and the ancient Giant Sequoia trees all make this site some thing exclusive; Yosemite is one of the earliest national parks in US.

The Sequoia National Park (known for the Giant Sequoia Trees) and the King’s Canyon National Park both come under the administration of this agency under a single name Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park. The John Muir Trail –a 211 mile long road from Happy Isles to the Trailhead of Yosemite National Park connects almost all the locations of the Sierra Nevada vicinity together.

Wilderness

yosemite national park

Yosemite Valley

Perhaps the most significant thing about this national park is that 95% of its area is left as such called ‘wilderness areas like John Muir Wilderness, Ansal Adams Wilderness, Hoover Wilderness, Emigrant Wilderness etc. This has been done as per the US Wilderness Act passed in 1890. These wilderness areas; (though the word is a bit dull) are biologically rich areas with many endemic plant varieties, animal varieties. Numerous lakes, ponds, streams, wild and scenic rivers give this place an extraordinary charm.

River Canyons

To add some depth to the beauty there are deep canyons in this park formed by the Tuolumne and Merced rivers. These river canyons are well marked as that of the Yellowstone though not as prominent like the Grand Canyon. These canyons were formed when river water licked away the rocks in a continuous process that lasted millions of years. They are about 3000 to 4000 feet deep and offer scenic beauty to the visitors. Tuolumne drains the northern portion of the park where as the Merced drains the southern part.

El Capitan

yosemite el capitan

Yosemite National Park - El Capitan

It is the most prominent 3000 feet tall vertical cliff; a towering monolith (formed of a single rock) of granite. This mount is a virtual challenge for rock climbers all over the globe; conquest of El Capitan is considered as a landmark in a mountaineer’s career. It was first climbed by Warren J Harding in 1958; all there are more than one route; all of them are too hard and risky for ordinary people however experienced and well built they are. For tourists it presents a sight of magnitude that even after the visit the towering sight will not fade away from one’s mind.

Glacier Point

It is the best view point available in the Yosemite Park (elevation 7214 feet) on the South Wall of Yosemite Valley. This location enables to view almost all the magnificent sites of the park like, Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls and Clouds Rest etc.

Yosemite Falls

The Yosemite Fall is the star attraction of the entire park; it is the highest in the entire North America and the 6thlargest in the world in height. There are two stages the Upper Falls is 1430 feet in height where as the Lower Fall is 320 feet in height. During the late summer the falls are in their full steam and present an exquisite show of power and beauty with deafening thunder.

The Ribbon Falls

The Ribbon Falls from a cliff of the El Capitan Mountain. With a height of 1612 feet this fall is the tallest single fall in whole of North America; as this stream is fed from the melting snow of the mountains; it is generally dry in other seasons; it is spring time when it fall in its real might. The Ribbon Falls have some surprise in store during winter also; as the falling water freeze forming a cone at the bottom; at times this cone reaches to a height of about 200 feet; a gigantic ice pyramid!

Bridalveil Falls

It is a typical example of a fall originated from a ‘hanging valley’ where the upper valley is in higher altitude and engulfed by mountains and the fall is an overflow of the upper source. It is the snow white transparency that gave the fall this beautiful name. The original source of the Bridalveil Fall is the Ostrander Lake therefore this fall does not get dried up. The Ostrander Lake is a small one (8500 sq feet in area); but a popular destination of skiers and it is located about10 km away from the Badger Ski Area.

River Merced and Lake Mc Clure

River Merced –a tributary of San Joaquin is a protected site under the ‘National Wild and Scenic Act’. It runs along High Way number 140 the main path to the Yosemite. A stone-dam by name New Exchequer has been built on this river for the purpose of irrigation and production of hydro-electricity. This dam makes the course of river behind it flooded to form a lake (Lake Mc Clure – a 1032,000 cubic feet water body). Both River Merced and Lake Mc Clure offer enough water for recreational activities like kayaking, fishing, swimming, rafting etc while its shores are favorite locations for hiking, picnicking etc.

It is season

yosemite el capitan at fall

Yosemite National Park in Fall

Season at the Yosemite starts with the end of April when snow has just melted and the paths to numerous sites like exquisite waterfalls, steep and commanding cliffs, rivers and lakes, Giant Sequoia Groves, Glacier Point etc get cleared of the ice. These roads lead to vantage points offering great view of the valley are all there to be devoured. A single visit to this site offers a cluster of opportunities to see rare sites all packed in a park well preserved and protected. For those who are adventurous there are many possibilities like hiking, swimming, skiing etc.

Add starShareShare with note

Some Wonderful Lakes of the World

Some Wonderful Lakes of the World

Each lake; a world of its own

Lakes are not seas; they are enclosed water bodies of substantial size; they nurture the people around giving them almost all their day today needs like food, water, transportation recreation etc. they support a bio system around its peripheries to evolve independently and develop in to an exotic culture specific to its shores. Communities living around develop a unique culture and identity. Due to these exclusivities lakeshores always offer a special charm for the visitors and act as hot tourist spots giving precious jobs to the local people.

They are all good whether big or small

There are many types of lakes like saline (The Caspian Sea), hyper saline (The Dead Sea), fresh water (Lake Victoria), high altitude (Lake Titicaca), low altitude (Dead Sea), extremely deep (Baikal), with largest island(Huron), located on lake-island (Manitou) etc. Some of them is sacred and medicinal (Spotted Lake), some filled with tar and repulsive but they all have one thing in common they are all extremely useful to mankind.

Lake Toba, in Sumatra Island, Indonesia

lake toba

Lake toba image courtesy: tobaleuser.com

This is a 100 km long lake located in the island of Sumatra that houses the largest island in a lake on an island. It has another credit as it is the largest volcanic island in the world. The name of the island is Pulau Samosir which was formed by the eruption of a super volcano tens of thousands of years ago. Lake Toba is formed when the caldera of the volcano got filled with water. It is believed that this explosion (occurred about 70,000 years back) was the biggest eruption occurred in the past 20 million years back.

The Spotted Lake, Kliluk, Osoyoos Canada

lake kliluk spotted lake

Kliluk the Spotted LakeSpotted Lake image courtesy: liembo

More than just a 15 hectare wide lake the Spotted Lake is a sacred spot for the native Indians who live there. This lake is located about 5.5 km from Osoyoos and can be seen from highway no 3. It has one of the highest concentrations of minerals like epsum, calcium, sodium and magnesium than any other lakes in the world. These minerals form large bun-like formations on the lake surface in yellow, brown, golden or red tinge. The natives bath in this lake for healing, almost all of the ailments they suffer.

Pitch Lake, La Brea Southwest Trinidad

pitch lake trinidad

Pitch lake trinidad image courtesy: richard-seaman.com

A forty hectare lake with a depth of 75 meters; that has no water but filled with tar (asphalt) of very pure quality! It was Sir Walter Raleigh the great explorer who discovered this strange tar-lake in 1595. It is believed that some geographical phenomena would have released the underground oil deposit to above ground. When low density components evaporated the tar left there forming a lake. This ‘tar-lake has emerged as a gold mine for the government as it has become a hot tourist attraction with 20,000 annual visitors. The asphalt is mined and exported for hard cash. How long this lake would sustain such a rampant exploitation remains to be seen.

Lonar Lake

lonar lake india

Lonar lake india image courtesy: nasa.gov

The Lonar Lake is in Maharashtra, India is located in Buldhana District (it is part of the ancient historically important place by name Vidharba around 200 km from the famous Ajanta Caves known for the exquisite sculptures it has in abundance. This lake was formed due to a big meteorite collision occurred around 50,000 years back. The USP of Lonar Lake is that it has a perfect circular shape as if drawn by a compass with one arm at its center and the other arm at a distance of 1 km. This lake has an average depth of 170 meters. This lake and numerous ancient temples located in its surrounding points attract tourists as well as pilgrims from all parts of the world.

Chilka Lake, Orissa India

chilika lake orissa

Chilka lake orissa india image courtesy: welcomeorissa.com

It has an area of 1100 sq km and is the largest estuary in India and a designated Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance). The biodiversity it supports in one of the largest in the world and some of them are in the Red List of the IUCN. There are about 400 vertebrates endemic to this lake; the Irrawaddy Dolphin, limbless barakudia skink etc (there are only fifty numbers of Irrawady Dolphins left at present). Chilka Lake is one of the largest wintering grounds for waterfowls (last year the number of migratory birds visited this lake amounted more than two million). These feathered visitors include those from Baikal, Aral Sea Himalaya and Lake Issik Kul of Kyrgyzstan. There are a number of islands in this lake some of them are inhabited of which Krushnaprasad, Nalaban, Kalijai, Somolo are important ones.

Manitou Lake, Manitoulin Island Lake Huron, Canada

manitou lake

Manitou Lake canada image courtesy: wikipedia.org

Lake Huron is second in size among the Great Lakes but it has the credit of housing world’s largest lake island (Manitoulin) that in its turn houses world’s largest fresh water lake in a fresh water lake island – the Manitau Lake. When this lake- island is 2766 sq km in area its Manitau Lake itself is 104 sq km in area; the funny thing is that Manitoulin Island houses about 107 other lakes within it. The Manitau Lake has its own islands though small making them islands in a lake within an island in a fresh water lake! This lake is drained by River Manitau.

Finnish Lakeland

finnish lakeland

Finnish Lakeland image courtesy: wikipedia.org

This is a territory located in the central and East Finland and as its name suggests it is a land of lakes; the total number of lakes here have never been ascertained as it is too much! It is 40 lakes per 100 sq km in this area but for Lake Inari the count is 1000 per 100 sq km! It has been guestimated that there may be 55,000 lakes altogether if all the water bodies above 200 meter wide alone are counted. Total 25% of the land areas are occupied by lakes and the rest are forests. Saimaa is the largest lake that has an area of 4400 sq km. This region is locally called ‘Lampi Suomi’ meaning Finland Pond.

Nettilling Lake, Canada

nettilling lake canada

Nettilling Lake, Canada image courtesy: wikipedia.org

It is the largest fresh water lake on an island; located in Baffin Island, Nunavut Canada. The Baffin Island is part of the Koukdjuak plains known for the rich wild life (it supports the largest goose colony in the world). This lake gets its water from several other lakes on this island including the Amadjuak Lake which is second largest in size. The Nettilling Lake is 123 km in length and has an area of about 1956 sq km; it is 132 meters in depth; its eastern part is comparatively shallower and dotted with many islands whereas the western part is deeper and devoid of islands. The Nettilling Lake is drained by River Koukdjuak in to the Foxe Basin (a shallow basin in the Hudson Bay; named after English explorer Luke Foxe).

The Aral Sea, (a tear drop on mother earth)

aral sea

The Aral Sea image courtesy: orexca.com

Its story may be the most pathetic of all the lakes; steadily shrinking with increasing salinity; lake has shrunk exposing three deeper parts; all its fish and plants dead and with the fish; once flourished fishing industry also breathed its last; the Aral Sea at present remains as tear drop on mother earth.

It is located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan two members of the former Soviet Union. Initial surface area of this lake was 68,000 sq kms; it was well fed by the waters of the great rivers and endemic plants and fish were abundant. The present surface area is about 15,000 sq km! Salinity is not the only menace; pesticides, testing of biological weapons, run off of excessive chemical fertilizers, chemical effluents from factories all reduced the sea in to a dirty salt pit.

It all started with lopsided development policies of the erstwhile Soviet Union which diverted Amu Darya and Syr Darya (the rivers that fed the lake) to irrigational purposes all worked in tandem in the making of these three ugly dead seas in the Central Asia.

The Aral Sea is not an isolated case almost all the lakes in the world are under threat of faulty development agenda of the short sighted governments and in various stages of degradation. If the Aral Sea model opens anybody’s eye it would be of immense good for the generations to come.



Friday, May 9, 2008

Some Wonderful Lakes of the World

Some Wonderful Lakes of the World


Each lake; a world of its own

Lakes are not seas; they are enclosed water bodies of substantial size; they nurture the people around giving them almost all their day today needs like food, water, transportation recreation etc. they support a bio system around its peripheries to evolve independently and develop in to an exotic culture specific to its shores. Communities living around develop a unique culture and identity. Due to these exclusivities lakeshores always offer a special charm for the visitors and act as hot tourist spots giving precious jobs to the local people.

They are all good whether big or small

There are many types of lakes like saline (The Caspian Sea), hyper saline (The Dead Sea), fresh water (Lake Victoria), high altitude (Lake Titicaca), low altitude (Dead Sea), extremely deep (Baikal), with largest island(Huron), located on lake-island (Manitou) etc. Some of them is sacred and medicinal (Spotted Lake), some filled with tar and repulsive but they all have one thing in common they are all extremely useful to mankind.

Lake Toba, in Sumatra Island, Indonesia

lake toba

Lake toba image courtesy: tobaleuser.com

This is a 100 km long lake located in the island of Sumatra that houses the largest island in a lake on an island. It has another credit as it is the largest volcanic island in the world. The name of the island is Pulau Samosir which was formed by the eruption of a super volcano tens of thousands of years ago. Lake Toba is formed when the caldera of the volcano got filled with water. It is believed that this explosion (occurred about 70,000 years back) was the biggest eruption occurred in the past 20 million years back.

The Spotted Lake, Kliluk, Osoyoos Canada

lake kliluk spotted lake

Kliluk the Spotted LakeSpotted Lake image courtesy: liembo

More than just a 15 hectare wide lake the Spotted Lake is a sacred spot for the native Indians who live there. This lake is located about 5.5 km from Osoyoos and can be seen from highway no 3. It has one of the highest concentrations of minerals like epsum, calcium, sodium and magnesium than any other lakes in the world. These minerals form large bun-like formations on the lake surface in yellow, brown, golden or red tinge. The natives bath in this lake for healing, almost all of the ailments they suffer.

Pitch Lake, La Brea Southwest Trinidad

pitch lake trinidad

Pitch lake trinidad image courtesy: richard-seaman.com

A forty hectare lake with a depth of 75 meters; that has no water but filled with tar (asphalt) of very pure quality! It was Sir Walter Raleigh the great explorer who discovered this strange tar-lake in 1595. It is believed that some geographical phenomena would have released the underground oil deposit to above ground. When low density components evaporated the tar left there forming a lake. This ‘tar-lake has emerged as a gold mine for the government as it has become a hot tourist attraction with 20,000 annual visitors. The asphalt is mined and exported for hard cash. How long this lake would sustain such a rampant exploitation remains to be seen.

Lonar Lake

lonar lake india

Lonar lake india image courtesy: nasa.gov

The Lonar Lake is in Maharashtra, India is located in Buldhana District (it is part of the ancient historically important place by name Vidharba around 200 km from the famous Ajanta Caves known for the exquisite sculptures it has in abundance. This lake was formed due to a big meteorite collision occurred around 50,000 years back. The USP of Lonar Lake is that it has a perfect circular shape as if drawn by a compass with one arm


at its center and the other arm at a distance of 1 km. This lake has an average depth of 170 meters. This lake and numerous ancient temples located in its surrounding points attract tourists as well as pilgrims from all parts of the world.

Chilka Lake, Orissa India

chilika lake orissa

Chilka lake orissa india image courtesy: welcomeorissa.com

It has an area of 1100 sq km and is the largest estuary in India and a designated Ramsar Site (a wetland of international importance). The biodiversity it supports in one of the largest in the world and some of them are in the Red List of the IUCN. There are about 400 vertebrates endemic to this lake; the Irrawaddy Dolphin, limbless barakudia skink etc (there are only fifty numbers of Irrawady Dolphins left at present). Chilka Lake is one of the largest wintering grounds for waterfowls (last year the number of migratory birds visited this lake amounted more than two million). These feathered visitors include those from Baikal, Aral Sea Himalaya and Lake Issik Kul of Kyrgyzstan. There are a number of islands in this lake some of them are inhabited of which Krushnaprasad, Nalaban, Kalijai, Somolo are important ones.

Manitou Lake, Manitoulin Island Lake Huron, Canada

manitou lake

Manitou Lake canada image courtesy: wikipedia.org

Lake Huron is second in size among the Great Lakes but it has the credit of housing world’s largest lake island (Manitoulin) that in its turn houses world’s largest fresh water lake in a fresh water lake island – the Manitau Lake. When this lake- island is 2766 sq km in area its Manitau Lake itself is 104 sq km in area; the funny thing is that Manitoulin Island houses about 107 other lakes within it. The Manitau Lake has its own islands though small making them islands in a lake within an island in a fresh water lake! This lake is drained by River Manitau.

Finnish Lakeland

finnish lakeland

Finnish Lakeland image courtesy: wikipedia.org

This is a territory located in the central and East Finland and as its name suggests it is a land of lakes; the total number of lakes here have never been ascertained as it is too much! It is 40 lakes per 100 sq km in this area but for Lake Inari the count is 1000 per 100 sq km! It has been guestimated that there may be 55,000 lakes altogether if all the water bodies above 200 meter wide alone are counted. Total 25% of the land areas are occupied by lakes and the rest are forests. Saimaa is the largest lake that has an area of 4400 sq km. This region is locally called ‘Lampi Suomi’ meaning Finland Pond.

Nettilling Lake, Canada

nettilling lake canada

Nettilling Lake, Canada image courtesy: wikipedia.org

It is the largest fresh water lake on an island; located in Baffin Island, Nunavut Canada. The Baffin Island is part of the Koukdjuak plains known for the rich wild life (it supports the largest goose colony in the world). This lake gets its water from several other lakes on this island including the Amadjuak Lake which is second largest in size. The Nettilling Lake is 123 km in length and has an area of about 1956 sq km; it is 132 meters in depth; its eastern part is comparatively shallower and dotted with many islands whereas the western part is deeper and devoid of islands. The Nettilling Lake is drained by River Koukdjuak in to the Foxe Basin (a shallow basin in the Hudson Bay; named after English explorer Luke Foxe).

The Aral Sea, (a tear drop on mother earth)

aral sea

The Aral Sea image courtesy: orexca.com

Its story may be the most pathetic of all the lakes; steadily shrinking with increasing salinity; lake has shrunk exposing three deeper parts; all its fish and plants dead and with the fish; once flourished fishing industry also breathed its last; the Aral Sea at present remains as tear drop on mother earth.

It is located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan two members of the former Soviet Union. Initial surface area of this lake was 68,000 sq kms; it was well fed by the waters of the great rivers and endemic plants and fish were abundant. The present surface area is about 15,000 sq km! Salinity is not the only menace; pesticides, testing of biological weapons, run off of excessive chemical fertilizers, chemical effluents from factories all reduced the sea in to a dirty salt pit.

It all started with lopsided development policies of the erstwhile Soviet Union which diverted Amu Darya and Syr Darya (the rivers that fed the lake) to irrigational purposes all worked in tandem in the making of these three ugly dead seas in the Central Asia.

The Aral Sea is not an isolated case almost all the lakes in the world are under threat of faulty development agenda of the short sighted governments and in various stages of degradation. If the Aral Sea model opens anybody’s eye it would be of immense good for the generations to come.

Google