Alpine lakes. The highest mountain lake in the world. Alpine lakes in different parts of the world. "Sleeping Dragon": the most dangerous lake in Central Asia
Lakes are different: large, small, deep, shallow, drying up, etc. but there is one lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia, which bears the title of the highest located above sea level. Titicaca - that's what it is called, a little ridiculous and even funny for the Russian ear. The name of the lake, translated from the language of the Indians, means "Rock of the Puma" (kaka - rock and titi - puma - a sacred animal of the Quechua tribes.
It is located at an altitude of 3812 meters above sea level, you see, it is impressive, because even some mountain ranges cannot boast of such figures. It is believed that modern dimensions lakes (8300) are just the remnants of what it used to be, the ancient reservoir was just huge. This is evidenced by the fact that the chemical composition of water taken from the lake is very close to that of the ocean.
Lake Titicaca has a maximum length of 190 km and a maximum width of 80 km. The narrow strait of tikuina divides the lake into two reservoirs. On the topic of the Russian perception of Latin American names: about sixty kilometers from Lake Titicaca there is a city with a very terrible for the Russian language - the plague. But the residents themselves do not even suspect why the Russians are so surprised by the name of their nice friendly city.
Concerning weather conditions reigning over the water surface of this remarkable lake, then there, due to the height, it is rather cold. Most the shores of Lake Titicaca are covered with ice, in the center the temperature is constant (11-12), but despite this, the region is considered navigable, the most major city- the port on the shore of the lake is puno (118 thousand people. It is worth noting that the lake with a maximum depth of 281 m is the largest reserve fresh water South America. Although it cannot be called absolutely fresh, since the salinity of the water in it is about 1%. More than 300 rivers flow into the lake, flowing down from the glaciers surrounding the altiplano, and the desaguadero river flows out, flowing into the endorheic Lake Poopo in Bolivia.
The Alpine Lake region is a legacy of the already extinct Tiahuanaco culture, which was supplanted by the modern Aymara Indians at the end of the first millennium AD. Culture left its mark in history in the form of a well-preserved settlement with an area of just over 40 hectares. The style and quality of construction suggests that civilization for that time and South America itself was quite developed. From under the layers of the earth, archaeologists have extracted a whole town with preserved quarters, streets, houses and even small pyramid. Pyramid 15 m high called akapana, according to scientists - historians, it was a continuation temple complex. Nevertheless, the complex was surrounded by a wall, from which not much has survived to this day, but, nevertheless, the monolithic gates still adorn the entrance. The image of the deity and the unreal creatures running towards him is still the subject of a dispute over who the inhabitants of the lost civilization worshiped.
Only if you believe the legends of the locals, then at the bottom of the lake is the ancient city of Wanaku. Divers have found fragments of walls, sculptures, houses there, but have not yet been able to confirm the legend about the city.
Most big lake in the world - the Caspian Sea. About 70 names are known, which were given to it by the peoples living on its shores at different times.
There is a theory that Black and Caspian Sea were a single entity about 10,000 years ago. Today the Caspian Sea is the largest salt water lake in the world.
His official name came from the Caspians - the tribes inhabiting the southeastern Transcaucasia in the second millennium BC. Today, the territories of the Caspian coast belong to five states. Most of the Caspian Sea belongs to Turkmenistan. Other sections of its shores were divided by Kazakhstan, Iran and Azerbaijan. The Iranians still call the Khazar sea.
The area of the Caspian is 371,000 km². Despite the fact that it is considered a lake, the reservoir can be classified as a full-fledged sea, since its bottom is composed of oceanic crust. In addition, the Caspian Sea is very large. Its area is only 6000 km² smaller than Japan. But why is the Caspian Sea called a lake? Because it has no outlet to the ocean and is closed.
If we consider the Caspian Sea as a lake, it will be the largest in the world. Although disputes about whether to attribute the Caspian to the sea or lake are still ongoing. But most experts consider it an endorheic reservoir. Among the lakes, it is the third deepest after Baikal and Tanganyika. Northern part The Caspian Sea is quite shallow, and on average its depth is only 5-6 meters. IN southern region, called the South Caspian, maximum depth reaches 1025 m.
The water level is currently steadily declining. It falls 6.72 cm annually. This was already the case in the 20th century. In 1977, the water level dropped to 29 m below sea level, although it quickly recovered to optimal levels. Fortunately, the historical minimum has not yet been reached. Over the past twenty years, the Caspian has become shallower by 1.4 m. Geophysicists believe that global warming is to blame, causing changes in the Caspian ecosystem. If this continues, by the end of the 21st century, the reservoir will dry up completely.
Lake Baikal is the most deep lake in the world (up to 1642 meters deep). It is located in the southern part of Eastern Siberia (70 km from Irkutsk) and takes first place in the TOP most deep lakes peace.
Lake Issyk-Kul is the deepest in Central Asia(702 meters)
Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal (Jason Rogers / flickr.com)
Lake Tanganyika, Central Africa
Lake Vostok, Antarctica
Caspian Sea, Baku
Lake San Martin (OʹHiggins)
Lake Malawi - the deepest in Africa (706 meters)
Great Slave Lake. Canada
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US, Oregon.
Lake Matano 590 meters deep
As you know, 70% of the earth's surface is water. Therefore, it would probably be more logical to call our planet the Planet of Water.
The water resources of the Earth are represented by the following categories: oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, small rivers, ponds, springs and springs - we are all used to this sequence of dimensional gradation since childhood. Meanwhile, in each category, there may be an example that, in terms of its characteristics, will surpass the leading category.
Some lake storms are in no way inferior to sea unrest, and the depth of others is many times greater than the greatness of the deep sea. It is precisely with these water giants that it is worth getting acquainted in more detail. So, let me present the ranking of the 10 deepest lakes in the world.
The highest mountain lake in the world - Wikipedia. Panch Pohari
One of the highest mountain lakes in the world is located in Nepal and consists of five the purest reservoirs. Panch Pokhari is located in the Makalu-Barun nature reserve, surrounded by mountains with snow-capped peaks. The height of the reservoir is 5,494 meters above sea level.
Unlike Ojos del Salado, Panch Pohari can be visited by everyone, regardless of physical skills, but in the company of a guide. During tourist route travelers will have time not only to admire the landscapes of untouched mountainous areas but also to join the culture and way of life local population.
The most salty lake in the world. mineral lake
Mineral lake - a lake whose salinity (mineralization) exceeds 1 ppm. The water of such reservoirs has a sharp taste and is unsuitable for drinking without additional treatment.
Mineral lakes are divided into brackish (from 1 to 25 ppm), saline (from 25 to 50 ppm) and salt (over 50 ppm).
By chemical composition, mineral lakes are divided into carbonate (soda), sulfate (bitter-salty) and chloride (salty).
The vast majority of salt lakes are drainless water bodies located in an arid climate. Fresh rivers can flow into lakes, however, when the water evaporates, the applied minerals settle.
The level of lakes can fluctuate significantly depending on the time of year and weather conditions. With a decrease in the volume of water, the salinity of the lake increases, with an increase, it decreases.
In mineral lakes, chemical raw materials are mined: in carbonate lakes - soda, in sulfate lakes - mirabilite, in chloride lakes - table salt.
The largest salt lake on Earth is the Caspian Sea.
Lake Balkhash is unique in its kind: part of it contains fresh water, part - salty.
For the title of "most clean lake»fight several reservoirs located in different parts of the world.
Blue - there is no equal in purity
Until recently, Baikal was considered the cleanest lake on Earth. However, recently it was moved from this unofficial pedestal by Blue Lake in New Zealand.
Its Maori name is Rotomairevenua, meaning "lake of the peaceful land".
In 2011, studies conducted by scientists showed that it was Blue Lake that deserved to bear the title of the cleanest lake. By its transparency of water in blue lake comparable to distilled water, and the visibility of the water column is approximately 80 meters.
The Blue Lake is fed by the waters of the neighboring Lake Constance, in which they undergo a kind of filtration. The water in Blue Lake changes completely within 24 hours. Due to the landslide rocks that make up the bottom of the reservoir, the water in it has different shades:
- Blue;
- Emerald;
- The rarest purple color, which distinguishes the most clean water bodies.
Also, Issyk-Kul, in Kyrgyzstan, can be considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world. Read about its exact location and features here.
The lake is located on big island New Zealand - South Island. Swimming and diving in the Blue Lake is strictly prohibited not only because of the unique cleanliness, but also because of its sacred status among the local Aborigines - the Maori.
Bowman - crystal clear
The most transparent lake in the world is Lake Bowman, Montana, USA. A small body of water with an area of less than 10 km² is located in the Glacier Reserve.
The water in this lake is so clear that you can see every pebble at the bottom. The high transparency of Bowman Lake is preserved, among other things, because there are practically no tourists here, although visiting the lake is not prohibited.
A dirt road leads to the lake, and on its coast there is a campsite where anyone can order a boat ride on the water surface or fishing.
Lakes are one of the most beautiful and mysterious natural objects. There are many record holders among them - the largest, the deepest. And in this article we will consider the highest mountain lakes in the world.
Lake on Mount Ojos del Salado
The lake, named after the volcano, is located at an altitude of almost 6900 meters, so this is the highest mountain lake on Earth. It was formed in one of the small craters and has a width of only one hundred meters, and a depth of up to ten meters. They lead here excursion routes, since the volcano has long been inactive. But not everyone dares to come very close to the crater itself.
In 1937, the peak was first conquered by climbers from Poland. As it turned out, the best preparation is needed for this, amateurs cannot go up there. On the slopes, buildings of the Inca tribe were found, in particular, altars for sacrifices. The volcano is located in the Atacama Desert, where the climate is quite hot, so the peak acquires a snow cap only in winter period. In summer, the lake does not freeze, and it looks very beautiful from a helicopter height.
Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde
One of the most wonderful places in Bolivia - two beautiful lakes, climbing to a height of almost 6400 meters. Numerous visitors to the Eduardo Avaroa reserve consider them to be one attraction. The lakes are distinguished not only by their high location, but also by many unique features. For example, Laguna Blanca has a white tint of water due to the high content of various minerals. And Laguna Verde becomes emerald green in strong winds: oxidized copper rises from the bottom. The joint view of the two brother lakes is simply unimaginably beautiful.
Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde in translation mean "Green" and "White Lagoon"
Laguna Blanca and Laguna Verde are at the base of a volcano called Licancabur. Recent studies have discovered another small lake there. It hasn't been named yet. Experienced travelers recommend visiting these places in the summer, but it is still better to bring warm clothes with you: even in the midst of the heat in the mountains, it can be quite cold.
Panch Pahari
This is an incredibly beautiful complex of five reservoirs, located on a rise of about 5500 meters in the Nepalese national park Makalu Barun. A large accumulation of reservoirs with crystal water attracts tourists to itself, and getting there is very easy even for beginners, although it is advisable to take a guide with you.
Although the lakes are far enough away from large settlements, several small villages gradually settled around them. It must be very pleasant to live in these quiet mountainous places, although in Lately there are more and more curious tourists. During excursions, attention is paid not only to lakes, but also to settlements in order to get acquainted with the life and cultural heritage local population.
Panch Pahari - famous place for the pilgrimage of adherents of Hinduism
Gurudongmar
This body of water got its uneasy name after the famous Buddhist preacher. Since the 8th century, the inhabitants of the Indian state of Sikkim have considered him a saint. The lake is located 5200 meters above sea level. Every year, hundreds of pilgrims come here, eager to drink from the lake of a wonderful healing liquid - after all, according to legend, this water heals all diseases.
The lake is shrouded in veil beautiful stories. One of them: a few hundred years ago, a famous Tibetan guru came to visit the lake, found a suitable stick on its shore and made himself a staff.
Returning home and burying the staff in the ground, he was surprised to see that in just a few days twigs and leaves appeared on it, and over time a beautiful tree with a spreading crown and round leaves grew.
In turn, it is absolutely known that all Buddhist leaders must visit the miraculous lake Gurudongmar in order to touch the divine power.
The pond never freezes, so its waters are available to all those who suffer, even in winter
Titicaca
The height of this reservoir above sea level is 3800 meters, this is the highest water surface among the Western Cordilleras. Several dozen rivers flow into the lake, and only one stream flows out - the full-flowing Desanuadero. Titicaca is the main source of water for all people living on the nearby mountain plateau.
There are many small islands on the surface of the lake, the most famous of which are the Lake of the Sun and the Lake of the Moon, with which it is associated unusual legend about the gods and their son, who founded the city of Cusco and the temple in honor of his parent here. It is most pleasant to watch Titicaca in the early morning, when its flawlessly smooth surface reflects rising Sun. At the height of the day, when the luminary is located in the center of the sky, the light expanse of water gives a sharp contrast to the dark silhouettes of the mountains. And in the evening, the setting sun paints the water in crimson-red tones. Often in the evening a storm can break out.
According to the research of historians, life existed here 10 thousand years ago, it was the Indians of the Uru tribe.
Traveling around the world is always very interesting, each country has something to see. And a great option is to admire the lost alpine lakes as wonderful natural phenomena.
Beautiful lakes of Europe that you must see
All lakes are beautiful in themselves, but not like these beautiful lakes of Europe! From a luxury villa on Lake Como to the absolute tranquility of Lake Saim in Finland, here are the most beautiful lakes in Europe!
1. Lake Como in Italy
The first time I saw Lake Como was from a taxi window. As soon as I stepped off the train from Switzerland, I immediately felt a change in pace. I was no longer in sleepy villages, but instead experienced all the brightness of Italy, coming from the locals and gorgeous small towns full of life! Lake Como was exactly what I imagined it to be and even more - stunning lakeside villas, lively towns, and most importantly... extraordinary Gelato.
2. Lake Bled in Slovenia
Lake Bled is undoubtedly the most famous lake in Slovenia, but you will also find many beautiful lesser known lakes in the country. This is the country that will amaze you with its vibrant landscapes.
3. Lake Garda in Italy
Lake Garda in Italy is another of the most beautiful lakes Europe and a very famous place in Italy. Various Italian architecture can be seen everywhere you look and will appeal to those travelers who like to feel like they have taken a step back in time.
4. Lake Annecy in France
Nowhere else is the same, charming and picturesque city like Annecy, an added bonus, this city has its beautiful lake located in France.
5. Lake Hallstatt in Austria
There is probably nothing more beautiful than a lakeside village, and I am sure of it. This small gorgeous village is usually regarded as one of the the best places in Austria to visit - both in summer and in winter (a layer of snow on the roofs adds romance!).
6. Lake Geneva (Leman) in Switzerland
When I visited Geneva a few years ago, I was surprised by the size of this city. The best way to escape from the city, it is to go down to Lake Geneva (a huge lake), and wander along the shore of the lake.
7. Lake Bohinj in Slovenia
Another beauty of Slovenia is the highly photographed Lake Bohinj. This lake is the most big lake in Slovenia, the size of the lake is 318 hectares. The scenery around the lake is stunning to say the least, so be sure to take a day or two to explore the area!
8. Lake Obersee in Germany
The Obersee is one of the three parts of the Königssee lake. Located in southern Germany on the border with Austria and Switzerland, this lake is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Europe. One of the most popular activities on the lake is to take a boat ride to see the beauty of the lake from the water - the surrounding scenery will amaze you!
9. Lake Saimaa in Finland
This is one of my favorites in Europe, Finland is filled with natural beauty wherever you look. Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland is one of the most beautiful places, the place to go in autumn, when the colors of the surrounding trees really come alive (although I'm sure it's beautiful at any time of the year!)
10. Loch Ness in Scotland
Although the lake is not the most beautiful in Europe, Loch Ness is a must see for anyone interested in visiting. legendary lake where the Loch Ness monster lives! I recommend to take a boat and ride on this lake!
Lakes are natural reservoirs, the bowls of which were not filled as a result of interaction with the oceans. Often they are formed as a result of melting glaciers, earthquakes or as a result of volcanic eruptions. Scientists classify them, focusing on different characteristics. For example, flat and mountain lakes, fresh and salty, warm and cold. In addition, there are natural reservoirs on our planet that are dangerous for all living beings. And also those that attract millions of tourists to their shores with ancient secrets hidden in the water column. Today we will talk about the mountain lakes of the world, which have interested us in one or another of their features.
"Eyes of the Planet"
Many lakes, according to scientists, are located in places of power. Therefore, local residents are often the bearers of legends and traditions that have been accumulated for centuries in the memory of the peoples living near the lakes. They consider some bodies of water sacred and never approach their shores. There are especially many such legends about the mountain lakes of Russia, located in the Altai. This region itself is a very strong emitter of earth energy. Locals claim that this is the birthplace of spirits, and reservoirs are portals through which they penetrate into our world.
However, not only in our country there are unique lakes attracting the attention of tourists and scientists from all over the world. We will begin our article with an overview of mountain lakes, spread in the most different corners planets.
Issyk-Kul
There is a reservoir in Kyrgyzstan, which has long received the proud title of the largest mountain lake. Issyk-Kul is an amazingly beautiful lake located in the Tien Shan basin. Locals consider it sacred and are ready to tell an endless number of legends about its origin. All of them are so fantastic that it is quite difficult to find even a grain of truth in them. However, before the arrival of the Russians on these quiet shores, the Kirghiz practically did not approach the lake without any special reason. They didn't fish on its surface and didn't even know what it was like to rest near a mountain lake.
The reservoir is quite deep, the maximum recorded depth is seven hundred meters. The length of the lake exceeds one hundred and seventy-eight kilometers, and the water temperature often reaches a comfortable twenty-six degrees. This noticeably distinguishes Issyk-Kul from other mountain lakes, which remain very cold at any time of the year. But the water of this amazing emerald pond does not freeze even in severe cold.
Local residents told researchers that once, thousands of years ago, on the site of the lake there was a beautiful and rich city, the population of which lived in peace and prosperity. Once got them terrible disaster: the mountains trembled, opened up, and from the bowels of the earth to emerald valley water gushed out, flooding everything around. Only a few young girls managed to escape, who went for brushwood in the mountains before the earthquake. When they returned, they saw a serene lake surface in the place of their houses. The beauties cried so bitterly that the water acquired a salty taste, and it remained salty for many millennia.
Some legends say that somewhere on the shore of Issyk-Kul, powerful Tamerlane bequeathed to bury himself. His warriors complied with the request of their commander, and time razed his mound to the ground so that no one would desecrate the grave of the great conqueror.
Be that as it may, but the legend of the flooded city has a basis. Scientists studying the lake, eleven years ago, discovered at its bottom the remains of some ancient civilization. According to preliminary estimates, the age of the buildings is two and a half thousand years. So, perhaps, our contemporaries have yet to reveal the secret of the mountain lake.
Plitvice lakes
These reservoirs cannot be accurately called a single lake, but once it was exactly that. With time huge lake turned into an interconnected system of sixteen small natural bowls filled with water. They are cascaded to each other. beautiful waterfalls, along which special suspension bridges from wood. If you wish, you can bypass almost all one hundred waterfalls, because it is simply impossible to choose the most beautiful of them. It is interesting that very thin and fragile dams formed from organic matter separate the lakes from each other. The point is that in this place In Croatia, the climate contributes to the fact that fallen trees, grass and leaf remains do not just rot, but turn into limestone deposits that grow at a rate of one centimeter per year.
"Sleeping Dragon": the most dangerous lake in Central Asia
This beautiful reservoir in Tajikistan is one of the youngest mountain lakes in the world and at the same time the most terrible. And the very history of the formation of the turquoise Lake Sarez is connected with tragic events.
A hundred years ago, mountain villages were located on the site of the reservoir, but a powerful earthquake in the Pamirs caused an unprecedented landslide that formed a dam more than five hundred meters high, blocking the mountain river Mughrab. As a result, water rushed into the valley, flooding two villages. However, many local residents managed to escape, because the bowl was filled rather slowly.
Today the lake is located at an altitude of three thousand two hundred and sixty-three meters above sea level. Its depth is five hundred and five meters, and the volume of water exceeds sixteen billion cubic meters. For a hundred years of its existence, Sarez Lake has gradually broken through the dam that formed it, according to the latest data, there are already fifty-seven springs in it.
It is not for nothing that the locals call this body of water the "slumbering dragon", because any serious new earthquake in the Pamirs can cause the collapse of the dam, the consequences of which will be terrifying for the whole of Central Asia. Under the rushing, sweeping away everything in its path, the flow of water, mud and stones will fall into the territories of several states, where about seven million people now live.
Grüner See
Reviews of a mountain lake in Austria, posted on the Internet, make experienced divers go to the Alps in order to see this unusual place with their own eyes. Grüner See is located at an altitude of seven hundred and seventy-six meters above sea level. Snowboarders and fans of mountain skiing often come here in winter, but at this time the lake does not attract the attention of tourists, because its depth does not exceed two meters.
With the advent of spring, melting snow feeds the lake, which spills over many kilometers, gradually absorbing beautiful park with all buildings. This is what attracts scuba divers who dive into the emerald waters of the Grüner See to see sculptures, bridges and benches that have become part of a mountain reservoir for a short time.
Kaindy
This place is absolutely unique, lovers know it extreme species sports and photographers who often come to Kazakhstan. The lake is located at an altitude of two thousand meters and it does not differ in water transparency, depth or unusual relief. His main feature is the abundance of submerged trees rising from the depths. Depending on the lighting and the play of shadows, the lake appears to tourists in a bizarre and sometimes creepy way.
lake of death
IN Ural mountains Lake Karachay is located, which is now deadly for anyone on its shores. The fact is that its waters have become a repository of radioactive waste since the middle of the last century. So many tons are buried here, no one knows, but five minutes on the shore of a reservoir is enough to get a lethal dose of radiation. It is known that about sixty years ago, drought contributed to the transfer of contaminated dust over long distances. This caused a real ecological catastrophe, which affected about five hundred thousand people.
Mountain Spirit Lake
This place is located in Altai and the most terrible local legends are associated with it, which, however, only provoke tourists and adventurers. The lake is located at an altitude of two and a half thousand meters and is part of the Kara-Oyuk valley.
Local residents say that this reservoir has always been hidden from human eyes, because it was here that the souls of those who had done a lot of harm to others during their lives were attracted. The lake lies surrounded by lead rocks, from which it smells of grave cold. Surprisingly, animals do not live near the reservoir and birds do not even fly, and on some slopes turned towards the water, grass almost does not grow. Locals claim that everyone who once found this lost lake was punished by spirits. These people returned to their villages and only had time to tell about the strange leaden fog hovering over the lake. Every now and then dark shadows came out of it, which they called spirits. Usually after that, the narrators died in terrible agony. The Altaians themselves claim that if the spirits do not favor the guests, then it becomes difficult for people to breathe after five minutes of being on the shore. Some experienced dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Scientists were able to prove that there are large deposits of mercury in the area. On certain days, vapors rise above the surface of the earth and concentrate above the water. In this fog, the concentration of mercury is so high that a person can literally get a lethal dose of poisoning in just five to ten minutes. But on other days, being by the lake is quite safe, but it’s impossible to find out in advance.
Seven lakes on the Iolgo Ridge
For those who dream of a vacation in unusual place, we advise you to consider the Karakol lakes in the Altai Mountains. These seven reservoirs are located on different height on a kind of natural staircase. At the same time, the distance between the lakes does not exceed eight hundred meters. The highest body of water is at an altitude of two thousand meters and is small in size. As it decreases, the area of the lake increases.
There are very few animals in the area of Karakol lakes and practically no fish. Therefore, people come here for the sake of picturesque views, replete with cedar forests, meadows and waterfalls. You can stop for the night at the reservoir in a tent camp or at a recreation center near the fifth lake.
teletskoye lake
This freshwater body of water is second in volume only to famous lake Baikal. Teletskoye Lake is considered one of the deepest and most unique in the entire territory of the Altai Mountains. Absolutely all tourists strive to come here, because this pearl is simply incredible beauty.
Teletskoye Lake has practically no shores in the usual sense of the word, it is completely surrounded by a mountain range, which gives it an unusual and impressive flavor. You can’t swim in the pond, its water never warms up above eighteen degrees. But tourists can enjoy relic cedar forests and even dive to the bottom of the lake. Diving has become a very popular pastime here. Despite the fact that in cold water there are practically no inhabitants at depth, scuba divers still manage to see rare fish and find the petrified remains of huge trees.
Camping on the lake shore is prohibited. Therefore, the base "Mountain Lake" (Gorny Altai) hospitably opens its doors to all tourists. Here you can stay in comfortable cabins. different type. At the mountain lake camp site (Altai), travelers can choose from two comfortable cottages, eleven houses with a glass wall, and two buildings designed for several dozen residents. Also, the camp site has all the benefits of civilization, allowing you to have a great vacation on the shores of Lake Teletskoye.
A few words instead of a conclusion
As you can see, our planet is rich in amazing and beautiful places that you want to see with your own eyes. In addition, the lakes that we talked about today are an unknown source of information for scientists. After all, it is not known what other secrets their transparent inhospitable waters hide.
Lakes are different: large, small, deep, shallow, drying up, etc. e. But there is one lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia, which bears the title of the highest located above sea level. Titicaca - that's what it is called, a little ridiculous and even funny for the Russian ear. The name of the lake, translated from the language of the Indians, means "puma rock" (kaka - rock and titi - puma - a sacred animal of the Quechua tribes).
It is located at an altitude of 3812 meters above sea level, you see, it is impressive, because even some mountain ranges cannot boast of such figures. It is believed that the modern size of the lake (8300) is just the remnants of what it was before, the ancient reservoir was just huge. This is evidenced by the fact that the chemical composition of water taken from the lake is very close to that of the ocean.
Lake Titicaca has a maximum length of 190 km and a maximum width of 80 km. The narrow Strait of Tikuina divides the lake into two reservoirs.
On the topic of the Russian perception of Latin American names: about sixty kilometers from Lake Titicaca there is a city with a very terrible for the Russian language - Plague. But the residents themselves do not even suspect why the Russians are so surprised by the name of their nice friendly city.
As for the weather conditions prevailing over the water surface of this remarkable lake, it is quite cold there, due to the height. Most of the year, the shores of Lake Titicaca are covered with ice, in the center the temperature is constant (11-12 ®), but despite this, the region is considered navigable, the largest port city on the lake is Puno (118 thousand people).
It is worth noting that the lake with a maximum depth of 281m is the largest reserve of fresh water in South America. Although it cannot be called absolutely fresh, since the salinity of the water in it is about 1%. More than 300 rivers flow into the lake, flowing down from the glaciers surrounding the Altiplano, and the Desaguadero River flows out, flowing into the endorheic Lake Poopo in Bolivia.
The Alpine Lake region is a legacy of the already extinct Tiahuanaco culture, which was supplanted by the modern Aymara Indians at the end of the first millennium AD. Culture left its mark in history in the form of a well-preserved settlement with an area of just over 40 hectares. The style and quality of the building suggests that civilizations for that time and most South America was quite developed. From under the layers of the earth, archaeologists have extracted a whole town with preserved quarters, streets, houses and even a small pyramid. A 15m high pyramid called Akapana, according to historians, it was a continuation of the temple complex. Nevertheless, the complex was surrounded by a wall, from which not much has survived to this day, but, nevertheless, the monolithic gates still adorn the entrance. The image of the deity and the unreal creatures running towards him is still the subject of a dispute over who the inhabitants of the lost civilization worshiped.
If you believe the legends of the locals, then at the bottom of the lake is the ancient city of Wanaku. Divers have found fragments of walls, sculptures, houses there, but have not yet been able to confirm the legend about the city.
To the question Where is the largest alpine lake in the world?.. asked by the author Little Russians the best answer is Lake Titicaca
In the South American Andes, one of the longest and most beautiful mountain systems, there are two or three places that especially attract tourists with their unusualness and picturesqueness. But the most interesting region of the Andes is, of course, the high Bolivian plateau, central part occupied by Lake Titicaca. This is the largest alpine lake in the world lies at an altitude of 3810 meters. Its area is 8287 km2. The water has a high salt content.
In the southern hemisphere, only the Great African lakes: Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa. The depth of the transcendental reservoir reaches almost four hundred meters. To the east, only a dozen kilometers separate Titicaca from the steep snowy slopes of the mighty Cordillera Real, rising three kilometers above the lake. A with opposite side the alpine plateau gradually rises to the ridges located more than a hundred kilometers to the east Western Cordillera, also rising above the intermountain basin by two to two and a half thousand meters. About a dozen mountain streams run off them to Titicaca. And the fast and stormy Desaguadero River flows out of it through a deep gorge, flowing three hundred kilometers into a drainless salt Lake Poopo. IN downstream it erodes the salt layers protruding along the banks, and therefore flows into Poopo, the only salty river in the world. For the inhabitants of the Altiplano (as this desert and cold high-mountain plain is called), Titicaca is both a source of water, a supplier of food, and a giant "heater" that softens the climate of this homeless land - after all, the water temperature in the lake never drops below eleven degrees. It is no coincidence that man settled on the shores of the lake in ancient times - ten thousand years ago. Now it is divided between Peru and Bolivia, with the latter getting arid West Coast, and for the Peruvians - a more humid eastern. From the northwest to the southeast, Titicaca stretches for one hundred and eighty kilometers, and it reaches sixty kilometers in width. In the southern part, the lake is divided by the peninsulas of Copacabana and Uata into two reaches: Big and Small. They are connected by a short strait several hundred meters wide. The large stretch is surrounded by rocky shores. They drop steeply to the water, and the western coast is entirely composed of lavas that once erupted from the volcanoes of the Western Cordillera. This part of the reservoir is deeper. It was here, near the island of Soto, that the maximum depth of the lake was recorded - three hundred and eighty meters.
Source:
Answer from Gayane[guru]
THE BIGGEST LAKE
The largest lake in the world is the Caspian, which, because of its size, is even called the sea. The lake has an area of 376 thousand square kilometers and a maximum depth of 1025 meters.
FRESH SALT LAKE
Balkhash is the only lake in the Commonwealth countries that has different water. It is divided by a narrow strait into two parts - western and eastern. In the first - fresh water, in the second - brackish. The area of this Kazakh lake is very "mobile": from 17 to 22 thousand square kilometers, the greatest depth is 26.5 meters.
THE HOTEST LAKE
The hottest lake is Fumarolnoye in Kamchatka. average temperature water in it - plus 50 degrees Celsius. The secret of the hot natural “bath” is that this lake heats up the neighboring Uzon volcano.
THE BIGGEST HIGH-MOUNTAIN
Sevan is the largest alpine lake in the CIS. Located in Armenia. The area is about 1240 square kilometers. It is located at an altitude of 1903 meters above sea level. Now the greatest depth is up to 52 meters.
THE DEEPEST LAKE
The deepest lake in the world is Baikal. Average depth lake 730 meters, the deepest mark 1620 meters. The Siberian Lake Baikal is the largest natural reservoir of fresh water on the planet, which contains about 23 thousand cubic kilometers. This is more than in the Baltic Sea. The area of Baikal is 31.5 thousand square kilometers.
DEAD LAKE
An unusual reservoir is located in the village of Gerasimovka, Andreevsky district, Taldy-Kurgan region (Kazakhstan). He is called dead lake. In the pool, 100x60 meters in size, there is nothing alive. It is assumed that a toxic gas is released from a crevice at the bottom of the lake, killing all life. And one more characteristic feature of the Dead Lake is that even in the summer heat the water in it is icy.
GHOST LAKE
It appears, then ... the Ertso Lake in South Ossetia, located near the city of Tskhinval, completely disappears. The area of the lake in "high water" is about 0.5 square kilometer. The lake is located at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Every three to five years, the lake ... sinks into the ground, as if someone had taken out the cork in a large bathtub. Water from the lake is poured into an underground storage for about a month. Sometimes it happens in winter. Then the ice that covered the surface of the lake becomes the ceiling of a giant reservoir. The ceiling often falls... to the bottom. Only newts are found in the lake. The fish, apparently, "avoids" settling in such an unreliable reservoir. Scientists explain the disappearing lake phenomenon by the presence of karst caves under the bottom of the lake, where and from where the lake water periodically overflows, depending on the "mood" of groundwater.
SALT LAKES
In this lake, a person simply cannot drown, even if he does not know how to swim at all. After all, the Tuvan lake Dus-Khol (which translates as "salt lake") is a concentrated natural salt solution (brine).
But the saltiest lake in the territory former USSR- Baskunchak. Nothing living can live in it.
SWEET LAKE
in the Urals Chelyabinsk region There is amazing lake- Sweet. It wash clothes without soap and wash even oil stains. The water contains baking soda and salt. And soda, as you know, has a sweetish taste. The presence of these substances in a certain chemical combination gives the water of Lake Sladkoe special qualities (alkaline reaction).
"SOATING" LAKE
The Uzon volcano in Kamchatka is not only a huge gray-black crater with steep walls and a cold lake at the bottom. This is also its caldera - a grassy plain with rare hills overgrown with cedar, birch and mountain ash. This is an abundance of cold, warm and hot lakes, mud pots, boiling springs. One of the wonders of the Uzon caldera is a "floating" lake. The released gases sometimes cover its entire surface with large and small bubbles.
Lake Titicaca occupies the central part of the Bolivian plateau and, at an altitude of 3800 meters, is the highest lake in the world.
Just a few tens of kilometers to the east of the lake, the snowy slopes of Cardillera Real rise up, the peaks of which rise above the lake to a height of up to three kilometers. On the opposite side, at some distance, the ridges of the Western Cardillera rise, reaching a height of 2.5 thousand meters.
Dozens of streams flow into Lake Titicaca. Only one river, the Desanuadero, flows out of it, replenishing water after three hundred kilometers. drainless lake Poopo. Desanuadero erodes salty layers along its way, which is why the water in the lake is salty.
For people living on the desert high plain of the Altiplano, Titicaca is both a source of water and a source of food, and a kind of "heater" that makes this harsh land favorable for life (water temperature is never colder than 11 degrees). Modern archeology has come to the conclusion that the first people settled on the shores of the lake about 10,000 years ago.
Now the lake is located in two states at once: Peru and Bolivia. At the same time, Peru has a wetter East Coast, and Bolivia - arid western.
There are several dozen islands on the lake, and two of them are especially revered local residents who call them "Island of the Moon" and "Island of the Sun". According to the legend of the Inca people, who inhabited the territory near the lake for hundreds of years, these islands originally belonged to the moon god Coati and the sun god Titicaca. When the son of Manco Kopak and the daughter of Oklio were born to the sun god, the father gave them a staff and they went to northern country shepherds. On his way, the young Inca stuck his staff into the ground, but everywhere he came across only rocks. The brother and sister made their way north for a long time until they ended up in the Cusco Valley. As soon as Manco Kopak stuck his staff into the ground, he went deep into the arable land. The Son of the Sun summoned farmers and shepherds to the valley and together with them founded a new city, in the center of which he erected a temple in honor of his father.
The new city, named Cuzco, became the center of the mighty Inca empire, and the heirs of Manco Kopak rule the country until the arrival of the conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro, who literally destroyed the great civilization. Now the few remaining descendants of the Incas live in the villages located along the shores of the lake, doing the same craft that their ancestors a thousand years ago.
The oldest inhabitants of Titicaca, whose ancestors settled here about 10,000 years ago, are the Uru Indians. Now they have been driven out to the islands, which they themselves build from totora reeds. Such islands are dozens of layers of reeds, which are replaced by new ones over time. On such islands, there are entire villages of dozens of houses where this unique lake people lives.
Totora cane is a versatile material that provides the uru with everything they need. Baskets are woven from it, houses are built, beds for sleeping, chairs, curtains, shoes, hats are made ... At first glance, only food problems cannot be solved by reeds. However, this is not so: boats and fish traps are made from reeds.
A person who sees Titicaca in the early morning will be amazed at the stillness of its water surface, on which the mountains and blue sky are reflected so clearly, as if you are looking into a mirror. With the first rays of the sun, the lake suddenly lights up with a dazzling light in an instant, turning purple-green in an instant. During the day, when the sun is in the middle of the sky, an infinite body of water, which contrasts sharply with the dark slopes of the rocks. In the evening, the setting sun paints the waters of Titicaca in ominous crimson tones. This play of color happens daily until the wind blows strong wind. However, as soon as the air currents rush along the Bolivian plateau, real ferocious storms begin on the lake, crashing waves onto the shores and breaking fragile fishing boats.
But scientists and travelers go to these parts not only to admire amazing landscapes. The alpine lake is fraught with many mysteries - historical, geological, biological and archaeological. And even if archaeologists can explain how stones appeared near Titicaca, obviously brought here hundreds of kilometers away, or the use of boats here that are found only on the banks of the Tigris or Euphrates, then the mystery of the origin of the lake itself will most likely remain unsolved.
It would seem that the answer is very simple: the basin formed as a result of volcanic activity, collected the flows of other rivers. After all, there are many such examples on earth: the same Baikal, Nyasa or Tanganyika. But how then can one explain the presence of sea salts in the lake? Where are the remains of marine organisms found on the shores of the reservoir? All this suggests that Titicaca is sea bay, once raised by unknown forces almost 4 km above sea level, and, as a result, is the largest alpine lake in the world. And so far modern science unable to answer how this could happen.
secrets mysterious lake archaeologists, geologists, zoologists are also trying to uncover, but with each study of the alpine lake Titicaca, more and more questions arise. For a long time it will disturb the minds of travelers unsolved mysteries"Pearl of the Andes" - the sacred lake Titicaca.
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