Large lakes of Africa on the map. The largest and deepest lakes in Africa

World Travel

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13.05.16 12:17

For those who have never been to the Black Continent, Africa is associated with the Sahara desert (and other badlands), the pyramids of Egypt, the savannas and the picturesque Serengeti with its diverse fauna. For some reason, we lose sight of the beautiful lakes of Africa - this is also one of the riches of the continent. Let's talk about them.

The most beautiful lakes in Africa: where to go

Deepest in the world

This lake, located in the Great Rift Valley, has two names - Malawi and Nyasa, it is one of the largest in Africa. In the list of the most deep lakes Nyasa ranks third in the world - after our Baikal and Tanganyika. The reservoir is not the property of any one country, the lake is located in the territories of Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. It is included in the eponymous national park. The shores enchant with their scenery, and swimming in aquamarine waters teeming with outlandish fish is a real pleasure.

And here is Tanganyika, second in depth only to Baikal and considered the longest on the mainland (it stretches across the expanses of Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). One of the popular local crafts is catching fish for the aquarium hobby. Tanganyika can be proud of its rich fauna - in addition to exotic fish, crocodiles, hippos, various mollusks and crustaceans live in it, colonies of waterfowl settle here.

The color wonder of Senegal

You have probably met this Senegalese miracle in the ratings of colored lakes. We are used to turquoise, blue, almost transparent, emerald waters of rivers and lakes, and Retba has such a pronounced pink color! It has long been proven that the color is due to unicellular algae of the species Dunaliella salina. These crumbs settle only in very salty waters. Here in Retba there is a large concentration of salt, so the locals have something to do. They extract salt of an unusual pinkish hue from the bottom of the lake and sell it.

If you happen to visit Zimbabwe, don't forget to visit the lake called Kariba. This is one of the most charming places in the country - especially for those who love and appreciate natural beauty. It is very pleasant to spend a few days of vacation in such amazing scenery - pretty houses of different degrees of comfort are scattered along the banks.

Great and dangerous

The most beautiful lakes in Africa include Kivu, located on the border of Rwanda and the Congo. As for Rwanda, its inhabitants do not suffer at all from the lack of access to the sea: sandy beaches and the turquoise-clear waters of the Kivu make up for it. Ride a boat and enjoy the views, dramatic sunsets - it's so great! On the other hand, it is better not to meddle in some places of the lake: there are methane emissions and carbon dioxide(due to underwater volcanoes).

Rugged lagoons and a sea of ​​salt

Experts call Lake Assal the best place recreation in the small republic of Djibouti, located in East Africa. The lake is rather shallow, but its indented banks (it is the lowest place on the continent) and lagoons are very beautiful. Assal, nestled in the center of the state, boasts a high salt concentration (350%).

Alpine tandem

The duo of lakes Rutundu and Alice are high-altitude reservoirs (they are located on the slopes of Mount Kenya at an altitude of about 3 km above sea level). If you have a good physical condition, then you can easily reach these African lakes on foot. Otherwise, you will be taken there by helicopter. The places around the lake tandem seem so wild that you will feel like a pioneer.

The largest in the country

But this is not only beautiful, but also the largest lake in Africa (by area). In addition, it is the largest lake in the world, located in the tropics. The coasts of Victoria span Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Boat trips - especially at sunset - on the lake can turn into a journey into a fairy tale. The waters of Victoria are full of fish, crocodiles are found, the coast also boasts a rich fauna (from giraffes, mongooses and pythons to elephants and chimpanzees and rhinos). Here is the Rubondo Nature Reserve, which can only be traveled on foot.

fairytale oasis

The incredible landscape of the shores of Lake Umm al-Maa will make anyone, even the most experienced naturalist, admire. This is an oasis lake that has arisen in the middle sand dunes the great Libyan desert. The desert landscape reflected in the waters adds even more mystery and charm to the area - it seems to be just a mirage! It is clear that the water in Umm Al Maa is always very warm, so swimming will be a real pleasure for you.

At the foot of the Dragon Mountains

Another beautiful lake Africa - Naveron - spread at the foot of the southern spurs dragon mountains. This is one of the pearls of South Africa, far from civilization and fuss modern world. On the shores of the lake built cottages and small houses where you can relax, enjoying the views of the lake and the extraordinary tranquility that reigns in the foothills.

Home for pink flamingos

In addition to the majestic and full-flowing Victoria in Kenya, there are several others, smaller, but with their own twist. These include the decoration of the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru, around which one of the Kenyan national parks. The bewitching landscape, and most importantly, the thousands of flamingos that have chosen these places, make the lake magically beautiful. After admiring the shores, you will understand how they attract birds. Thanks to the flamingos, the lake seems to be shrouded in a pink haze.

The list of the most beautiful lakes in Africa is completed by another Kenyan miracle - Lake Bogoria. It is known for its geysers, which erupt fountains of boiling water to a height of up to five meters (this phenomenon is not at all typical for Africa). And here, as well as on Nakuru, a huge population of flamingos lives. So if you want to see both geysers and these birds at the same time, explore the surroundings of Bogoria well.

Victoria, Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe (Victoria, Victoria Nyanza) - a lake in East Africa, in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Located in the tectonic trough of the East African platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. 2nd largest fresh lake world after Lake Superior and the largest lake in Africa.
The area is 68 thousand square kilometers, the length is 320 km, the maximum width is 275 km. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. Lots of islands. flows into abounding river Kagera, the Victoria Nile flows out. The lake is navigable locals are engaged in fishing.
north coast lakes cross the equator. The lake with a maximum depth of 80 m belongs to fairly deep lakes.
Unlike its deep-water neighbors, Tanganyika and Nyasa, which lie within the gorge system of Africa, Lake Victoria fills a shallow depression between the eastern and western sides of the Great Gorge valley. The lake receives a huge amount of water from the rains, more than from all its tributaries.
A huge number of crocodiles live in its waters, and the lang fish (fish), which lived here 300 million years ago, still lives here. She can inhale and retain air in the gills, as in the lungs. This rarest fish is the link between ordinary fish and land animals.

Lake Chad (Tchad, Chad, in Arabic Bar es Salaam) - endorheic relic lake is located in central Africa. Located at an altitude of 240 m above sea level.
The surface of the lake is not constant: usually occupying about 27 thousand square meters. km, the lake in the rainy season spills up to 50 thousand, and in the dry season it is reduced to 11 thousand square meters. km. From the south, the Shari rivers with a wide and shallow delta and the Mbulu flow into the lake, from the west - the Komadugu-Vaube, and from the east - the low-water Bar el-Ghazal. According to Nachtigal, the flow of water through rains and rivers is 100 cubic meters. km, and the loss of water through evaporation is 70 cubic meters. km. In view of the absence of a visible source of water from the lake, while the water of the lake remains fresh, Nachtigal suggests the existence of an underground channel in northeast direction to Aegea and Borku. Near the mouths of the rivers, the water in the lake is fresh, in the rest of it it is slightly brackish; the insignificance of mineralization is apparently due to the constant change of water in the lake due to the underground outflow of infiltration waters. In a very rainy season (which happens extremely rarely), with extraordinary high water levels, a temporary surface runoff of the lake is formed in the northeast (along the dry channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal). The dark, dirty water of the lake is thickly overgrown with algae in places. From July to November, under the influence of rains, the water level gradually rises and the low southwestern coast is widely flooded almost to Cook. Over a considerable area, the lake is very shallow (here you can ford it on horseback); has great depth West Side at Ngornu and Maduari. The maximum depth during the rainy season is 11 meters. The shores are mostly swampy and overgrown with papyrus; to the northeast, the terrain has the character of a steppe, and only South coast rich in tropical vegetation.
In the eastern part, the lake is covered with a network of islets (up to 100 in number), of which the Buduma, Karka and Kuri groups are inhabited (up to 30 thousand people) by people from neighboring tribes (Buduma, Kuri, Kanemba, Kanuri, Bulala and Dats).
In 2006, a lake with an area of ​​23,000 square kilometers, located on the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad, decreased by 26 times and continues to dry up, which became known thanks to the monitoring of the Earth, carried out by the international system Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It is known that Chad dries up for the seventh time in the last millennium. Scientists - paleontologists have established this by the remains of animals found there.

Information
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LAKES OF AFRICA
The largest lakes in Africa:

Great African lakes- several large lakes located in and around the East African Rift Zone. Includes Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and Tanganyika, the second deepest and second largest in the world. List of lakes: Tanganyika, Victoria, Albert, Edward, Kivu, Malawi.
Some include only the Victoria, Albert and Edward lakes among the Great Lakes, since only these three lakes have a drain into the White Nile. Tanganyika and Kivu drain into the Congo River system, while Malawi flows into the Zambezi via the Shire River.

Tanganyika - large lake in Central Africa, the coordinates of the central part are 5 ° 30 S. sh. 29°30 in. (G).
In terms of volume and depth, Lake Tanganyika ranks second after Lake Baikal. The shores of the lake belong to four countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.
The lake is about 650 km long and 40-80 km wide. The area is 34 thousand sq. km. Lies at an altitude of 773 meters above sea level in the tectonic basin of the East African Rift Zone.
The lake is home to hippos, crocodiles, and a lot of waterfowl. Fishing and shipping are well developed.

Victoria, Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe (Victoria, Victoria Nyanza) - a lake in East Africa, on the territory of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is located in the tectonic trough of the East African Platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. The 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior and the largest lake in Africa.
The area is 68 thousand square kilometers, the length is 320 km, the maximum width is 275 km. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. Lots of islands. The high-water Kagera River flows in, the Victoria Nile River flows out. The lake is navigable, the locals are engaged in fishing on it.
The northern coast of the lake crosses the equator. The lake with a maximum depth of 80 m belongs to fairly deep lakes.
Unlike its deep-water neighbors, Tanganyika and Nyasa, which lie within the gorge system of Africa, Lake Victoria fills a shallow depression between the eastern and western sides of the Great Gorge valley. The lake receives a huge amount of water from the rains, more than from all its tributaries.
A huge number of crocodiles live in its waters, and the lang fish (fish), which lived here 300 million years ago, still lives here. She can inhale and retain air in the gills, as in the lungs. This rarest fish is the link between ordinary fish and land animals.

Malawi(Nyasa) is a lake in Central East Africa. The lake runs from north to south, the length is 560 km, the depth is 706 m. eastern coast steep with a poorly developed shelf, the southern and western coasts are gently sloping. Water losses occur from surface evaporation (80%) and from the waters of the Sheri River flowing out in the south of the lake. Climatically expressed two seasons: rainy (November - May) and dry (May - November).

Lake Chad(Tchad, Chad, in Arabic Bar es Salaam) is an endorheic relict lake located in central Africa. Located at an altitude of 240 m above sea level.
The surface of the lake is not constant: usually occupying about 27 thousand square meters. km, the lake in the rainy season spills up to 50 thousand, and in the dry season it is reduced to 11 thousand square meters. km. From the south, the Shari rivers with a wide and shallow delta and the Mbulu flow into the lake, from the west - the Komadugu-Vaube, and from the east - the low-water Bar el-Ghazal. According to Nachtigal, the flow of water through rains and rivers is 100 cubic meters. km, and the loss of water through evaporation is 70 cubic meters. km. In view of the absence of a visible source of water from the lake, while the water of the lake remains fresh, Nachtigal suggests the existence of an underground channel in a northeasterly direction to Aegea and Borku. Near the mouths of the rivers, the water in the lake is fresh, in the rest of it it is slightly brackish; the insignificance of mineralization is apparently due to the constant change of water in the lake due to the underground outflow of infiltration waters. In a very rainy season (which happens extremely rarely), with extraordinary high water levels, a temporary surface runoff of the lake is formed in the northeast (along the dry channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal). The dark, dirty water of the lake is thickly overgrown with algae in places. From July to November, under the influence of rains, the water level gradually rises and the low southwestern coast is widely flooded almost to Cook. Over a considerable area, the lake is very shallow (here you can ford it on horseback); the western part near Ngornu and Maduari is distinguished by great depth. The maximum depth during the rainy season is 11 meters. The shores are mostly swampy and overgrown with papyrus; to the northeast, the terrain has the character of a steppe, and only the southern coast is distinguished by rich tropical vegetation.
In the eastern part, the lake is covered with a network of islets (up to 100 in number), of which the Buduma, Karka and Kuri groups are inhabited (up to 30 thousand people) by people from neighboring tribes (Buduma, Kuri, Kanemba, Kanuri, Bulala and Dats).
In 2006, a lake with an area of ​​23,000 square kilometers, located on the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad, decreased by 26 times and continues to dry up, which became known thanks to the monitoring of the Earth, carried out by the international system Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It is known that Chad dries up for the seventh time in the last millennium. Scientists - paleontologists have established this by the remains of animals found there.

Assal - crater lake in the center of Djibouti. The lake lies 155 m below sea level in the Afar lowland, it is the most low point Africa. The salinity of the lake is 35%, this is the most salt Lake in the world. The lake is surrounded by a dense saline layer of soil. Salt is mined and sent by caravans to Ethiopia.

According to the origin of the lake basin in Africa, 3 types of lakes are distinguished: 1) tectonic, 2) relict, 3) volcanic.

The lakes of East Africa for the most part - tectonic origin. The Great Lakes are generated by the Great Rifts. Most of these lakes lie at the bottom of rift basins, which have been filled with water almost from the moment of their origin (or, more precisely, their revival as a result of the latest movements of the earth's crust). Among the rift lakes there are large and small, deep and shallow, fresh and salty. But almost all of them have a characteristic elongated shape, defined by the outlines of the rifts themselves. As a rule, lakes are located in fault depressions (grabens) in a row, one after another, forming long chains or garlands. The first thing that catches your eye when looking at physical map East Africa is a chain of unique lengths big lakes, starting in the south of Nyasoy and continuing with the lakes of the Western Rift - Rukvoy, Tanganyika, Kivu, Edward and Albert. Another lake garland is located on the territory of the Eastern Rift and its spurs; here, however, there is only one large lake - Rudolf, but there are many small ones. Mveru stands somewhat apart among lakes of fault origin: it occupies an independent graben, which is believed to be a side branch of the Western Rift, but has no direct connection with it in the modern relief. Almost all large lakes in Africa lie in deep rift depressions (grand breaks in the earth's crust) on the East African plateau and are tectonic (Tanganyika, Nyasa, Edward, Albert, Kyoga, Mweru Rudolph, Victoria). Most of them are different great depths and bordered by steep slopes. Basins of lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa. Tectonic and volcanic processes in East Africa did not occur at the same time, but over a very long period. It is quite natural, therefore, that the East African lakes are of different ages. There are “old people” among them, formed millions of years ago, there are also “youth”, whose age is measured “only” in millennia (and in some small lakes - hundreds and even tens of years). Almost all large lakes are among the "old men". They have gone through a long and complex evolution. Their level and outlines have repeatedly changed depending on the movements of the earth's crust and climate fluctuations, primarily moisture conditions. In epochs of a humid climate, the size of the lakes increased, and some now isolated water bodies merged together. On the contrary, during dry epochs, the area of ​​lakes was greatly reduced, and many of them completely dried up. All these and other features of their history left a noticeable imprint on modern look lake basins and the lakes themselves, had a strong influence on the development of life in lake waters.

From a hydrographic point of view, the lakes of East Africa can be subdivided into four large groups. The first is formed by the famous Nile lakes. The upper, "head", natural reservoir of the Nile system is Lake Victoria, which receives many tributaries - including the Kageru, the source of the Nile, the most distant from the mouth. flowing from this huge natural reservoir the Victoria Nile flows through shallow Lake Kyoga and then flows into Lake Albert; this latter also receives the Semliki River, the outlet of Lake Edward. Finally, the Albert Nile River emerges from Lake Albert - the headwaters of the White Nile, the main (in length) branch of the great African river, ending its journey at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea.

The second group consists of four lakes belonging to the Conto basin, and thus to the basin Atlantic Ocean. Two of them, Bangweulu and Mweru, are links in a complex lake-river system (Chambeshi River - Lake Bangweulu - Luapula River - Lake Mweru - Lovua River), which is considered the eastern source of the Congo. The other two lakes - Kivu and Tanganyika, connected by the Ruzizi River, have a drain in the Congo (Lualaba) through the Lukuga River.

The third hydrographic element forms Lake Nyasa, which sends its waters along the Shire River to the Zambezi. In addition to it, large lakes belonging to the basin indian ocean, not in East Africa.

Numerous lakes that do not have a runoff into the ocean can be distinguished as the fourth and last group. These are, firstly, all the lake reservoirs of the Eastern Rift from Lake Rudolf in the north to Lake Manyara in the south; secondly, Rukva Lake in the southern branch of the Western Rift; thirdly, Lake Shirva in one of the side spurs of the Nyasa rift. Unlike the lakes of the three previous groups, in which the water is fresh (only in the Kivu it is brackish), the reservoirs of the fourth group are mostly salty. In addition to those listed, there are other endorheic lakes in East Africa (for example, many crater lakes), but all of them are insignificant in size and are of no particular interest to us now.

Nyasa is a tectonic lake formed as a result of a break in the earth's crust. A depression is a depression on the earth's surface, the bottom of which lies below ocean level, a crypto-prefix to the name of the structure, denoting its thin appearance. The third largest and most southern of the lakes of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, which fills a deep depression in the earth's crust between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The lake runs from north to south, 560 km long, 706 m deep. It is the ninth largest and third deepest (after Baikal and Tanganyika) among the world's freshwater reservoirs. It contains 7% of the world's liquid fresh water and creates the most diverse lake ecosystem in terms of the number of species, most of of which are endemic.

Rice.

The lake fills a crack in the earth's crust south end Great Rift Valley, as a result of which it is elongated in the meridional direction and has a length of 584 km, its width varies from 16 to 80 km. The surface of the lake lies at an altitude of 472 m above sea level, its area is 29,604 km², average depth 292 m, maximum - 706 m, that is, the deepest places of the lake are below sea level. The total volume of the lake is 8,400 km². The depths gradually increase from south to north, where the steep slopes of the mountains surrounding the lake suddenly break right into the water. In other places along the coast, mountains and peaks rising along the edges of the rift valley are separated from the lake by a wide coastal plain; at the confluence of large rivers into the lake, the coastal plain expands and connects with the river plain, deepening inward mountain ranges. As a result, the relief of the coastline varies from rocky cliffs to extensive beaches. The coastal plains are especially wide in the northwest, where the Songwe River flows into the lake, as well as in the southern part of the coast.

The bottom of the lake is covered with a thick layer of sedimentary rocks, in some places up to 4 km thick, which indicates the great age of the lake, which is estimated at least several million years.

The main part of the lake basin is occupied by highlands and mountains, which are the boundaries of the rift valley. The highest of them are the mountains of Livingston in the northeast (up to 2000 m) and the Nyika plateau and the mountains of Vipya and Chimaliro in the northwest and the Dowa upland in the west; in the south, the terrain is gradually lowered. The lake basin is much wider to the west of the lake. In the east, the mountains come close to the water, and the basin narrows, expanding only in the northeast thanks to the Ruhuhu River, which cuts through the mountains of Livingston. The lake is fed by 14 year-round rivers, including the most important Ruhuhu, Songwe, North and South Rukuru, Dwangwa, Bua and Lilongwe . The lake's only external outflow is the Shire River, which emerges from the lake in the south and flows towards the Zambezi. Despite the large volume of the lake, the volume of its runoff is small: out of about 63 km³ of water entering the lake annually, only 16% flows through the Shire River, the rest evaporates from the surface. Because of this, the lake has a very long term water renewal: it is estimated that all the water in the lake is renewed within 114 years. Another consequence of the fact that the main water losses occur due to evaporation, and not runoff, is the increased mineralization of lake water compared to the waters of the rivers flowing into it - the water in the lake is hard and brackish. The waters of the lake are vertically distributed into three layers, which differ in the density of water, due to its temperature. Top layer thickness warm water(epilimnion) varies from 40 to 100 m, reaching a maximum in the cool windy season (from May to September). It is in this layer that algae grows, which are the basic element of the entire food pyramid of the lake. The middle layer, the metalimnion, is several degrees colder than the upper one and extends from its lower edge 220 m deep. In the thickness of this layer, vertical movements of biological substances and oxygen dissolved in water occur. The space from the lower level of the metalimnon to the bottom of the lake is occupied by the hypolimnon. The water here is even colder (has the highest density) and has a high concentration of dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon - decomposition products of organic matter. This area is almost completely free of dissolved oxygen, and therefore, deeper than 220 m, the lake is practically devoid of life.

Although these water layers never completely mix, a slow exchange of water between adjacent layers does occur. The volume and speed of this exchange depends on the place and season. The highest influx of nutrient-rich water from the metalimnon and hypolimnon to the surface occurs during the cool windy season from May to September, when the westerly wind, which the locals call mwera, blows continuously. This wind disturbs the surface of the lake, sometimes causing severe storms, and mixes the water to a considerable depth. In addition to simple mixing in some places of the lake during this time of the year, there is a constant removal of deep water to the surface, the so-called upwelling. Due to the peculiarities of the bottom morphology, the upwelling is especially strong in the southeastern bay of the lake. As a result, during the windy season and a short time after its end, the highest concentration of plankton is observed here.

Rice.

Tanganyika is a large lake in Central Africa of tectonic origin. The second deepest (1435 m) lake in the world after Baikal (1620 m) and the largest in the world in length (650 km). The water level in the lake depends on the amount of rain fed by the rivers flowing into the lake. The lake is runoff, the runoff occurs through the Lukuga River in the city of Congo. The water temperature in the upper layer fluctuates throughout the year from +23 to +270 C, and at a depth below 400 m it does not change and is +230 C. Lake Tanganyika is distinguished by the uniqueness of the organic world. The lake is exceptionally rich in fish: in total there are about 250 species of fish, and ¾ of them are endemic. On the shores of the lake there is a national park where lions, leopards, hippos, buffaloes, antelopes, zebras, chimpanzees and other animals live. The shores of the lake belong to four countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi. Lake Tanganyika is located in the deepest tectonic depression in Africa, at an altitude of 773 meters above sea level and is part of the ancient East African rift system. The lake is divided by an underwater threshold into two deep-sea basins. The lake is part of the Congo River basin, one of largest rivers peace. The lake was discovered in 1858 by English travelers R. Burton and J. Speke. Coastal landscapes, as a rule, are huge rocks and only on the eastern side of the coast are gentle. On the west coast, the steep sidewalls of the East African Rift Zone, which form coastline, reach 2000 m in height. The coastline is dotted with bays and bays. The largest of them is Burton Bay. The lake is fed by several tributaries, the basin area is 231 thousand km². The largest inflowing river is the Ruzizi, whose delta is located in the northern part of the lake. From the eastern side, the Malagarasi River flows into the lake. Malagarasi is older in origin than Tanganyika and in the past flowed directly into the Congo River. The only outflowing river - Lukuga (Lukuga) begins in the middle part of the west coast and flows west, connecting with the Zaire River, which flows into the Atlantic. The annual inflow of water into the lake is 64.8 km³, of which 40.9 km³ falls on precipitation (63%) and 23.9 km³ - on tributaries (37%). A significant proportion of water consumption is evaporation - 61.2 km³ (94.4%), the volume of runoff through Lukuga is estimated at 3.6 km³ (5.6%). average temperature surface 25 °C, average pH 8.4. The significant depth of the lake and its location in the tropical zone create conditions under which there is no water circulation in the reservoir, that is, the lake is a meromictic reservoir in which the lower layer of water does not mix with the upper layers. In terms of the volume of anoxic waters (eng. Anoxic waters), Tanganyika ranks second after the Black Sea. It is also likely that at different historical times Tanganyika could have different tributaries and sources from modern ones. The waters of Lake Rukva could flow into it, and it could flow out into Lake Malawi and the Nile. Due to the lack of incoming water, there are concerns that any increase in temperature and evaporation due to climate change could lead to an extremely rapid drop in the lake's water level.

The lake is divided into three volumetric basins: the Kigoma basin in the northern part with a maximum depth of 1310 meters, the Kungwe basin in the middle with a maximum depth of 885 meters and the Kipili basin in the southern part with a maximum depth of 1410 meters.

Rice.

Lake Kivu (area - 2.7 thousand km2, greatest depth- about 500 m) lies north of the lake Tanganyika is in the depression of the same western branch of the East African rifts, in which Lake Tanganyika also lies. The basin of the lake is dammed with lava flows, so the origin of the lake is volcanic-tectonic or volcanic-volcanic. On the northern shores of Lake Kivu are active volcanoes. During their eruption, powerful lava flows slide into the lake and the water in the lake boils in these places. Unlike other rift lakes, which have predominantly straight shores, Kivu has very winding shores with many picturesque bays and islands. The lake is freshwater, stock, the Ruzizi River flows out of it, which flows into Lake Tanganyika. It is distinguished by an abnormally high temperature of deep waters (+260 C), explained by the influence of volcanic activity and the presence of hot springs at the bottom of the lake, and the accumulation of natural combustible gas - methane in them. Kimvu is a lake in Central Africa, on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in East African rift valley, one of the African Great Lakes.

Rice.

Lake Kivu has a drain through the Ruzizi River, which flows into southbound and flows into Lake Tanganyika.

Scientists studying the complex mixture of chemicals that lie at the bottom of Lake Kivu cannot give a definite answer - whether the reservoir will remain unchanged for another millennium or the gases accumulated under water will soon escape to the surface. Over the last millennium in freshwater Lake Kivu continuously increased the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the region in which the lake is located is seismically dangerous and volcanic activity continues here. Lake Kivu differs in many ways from other water bodies, both temperate and tropical climate. Its most important feature can be considered the absence of evaporation at the border of water and air.

Due to the high temperature and humidity of the atmosphere above the lake, a kind of stable “cushion” of hot water vapor forms between water and air, which stops the circulation of water molecules. As a result, the liquid in the lake does not circulate, and the gas accumulating at the bottom does not dissolve.

Lake Kivu is naturally fed by warm underwater springs that erupt to the surface through a layer of solidified volcanic lava and sedimentary ash.

Periodically, the temperature of these springs changes under the influence of volcanic activity and climatic fluctuations, but this does not affect the overall picture. Under conditions of such stability, the gas accumulating under water is deposited in the form of a compressed layer.

The pressure holding it is also kept at the same level, but any imbalance will lead to an explosion of the accumulated mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.

Lake Eduard (Idi Amin Dada) lies north of Lake Kivu. Named after the son of Queen Victoria of England. The area of ​​the lake is 2.15 thousand km2, the maximum depth is 111 meters, the average depth is 17 meters. The lake is located in Central Africa, on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a few kilometers south of the equator. The smallest of the Great Lakes of Africa. It is named after Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, after whom, in turn, another great lake of Africa, Victoria, is named. The name of the lake was given by Henry Morton Stanley, who visited the lake in 1888. The lake was later renamed Idi Amin Dada in honor of the dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin, but today the lake again bears its former name.

The Niamugasani, Ishasha, Rutsuru and Rvindi rivers flow into Lake Edward. Water from the lake flows in the north through the Semliki River into Lake Albert. Lake Edward is also connected via the Casinga Canal to Lake George to the northeast. The lake is located at an altitude of 920 m, it is 77 km long and 40 km wide, the surface area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe lake is 2325 km² (15th largest on the continent). and papyrus. The color of the water in the lake is light green aquamarine, which is associated with big amount phytoplankton. The lake is famous for the abundance of birds living on its shores (pelicans, cormorants, gulls, herons, ibises and many others). Herds of antelope and buffalo gather to drink, followed by lions, leopards and hyenas. Almost the entire area around the lake has been declared a nature reserve.

Rice.

Further north is Lake Albert (Mobutu-Sese-Seko). Named after the husband of the Queen of England. Discovered in 1864 by the English traveler S.W. Baker. The area of ​​the lake is 5.6 thousand km2, the greatest depth is 58 m. It is a tectonic basin of the northern segment of the Western Rift, which, in turn, is part of the Great African Rift. The lake is the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Albert is famous for the richness and diversity of fish stocks, and its shores are rich in species of land African fauna. The Semliki (Lake Edward drain) and Victoria Nile (Lake Victoria drain) rivers flow into the lake, and the Albert Nile River flows out, one of the sources of the Nile. The average annual flow of water into the lake due to precipitation is 4.6 cubic meters. km, due to the runoff from the pool of 24.9 cubic meters. km, evaporation is 7.5 cubic meters. km, stock 22 cub. km, surface water temperature up to 30 °C. Rich in fish (over 40 species: Nile perch, tiger fish, etc.). Shipping. The main ports are Butiaba in Uganda and Kasenyi in the Congo. Lake Albert is located in the Albertine Rift Valley and is part of a complex system of reservoirs in the upper Nile. The main rivers flowing into the lake are the Victoria Nile of the White Nile system, flowing from Lake Victoria lying to the southeast through Lake Kyoga, and the Semliki River, flowing from Lake Edward, lying to the southwest. The water of the Victoria Nile contains much less salt than the water of Lake Albert. The river flowing from Albert in the northernmost part of the lake is called the Albert Nile, passing further north into the White Nile.

The southern part of the lake, at the confluence of the Semliki River, is swampy. Further to the south, the Rwenzori Range stretches, and the Blue Mountains rise above the northwestern coast. There are several villages on the shore of the lake, including the harbors of Butiaba and Kasenyi.

Lake Albert has a shape close to an elongated rhombus, reproducing the outlines of the tectonic basin of the northern segment of the Western Rift, which is part of the Great African Rift. In system geographical coordinates The lake is oriented from southwest to northeast. Close to this axis, conditionally cutting the surface of the lake into two almost equal parts, passes state border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the west and Uganda in the east. The bottom of the lake, as in most of these depressions, is flat and fairly even. Western edge rift in this region reaches 1900-2400 m above sea level. m., or 1300-1800 m above the lake. East edge 1200-1400 m a.s.l. m., or about 600-800 m above the lake.

Rice.

Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior in North America(68 thousand km2). Discovered in 1858 by the English traveler D. Speke. Named after the English Queen Victoria. It is located in a huge flat trough (a trough is an oval trough of tectonic origin on the Earth's surface), has relatively shallow depths for tectonic lakes (up to 80 m) and low-lying shores. The upper layer of water in the lake has a temperature of +23 ... +260 C. Numerous islands are scattered around the lake, the total area of ​​​​which is 6 thousand km2. Many rivers flow into the lake, including the Kagera - a coil of the Nile; only one river flows out - the Victoria Nile. The shores of the lake are strongly dissected by bays, bays and peninsulas. Crocodiles and hippos, numerous waterfowl are found in the bays and estuaries of the rivers. The lake is rich in fish: there are more than 100 species of fish. One of them - protopterus - is interesting in that it is lungfish and has gills and lungs. During the dry season, this fish burrows into the silt and breathes through its gills. The lake feeds mainly on precipitation, from which it receives almost 80% of its total inflow. In addition, it includes numerous rivers, tributaries and streams. The average water inflow is 114 km3 regardless of the sources. About 16 km3 comes from tributaries, and 98 km3 comes from precipitation. Annual evaporation from the surface reaches 93 km3. It is believed that over all the years of observations, the amount of water evaporating per year remains practically unchanged. The average amplitude of the lake level fluctuation is 0.3 m, and the maximum annual amplitude of the indicated 45-year observation is 1.74 m. The lake level largely depends on the amount of rain. IN last years they have decreased, which is explained, in addition to the general warming of the Earth's climate, also by the destruction of the forests of Africa, and the area around the lake. In 2010, the level of the lake reached its lowest level in 80 years, it is almost one meter lower than in 1990. Measurements of the lake's water level have been carried out since 1896. The height of its level was noted in 1906 and 1917, but it remains relatively stable until 1961 of the year.

Rice.

Rice.

The relic lakes of Africa are Chad, Tumba, Mai-Ndombe, Ngami. The largest of the relict lakes on the mainland is the freshwater (according to some sources, brackish) drainless Lake Chad, located at the southern border of the Sahara desert in a huge flat basin of the same name. The name of the lake from the language local population translates as "great expanse of water". The area of ​​the lake varies from 12 thousand km2 in June-July to 26 thousand km2 in November-December, depending on the amount of precipitation and the full flow of the rivers flowing (the main Shari River). modern lake Chad is the remains of a huge reservoir with an area of ​​300-400 thousand km2, which existed in the Pleistocene (for comparison: the area of ​​the Black Sea is 420 thousand km2). The depths of the lake are negligible (4-11 m). The uniqueness of the lake lies in the fact that the upper layers of the lake are fresh, and the lower ones are salty. This is explained by the fact that salty waters are heavy for fresh ones and sink down. In addition, Chad has an underground runoff along the dry channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal to the Bodele basin, so its waters become saline. In 2006, the lake with an area of ​​23 thousand km², located on the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad, decreased by 26 times and continues to dry up, which became known thanks to the monitoring of the Earth, carried out by the international system "Disaster Monitoring Constellation".

The drying up of Lake Chad was also reported by NASA employees who compared space images 2001 with images taken 38 years ago.

It is known that Chad dries up for the seventh time in the last millennium. Paleontologists have established this from the remains of animals found there.

Satellite images taken by Nigeria's first satellite, Nigeria Sat-1, are part of the exhibition "The Story of a Dying Lake" held in Abuja, Nigeria's capital.

Projects are being developed to transfer part of the flow from the Congo basin (in particular, Ubangi), from 15 to 100 km3 per year.

Rice.

The relict lakes Tumba and Mai-Ndombe (Leopold II) lie in the Congo basin, Lake Ngami in the Kalahari basin. The area of ​​Lake Mai-Ndombe (Leopold II) is 2.3 thousand km2, during rains - up to 8.2 thousand km2. The average depth of the lake ranges from 2.5 to 5 m. The shores are low, swampy. A freshwater lake in the western part of the Congo Basin, in the northwest Democratic Republic Congo. The length is about 130 kilometers. Located on a marshy lowland. Area - 2300 sq. km. In the north, the Lotoi River flows into the lake. Like other lakes in the Congo Basin, Mai Ndombe is the remnant of a giant drainless lake formed about 1 million years ago. The Lukeni and Kassai rivers flow from Lake Mai-Ndombe, which then flow into the Congo.

In the deserts and semi-deserts of South Africa, peculiar dry lakes of relict origin, called peni, are common. They are numerous in the sandy Kalahari desert, where there are about 1000 of them. The bottom of the foams is covered with herbaceous vegetation or bare and is composed of lake sediments 2-3 m thick. The foams are rarely filled with water, only during heavy rains. The largest of the penins - Etosha is located in the northwest of the Kalahari Desert and is a flat clay basin. During the rainy season, the Etosha Basin becomes a large shallow lake, and after the end of the rains it quickly turns into a swamp.

lake africa geographical

Rice.

The largest of volcanic lakes mainland is Lake Tana, dammed with lava flows in the Ethiopian highlands. The area of ​​the lake ranges from 3.1 to 3.6 thousand km2. There are many islands in the lake. Many rivers flow into the lake, one flows out - the Blue Nile. The lake is rich in fish. Height above sea level 1830 meters. The lake is fed by four permanent rivers and numerous seasonal tributaries. The average depth is 8 meters, but during the dry and wet periods it differs by almost two meters. Depending on the season, the surface area of ​​the lake varies from 3,000 to 3,500 square kilometers.

Fish are abundant in Lake Tana. More than 10,000 tons of fish are caught during the year. The variety of birds is also great, they live both in coastal areas and on the islands.

Lake Victoria information and facts

The surface area of ​​the lake is 68,800 square kilometers, which also makes it the world's largest tropical lake. In terms of water volume, the lake ranks ninth, including about 2,750 cubic kilometers of water.

It is the main source of fresh water for most rural population living in its vicinity.
Together with Kyoga and Lake Albert, it forms a reservoir of 3,200 cubic kilometers of fresh water.

The maximum depth is 84 meters, the average depth is 40 meters. The catchment area of ​​the lake is 184,000 square kilometers, and has a coastline of 4,828 kilometers. Islands make up 3.7% of the total coastline.

The lake is part of the territory of 3 countries: Kenya 6% of total area(4,100 square kilometers), Uganda 45% (31,000 square kilometers), and Tanzania 49% (33,700 square kilometers).

Hydrology and geography

Changes in the water balance of Lake Victoria have importance for several countries in the region, including Sudan and Egypt, which receive water from the Upper Nile basin.

tributaries

Source of the Nile

Lake Victoria has one important outflow, the River Nile. The Great African River flows out of a lake in Uganda, near Jinja.
It then flows through Lakes Kyoga and Alberta. Lake Victoria is the main source of water for the longest branch of the Nile.
The course of the Nile is relatively constant due to the natural regulating influence of the three equatorial lakes.

Bays and islands

Kavirondo Bay has an average width of 25 kilometers and extends 64 kilometers east of Kisumu in Kenya. The cities of Kampala and Entebbe are located on the northern coast of the lake.

Spik Bay is located in the southeastern part, while Emin Pasha Bay is located in the southwestern part.
The lake has many islands, among which Ukereve is the largest. The island is located north of Speke Bay, densely populated, has wooded hills that rise 200 meters above the lake.
The Sese archipelago includes 62 islands, located in the northwestern part of the lake. Some of these islands are of incredible beauty.

Eutrophication

Lake Victoria exhibits the effect of eutrophication (enrichment of the lake with chemical nutrients). For example, in 1990-1991, the level of oxygen in the mixed layer was higher than in the period from 1960 to 1961, and there was an almost continuous supersaturation of oxygen in the upper layer.

The eutrophication of Lake Victoria is also thought to be the main culprit in the extinction of the Haplochromis cichlid.
The nutrients of Lake Victoria are found at the bottom of the lake, in sediments.

Haplochromis plays a very important role in moving nutrients, both vertically and horizontally in and out of water, through animal predation.

The disappearance of Haplochromis is believed to have contributed to an increase in the frequency of algal blooms, which in turn caused massive fish mortality.

Geology

Lake Victoria fills a small African lowland.
It is believed that at some point it was a series of small lakes, and at least 3 times the lake dried up completely. The times when the lake dried up are believed to be related to ice ages when rainfall decreased worldwide.

The last time the lake dried up was about 17,300 years ago, and began to recover about 14,700 years ago.
In geological terms, Lake Victoria is still quite young, its age is about 400 thousand years. It was formed when a plate of the earth's crust blocked the current rivers to the west.

However, there are researchers who dispute that the lake dried up sometime between 18,000 and 14,000 years ago, as there is no evidence of surviving ponds or swamps.

Lake Victoria is vulnerable to climate change due to its large surface area and limited supply from tributaries.

Environmental issues

There are a number of environmental issues associated with Lake Victoria, including the extinction of fish.

In the 1950s, the Nile perch was introduced into the lake in order to increase the fish catch, although scientists were against it.
They believed that the Nile perch would not have a natural predator in the lake and that would destroy the lake's ecosystem.
However, the fish was secretly introduced in 1952. Later, in 1962 and 1963, it was deliberately introduced.
In 1964, the fish was already seen in Tanzania, in 1970 in Kenya, and in the early 1980s it was distributed throughout the lake.

In the 50 years since the introduction of the Nile perch, almost all of the natural and biological uniqueness and richness of Lake Victoria has disappeared.

The presence of the indiscriminate Nile perch has dramatically changed the balance of the Lake Victoria ecosystem. The decrease in the number of algae-eating fish has led to algae overgrowth at an alarming rate.
This in turn increases the amount of sediment that settles in the deeper parts of the lake and reduces the amount of oxygen through decomposition. Thus, aerobic life (fish) cannot exist in the deeper parts of the lake.

Hundreds of endemic species have become extinct and some are threatened.

The area around the lake is one of the most densely populated rural districts in the world.
Some of the most major cities around the lake include: Kisumu (population: 410,000), Kishii (population: 200,000), Homa Bay (population: 56,000), Kampala (population: 1.66 million), Entebbe (population: 80,000), Jinja (pop: 73,000), Mwanza (pop: 707,000), Musoma (pop: 134,000), Bukoba (pop: 86,000).

Many factories and plants in these cities dump their waste directly into the waters of Lake Victoria and the rivers that flow into it.

Early explorers

British explorer John Henning Speke is the first European to see the lake, with his south coast, in 1858.

Transport on the lake

Ferries began operating in the 1900s and were a very important means of transportation between the 3 African countries located on the shores of Lake Victoria. Some of the most important ports are Mwanza, Kisumu, Entebbe, Bukobe, Jinja and Port Bell.

One of the scariest maritime disasters in Africa occurred on Lake Victoria on May 21, 1996, when the ferry MV Bukoba sank, with a loss of life estimated at between 800 and 1,000 people.

Dams

The first dam was built at the source of the Nile in 1954, the second dam was built in 1999 and began producing hydroelectric power in 2000. Dams are an important factor in regulating water levels.