Lake Natron
_–_2017-03-06_(very_early_in_rainy_season)_–_satellite_image_(cropped).jpg)
| Native label | Lake Natron  |
|---|---|
| Inflows | Ewaso Ng'iro, Southern Ewaso Ng'iro |
| Basin country | Tanzania, Kenya |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Coordinate location | 2°25′0″S 36°0′0″E |
| Heritage designation | Ramsar site |
Lake Natron be a highly alkaline salt lake wey dey locate insyd north Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region insyd Tanzania plus ein far northern end wey dey cross into Kajiado County den Narok County insyd Kenya. E dey insyd de Gregory Rift, wich be de eastern branch of de East African Rift.[1] De lake be within de Lake Natron Basin, a Ramsar Site wetland of international significance.[2]
Description
[edit | edit source]Dis lake be fed principally by de Southern Ewaso Ng'iro River, wich dey rise insyd central Kenya, den by mineral-rich hot springs.[1] E be quite shallow, less dan 3 metres (9.8 ft)* deep, den dey vary insyd width wey dey depend on ein water level. De lake be a maximum of 57 kilometres (35 mi) long den 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide.[1] De surrounding area dey receive irregular seasonal rainfall, mainly between December den May wey dey total 800 millimetres (31 in) per year.[1] Temperatures at de lake frequently be above 40 °C (104 °F).[1]
High levels of evaporation lef behind natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) den trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate). De alkalinity of de lake fi reach a pH of greater dan 12. According to Live Science, de lake ein high alkalinity be caused by sodium carbonate den oda minerals wey dey flow into de water from de surrounding environment. De surrounding bedrock be composed of alkaline, sodium-dominated trachyte lavas wey be laid down during de Pleistocene period. De lavas get significant amounts of carbonate buh low calcium den magnesium levels, wich allow de lake to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine. Dese extreme chemical conditions create a harsh environment wer specialized organisms per fi survive.[3]
De chemical properties of de water be known to calcify de bodies of any living thing wey die insyd de lake.[4]
Flora
[edit | edit source]De colour of de lake be characteristic of those wer very high evaporation rates dey occur. As water dey evaporate during de dry season, salinity levels dey increase to de point dat salt-loving microorganisms dey begin to thrive. Such halophile organisms dey include some cyanobacteria wey make dema own chow plus photosynthesis as plants do. De red accessory photosynthesizing pigment insyd de cyanobacteria dey produce de deep reds of de open water of de lake den de orange colours of de shallow parts of de lake. De alkali salt crust on de surface of de lake sanso often be coloured red anaa pink by de halophilic microorganisms wey dey live der. Salt marshes den freshwater wetlands around de edges of de lake do support a variety of plants.
Fauna
[edit | edit source]Chaw animals find de lake ein high temperature (up to 60 °C [140 °F]) den ein high den variable salt content inhospitable.[5] Nonetheless, Lake Natron be home to sam endemic algae, invertebrates, den birds. Insyd de slightly less salty water around ein margins, sam fish sanso fi survive.
De lake be de only regular breeding area insyd East Africa for de 2.5 million lesser flamingoes, wey dema status of "near threatened" results from dema dependence on dis one location. Wen salinity increase, so do cyanobacteria, wey de lake sanso fi support more nests. Dese flamingoes, de single large flock insyd East Africa, gather along nearby saline lakes to feed on Spirulina (a blue-green algae plus red pigments). Lake Natron be a safe breeding location secof ein caustic environment be a barrier against predators wey dey try reach dema nests on seasonally forming evaporite islands. Greater flamingoes sanso dey breed for de mud flats top.
De lake inspire de nature documentary The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos by Disneynature, for ein close relationship plus de Lesser flamingoes as dema only regular breeding area.
Two endemic fish species, de alkaline tilapias Alcolapia latilabris den A. ndalalani, sanso dey thrive insyd de waters at de edges of de hot spring inlets. A. alcalica sanso be present insyd de lake, buh no be endemic.
Threats den preservation
[edit | edit source]De area around de salt lake no be inhabited buh der be sam herding den sam seasonal cultivation. Threats to de salinity balance from increased siltation influxes go cam from more projected logging insyd Natron watersheds den a planned hydroelectric power plant on de Ewaso Ng'iro across de border insyd Kenya. Although development plans dey include constructions of a dike at de north end of de lake to contain de freshwater, de threat of dilution to dis breeding ground still fi be serious. Der be no formal protection.
A new threat to Lake Natron be de proposed development of a soda ash plant on ein shores. De plant go pump water from de lake den extract de sodium carbonate to convert to washing powder for export. Accompanying de plant go be housing for over 1000 workers, den a coal-fired power station to provide energy for de plant complex. In addition, der be a possibility de developers fi introduce a hybrid brine shrimp to increase de efficiency of extraction.
According to Chris Magin, de RSPB ein international officer for Africa, "The chance of the lesser flamingoes continuing to breed in the face of such mayhem are next to zero. This development will leave lesser flamingoes in East Africa facing extinction". Dem born seventy-five percent of de world ein lesser flamingoes on Lake Natron.[6] Currently a group of more dan fifty East African conservation den environmental institutions dey run a worldwide campaign to stop de planned construction of de soda ash factory by Tata Chemicals Ltd of Mumbai, India, den National Development Corporation of Tanzania. De group working under de umbrella name Lake Natron Consultative Group be co-ordinated by Ken Mwathe, Conservation Programme Manager at BirdLife International ein Africa Secretariat.
As per communication insyd June 2008, Tata Chemicals no go proceed plus de Natron Project den further re-examination of dis project go be subject to de Ramsar Wetlands plan, wich be currently under preparation.[7]
Secof ein unique biodiversity, Tanzania name de Lake Natron Basin to de Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 4 July 2001. De lake sanso be de World Wildlife Fund East African halophytics ecoregion.
Visiting de area
[edit | edit source]Der be a number of campgrounds near de lake, wich sanso be de base for climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai. Lake Natron get tourist attraction potentials wey be important for ecotourism development. However, lack of a general management plan, inadequate funding at de operational level, lack of mechanisms to secure a fair distribution of ecotourism benefits, den poorly developed tourism infrastructural facilities to support diverse segments of tourists be identified as de main challenges dem associate plus de management of ecotourism insyd de area. De lake sanso fi be accessed from Shompole Conservancy Kenya.[8]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]
De southern half of Lake Natron (top). Fault scarps den de Gelai Volcano sanso fi be seen. Numerous near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper de shallowest parts of de lake (inset).
De lake plus flamingos
Ol Doinyo Lengai seen from Lake Natron
Lake Natron as seen on NASA ein World Wind program
References
[edit | edit source]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Eastern Africa: Northern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya". World Wildlife Fund.
- ↑ "Lake Natron Basin | Ramsar Sites Information Service". rsis.ramsar.org (in English). Archived from the original on 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Lallanilla, Marc (2013-10-02). "Lake That Turns Animals to Stone? Not Quite". Live Science (in English). Retrieved 2026-05-07.
- ↑ Joseph Stromberg (2 October 2013). "This Alkaline African Lake Turns Animals into Stone". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ↑ Swancer, Brent (20 April 2015). "The Bizarre Medusa Lake of Africa". Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ↑ Billock, Jennifer (14 June 2016). "The Deadly Lake Where 75 Percent of the World's Lesser Flamingoes Are Born". Smithsonian. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Position Statement on the Lake Natron Project" (PDF). Tata Chemicals. 13 June 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
- ↑ Shoo, Rehema Abeli (2020), "Ecotourism Potential and Challenges at Lake Natron Ramsar Site, Tanzania", Protected Areas in Northern Tanzania, Geotechnologies and the Environment, vol. 22, Springer International Publishing, pp. 75–90, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-43302-4_6, ISBN 978-3-030-43301-7
External links
[edit | edit source]
- Think Pink – Save Africa's Flamingos
- NBC article about Nick Brandt's photos of petrified animals at Natron lake
- "Lake Natron, Tanzania". Earth Observatory Newsroom. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
