Lonar Lake

Lonar Lake Latest News

At a time when water levels in reservoirs and lakes are receding and groundwater is depleting across Maharashtra, the Lonar crater-lake is throwing up a mystery — its water level is rising.

About Lonar Lake

• Lonar Lake (also known as Lonar Crater) is situated in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra.
• It is less than 1.6 km in diameter, and sits in a nearly circular bowl.
• It sits inside the Deccan Plateau—a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock leftover from eruptions some 65 million years ago.
• Its location in this basalt field suggested to some geologists that it was a volcanic crater. 
• Today, however, Lonar Crater is understood to result from a meteorite impact that occurred around 50,000 years ago.
• It is the only known impact crater lake in basaltic rock in the world.  
• It is the only known saline crater lake in the world. Its water is seven times saltier than seawater due to the presence of basalt rock.
• The basin is surrounded by steep slopes and centuries-old temples.  
• It has several springs around the lake that supply water to the lake. 
• It has several vents around the lake that release gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, etc. 
• One of the most striking aspects is its color, which changes from green to pink depending on the season and the water conditions. 
  • This is caused by the presence of microorganisms that thrive in the saline and alkaline environment of the lake.
• It finds its inclusion in the Puranas and other ancient scriptures, including the Aaina-i-Akbari.

News: DH

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