Lake Natron

Lake Natron Latest News

Lake Natron in Tanzania glows blood-red, forged by volcanoes and extreme chemistry.

About Lake Natron

• It is located in the Arusha region of Northern Tanzania. 
• It is a soda and salty water lake very close to the Kenyan border in the Gregory Rift, which is the eastern part of the East African Rift.
• It was designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2001.
• The extinct Gelai Volcano, standing at 2942 m tall, is visible southeast of the lake.
• Primarily, the lake is fed by the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which originates from the central region of Kenya.
• Natron itself has a maximum width of 22 kilometres and a length of 57 kilometres. 
• One of the most striking features of this lake is its striking red coloration. The primary reason for its hue lies in its extreme alkalinity.
• As water cannot flow out of the lake, evaporation levels are very high, and this leaves behind natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate).
• The high concentration of natron gives the lake extreme alkaline levels, and it is one of the deadliest lakes on the planet. 
• The saline waters make the lake inhospitable for many plants and animals, yet the surrounding saltwater marshes are a surprising habitat for flamingos. 
• In fact, the lake is home to the highest concentrations of lesser and greater flamingos in East Africa, where they feed on spirulina – a green algae with red pigments.

Source: BT

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