Lake Turkana

Lake Turkana Latest News

A drying climate in East Africa reduced the amount of water in Kenya’s Lake Turkana over thousands of years, which unleashed earthquakes and volcanoes from underneath it.

About Lake Turkana

• Lake Turkana, formerly Lake Rudolf, is a vast, shallow lake located in the arid part of northern Kenya, with its northern end extending into Ethiopia. 
• It lies along the Eastern Rift Valley, separated from Lake Logipi on the south by a group of young volcanoes known as the Barriers. 
• The three main rivers flowing into the lake are Omo, Kerio, and Turkwel, with the Omo River contributing about 90% of the inflow annually.
• It is Africa’s 4th largest lake by surface area and the world’s largest permanent desert lake. 
• It has a surface area of 6,405 sq.km. 
• It is 248 km long, only 16–32 km wide, and relatively shallow, its greatest recorded depth being 240 feet (73 meters). 
• It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is renowned for its unique biodiversity and cultural significance.
• It is lying in a hot, arid, and remote region and provides resources for communities on the lakeshore and surrounding areas.
• It is the most saline lake in East Africa, full of brackish water with high levels of fluoride that make it largely unsuitable for drinking.
• Sudden storms are frequent, rendering navigation on the lake treacherous.

Source: NS

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