Iraq’s Lake Razazah: Drought, Algae, and Crop Circles

Nonetheless, the lake has not always resembled this. The colors only arised throughout droughts in the last decade, when the water levels went down to in between 16 and 32 feet (5 and 10 meters). Before then, the lake was much deeper and had an extra typical blue tone.

Lake’s Colorful Transformation

To the southwest of the lake, numerous eerily round dark spots litter the bordering landscape. These are round fields that are watered utilizing center-pivot irrigation systems, where a single large arm sprays water as it turns around the field like the arms of a clock, according to the Earth Observatory.

Impact of Irrigation

The creation of these areas has likewise likely added to the vibrant lake’s decrease, as water from the lake and the nearby Euphrates River, which feeds into Lake Habbaniyah, was utilized to irrigate the round paddocks. The plant circles would certainly have originally hugged the Razazah’s shoreline, but a substantial gap has actually currently opened up as the lake reduced.

In the picture, the lake is split right into two shades: Pinky red and marshy environment-friendly. The various colors are the result of high focus of algae in the water, according to NASA’s Planet Observatory. Each half of the lake is virtually completely cut off from the other and has different chemistry and salinity degrees, indicating they play host to different varieties of algae, thus the contrasting colors.

Algae and Salinity

This appealing astronaut picture reveals the striking duality of a man-made lake in Iraq, which has actually slowly transformed right into a salty, various colored pool after years of drought. It is also the site of numerous eerie human-made “crop circles.”

He covers a vast array of subjects including room exploration, planetary science, room climate, climate change, pet habits and paleontology. He additionally writes Live Scientific research’s regular Planet from area series.

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Lake Razazah Creation

Lake Razazah, likewise called Baḩr al-Milḩ or Lake Milh, is a synthetic lake located to the west of the city of Karbala (visible in the photo). The body of water was created in the 1970s by diverting the overflow of the nearby Lake Habbaniyah via a canal and into an all-natural anxiety. In the decades considering that, the lake has become progressively salty as minerals from the lake’s bed liquified right into the water. (Baḩr al-Milḩ indicates “Sea of Salt” in Arabic.).

Razazah is not the only synthetic lake in Iraq. Around 250 miles (400 km) to the northeast exists Lake Dukan– a “Christmas tree-shaped” body of water that was produced by clogging a nearby river, which likewise plays host to striking algal blossoms.

Lake Razazah, likewise known as Baḩr al-Milḩ or Lake Milh, is an artificial lake situated to the west of the city of Karbala (visible in the image). The body of water was developed in the 1970s by drawing away the overflow of the neighboring Lake Habbaniyah through a canal and into a natural depression. In the years because, the lake has actually ended up being increasingly salty as minerals from the lake’s bed liquified right into the water. Each half of the lake is practically completely reduce off from the other and has different chemistry and salinity levels, meaning they play host to various varieties of algae, therefore the contrasting shades.

In the initial years after Razazah was created, fish were introduced to the lake and a flourishing marsh environment arised along the coastline, which was home to a wide variety of greenery and birds. However, as the lake has run out, the fish disappeared and the wetlands gradually perished, according to BirdLife International.