Gaet'ale Pond

Gaet'ale Pond is a small hypersaline lake located near the Dallol crater in the Danakil Depression (Afar Region, Ethiopia). It is located over a hot spring of tectonic origin and has no apparent inlet or outlet streams. The water of Gaet'ale Pond has a salinity of 43%, making it the saltiest water body on Earth.[1]

Gaet'ale Pond
General view
Location of the hypersaline lake in Ethiopia.
Location of the hypersaline lake in Ethiopia.
Gaet'ale Pond
LocationAfar Region, Ethiopia
Coordinates14°12′48″N 40°19′17″E
TypeHypersaline lake
Primary outflowsNone
Max. length60 m (200 ft)
Max. width40 m (130 ft)
Salinity433 g/kg
Hot spring in the pond

Location and origin

Gaet'ale Pond is the largest of a series of small ponds located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southeast of Dallol springs. It is crescent-shaped with a diameter of about 60 metres (200 ft).

According to residents of the nearby village of Ahmed'ela, an earthquake in January 2005 reactivated a thermal spring and the pond was created.[2] For this reason, its temperature of 50–55 °C (122–131 °F) is hotter than the environment.[3]

Composition of the water

The salts in the water of Gaet'ale Pond are mainly composed by calcium chloride at 2.72 mol/kg and magnesium chloride at 1.43 mol/kg. It also contains small amounts of Na+, K+ and NO2− ions. The total amount of dissolved solids content is 433 g/kg, or 43.3%. It also contains traces of iron(III) that form a complex with chloride, giving the water a characteristic yellow color.[1]

Bubbles of odourless gas are emitted from the lake surface. It is likely volcanically-produced carbon dioxide. Bird and insect corpses have been found around the pond, and it has been proposed that the gas may be harmful for small animals or humans.[3]

References
  1. Perez, Eduardo; Chebude, Yonas (April 2017). "Chemical Analysis of Gaet'ale, a Hypersaline Pond in Danakil Depression (Ethiopia): New Record for the Most Saline Body of Water on Earth". Aquatic Geochemistry. 23 (2): 109–117. doi:10.1007/s10498-017-9312-z.
  2. Master, Sharad (2016). "Gaet'ale - a reactivated thermal spring and potential tourist hazard in the Asale salt flats, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia". Journal of Applied Volcanology. 5: 1–9. doi:10.1186/s13617-015-0042-x. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. Fox-Skelly, Jasmin (4 August 2017). "In Earth's hottest place, life has been found in pure acid". BBC Future. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
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