The abyss has always passionate about their mysteries, their extraordinary creatures that populate them and their incredible ecosystems. Researchers have even recently discovered that black oxygen is produced in the depths of the Pacific Ocean without light.
However, the oceans are not the only ones to reach abyssal depths. Freshwater expanses can also be very deep. This is the case of so -called bottom lakes.
The deepest lake on the planet is in Siberia
With an extraordinary depth of 1,642 meters, Lake Baikal contains approximately 20 % of the unsafe fresh water from the earth. It is therefore the largest freshwater lake in the world in terms of volume. This abyssal depth explains why it can be wrongly qualified as a bottom lake.
Lake Baikal formed about 25 million years ago. It owes its depth to the tectonic activity of the region. It is at the heart of the deepest continental flaw on the planet. In addition, Lake Baikal is supplied with fresh water by 300 rivers, but it is only drained by one.
Lake Tanganyika is 1,436 meters deep in Africa
Then comes the second deepest lake in the world located on the border of Burundi, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. Called Tanganyika, this lake has a depth of 1,436 meters. Its particularity is that it extends over 660 kilometers, making it the longest freshwater lake.
In addition to the abysmal lakes, certain expanses of fresh water also give this impression of being bottomless. These expanses of water which can be dolines or cenotes are always remarkable to observe. They form when the top of a cave collapses. This then exposes a large cavity filled with water.
The Vaqueros threw strings into the lakes to measure their depth
Dolines and cenotes therefore do not reach extraordinary depths, but they give this impression of infinity. In the United States, for example, Bottomless Lakes National Park (which literally means bottom-free lakes in English) is home to 9 dolines. They are between 5.5 and 27 meters deep.
According to local legend, the name of the park comes from a group of vaqueros which are sort of Mexican cowboys. To measure the depth of the lakes, the vaqueros attached strings together that they then threw into the lakes. If the strings did not reach the bottom of the lake, the Vaqueros called it as a background lake.
The lakes and expanses of water with abyssal depths contain ancient ecosystems characterized by their rich diversity of animal and plant life. Studying these ecosystems therefore allows us to unravel the mysteries of the history of the earth.
Source: Iflscience
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
