Gaet'ale Pond
- 1 min read
- 2 chapters
Related on Lably
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. For this reason, its temperature of 50–55 °C (122–131 °F) is hotter than the environment.
Sign in to keep reading
One more chapter is free with a Lably account.
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 NO−
2 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.
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.