Assal Lake


Lake Assal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Assal_(Djibouti)) (French: Lac Assal) is a crater lake in central Djibouti. It lies 155 m (509 ft) below sea level in the Afar Depression and its shores comprise the lowest point on land in Africa and the third lowest land depression on Earth after the Dead Sea and Sea of Galilee.

Lake Assal is considered the most saline body of water on earth outside Antarctica, with 34.8 percent salt concentration (up to 40% at 20 m (66 ft) depth), similar to Garabogazköl and higher than the 33.7 percent level in the Dead Sea (often incorrectly considered the world's most saline lake), and an average of 3.5 percent in the world's oceans.

One thing that makes Assal unique is that, unlike the other major hypersaline lakes of the world, its major source of water is not from incoming streams. The sources of the lake are hot springs whose salinity is close to sea water, which are fed by the Gulf of Tadjoura (French: Golfe de Tadjoura), the western extension of the Gulf of Aden, specifically the nearly closed-off bay Ghoubet Kharab, about 10 km southeast of the lake.

The area is wild and desert-like, and no fauna or flora can be seen in the syrupy waters of the lake. The high temperature of the water (33-34 °C) favors evaporation, and it is surrounded by a salt pan (extending west and mainly northwest).



http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/assal.jpg

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http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/Lac_Assal_02.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/Djibouti-LacAssal.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/45602_436915726192_648001192_5490318_7792325_n.jpg

Lake Abbe

Lake Abbe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_abbe)(or Abhe Bad in Afar) is a salt lake, lying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. It is one of a chain of six connected lakes, which also includes (from north to south) lakes Gargori, Laitali, Gummare, Bario and Afambo.

Lake Abbe is the ultimate destination of the waters of the Awash River. Lake Abbe lies at the Afar Triple Junction, the central meeting place for the three pieces of the Earth’s crust, a defining feature of the Afar Depression; here three pieces of Earth’s crust are each pulling away from that central point, though not all at the same speed.

On the northwest shore rises Mount Dama Ali (1069 meters), a dormant volcano, while along the southwestern and southern shores extend vast salt flats, 10 kilometers in width. Besides the Awash, seasonal affluents of Lake Abbe include two wadis, the Oleldere and Abuna Merekes, which enter the lake from the west and south, crossing the salt flats. Although the present area of the lake's open water is 34,000 hectares (130 sq mi), recent droughts and extraction of water from the Awash for irrigation has caused the water level of the lake to fall five meters.

Lake Abbe is known for its limestone chimneys, which reach heights of 50 meters and from which steam vents. The shore of Lake Abbe is occupied by the nomadic Afar people, while the lake is also known for its flamingos.

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/djibouti-lac-abbe2.jpg

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http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/961621.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/preview.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/Lac_Abbe-02.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/tour-lac-abbe-L-2.jpg

lovely thread! :cheers:

Some of the pictures looks like some alien planet. Very beautiful.

Beautiful lakes, its just sad they are salt lakes. :lol:

The Afar have been blessed with the most beautiful land in the world, its just unfortunate that its totally dead and useless. Shockingly beautiful though. I'm still trying to figure out what made them settle that land and how they survived, to me it seems unfit for human survival.

Intriguing place, kind of looks like a landscape on Mars. Too bad it's like 50°C in the shade there so tourists better bring suntan if interested in visiting.

Some of the pictures looks like some alien planet. Very beautiful.

So alien that the first movie, Planet of the Apes was filmed there (Abbe Lake).

Intriguing place, kind of looks like a landscape on Mars. Too bad it's like 50°C in the shade there so tourists better bring suntan if interested in visiting.

Out of this world, this is how Abbe Lake looks like. Tourists should keep away from Assal Lake in summer, it easily reaches 50°C... According to the BBC, it's the world's hottest place (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/12/101201_extreme_world_hot_djibouti_sl.shtml) (heat+ sun+ salt= catastrophy). :lol:

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/4481386793_0c16bae04a_b.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/4481386191_40f89c879f_b.jpg


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http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/47426146bb06a902013597frogview-gallery.jpg

Assal

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/251263_179947008725215_138907566162493_373808_5623615_n.jpg

Surreal/Stunning :cheers:

Beautiful pictures.

Assal

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/251263_179947008725215_138907566162493_373808_5623615_n.jpg

This looks identical to Saylac...:cheers:

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/282027_10150314001505479_162001690478_9766791_3543817_n.jpg

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Nice pics. I'm surprised that the salt doesn't accumulate at the shores of Lake Assal though...

Forget the heat going to Asal in the summer you better be ready for getting your face burned by all that Acid and Sulphur in the Air. I will never forget the day i put my feet in that Lake and how long it took me to recover.

^^ Wow, that must have been acidic. :runaway:

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/48010854.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/48123703.jpg

Sawiro fiican. :okay:

The salt from the lakes should be exploited, or are they?

^^ It's being exploited I think...Should have started the exports last year but it was delayed for I dont know reasons...Not much info neither, u know Djibouti...

Here's the website of the company exploiting it...www.djiboutisalt.com

Assal

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/12-lake-assal-dijibouti_1600.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/13-africa-lowest-point-lake-assal_1600.jpg

Abbe

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/11-traventine-chimneys_1600-1.jpg

Assal

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/6268189265_51fb9a2c89_b.jpg

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/6268189823_ca8dde402a_b.jpg

Abbe

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/6268187959_686a03136b_b.jpg

Sunset at Lac Abbe

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/321222_210353045684611_138907566162493_464346_2754278_n.jpg

Lac Abbe

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/LacAbbe.jpg

Splendid pics. :applause:

Yes some of the salt water lakes are exploited already and exported to various places. However there is still a lot of potential as there is little industrial scale exploiation. Djibouti should fully exploit the value chain though, in a model similar to the dead sea in Israel. Add value by not only using the salt but also tourism, premium health products etc.

Abbe Lake

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Abbe%20Lake/Abbe-1.jpg

Djibouti should fully exploit the value chain though, in a model similar to the dead sea in Israel. Add value by not only using the salt but also tourism, premium health products etc.

Definitely!

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z385/Moulhoule/Assal%20Lake/65938450.jpg