I’ve got the scoop on the ten deepest lakes on earth, but first I’m going to tease you a bit with some interesting facts you can guess at as you read along. (The answers will be at the bottom of the page and will be spelled backward.)
Fact 1.
Which lake is supplied by a waterfall? (Lake Matano in Indonesia, Lake Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, Lake Baikai?
Fact 2. Which two of these lakes are salty? Caspian between Russia and Iran, Lake Baikai in Southern Siberia, Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgystan, Lake Vostok in central Antarctica
Fact 3. Which lake is the largest enclosed body of water on earth? Crater Lake in Oregon, O’Higgins/San Martin Lake in Patagonia, Caspian Sea.
The count down:
The tenth deepest lake is Lake Matano in South Sulawest, Indonesia. Its depth is 1,936 feet; the ninth is Crater Lake situated in the Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Its depth is 1949 feet; Canada claims the eight deepest, The Great Stone Lake in the Northwest Territory at 2,015.
The seventh deepest is Issyk Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan in the northern secton of the Tian Shan Mountains at 2,192 feet; sixth is Lake Malawi, sometimes known as Lake Nyasa. It is shared by Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania and it is 2,316 feet deep; fifth place goes to the dual named O’Higgin/San Martin Lake in Patagonia at 2,732 feet; fourth is Lake Vostok at 2,950 feet and it in central Antarctica. The dual named lake honors Bernado O’Higgins of Chile and Jose de San Martin of Argentina. Both are liberation heros.
The runners up are: Third place is the Caspian [sea] at 3,363 feet between Russia and Iran; second place is Lake Tanganyika shared by Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo; Tanzania and Zambia. And the deepest ocean on earth is Lake Baikai in Southern Siberia near the Russian-Mongolian border. In volume Lake Baikai hold more water than the Great Lakes combined.
Legends: While researching these watery facts online I was impressed with legends that have grown up around these deepest of lakes. Often these are tales of Loch-Ness-type monsters and sightings. Lake Baikai, the deepest lake makes this claim.
Unusual fauna and flora: In the deep recesses of the pristine waters of most of these lakes there are unusual fishes and other animal and plant life. Lake Matano in Indonesia boasts some unusual fish and claims to have 1,700 species of plants and animals; two-thirds are only found in their lake. In the Caspian grow Sturgeon; their fish eggs the source of Caviar.
Etc: Most of the lakes no doubt provide some type of energy but specifically the Caspian Lake is the richest where oil and gas deposits are concerned. This lake has been “tapped for oil since the tenth century”. Out of these ten deepest lakes emerge a few that have only been recently discovered: Lake Tanganyika was discovered in 1858 by two British explorers who were seeking the source of the Nile.
Lake Vostok is of more recent vintage, discovery wise. And the reason is quite obvious since this fourth lake is in Antarctica and lies under glaciers. In fact this lake has an honor its own: it is the largest sub-glacial lake. Along with that it is the most unspoiled on earth and that is easily understood.
The answers to the fact quiz, spelled backward: 1. onatam, 2. naipsac and kyssi, 3. naipsac.
Source:
http://www.environmentalgraffiles.com/ecology/10-deepest-lakes-on-earth
