Lake Eyre in Australia

In 1832, the Englishman, Air Edward John, moved to Australia and took up sheep breeding. In order to find new pastures, he regularly made expeditions. And in 1840 during one of them he discovered a unique salt lake. Air is the name that it received later in honor of the discoverer. It is located fifteen meters below sea level. This is the lowest point of the continent.

Description of the lake

It is located in the desert, in the state of South Australia, in the heart of a vast, inundated basin. This is a closed river system, which has no outlet to the ocean. The basin occupies the sixth part of the whole continent and is one of the largest in the world.

At the bottom of the lake there is a dense layer of salt. During the rainy season, the rivers flow towards the lake. The water brought here by the monsoon determines whether the lake will be filled and how deep it will be. Filler Lake Eyre liquid dissolves salt.

During a drought, the lake resembles a salt desert. Due to the fact that such periods are quite frequent here, there are almost no plants and animals nearby.

During the rainy season, Lake Eyre and the surrounding area are completely transformed. On an area of about 15 thousand square meters there is a flowering oasis. During this period the lake becomes the largest on the continent. However, this does not last long. When there are showers in the vicinity, flooding occurs on the territory.

A unique lake in Australia

The most interesting places are in the period of drought. At this time hundreds of scientists, tourists, photographers and naturalists come here. Surrounding landscapes enthrall. They resemble an amazing, but lifeless planet. Lake Eyre is definitely worth a visit. This walk will be one of the most exciting and unforgettable in your life.

In 1984, the amount of salt in the lake was measured. Scientists have found that it took approximately 12,000 years to accumulate such an amount of salt, provided that Lake Eyre and the entire area are covered with water once in eight years. According to historians, this territory of the mainland in the Tertiary period was covered with tropical forests, and the climate was very wet. Presumably at this time and formed this unique lake. During this period there could be regular, up to once a year, flooding of the territory. In this case, the period for the accumulation of salt can be reduced to one and a half thousand years.

Inhabitants of the depths

When the lake is filled with water and the concentration of salt is the smallest, some species of fish live in it. But then they die. Today, experts are studying microorganisms that live in the lake. There is a theory according to which the living conditions here are about the same as on Mars.

Near the lake, almost no one lives. Here there is only a small settlement with eight inhabitants. Also not far is Australia's largest livestock farm.

A very unusual yacht club is arranged on the lake. During a drought, it becomes a haven of extremists from around the world. It's just the perfect place for speed lovers.