Photo from open sources
In winter and autumn during the rainy season, few of the local the population recalls the “disappearing” lake located in Michigan.
This shallow lake, surrounded by pine forest, is located in the vicinity of the highway, so in the summer, drivers, passing by him can observe a picture of his strange disappearances. In the driest season on the lake a green meadow appears, which has a diameter of 0.34 square meters. km What is What is the reason for this mysterious phenomenon? It turns out everything is enough simply. At the bottom of the lake are two hollow pipes formed by lava. These pipes play the role of naturally draining water, as in our bathtubs. When during the rainy season the amount of precipitation exceeds the ability of lava pipes to drain water – the lake is filling. IN in the winter, precipitation in the form of snow helps its existence, and in the dry season of the year the lake water again goes into its bowels.
During the rainy season, the maximum depth of the lake is about 2.7 meters, and during the period of drought from the lake there is not a trace left. Thanks to lava pipes, this action regularly takes place from year to year, but despite all the oddities, is far from uncommon in Oregon, which has many mountains and volcanoes, extending from southern British Columbia to northern California
After lava flows erupt from the vent of the volcano, they start to go down and gradually cool. Thanks direct contact with cool air on the surface of the lava a hard crust forms under which flows continue to move hot substance that forms a kind of tunnel. Then lava flows down to the side, but the hollow tubes remain. Some lava pipes over time, became part of a unique ecosystem for animals, others due to its unusual shape, crowds of tourists from all over of the world.
As for the “endangered” lake, experts believe that it formed about 3000 years ago during the next eruption volcano when lava flows blocked the channel of the river that previously flowed in this area. Despite the fact that besides regular plentiful rainfall the lake is saturated with several underground streams in dry time years, natural drain holes do their job well work. Specialists decided to find out where this goes amount of water. It turns out that getting into the lava pipes, the water of the lake seeps through the layers of volcanic rock and goes into the bowels Of the earth.
This lake is located on a volcanic rock, which was formed more than 12000 years ago. However, despite age, volcanic rock contains “young” rocks, which during the formation were saturated with gas bubbles and how the corollary has a fairly porous structure through which water leaks out. A complete cycle of filtering water through all of these cracks and pores is about 10 years.
Learn about the wonders of the smallest lake on the planet.
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