Natronsee. East African Rift. A map of East Africa showing some of the historically active volcanoes (as red triangles) and the Afar Triangle (shaded at the center), which is a so-called triple junction (or triple point) where three plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian Plate and two parts of the African Plate—the Nubian and Somali—splitting along the East African Rift Zone. The East African Rift (EAR) is an active continental rift zone in East Africa. The EAR began developing around the onset of the Miocene, 22-25 million years ago.[1] In the past, it was considered to be part of a larger Great Rift Valley that extended north to Asia Minor. Extent[edit] A series of distinct rift basins, the East African Rift System extends over thousands of kilometers.[3] The EAR consists of two main branches. Competing theories on geologic evolution[edit] Over time, many theories have tried to clarify the evolution of the East African Rift.
Geologic evolution[edit] Petrology[edit] Volcanism and seismicity[edit] Rift Valley lakes. View over Lake Turkana The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the East African Rift which runs through the whole eastern side of the African continent from north to south. These lakes include some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world, and many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline "soda lakes" supporting highly specialised organisms. The Rift Valley lakes are well known for the evolution of at least 800 cichlid fish species that live in their waters. More species will be discovered.[1] The World Wildlife Fund has designated the African Rift Valley lakes one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation.
In this article, the major lakes are listed, generally in order from north to south, and more detailed articles on each lake can be accessed through the linked names. Geology[edit] The East African Rift came into being approximately 40 million years ago as the African tectonic plate began to split. Ecology[edit] Lake Natron. The southern half of Lake Natron (top). Fault scarps and the Gelai Volcano can also be seen. Numerous near-white salt-crust "rafts" pepper the shallowest parts of the lake (inset). Lake Natron is a salt lake located in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border, in the eastern branch of the East African Rift.
The lake is fed by the Southern Ewaso Ng'iro River and also by mineral-rich hot springs. Flora[edit] The color of the lake is characteristic of those where very high evaporation rates occur. Salt marshes and freshwater wetlands around the edges of the lake do support a variety of plants. Fauna[edit] The high temperature (up to 60°C) and the high and very variable salt content of the lake does not support wildlife.
Threats and preservation[edit] The area around the salt lake is not inhabited but there is some herding and some seasonal cultivation. A new threat to Lake Natron is the proposed development of a soda ash plant on its shores. Visiting the area[edit] See also[edit] Natronsee (Tansania) Ol Doinyo Lengai vom Natronsee aus gesehen Der See liegt im östlichen Teil des Ostafrikanischen Grabenbruchs (Great Rift Valley) am Fuß des Vulkans Ol Doinyo Lengai. Er befindet sich vollständig im Staat Tansania im Siedlungsgebiet der Massai und wird durch den südlichen Uaso Nyiro sowie durch mineralreiche heiße Quellen gespeist.
Flamingos am Natronsee Der See ist die Heimstatt einer bemerkenswerten Vielzahl von Vögeln, namentlich einer starken Population von Zwergflamingos mit bis zu 2,5 Millionen Individuen. Im See leben vier Buntbarscharten aus der Gattung Alcolapia (A. alcalica, A. grahami, A. latilabris und A. ndalalani). Die rötliche Färbung des Sees, die zum Teil aus dem Weltraum erkennbar ist, wird durch Milliarden von Salinenkrebsen (Artemia salina etc.) verursacht, die nur wenige Millimeter groß sind und zur Hauptnahrung der Flamingos gehören. Der See ist Gegenstand der von Disney produzierten Dokumentation The Crimson Wing die das Leben der dort ansässigen Flamingos zeigt. This Lake In Tanzania Has A Deadly Secret. These Shocking Photos Show The Haunting Reality. Tanzania’s Lake Natron is one of the most serene lakes in all of Africa, but it’s also the source of some of the most eerie photographs ever captured.
You see, Lake Natron has a very deadly secret, it turns any animal it touches to stone. This incredibly rare phenomenon is caused by the chemical makeup of the lake, the alkalinity of Lake Natron varies between pH 9 and pH 10.5. Which is so caustic it burns the skin and eyes of animals that get too close to the water, leaving behind something straight out of a horror film, as can be seen in these incredible shots captured by photographer Nick Brandt for his book, Across the Ravaged Land. Calcified Fish Eagle Calcified Caped Dove Calcified Flamingo reflects in the water Calcified Bat Calcified Swallow Calcified Songbird Calcified Swallow II Calcified Bat II It should be noted the animals weren’t found in these haunting positions, here’s what Nick had to say: I wonder what would happen if a gargoyle dived into the lake?