Lake Abbe
| Lake Abbe | |
|---|---|
 |
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| satellite image | |
| Coordinates | 11°10′N 41°47′E / 11.167°N 41.783°ECoordinates: 11°10′N 41°47′E / 11.167°N 41.783°E |
| Lake type | salt lake |
| Primary inflows | Awash River |
| Basin countries |  Ethiopia  Djibouti |
| Surface area | 45,000 ha (170 sq mi) (34,000 ha open water, 11,000 ha salt flats) |
| Average depth | 36 meters (118 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 243 meters (797 ft) |
Lake Abbe or Lake Abhe Bad 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.
[edit] Overview
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.[1]
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.[2]
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.
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Chimneys near lake Abbe
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Chimneys and sacred ibis
[edit] References
- ^ "Afar Depression, Ethiopia". NASA Earth Observatory. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17023. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
- ^ Robert Mepham, R. H. Hughes, and J. S. Hughes, A directory of African wetlands, (Cambridge: IUCN, UNEP and WCMC, 1992), p. 167
[edit] External links
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