Abaya lake

Abaya lake
Geographical location	in the south of Ethiopia
Tributaries	Bilate
Drain	temporary overflow to the Chamo lake
Location close to the shore	Arba Minch
Data
Coordinates	6 ° 20 ′  N , 37 ° 50 ′  E Coordinates: 6 ° 20 ′  N , 37 ° 50 ′  E
Altitude above sea level	1285  m
surface	1 140  km²
length	72 km
width	31 km
Maximum depth	24 m
Catchment area	17,300 km²

The Lake Abaya ( Amharic አባያ ሐይቅ , abaya Hayq ), also Abayasee or Grabensee called, is a lake in the southern Ethiopian ditch near the town of Arba Minch . The southern end is in the Nechisar National Park and is separated from Lake Chamo by the Tosa Sucha (“God's Bridge”), a low, 3–8 km wide isthmus .

geography

The Abajasee is about 72 kilometers long and at the deepest point 24 meters deep, the area of ​​the lake is about 1,140 km². The lake is about 1,285 meters above sea level . There are several islands in the water, the largest of which is 11 kilometers long. There are hot springs on the north bank. Many rivers from the nearby mountains of volcanic origin feed the lake, such as the largest tributary Bilate , which comes from the Gurage Mountains from the north, the Gibado , which flows in from the northeast, and the Galana, which comes from the southeast. The lake is known for its high proportion of hydroxide ions , which give the water a red color. The area around the lake is shaped by savannah and is known for its rich wildlife.

history

In 1896 an Italian expedition group under Vittorio Bottego discovered Lake Abajasee and named it Lago Margherita after the then ruling Italian Queen Margarethe , which is no longer used today.

The methane lake Abaya Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan is named after the lake .

literature

• Abaya lake . In: Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon . 9th edition, 1st volume (1971), p. 16.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Robert Mepham, RH Hughes, and JS Hughes, A directory of African wetlands Page 162