Laguna Verde (Bolivia)

Coordinates: 22°47′38″S 67°48′44″W / 22.79389°S 67.81222°W / -22.79389; -67.81222
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the lake in Potosí. For the lake in Beni, see Laguna Verde (Beni). For the lake in Comarapa, see Laguna Verde (Comarapa).
Laguna Verde
The green Laguna Verde
Location of Laguna Verde (Bolivia) in Bolivia.
Location of Laguna Verde (Bolivia) in Bolivia.
Laguna Verde (Bolivia)
Location of Laguna Verde (Bolivia) in Bolivia.
Location of Laguna Verde (Bolivia) in Bolivia.
Laguna Verde (Bolivia)
LocationAltiplano, Sur Lípez Province, Potosí Department
Coordinates22°47′38″S 67°48′44″W / 22.79389°S 67.81222°W / -22.79389; -67.81222
Typesalt lake
Basin countriesBolivia
Surface elevation4,300 m (14,100 ft)
Map

Laguna Verde (

salt lake in an endorheic basin, in the southwestern Altiplano in Bolivia. It is located in the Sur Lípez Province of the Potosí Department. It is close to the Chilean border, at the foot of the volcano Licancabur
.

Laguna Verde seen from Licancabur
View from the shore

Geography

The Laguna Verde is a lake at 4,310 metres (14,140 ft) elevation.[2] It covers an area of 7.5 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi) and has a depth of 5.4 metres (18 ft),[3] and a narrow causeway divides it into two parts. It is at the southwestern extremity of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and Bolivia itself. It has mineral suspensions of arsenic and other minerals which renders colour to the lake waters. Its color varies from turquoise to dark emerald depending on the disturbance caused to sediments in the lake by winds.

In the backdrop of the lake there is the inactive volcano

snowfall.[5] The catchment of the lake has an area of about 776 square kilometres (300 sq mi).[2]

In the past, the lake was at least 45 metres (148 ft) higher

UV radiation is 40% higher than at sea level.[3] Environmental conditions have been compared to those on the planet Mars, and Laguna Verde has been cited as an example of how a lake on Mars would have evolved.[5]

The lake is one of Bolivia's most important tourism targets.[7] Stromatolites of various shapes and sizes occur at Laguna Verde, they cover an area of over 100 square kilometres (39 sq mi) but are inactive today. Presumably, they grew around 20,000-10,000 years ago.[6] Presently, smaller structures and microbial mats formed by cyanobacteria still occur at Laguna Verde.[5] Mining tailings are found at its shores.[3] The bacterial species Chromohalobacter sarecensis was discovered at Laguna Verde.[8] Despite their connection, Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca have distinctly different biological and chemical traits.[5]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-4381-0488-1
    .
  2. ^
    ISSN 0016-7037
    .
  3. ^
    doi:10.1029/2010JG001290
    )
  4. ^ "Bolivia (Uyuni - Laguna Verde)". Journeylatinamerica. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-0-12-809935-3
    , retrieved 2020-10-25
  6. ^
    Bibcode:2003LPI....34.1140C.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  7. S2CID 143994432
    .
  8. PMID 15545411
    .

External links


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