50,000-Year-Old Indian Lake Just Turned Pink, Baffling Scientists and Experts

A lake that has been existing for 50,000 years in India turned into a pink hue for unknown reasons. What caused it to turn pink is the question that everyone is asking all over the country.

Lonar Lake is located in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It changed hues overnight, and experts believe this change in color is most likely caused by an increase in the salinity of the water, an algal presence, or perhaps a combination of the two. This can be likened to similar occurrences in other freshwater bodies such as portions of the Great Salt Lake in Utah as well as Australia's Lake Hillier, which is very famous for its pink water. In Utah, the red hue is caused by halophilic bacteria, which flourish as its salt level increases.

Local geologist Gajanan Kharat stated in a Twitter video by Maharashtra Tourism that the changing of the lake water's color has already occurred in the past. However, this was the first time that this pink hue was glaring and very prominent.

According to Kharat, the lake water has appeared particularly more red during this time of the year due to the increase in its salinity. He added that the amount of water within the lake had been reduced, which made the lake significantly more shallow. This, in turn, caused a higher concentration of salt compared to the water, causing the rise in salinity and initiating several internal changes.

Kharat also adds that after a depth of one meter, there is no more oxygen in the water. He compares the occurrence in Lonar Lake with a lake located in Iran, in which the water turns reddish because of the increase in the water's salinity.

Kharat also mentioned that some researchers are looking into the possibility that an overnight proliferation of red algae has caused the change in color. As of this writing, samples of the water have been forwarded to some laboratories for study. Their analysis and conclusion will provide the final say on the reason for the lake's change in color.

Lonar Lake is located roughly 311 miles or 500 kilometers east from the city of Mumbai. According to CNN-News18 India, which is an affiliate of CNN, it was formed when an ancient meteorite hit the area roughly 50,000 years in the past.

The lake is located at the Buldhana district, which is a popular tourist attraction. It has attracted and been investigated by researchers around the world, according to CNN-News18.

The lake has an average diameter of 1.2 kilometers, with a pH level of 10.5. It is one of India's national geoheritage monuments. Kharat says the lack of rain means that no additional freshwater has added to it lately. He says that atmospheric changes may have caused changes in water chemistry and composition.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad geography department head Dr. Madan Suryavanshi said that the enormity of the scale of the color change could not be caused by human intervention. He opines that this may be caused by a biological alteration in the lake's crater.

According to Dr. Suryavanshi, since the COVID-19 lockdown prevented any disturbances in the lake's water, this may have led to the color change. He also said that seasonal changes in the water also occur. He noted that an observational interval of a week might shed light on the reasons for the color change.