Lake Abhe

Lake Abhe

Lake Abhe is a salt lake which lies on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. One of a chain of six connected lakes, including Gargori, Laitali, Gummare, Bario and Afambo. The lake is the terminus of the Awash River in the middle of the Afar Triangle. Lake Abbe is one of the most inaccessible places on Earth, but it is known for its flamingos. Mount Dama Ali, a dormant volcano, rises on the north-western shore of the lake, while huge salt flats 10 km wide run along the south-western and southern shores. In addition to the Awash, the seasonal inflows to Lake Abbe include two wadis, the Oleldere and Abuna Merekes, entering the lake from the west and south, across the salt plains. While the current open water area of the lake is 34 000 hectares, due to recent droughts and the abstraction of water from the Awash River for irrigation, the lake has declined. The lake's surface area had been reduced to two-thirds of its 1940 level by 1984, during which time some 11 500 hectares of salt flats had developed south-west of the lake. Lake Abhe is a hyper saline lake. The lake has an inflow of water containing mineral salts, but no outflow, and clear water evaporates from the surface. Lake Abhe is famous for its limestone chimneys, reaching heights of up to 50 meters, from which steam erupts. These carbonate chimneys are created by mixing lake water with a deeper geothermal fluid.