The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes in the world

Lakes are large to very large water bodies occupying a position between pond and sea; in size. Unlike sea; lakes have individuality as they stand separate and independent of each other where as the seas (oceans); though known in separate names are actually one single mass of water. The surrounding areas of lakes exhibit uniformity in culture and civilization as the mobility of the people being limited by the size and shape of the lake their exposure with outside world gets limited. These limitations breed very rare features in their life and make them case study for ethnologists.

One lake is different from the other not only in its geographical location but in its ‘physiology’ as some are salty some fresh. One lake (The Titicaca is four kilometers above sea-level, the other one; The Dead Sea is 418 meters (1371 feet below sea-level)! Lake Baikal of Russia is the deepest of all lakes in the world (1637) (which contains one fifth of the total quantity of fresh water available on earth!). Lake Victoria in Africa is the largest in the arid tropical region. Its total area is 68,800 sq miles. The Caspian Sea is a salty lake far bigger and known as the sea. Lake Superior located between America and Canada is the largest fresh water lake.

Lake Titicaca image courtsey: everestnews2004.com

Lake Titicaca in between the Andes Mountain ranges of South America is the highest placed in the world (about four kilometers above sea-level), depth also it is the second greatest. The lake is located between Peru and Bolivia. Titicaca got its name from a type of puma (wild cat) which lived in the lake islands and came to the shore during nights for hunting preys (Titicaca in the local language means rock-puma). The shape of the lake as seen in satellite imaging is also like a wild cat chasing a rabbit (must be just a coincidence as a shape of a lake could not be assessed so clearly during the lack of sophisticated instruments) There are about 41 largely populated islands in this lake; of which Isla Dal Sol (island of the Sun) is the largest (it is the second largest lake island in the world)

Dead Sea image courtsey: bibleplaces.com

Dead Sea is a lake and a rapidly diminishing one in size. It is unique for its extreme salinity, un-believable altitude (418 meters below sea-level) and its fast diminishing water level. It is the earth’s lowest point covered by water or ice and hence no river or any other water way to drain the water out. But the desert wind does this job well and takes away much more water than what River Jordan (the only source) contributes, the water level is getting depleted by one meter per year; arousing fears that the lake by name Dead Sea will become a salt pit within fifty years.

The role of this great water body (and the river Jordan which flows in to it) in the world history is more prominent than any other lakes as all the events in the Bible is one or other way related to this lake and pilgrims from all parts of the world flock to this lake in search of their holy sites. Many people still see Lot’s wife standing tall as a pillar of salt! The water of this sea is rich in many minerals over and above common salt and is supposed to be of medicinal values. Many health centers flourish on its banks which enable bath in its water as well as application of its mud for medicinal purpose.

Baikal Lake image courtsey: baikal-maria.irk.ru

Baikal Lake located in the Southern Siberian part of Russia was largely unknown to outside and remained unexplored up to the early 19^th century behind the iron curtain. It is the deepest lake in the world and contains the largest volume of fresh water (about one fifth of the total quantity of fresh water available on earth is stored in it)! It was the ‘Baikal–Amur Railway’ which encircled the lake (constructed by the erstwhile Soviet Union during 1896 - 1902 which highlighted the strange geological features those engulfed this lake (Baikal – Amur railway is one of the mega projects under taken by that nation and this mega project included about 200 big bridges and 33 tunnels). Of the many islands in this lake Olkhan is the largest.

Lake Victoria image courtsey: adelaide.edu.au

Lake Victoria is the largest fresh water lake in the tropical area; it is the largest in the African continent located between Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is 68,800 sq miles in area but comparatively less deep than other great lakes in the world (Max depth 84 meters). This lake is the source of the White Nile a contributory of the great African river The Nile (the longest river in the world after Missouri – Mississippi). The surrounding are of this lake was the early cradle of mankind as it was here the apes were undergoing changes in to human beings! (Archaeologists have discovered the fossils skeletons of early half human beings)

Caspian Sea Image courtsey: princeton.edu

By sheer size (surface area 143243 sq miles) The Caspian Sea is the largest - too large to be considered to be a lake, it is something of a hybrid between the two as once it was a sea and became a lake by some geological changes that took place millions of years back.

No surprise that the Romans took it for sea due to its size and salinity. Its area is 143243 sq miles (far bigger than any other lakes) salinity is 1.2% (about one third of sea-water) and a volume of about 18761 Sq Miles.

The Caspian Sea is believed to be formed about 30 million years back and this sea got land-locked about 5.5 million years back. Discoveries made in the Huto Caves have proved that there was human inhabitation about 75,000 years back. There are many nations on its border Russia (with many other former members of erstwhile Soviet Union on one side and Iran on the other side. Caspian Sea is rich in natural resources especially oil and there are many nations to share it.

Lake Superior image courtsey: hickerphoto.com

Lake Superior that is located between America and Canada is the largest in fresh water lakes when surface area is considered (23010 sq miles) and third largest in volume. It has many rivers as contributories and one to drain its water out (The St. Mary’s River). Lake Superior is 563 km in its longest portion and maximum width of 257 km. This lake has a depth of about 147 meters.

Of late the level of water in this lake has been found declining steadily and this year it is 46 cm below long time average. Global warming has been mainly blamed for this sorry state, but there are accusations that the Americans divert water through the Chicago diversion from Lake Michigan and Lake Superior being the head of all the great lake waters actually remains the final looser. There were even reports “America stealing water”

Pure water is definitely going to be a precious commodity and there are fore castings that the future wars will be fought for water. In such a situation activists talking in extreme languages is quite natural, there are frequent riots fought in India between states for river waters. Riots for “Kaveri water” (a small river flowing through three states (Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka) is an annual event well celebrated by politicians, media and the antisocial elements.

It is a great fortune that the people of developed nations generally go to the street with cudgels at the slightest provocations by activists, media and the politicians; otherwise there would have been many wars between nations who share common waters; and world wars would have become an annual event as in the case of Kaveri River in South India! Let there be a lot of water and all flow free not knowing any boundaries.

Lake Titicaca

Titicaca

Titicaca lake image courtsey: members.virtualtourist.com/m/54d1b/1860b7

Lake Titicaca, a Lake on the Sky.

Un paralleled altitude.

Remote, mysterious, immense,

Titicaca is an extravaganza by name and by nature.

James Winchester.

World’s highest navigable lake, four kilometers (12497 feet to be precise) above from sea-level, in the laps of the great Andes Mountains, shared by two nations (Peru and Bolivia), Titicaca is a geological wonder, formed sixty million years back; from the water deposited by 25 incoming rivers which carry the water from melted glaciers of the Andes.

The puma and the rabbit.

It is believed that the name derived from a variety of wild cats that live on the rocky islands of the lake and swim to the mainland during nights in search of food (titi = wild cat (a variety of Puma) + karka = rock, there by meaning Rock- Puma). It may be a strange coincidence that the shape of this giant lake (as revealed by the satellite photographs) has resemblance to a Puma chasing a rabbit. Old tribes without any modern gadgets could not have envisaged the shape of this giant lake; it might be just a coincidence that they named it rock-puma.

And thus a lake was formed.

Lake Titicaca image courtsey: everestnews2004.com

This giant lake is formed when terrible earth quakes of the pre-ice age that shook the Andes Mountain ranges changing its land-scape altogether and forming gaping hollow between the mountain ranges which was longitudinally split in to two, this hollow; as per the geologists, eventually got filled by the water from the melting glaciers creating numerous water bodies. With end of the ice-age the melting of the snow was quickened and all these water bodies grew up to form a single giant lake that is Titicaca.

Vanishes in the thin air!

There are altogether twenty five rivers which end up in Titicaca depositing their waters in to this mega lake but only one to drain it out (River Desaguardero which flows south through Bolivia to lake Poopo). The most interesting thing is that the out going quantity of water through this river is just 5% of the incoming to the lake. Then where does the rest of water go? It is in high altitude, freezing temperature and torrential winds and the hot sun all combine to speed up evaporation process taking away the rest of the incoming (95%) to the air thereby keeping the level of the lake constant.

A real thrill !

Not only in breadth in depth also Titicaca is a giant its average depth is 107 Meters, the deepest part is about 281 Meters! No other lake in the world is as deep and intriguing as Titicaca. Its almost unreachable depths are home to several species of animals and explorers seeking real challenges come to Titicaca in search of real thrill. Jacques Cousteau the great French oceanographer was prominent among adventurers who had a tryst with this great lake’s depths.

Jacques Cousteau – the man of the oceans!

Jacques Cousteau image courtsey: wikipedia.org

Diving to 200 plus meters depths in to a lake with chilling water is no mean thing, Mr. Cousteau - the world famous oceanographer - with all his advanced diving gears could do it – in his under water exploration in this lake, which lasted for more than one and a half months – this big exploration brought out great “treasures” for the scientific community. Animal varieties which were found no where else in the world (like a giant toad 60 centimeters long, grey, yellow or brown in color) was revealed to the world in this “mission impossible”. These animals (millions of them) were able to withstand the tremendous pressure and scarcity of oxygen prevailing in 280 meter deep lake-bed.

Take your oxygen cylinder along with!

Lack of oxygen is not just the condition of the lake-bed, on its shore at a height of about 4 kilometers all who live are equipped with natural evolution to tide over scarcity of this life giving air particle. People from plains feel nausea and headache due lack of atmospheric pressure due to high altitude, even engines work on half their prescribed power. Accident due to fire is such a rarity as fire force is not even heard of until recently!

Curious adaptations!

The natives living here are adapted to this condition by acquiring chests to contain over-sized lungs, more blood in the circulatory system, much more ”red blood corpuscles” in their blood (RBC are the agents which carry oxygen from lungs to various parts of the body) etc. The clear unpolluted sky carries the sun’s ray direct to the earth and these people are un-heard of skin cancer even though they work in the sun for all day as nature has gifted them the power to resist such ailments specific to the conditions prevailing in this location.

Some sweetener in the lake!

Amantani island image courtsey: wikipedia.org

It is a legend that sweetens a culture without them any culture seems dull and dreary; people of the Altiplano (the high-land plains surrounding the lake) have their own sweeteners to their credit. As per the legends during 1230 A.D. the Sun God sent his son (Manco Copac) and daughter (Mamo Ocllo) to rule the entire area. Both of them emerged from the depths of the lake and went to the Sun Island (Sun Island is the largest island in the lake), and found the empire. This Inca Empire lasted up to 1533 until the arrival of the Spaniards.

“I” for Inca.

When the Spaniards invaded this area in the early sixteenth century the Inca Empire covered the present Peru, Ecuador, and much of the present Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. The technologies and architecture were highly developed though they were not using writing and wheeled vehicles. Their descendants make about significant population of these South American states. “Inca” was the supreme ruler of this empire. The word Inca in Quechua means lord or a royal person.

Even before Inca!

Even before the establishment of the Inca Empire certain civilizations existed in the area, remains of an ancient city by name Tiahuanaco with a population of 10000 people have been found at the southern end of the lake. Remnants include a stepped pyramid and carved gate-ways and ornate buildings.

Islands in the lake.

Uros island image courtsey: wikipedia.org

There are about 41 islands in this lake some of them are over populated Isla Dol Sol (Sun Island) is the largest among them several Inca ruins are found on this island and it is believed to be the place of origin of the Inca Empire. Islands Uros is a floating groups of artificial islands (about 43 in number) made of reeds these are major tourist attractions. The lake side city Puno arranges excursions for tourists to these islands. No motor cars, no telephones, no restaurants (only few small shops to cater the base requirements exist) one who wants to escape from the modern-day worries can find no place more ideal than these islands.

Sweet naming artists.

Titikaka Map image courtsey: wikipedia.org

The people of these areas speak a language Aymara which got mixed with Spanish (the official language) They might have been masters in naming things and places, Titicaca itself is just one example, please remember the names of the children of the Sun God in the Inca legend “Manco Copac” and “Mama Occlo” are rare sweet. There are tow mountain peeks “Pacha Mama” (meaning Mother Earth) and “Pacha Tata” (Father Earth). “Isla Dol Sol” (Sun Island), “Capacabana”, “Tiahuanaco” (an ancient town) all sounds so sweet as if a drop of honey spilled on the tongue,

Lake placid.

The local people are superstitious and firmly believe that there are monsters in the lake, though rarely most of them have seen them in the shape of gigantic seals creating monstrous waves and producing loud and fearsome cries. When their whole life is centered with the lake let their beliefs also remain as intact as it was years back!