Decipher the secret of the lake evaporating

On May 27, Chilean rangers (Conaf) accidentally discovered Tempanos lake about 1 km2 wide, about 2,000km south of Santiago, ran out of water, leaving a 30m deep hole. , with ice sheets on the bottom.

Juan José Romero, regional director of Conaf's forces, then struck people about this phenomenon because, according to them, only two months ago the ice floated on the lake. Also, the 8km, 40m wide river that drains water from the lake has turned into a small stream that can wade through.

News agencies shouted about the ' lake evaporating '. But the answer was very quick. Mr. Carlos Palacios, geologist at the University of Chile, said that the phenomenon of shallow inert ponds is very common in this area. Further explanation, Mr. Palacios said that the pressure of the water in the lake on the bottom of the lake (pictured as a wall formed from snow and ice) makes the bottom of the lake crack into a deep hole to remove water. There may be significant impacts from the earthquake in the Aisen region last April that led to a change in the strata of the area.

Chilean rangers stand under Tempanos lake on June 20 (Photo: TTO)

TU ANH