A Description on the Formation of Lonar Lake

Lonar Lake or lonar crater is a lagoon lake that was formed by a meteorite collision impact around 52,000 ± 6,000 years ago or 576,000 ± 47,000 years ago.The lake has both alkaline and salt water.The lake is located in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra . The lake is declared as a National Geo heritage site and also declared as a Ramsar wetland in the year 2020. The lake has been a wildlife sanctuary as well from 2015.

As the lake is located in the Deccan plateau many scientists thought that the lake is a volcanic crater but later it was made clear that the lake is formed by a meteorite impact in the basaltic rock . 

Features of the lake 

• Alkaline and saline water
• Meteorite collision led formation of a crater
• The lake became a wildlife sanctuary in 2015.
• National Geo heritage site 
• One of the hyper velocity impact craters in basaltic rocks . 
• Mean diameter is about 1.2 kilometres
• Depth of 137 kilometres below the crater rim
• Declared as a Ramsar wetland on 22 July 2020
• Surface area of the lake is 1.13 km square .

Geological origin of the lonar crater / Geological Formation

The lake is located within the extraterrestrial impact crater within the Deccan plateau.The lake is a massive basaltic rock formation .It was initially thought as a volcano crater but now it is recognised as an impact crater, formed by the impact of a comet or an asteroid.

The fact that the lake is of impact origin was confirmed by the presence of certain minerals like the plagioclase . Also the presence of a shocked breccia , cones and non volcanic ejecta Bracket are also a confirmation that the lonar crater is an impact crater 

The lake is oval in shape and the meteorite impact came from the east direction.

The lonar crater is divided into fives zones these are :

1. The outermost ejecta blanket
2. The crater rim
3. The slopes of the crater
4. The crater basin, excluding lake
5. The crater lake

History 

The lake has a mention in the skanda Purana and Padma Purana. The lake was a part of the Maurya and Satavahana empire.Several other rulers also ruled the area like the chalukyas and Rashtrakutas. The lake has several Yadava temples next to it.

Ambar lake 

It is believed that a small fragment of the main meteor that had made the impact crater leading to formation of lonar Lake also led to Formation of the ambar lake by a small fragment of the main meteor. The Ambar lake is at a distance of 700 metres from the main Lake and has a Hanuman temple near it with a rock idol which is highly magnetic.The lake is known as Chhota lonar or little lonar.

Lake ecosystem

The lake has two distinct regions in terms of its chemical characteristics, specifically the pH.The two regions have different pH and do not mix.The outer region is neutral with a pH of seven while the inner region is alkaline with a pH of 11. Each of the region has its own flora and fauna 

The lake is home to 160 birds,46 reptiles and 12 mammal species.The notable migratory birds being the teals , parakeets,larks and Robins.The monitor lizard is a prominent part of the lake ecosystem with chinkara,peafowls and. Gazelles.

Conclusion 

Lonar Lake also known as lonar crater or lonar lagoon or Sarovar is a impact crater formed by a impact of the Deccan trap by a comet or an asteroid .The impact led to formation of an oval crater with an area of about 1.13 km square and mean diameter and the crater 1.2 kilometres.The lake has two distinct regions with different pH and different fauna. The outer region of the lake is neutral with pH 7 while the inner region is alkaline with a pH of 11. The lake is home to Robin’s, monitor lizards , gazelles and chinkara. The lake has both alkaline water and saline water.The lake further is divided into five distinct zones.  The lake is a National geo heritage site and a wildlife sanctuary . On 22 July 2020 the lake was declared a Ramsar wetland.