Located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Don Juan Lake is known as the saltiest body of water in the world , so it does not freeze even when the temperature drops to minus 58 degrees Celsius.
According to Oddity Central, with a depth of only 10.16cm, Don Juan looks more like a large puddle than a lake. However, this body of water has always attracted the attention of scientists since it was discovered in 1961.
A quick analysis shows that the salt content of this body of water is as high as 40%. The world's oceans have an average salinity of 3.5%. The Great Salt Lake has a salt content of 5-27%. Even the Dead Sea is only 34% salt.
The world's saltiest body of water lies deep in an arid valley where it never rains and rarely snows.
Some other lakes in the area are covered with solid ice several metres thick, but Don Juan's calcium chloride-rich waters rarely freeze despite temperatures dropping to minus 58 degrees Celsius.
Scientists explain that salt reduces the ability of water to freeze, by moving between molecules and preventing the formation of ice crystal lattices.
One of the biggest unsolved mysteries is the origin of Don Juan. For decades, scientists believed that the ankle-deep waters originated from underground aquifers.
However, about a decade ago, two geologists, Jay Dickson and James Head of Brown University (USA), pointed out that the source of this incredible salinity could originate from the atmosphere.
By installing surveillance cameras, they were able to demonstrate that the salt in the soil in the McMurdo Dry Valleys draws moisture from the air through a process called "melting."
These water-rich salts then drip down into Don Juan Lake, mixing with meltwater from snow and ice.
Another fascinating thing about Don Juan is that this body of water is likely to contain microscopic organisms.
The ability of life to survive in such harsh environments is also a factor that makes scientists believe that life once existed on planets like Mars.
According to vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://baohanam.com.vn/du-lich/bi-an-vung-nuoc-khong-dong-bang-du-nhet-do-o-muc-am-58-do-c-142378.html
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