A wonder in Türkiye holds secrets on Mars

Not only possessing white sand banks and turquoise water, Lake Salda (Türkiye) is also the only place on Earth similar to Jezero crater on Mars.

Lake Salda is known as the “Maldives of Türkiye”. (Source: Getty Images)

Lake Salda, one of Türkiye's deepest lakes, is located in the southwest of the country, 150 km from Antalya and 110 km from Denizli. The lake covers an area of ​​nearly 4,400 hectares and is up to 196 m deep.

Known as the “Maldives of Turkey,” Lake Salda impresses with its fine white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters. According to CNN , the area around the lake is home to more than 300 species of plants and 30 species of birds. Thanks to its remote location, the landscape here remains unspoiled, attracting nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts.

Not only captivating tourists with its beautiful landscape, Lake Salda also excites scientists by offering an experience similar to standing on the ancient Jezero crater on Mars.

Professor Briony Horgan, an expert at the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University (USA), said that in 2019, when he went to Türkiye with a NASA team to study Lake Salda, he was impressed by the landscape here, which was identical to outer space.

According to Live Science , this lake is the only place on Earth with geology and mineralogy comparable to ancient geological impact structures on the red planet. Accordingly, around the lake, scientists found a layer of powdery Hydromagnesite, a carbonate mineral rich in magnesium, containing clues about ancient bacterial life.

Carbonates are important because they have the ability to preserve anything that exists in the environment, especially bacteria, organic matter and some components that provide evidence of past life, said Brad Garczynski, a planetary geologist at Western Washington University (USA).

Hydromagnesite layers accumulate like coral reefs in Lake Salda. (Source: Getty Images)

In addition to hydromagnesite, Lake Salda and Jezero Crater share another feature: delta landforms. These are layers of sediment that typically accumulate at the mouths of rivers that flow into lakes and other bodies of water. These deposits provide clues as to how water filled Jezero Crater. Studying the sediments in Lake Salda has helped scientists narrow their search by pinpointing specific locations within the Martian crater.

With such valuable research values, in 2024, the International Geoheritage Committee (IUGS) included Lake Salda in the list of the world's top 100 geological sites.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mot-ky-quan-o-tho-nhi-ky-an-chua-bi-mat-tren-sao-hoa-309910.html