A body of water into which no river flows. To be afraid of spirits - do not go to the steppe

22.11.2019

The area of the Red Sea is 450,000 km², almost 2/3 of the sea lies in the tropical zone.

Volume - 251,000 km³.

According to various estimates, the length (in the north-south direction) ranges from 1932 to 2350 km, width - from 305 to 360 km. The banks are slightly indented, their outlines are mainly predetermined by fault tectonics and are eastern and western shores parallel to each other.

The bottom topography includes: coastal shallows (up to a depth of 200 m), the widest in the southern part of the sea, with numerous coral and indigenous islands; so-called main trog- a narrow depression that occupies most of the seabed, on average to a depth of 1000 m; the axial trough is a narrow and deep trough, as if cut into the main trough, with a maximum depth, according to various sources, from 2604 to 3040 meters. Average depth sea is 437 m.

There are few islands in the northern part of the sea (for example: Tiran Island) and only south of 17° N. w. Several groups with numerous islands were formed: the Dahlak archipelago in the southwestern part of the sea is the largest, and the Farasan, Suakin, Hanish archipelagos are smaller. There are also separate islands - for example, Kamaran.

In the north of the sea there are two gulfs: Suez and Aqaba, which is connected to the Red Sea through the Strait of Tiran. A fault runs through the Gulf of Aqaba, so the depth of this gulf reaches great values (up to 1800 meters).

The peculiarity of the Red Sea is that not a single river flows into it, and rivers usually carry silt and sand with them, significantly reducing the transparency of sea water. Therefore, the water in the Red Sea is crystal clear.

The Red Sea is the saltiest sea in the World Ocean. 1 liter of water contains 41 g of salts (in open ocean- 34 g, in the Black Sea - 18, in the Baltic - only 5 grams of salts per liter of water). During the year, no more than 100 mm of atmospheric precipitation falls over the sea (and not everywhere and only in the winter months), while 20 times more evaporates in the same time - 2000 mm (this means that every day more than half a centimeter evaporates from the surface of the sea water). In the complete absence of water supply from land, this water deficit in the sea is compensated only by the supply of water from the Gulf of Aden. In the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, there are simultaneously currents entering and exiting the Red Sea. Over the course of a year, almost 1,000 km³ more water is brought into the sea than is taken out of it. It takes only 15 years for the Red Sea to completely exchange water.

In 1886, during an expedition on the Russian corvette “Vityaz” in the Red Sea, waters with an abnormally high temperature were discovered at a depth of 600 meters:21. The Swedish ship Albatross also discovered similar waters in 1948, moreover, with abnormally high salinity. The presence of hot metalliferous brines at great depths in the Red Sea was finally established in 1964 by an expedition to American ship"Discovery", when the water temperature from a depth of 2.2 km was 44 °C, and its salinity was 261 grams per liter. By 1980, 15 places were discovered on the bottom of the Red Sea with similar waters, which, together with the adjacent bottom sediments highly enriched in metals: 33.

Geological structure and bottom topography

The Red Sea is very young. Its formation began about 25 million years ago, when a crack appeared in the earth's crust and the East African Rift Valley was formed. Under the influence of centrifugal force due to the rotation of the Earth, the African plate separated from the Arabian, and their reversal formed a “spiral” twisting to the northeast, and between them a gap formed in the earth’s crust, which gradually, over thousands of years, was filled sea water. The plates are constantly moving - the relatively flat shores of the Red Sea are moving apart at a rate of 1 cm per year, or 1 m per century (Kendall F. Haven says that at this rate of expansion in the next 200 million years, the Red Sea will be as wide as the Atlantic Ocean) - but also at different speeds relative to each other: the movement of the African plate was very slow, while the Arabian plate moved much faster and, as a result, the Somali plate began to shift to the east. The spiral movement of the Arabian Plate led to the locking of part of the huge Tethys Ocean, which washed Africa, and subsequently the formation of the Mediterranean Sea. This is confirmed by the fact that rocks and minerals characteristic of the Mediterranean Sea are also found in the Red Sea. And further rotation of the Arabian and Somali plates opened a strait in the south, into which waters poured Indian Ocean, eventually leading to the formation of the Gulf of Aden. The movement of continental plates continued to influence the terrain. In the south, a large segment that broke off from the Arabian plate eventually closed the passage that formed between the African and Somali plates. The sea dried up here, and a valley was formed, known as the Afar Triangle. This geologically unique region has given scientists a lot of information about the history of the planet and the evolution of mankind. The lowest segment of the Afar Triangle is currently slowly sinking under water and will eventually fall back below sea level.

The changes, of course, affected not only this local area of the earth's surface. The shift of the Syrian-African fault to the north led to the formation of the Bay of Suez. The Arabian and African plates continued to move at different speeds (this difference in speed was determined by the different distances of the plates from the axis of rotation). The inevitable friction between the plates formed another valley, very similar to the bed of the Red Sea. This fault starts from the Strait of Tiran and goes further north to the Gulf of Aqaba, as well as the valleys in which the Dead Sea and Arava lie. The end point of these valleys is Syria. Continuous tectonic activity shifted the Bay of Suez to the north - towards the Mediterranean Sea. Human intervention completed this process in 1869 with the opening of the Suez Canal. The waters of the Mediterranean Sea flowed into the Red Sea, and the migration of underwater flora and fauna began in both directions.

Hydrological regime

The Red Sea is the only body of water on Earth into which no river flows.

Strong evaporation of warm water turned the Red Sea into one of the saltiest on the globe: 38-42 grams of salts per liter.

There is intense water exchange between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. In winter, the South-West Monsoon Current is established in the Indian Ocean, starting in the Bay of Bengal, turning into the Western Current, which branches, and one branch goes north to the Red Sea. In summer, the monsoon current, which begins off the coast of Africa, is joined in the Gulf of Aden area by a current from the Red Sea. In addition, the Indian Ocean contains deep water masses formed by dense waters flowing from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Below 3.5-4 thousand meters, bottom water masses are common, forming from Antarctic supercooled and dense salty waters Red Sea and Persian Gulf. .

Climate

The climate on the coast of almost the entire Red Sea is tropical desert, and only the far north has a Mediterranean climate. The air temperature in the coldest period (December-January) during the day is +20-25 °C, and in the hottest month - August, it exceeds +35-40 °C and even sometimes reaches +50 °C. Thanks to the hot climate off the coast

Red sea- an inland sea of the Indian Ocean, located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa in a tectonic basin. One of the warmest and saltiest seas.

Washes the shores of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Jordan.

Resorts: Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Safaga, El Gouna (Egypt), Eilat (Israel)

In the north, the Red Sea is connected by the Suez Canal to Mediterranean Sea, in the south - the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with the Arabian Sea.

The climate on the Red Sea coast is dry and warm, the air temperature in the coldest period (December-January) during the day is 20-25 degrees, and in the hottest month - August, does not exceed 35-40 degrees. Thanks to the hot climate off the coast of Egypt, the water temperature does not drop below +20 degrees even in winter, and reaches +27 in summer.

Strong evaporations of warm water turned the Red Sea into one of the saltiest on the globe: 38-42 grams of salts per liter.

The length of the Red Sea today is 2350 km, width 350 km (in its widest part), maximum depth reaches 3000 meters in its central part. The area of the Red Sea is 450 thousand sq. km.

The Red Sea is very young. Its formation began about 40 million years ago, when a crack appeared in the earth's crust and the East African Rift formed. The African continental plate separated from the Arabian, and between them a gap formed in the earth's crust, which gradually filled with sea water over thousands of years. The plates are constantly moving, so the relatively flat shores of the Red Sea diverge in different directions at a speed of 10 mm per year, or 1 m per century.

In the north of the sea there are two gulfs: Suez and Aqaba, or Eilat. It is along the Gulf of Aqaba (Eilat) that the fault runs. Therefore, the depth of this bay reaches great values (up to 1600 meters). Two bays are separated from each other Sinai Peninsula, in the south of which is located famous resort Sharm el-Sheikh.

There are few islands in the northern part of the sea and only south of 17° N latitude. they form numerous groups, the largest of which is Dahlak in the southwestern part of the sea.

People have always been attracted mystical places, covered with legends, tales, stories of miracles. And what more dangerous place, the more daredevils sought to solve his riddle

To be afraid of spirits - do not go to the steppe

People have always been attracted by mystical places covered in legends, tales, stories of miracles. And the more dangerous the place, the more daredevils sought to solve its mystery. In this regard, Kazakhstanis, one might say, are lucky - there are a huge number of such “ mysterious islands"like a magnet attracting curious tourists. In the “K” collection we will talk about the most mystical of them.

Ungurtas

The village of Ungurtas is 100 km from Almaty.

Another name for Ungurtas is the “Navel of the Earth,” since it is here, as many claim, that the celestial system connects with the Earth system. According to legend, it was on the site of Ungurtas that Ahmed Yasawi lived at one time. They say that at the age of 63, feeling the approaching decline of his life, he began to look for a calm, secluded corner. The ideal option was Ungurtas, where Ahmed Yasawi spent the rest of his life in an underground cell. Near the dungeon, his relatives and numerous students settled, who listened to the instructions and teachings of the thinker. The place where the monastery stood is now called Aidarly Aidahar-Ata.

Aydarly Aydahar-Ata is an energy column with a diameter of 8 meters. “The place where a flow of energy rushing into the sky emerges from the earth, which cleanses, replenishes, and strengthens the human energy field,” the official explanation says.

People who visited Ungurtas are sure that the radiation coming from the depths charges and cleanses them. The place for “energy recharging” was chosen by both psychics and astrologers, as well as ordinary pilgrims from all over the world.

True, there were cases when Ungurtas refused to accept people. The so-called gate became the border. The book-shaped stone invites everyone to stop in front of it. “Kneel and pray. For you are ascending the Mountain of Reason,” the inscription reads. But not everyone can go beyond the gate. You may get a headache, blurred vision, and feel suffocated. People describe their feelings differently at the moment when they could not climb the mountain. Some people see a thick wall that makes no sense to break through. Others talk about the feeling of chains that bind their arms and legs and do not allow them to move further.

In addition to the energy flow, each of the caves of Ungurtas - unique place with a unique energy and healing properties inherent only to it.

Kok-Kol

Jambyl Region.

What do they think? local residents, Lake Kol-Kol is home to a water spirit - Aydahar. Modern researchers of anomalies say that a prehistoric creature lives in the reservoir, miraculously preserved to this day - a relative of the Loch Ness monster. This is precisely what explains the stories of fishermen and shepherds, who claim that they often saw waterfowl and animals drinking water near the shore being “dragged” into the lake.

In fact, Lake Kol-Kol has quite strange physical properties: the water in it is constantly fresh and “alive”, although not a single river or source flows into the lake. Sometimes large funnels appear on the water, drawing in various floating objects. Often the smooth surface of the lake is instantly covered with small ripples.

Hydrologists are thinking about the system underground caves, but it has not yet been possible to thoroughly explore the lake: in some areas it is bottomless.

However, a group of divers from Irkutsk managed to get some answer. Researchers tried to find the bottom of the lake, but all attempts were unsuccessful. During one of the dives, a giant funnel suddenly appeared and swallowed one of the divers in a matter of seconds. Searches in the depths of the lake yielded nothing. A decision was made to stop the rescue operation.

However, quite unexpectedly, the members of the expedition received news that their friend was alive. It turned out that a kilometer from the lake there is a valley through which a fast river flows. It was there that the missing diver was found. Alive and unharmed, he said that the lake carried him through the underground depths and pushed him up. At that moment he felt the action of some unknown force...

Singing Dune

Altyn-Emel National Park is 182 km northeast of Almaty.

According to one legend, the great Genghis Khan rests under the Singing Dune along with his warriors, and the singing sand is the soul of the khan, which from time to time reminds his descendants of himself and his exploits. Another legend says that Shaitan, who was returning through the steppe to his home after “a successful day,” turned into a dune. Tired, he stopped and lay down to rest. He fell soundly asleep, after which he turned into a dune, and the sound was a groan of dissatisfaction emitted by the shaitan that they were trying to disturb him.

The sound produced by a unique dune is always different. Sometimes it resembles a barely perceptible squeak, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish it from a sophisticated melody, close to the sound of an organ, and sometimes it is a terrifying roar.

Presumably the dune creates musical works using electrical discharges. The strength of the sound depends on the number of moving grains of sand; the greater their mass, the clearer and louder the sound of the Singing Dune.

Dead Lake

District of the village of Gerasimovka, Almaty region.

They say that about a century ago, a certain groom, suspecting his beloved of infidelity, became so distraught that in a fit of jealousy he drowned the innocent maiden in the lake. Since then the lake has become Dead.

In fact, one of the features of this small (60 by 100 meters) reservoir is that even in the hottest summer its water remains icy and its level remains unchanged. Although other bodies of water of this region in the summer, under the scorching rays of the sun, they noticeably dry out, and sometimes dry out, turning into a small puddle. In addition, there are no fish in Dead Lake, no algae or other vegetation.

There is a version that all living things in it are killed by toxic gas released from a crevice at the bottom. However, she has not yet received confirmation - divers diving into the waters of the Dead Lake say that it is impossible to stay in it for more than five minutes, even with a tank full of air.

Shaitankol

Karaganda region, five kilometers west of Karkaralinsk.

According to one legend, one day the famous Kazakh hero Er Targyn spent the night on the shore of a mysterious reservoir. At night, he was awakened by a naked girl of unprecedented beauty and lured into the lake. In the pond itself, the beautiful stranger suddenly turned into a terrible old woman, who dug her claws into the young man and dragged him into the depths. However, the hero dealt with the witch, smashed her head with his fist, climbed ashore and threw dead body the old woman back into the water, after which she immediately came to life and began to threaten Er Targyn.

According to another legend, the lake was formed from the tears of mothers mourning their sons who died in battle with the Dzungars.

Whatever it is, oh mysterious lake newspapers were written back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since all kinds of devilry happened in its vicinity and people disappeared, in 1905 it was decided to consecrate the reservoir and then rename it the Holy. However, this turned out to be not so easy. During the prayer service, suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a terrible whirlwind came, knocking the people gathered for prayer off their feet. However, as soon as the prayer service stopped, the hurricane subsided.

The water of the lake is an amazing bright blue color and is surrounded by dilapidated granite rocks. Shaitankol has no feeding rivers or springs, but the water level here never decreases or rises, despite the abundant melting of snow, heavy rains or, conversely, long periods of summer drought. And, according to the old-timers of these places, the volume of Shaitankol’s water is capable of flooding the entire Karkaralinsk and its surroundings.

The literature indicates that the lake has a double bottom. Depth unknown. It looks like the water flooded the vent a long time ago extinct volcano. Extreme sportsmen from Ersain Shygaev’s group once tried to measure the depth of the lake. Going out to inflatable boat to the middle of the reservoir, they began to lower the load on a rope three hundred meters long. The homemade lot went completely under water, never reaching the bottom.

Then Ersain Shygaev decided to explore the bottom of the lake with scuba gear. “The bottom of the lake turned out to be very beautiful. Huge boulders, algae, schools of fish. The water was quite clear. I immediately rushed to where our lot fell into the abyss. And I saw a semicircular “bowl” the size of a football arena, in the center of which gaped a bottomless abyss. I did not dare to swim over the abyss. So he froze on the edge of a cliff, like an idol. And suddenly I saw something strange in the center of the pit. It was as if the back of a huge whale appeared for a moment from the darkness and disappeared into the darkness again... I pulled the rope so that my friends would pull me to the surface, and then I felt that oxygen had stopped flowing from the cylinders for no apparent reason. I barely suppressed panic and, trying not to look back, rushed upstairs,” he said in an interview.

Esotericists believe that at the bottom of the lake there is a portal, a “funnel”, or a wormhole through which various entities from alternative universes enter our world. According to eyewitnesses, the lake comes alive at night. A quiet evening is suddenly interrupted by a hurricane, strange shadows rush across the surface of the lake, running into people spending the night on the shore and touching them with cold limbs, luminous objects appear above the water.

A group of 5 karst lakes in the Chereksky district of Kabardino-Balkaria is located approximately 30 km south of Nalchik.

The lowest lake of this group is the most unique with a relatively small surface of 235 by 130 meters, its depth reaches 258 meters, and water saturated with hydrogen sulfide gives the lake a rich blue color.

The surface water temperature in winter and summer is about +9 degrees. This attracts divers from all over the world - a modern diving center has been built on the shores of the Lower Lake, which operates both in summer and winter.

Not a single stream or river flows into the lake, but about 70 million liters of water flow out every day. The lake level remains unchanged, which is explained by powerful underwater sources.

The nature here is quite picturesque: green hills, dense beech forests on steep slopes, and in the distance, in the blue haze, peaks sparkling in the sun.

2. Lake Khanka

Lake Khanka is located on the border of the Primorsky Territory of Russia and the Heilongjiang Province of China.

This is the largest freshwater body of water in Far East. Area 4070 km² (at average water level), length 95 km.

24 rivers flow into the lake, and the Sungacha River flows into it.

The international Russian-Chinese Khanka Nature Reserve has been organized on the lake.

Due to its location, it attracts a large number of tourists who can get acquainted with the culture and customs of two countries at once. About 75 species of fish live in the waters of this lake, and even some of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia.

3. Seliger

Seliger is a system of lakes of glacial origin in the Tver and Novgorod regions of Russia. This lake is also called Ostashkovskoye, after the name of the city of Ostashkov, located on the lake shore.

The area of the lake is 260 km². The area of the entire basin is 2275 km².

Seliger receives 110 tributaries, and only one river, Selizharovka, flows out of it.

4. Topozero

Topozero is a crystal clear, deserted lake-sea, one of the largest lakes in Karelia.

It has an area of 986 sq. km, a length of 75.3 km, a width of 30.3 km, 144 islands with a total area of 63 sq. km. Topozero is part of the Kum reservoir system.

The rivers flowing into Topozero are Kizreka, Valazreka, Taka, the rivers flowing out are Pongoma, which flows into the White Sea, and Sofyanga, which flows into Pyaozero.

The nature and landscapes of Topozero are very beautiful. In the wide part of the lake, the opposite shores and chains of islands are hidden behind the horizon, the shores of the lake are often clad in steep rocky embankments, but there are also real harbors with sandy beaches protected by rocks. You can see extensive sandy and rocky shallows and swamps. There are a lot of berries in the swamps and forests: cloudberries, blueberries, blueberries, lingonberries.

Topozero keeps the secrets of history. Once upon a time, hermit monks lived on Zhiloy Island, spreading the Old Believer faith among the residents of villages on the shores of the lake.

The lake is ideal for sailing and kayaking routes. Numerous islands offer tired travelers overnight stops.

Fishing on Topozero is interesting and varied. The long rocky shallows are interesting for those who like to catch grayling; in the bays and lambins there are perch, roach and pike.

5. Raspberry Lake

One of most beautiful places Siberia is Raspberry Lake, Altai region. The reservoir is the largest bitter-salty lake among the Borovye lakes in this region. Its area is 11.4 square kilometers. Raspberry Lake may surprise you with the unusual color of its water. The reason for this is a branchial crustacean called Artemia salina, which lives in it. It produces a pink pigment that, when released into water, colors it. The color changes throughout the year. In spring it is the brightest and most saturated, and in autumn it turns brown. Since ancient times, the crustacean has been considered a food product, but today the crustacean is used only to feed fish fry.

Foreigners who were lucky enough to share a meal with the Great Empress Catherine II were surprised by the unusual pinkish-raspberry salt served to the table. They had never seen such a curiosity anywhere else. And the Russians knew that it was brought from the far-distant Kulunda steppe, located at the foot of Altai mountains. But few could visit those distant places - it was so difficult to get there. There were only legends that there was a huge splashing there. pink lake, after bathing in which, unborn women soon bring babies, and the pockmarked ones become prettier. And in modern world it doesn’t cost anything to get to those parts, so many of our compatriots know for sure about the healing salty waters of Raspberry Lake. It really helps improve women’s health, has a beneficial effect on the skin (rejuvenates and cleanses it), relieves fatigue and muscle pain, treats inflammation, and swimming in the waters of this lake is a pleasure. There are also very beautiful landscapes here, so it’s an excellent place to relax and very popular among Siberians. However, tourists also come here from the European part of the country.

There are very special rivers that do not flow anywhere. There are those that change the direction of the current several times during the day.

Among the snow and ice of the Pamir-Altai, the Zeravshan River originates. Having burst out of the mountains, it spreads through hundreds of canals and thousands of irrigation ditches in the Bukhara and Karakul oases. Like many other rivers in desert areas, it has neither a delta nor a mouth. In other words, Zeravshan does not flow anywhere.

Everyone knows that the water in rivers and lakes is fresh. But there are rivers with salty and sweet water.

A river flows in the north, characterized by very high salinity. That's what they call it - Solyanka. Where did the salt in the river come from? Many millions of years ago, on the site of modern Yakutia there was a huge sea. Then the earth's crust rose and fell, in some places closed lagoons were formed, in which, as a result of increased evaporation, thick layers of salt settled, subsequently covered by limestone. Groundwater seeps through these deposits and, saturated with salt, enters the river.

On Victoria Land in Antarctica, scientists have discovered a lake whose water is 11 times saltier than sea water and can only freeze at a temperature of -50°.

There is a lake called Sweet in the Urals, in Chelyabinsk region. Local residents wash their clothes only in it. Even oil stains can be washed off in water without soap. It has been established that the water in the lake is alkaline. It contains soda and sodium chloride. The presence of these substances gave the water special qualities.

There are “vinegar” rivers and lakes around the globe. The “Vinegar” River flows in Colombia (South America). This is El Rio Vinegre (one of the tributaries of the Cauca River), flowing in the area active volcano Purase. The water of this river contains 1.1% sulfuric and 0.9% hydrochloric acid, so no fish can live in it.

On the island of Sicily there is Lake of Death. Two sources of high concentration acid come from its bottom. This is the “deadest” lake on our planet.

There are rivers that have one common source, but they flow into different directions and often flow into different pools. This a natural phenomenon called river bifurcation. Orinoco River flowing in South America, in the upper reaches it is divided into two. One of them retains the former name Orinoco, flows into Atlantic Ocean, and the other, Casiquiare, flows into the Rio Negro River, a left tributary of the Amazon.

Antarctica has amazing lakes. One of them - Wanda - all year round covered with a thick layer of ice. At the very bottom, at a depth of 60 meters, a layer of salt water with a temperature of +25° was discovered! The mystery is all the more curious because it is believed that there are no hot springs or other sources of heat in the depths of the Earth.

Usually rivers flow into lakes or seas. But there is a river that flows... from the bay into the interior of the mainland. This is the Tadjoura River on the northeast coast of Africa. It flows from the bay of the same name deep into the mainland and flows into Lake Assal.

There is an amazing river in Europe: it flows for six hours to the sea and six hours back. The direction of its flow changes four times a day. This is the Avar (Aviar) river in Greece. Scientists explain the “whims” of the river by level fluctuations Aegean Sea as a result of the ebb and flow of the tides.

"Ink" Lake! It is located in Algeria, near settlement Sidi Bel Abbes. You can write on paper with the water from this lake. Two small rivers flow into the natural “inkwell”. The waters of one of them are rich in iron salts, and the waters of the other are rich in humic substances. They form a liquid similar to ink.

Where does the Kuban River flow? “Of course, to the Sea of Azov,” you say. True, but it turns out that this was not always the case. Even 200 years ago, this river flowed into the Black Sea. It would still flow there now if in 1819 the Cossacks from Staro-Titarovskaya and Temryukovskaya villages had not decided to desalinate the salty Azov estuaries. The Cossacks dug a canal between Kuban and the Akhtanizovsky estuary. But the wayward river “liked” the new channel more than the previous one, and it rushed along it, washed away and widened the banks, carried away everything it encountered on its way, and carried its waters into the Sea of Azov. And the old channel, laid out for the river by nature itself, is overgrown.

The Diala River, which flows through Iraq, was sentenced to death penalty. She was judged by none other than the great Persian king Cyrus. While crossing the Diala, the king lost his “sacred” white horse, which drowned. Angry, Cyrus ordered the digging of 360 canals to divert water from the river. It ceased to exist for a thousand years. Over time, the desert sands dried up and filled with channels, and the river returned to its previous course.

There are many amazing lakes, but nowhere like Mogilnoye. It is located on small island Kildin off the Murmansk coast, slightly east of the entrance to the Kola Bay. The shores of the bay are rocky and steep, but in the southeastern part they go down and form a beautiful bay. Adjacent to it is a lake, separated from the sea by a high sand and pebble bank. The area of the lake is a little more than one square kilometer, the greatest depth is 17 meters. But, despite these modest sizes, the layers of water in it never mix. Vertically, the lake is clearly divided into five “floors”. At the very bottom, the water is saturated with hydrogen sulfide. Above it is a “floor” of red water from many purple bacteria. Then there is a layer of sea water in which dwarf fish live sea fish, sea anemones and starfish. Higher up, the water is brackish - jellyfish and crustaceans, as well as freshwater fish, live here. The top layer is fresh - inhabited by freshwater animals. During high tides, through the wall of sand and pebbles separating the lake from the sea, sea water seeps into the lake. Heavier water - sea - and less heavy - fresh - almost do not mix with each other, since salty water enters the lake from the side, through the shaft, and fresh water - from above, from rains and melting snow.

The water of some salt lakes has healing properties. Lake Duzkan in Turkmenistan is located on the left bank of the Amu Darya, at the western outskirts of the Sayat village. The concentration of the brine solution is so high that it forms a thick crust. In the summer, especially on weekends, on Duzkan, or, as the locals call it, Lake Sayak, hundreds of people take salt baths to treat rheumatism.