123
tists to survey the highest lake on earth, dive in its
depths, catalogue the bacteria and algae that live
there and look for extremophiles that can survive
the harsh UV light at 19,000 ft. Dr. Cabrol, further, reports that there is another HA (high) lake
on the Sairecabur volcano nearby. The Sairecabur
lake is seasonal only.
The NASA expeditions in 2002 and 2003
repeatedly measured the summit elevation of
Licancabur at 6,014 m using GPS equipment and
the lake itself at 5,916 m (98 m below the summit). Topographical maps of the Licancabur volcano list a summit altitude of 5,930 m or 5,916 m,
based on an older geographical survey of the
area. Further, the NASA expedition also confi rmed the lake size of 90 m x 70 m. Nathalie
Cabrol recorded a water depth of 5.2 m (17 ft) in
one spot using a handheld sonar device, but that
may not be absolutely the deepest point.
Aguas Calientes Pool (Chile)
Aguas Calientes Pool, lying at 5,831 m MSL, is
in the broad summit crater of the volcano Aguas
Calientes in northern Chile. Some people report
in the following manner: Nestled amongst the
volcanoes of the Central Andes, a shallow crater
lake is present with the summit crater and is
apparently unfrozen.
Ridonglabo Lake (Tibet)
Ridonglabo Lake, lying at 5,801 m MSL, is a
small lake, situated about 1.5 km southwest of
Ridonglabo Peak (6,239 m MSL) in the Tibetan
Himalayas. The lake is situated at about 14 km
northeast of the summit of Mt. Everest. It is actually in a side valley on the northwest side of the
main Karda Valley, just where the Karda Glacier
ends in Karda Lake. The lake has an area of about
3 ha. It is believed that no human being has ever
visited Ridonglabo Lake.
Poquentica Lake (Chile–Bolivia)
Dr. Nathalie Cabrol of NASA Ames reports
that the volcano Poquentica on the Chile–
Bolivia border contains a lake in its summit
crater. The lake is about 200 m by 100 m in
size. Incidentally, the volcano Poquentica is
also known as Puquintica.
Damavand Pool (Iran)
The volcano Damavand in northern Iran has a
small lake or pool (5,650 m MSL) in its summit
crater during the summer.
The summit crater is about 150 m wide and
20 m deep, with a 40-m-diameter frozen lake in
the bottom. Although the summit rises to 5,670 m
above sea level, there is no permanent glacier
because of the dry climate. It appears that
Damavand Pool cannot qualify as a true lake
because it is too small and because it disappears
during the winter. It is not clear if the pool vanishes during the winter because it evaporates
completely and sinks into the soil or because it
freezes solid down to the bottom.
Karda Lake (Tibet)
Karda Lake, lying at 5,643 m MSL, is a glacial
moraine lake at the lower end of the Karda
Glacier, situated just south of Ridonglabo Peak,
about 16 km northeast of Mt. Everest. Karda is
also spelt as Kharda Glacier, Karta Glacier and
Kharta Glacier. The lake was about 300 m wide
by 100 m long in 1925. The lake has advanced
up the valley while the glacier has retreated.
That label ‘Kharta Chu’ refers to the river, not
the pond. There is another lake, named
Ridonglabo Lake, which is now about 400 m
long and 200 m wide.
Thukpe Dzingbu Pool (Tibet)
This lake is also known as Gauri Kund and Tukje
Tso (Tso means lake in Tibetan). The high altitude keeps the lake frozen even in summer
months. This holy lake has very high religious
importance amongst the Hindus and Buddhists.
This lake is situated near Mt. Kailash adjacent to
Drolma-la Pass. This waterbody could be designated as a ‘pool’ because it is too small to meet
the defi nition of a lake.
Panch Pokhari (Nepal)
Panch Pokhari is a group of three sacred lakes,
lying at 5,494 m MSL, about 6 km east of Ama
Dablam (the mountain) in Nepal. However, the
main lake is situated at 5,414 m MSL; while the
other two lakes are situated at 5,430 m and
5,494 m MSL, respectively. Panch Pokhari is
6.9 High Altitude (HA) Lentic Bodies
tists to survey the highest lake on earth, dive in its
depths, catalogue the bacteria and algae that live
there and look for extremophiles that can survive
the harsh UV light at 19,000 ft. Dr. Cabrol, further, reports that there is another HA (high) lake
on the Sairecabur volcano nearby. The Sairecabur
lake is seasonal only.
The NASA expeditions in 2002 and 2003
repeatedly measured the summit elevation of
Licancabur at 6,014 m using GPS equipment and
the lake itself at 5,916 m (98 m below the summit). Topographical maps of the Licancabur volcano list a summit altitude of 5,930 m or 5,916 m,
based on an older geographical survey of the
area. Further, the NASA expedition also confi rmed the lake size of 90 m x 70 m. Nathalie
Cabrol recorded a water depth of 5.2 m (17 ft) in
one spot using a handheld sonar device, but that
may not be absolutely the deepest point.
Aguas Calientes Pool (Chile)
Aguas Calientes Pool, lying at 5,831 m MSL, is
in the broad summit crater of the volcano Aguas
Calientes in northern Chile. Some people report
in the following manner: Nestled amongst the
volcanoes of the Central Andes, a shallow crater
lake is present with the summit crater and is
apparently unfrozen.
Ridonglabo Lake (Tibet)
Ridonglabo Lake, lying at 5,801 m MSL, is a
small lake, situated about 1.5 km southwest of
Ridonglabo Peak (6,239 m MSL) in the Tibetan
Himalayas. The lake is situated at about 14 km
northeast of the summit of Mt. Everest. It is actually in a side valley on the northwest side of the
main Karda Valley, just where the Karda Glacier
ends in Karda Lake. The lake has an area of about
3 ha. It is believed that no human being has ever
visited Ridonglabo Lake.
Poquentica Lake (Chile–Bolivia)
Dr. Nathalie Cabrol of NASA Ames reports
that the volcano Poquentica on the Chile–
Bolivia border contains a lake in its summit
crater. The lake is about 200 m by 100 m in
size. Incidentally, the volcano Poquentica is
also known as Puquintica.
Damavand Pool (Iran)
The volcano Damavand in northern Iran has a
small lake or pool (5,650 m MSL) in its summit
crater during the summer.
The summit crater is about 150 m wide and
20 m deep, with a 40-m-diameter frozen lake in
the bottom. Although the summit rises to 5,670 m
above sea level, there is no permanent glacier
because of the dry climate. It appears that
Damavand Pool cannot qualify as a true lake
because it is too small and because it disappears
during the winter. It is not clear if the pool vanishes during the winter because it evaporates
completely and sinks into the soil or because it
freezes solid down to the bottom.
Karda Lake (Tibet)
Karda Lake, lying at 5,643 m MSL, is a glacial
moraine lake at the lower end of the Karda
Glacier, situated just south of Ridonglabo Peak,
about 16 km northeast of Mt. Everest. Karda is
also spelt as Kharda Glacier, Karta Glacier and
Kharta Glacier. The lake was about 300 m wide
by 100 m long in 1925. The lake has advanced
up the valley while the glacier has retreated.
That label ‘Kharta Chu’ refers to the river, not
the pond. There is another lake, named
Ridonglabo Lake, which is now about 400 m
long and 200 m wide.
Thukpe Dzingbu Pool (Tibet)
This lake is also known as Gauri Kund and Tukje
Tso (Tso means lake in Tibetan). The high altitude keeps the lake frozen even in summer
months. This holy lake has very high religious
importance amongst the Hindus and Buddhists.
This lake is situated near Mt. Kailash adjacent to
Drolma-la Pass. This waterbody could be designated as a ‘pool’ because it is too small to meet
the defi nition of a lake.
Panch Pokhari (Nepal)
Panch Pokhari is a group of three sacred lakes,
lying at 5,494 m MSL, about 6 km east of Ama
Dablam (the mountain) in Nepal. However, the
main lake is situated at 5,414 m MSL; while the
other two lakes are situated at 5,430 m and
5,494 m MSL, respectively. Panch Pokhari is
6.9 High Altitude (HA) Lentic Bodies