126
Sheosar Lake (Pakistan)
Sheosar Lake , lying at 4,142 m MSL, is situated
in Pakistan. It is one of Pakistan’s collection of
stunning Alpine lakes.
Lake Titicaca (Bolivia)
Lake Titicaca, lying at 3,800 m MSL in Bolivia,
is said to be the highest navigable lake in the
world.
Lake of Lovers (Caucasus)
Lake of Lovers , lying at 3,300 m MSL, between
43° 27′ 9.32″ N and 42° 44′ 29.32″ E is a high
alpine lake situated on the southern slope of Mt.
Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains of southern
Russia. This lake is said to be the highest lake in
Europe, using the crest of the Caucasus
Mountains as the watershed divide between
Eastern Europe on the north and Asia on the
south. This lake is said to have been discovered
by Nonie Hodgson of Australia.
Matscherjochsee (Austria)
Matscherjochsee , lying at 3,185 m MSL, between
46° 47′ N and 10° 40′ E, is a small lake on the
mountain pass named Matscherjoch in the
Austrian–Italian Alps. Signifi cant contributions
on this lake had been done by Professor Roland
Psenner of the University of Innsbruck in Austria.
The lake is about 0.8 ha in area.
Schwarzsee ob Soelden (Austria)
Lake Schwarzsee ob Soelden , located at 2,800 m
MSL, is situated high up in the Oetztal Alps in
Austria. This lake is the highest mountain lake in
Europe in which fi sh are found. It is far away
from local sources of pollutant and draws its
water solely from the neighbouring mountain
tops. The pollutants found in the water enter
almost entirely from the atmosphere.
‘Schwarzsee ob Soelden’ means ‘Black
Lake above Soelden’, the main village in
Oetztal. This lake is said to be the classical
‘highest lake in Europe’. Further, Schwarzsee
ob Soelden and Matscherjochsee are close to
the site where Oetzi, the 5,300-year-old ice
man (?), was found in the Tyrolean Alps in
1991.
Ruapehu Crater Lake (New Zealand)
Ruapehu Crater Lake , lying at 2,505 m MSL,
is said to be the highest lake in New Zealand,
unless there is something higher lurking in the
Southern Alps. The lake is situated in the summit crater of Mt. Ruapehu volcano on the North
Island. Mt. Ruapehu itself is 2,797 m MSL
high and has a ski resort on it. The lake has a
width and depth of about 400 m and 600 m,
respectively. Its dimensions change frequently.
The temperature of lake water is usually 6 °C.
The crater lake poses a threat to downstream
populations.
Signifi cant contributions on these lakes had
been made by Dr. Andrew Sturman and Janet
Bray of the Geography Department at the
University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
Lake Cootapatamba (Australia)
Lake Cootapatamba , lying at 2,050 m MSL, is
one of four highest glacial lakes in the Kosciuszko
area in Australia. It is a relatively small and shallow lake, being 3.4 ha in area and 3.1 m deep
(Timms 1992). The fauna of the lake is of interest
because of the presence of Kosciusko endemics
and of other species restricted to the uplands of
southeastern Australia.
Blue Lake (Australia)
Blue Lake , lying at 1,900 m MSL, is in the same
region as Lake Cootapatamba, near Mt.
Kosciusko.
Lakes in Antarctica
The USGS database of Antarctica at http://
geonames.usgs.gov/antform.html lists a number
of frozen lakes in Antarctica. Most of them do
not have elevations listed. But a few of them do.
A small lake at 550 m MSL on the uppermost
Koettlitz bench, situated 0.5 mile east of
Blackwelder Glacier in Victoria Land. It had
been named in recognition of the glacial geomorphological work done in the Koettlitz Glacier
area by Troy L. of the University of Alaska. It
was near this lake that members of the VUWAE,
1960–1961, found a note left by somebody,
reporting observations on glacial erratics (named
by the VUWAE party).
6 Lakes of the World
Sheosar Lake (Pakistan)
Sheosar Lake , lying at 4,142 m MSL, is situated
in Pakistan. It is one of Pakistan’s collection of
stunning Alpine lakes.
Lake Titicaca (Bolivia)
Lake Titicaca, lying at 3,800 m MSL in Bolivia,
is said to be the highest navigable lake in the
world.
Lake of Lovers (Caucasus)
Lake of Lovers , lying at 3,300 m MSL, between
43° 27′ 9.32″ N and 42° 44′ 29.32″ E is a high
alpine lake situated on the southern slope of Mt.
Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains of southern
Russia. This lake is said to be the highest lake in
Europe, using the crest of the Caucasus
Mountains as the watershed divide between
Eastern Europe on the north and Asia on the
south. This lake is said to have been discovered
by Nonie Hodgson of Australia.
Matscherjochsee (Austria)
Matscherjochsee , lying at 3,185 m MSL, between
46° 47′ N and 10° 40′ E, is a small lake on the
mountain pass named Matscherjoch in the
Austrian–Italian Alps. Signifi cant contributions
on this lake had been done by Professor Roland
Psenner of the University of Innsbruck in Austria.
The lake is about 0.8 ha in area.
Schwarzsee ob Soelden (Austria)
Lake Schwarzsee ob Soelden , located at 2,800 m
MSL, is situated high up in the Oetztal Alps in
Austria. This lake is the highest mountain lake in
Europe in which fi sh are found. It is far away
from local sources of pollutant and draws its
water solely from the neighbouring mountain
tops. The pollutants found in the water enter
almost entirely from the atmosphere.
‘Schwarzsee ob Soelden’ means ‘Black
Lake above Soelden’, the main village in
Oetztal. This lake is said to be the classical
‘highest lake in Europe’. Further, Schwarzsee
ob Soelden and Matscherjochsee are close to
the site where Oetzi, the 5,300-year-old ice
man (?), was found in the Tyrolean Alps in
1991.
Ruapehu Crater Lake (New Zealand)
Ruapehu Crater Lake , lying at 2,505 m MSL,
is said to be the highest lake in New Zealand,
unless there is something higher lurking in the
Southern Alps. The lake is situated in the summit crater of Mt. Ruapehu volcano on the North
Island. Mt. Ruapehu itself is 2,797 m MSL
high and has a ski resort on it. The lake has a
width and depth of about 400 m and 600 m,
respectively. Its dimensions change frequently.
The temperature of lake water is usually 6 °C.
The crater lake poses a threat to downstream
populations.
Signifi cant contributions on these lakes had
been made by Dr. Andrew Sturman and Janet
Bray of the Geography Department at the
University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
Lake Cootapatamba (Australia)
Lake Cootapatamba , lying at 2,050 m MSL, is
one of four highest glacial lakes in the Kosciuszko
area in Australia. It is a relatively small and shallow lake, being 3.4 ha in area and 3.1 m deep
(Timms 1992). The fauna of the lake is of interest
because of the presence of Kosciusko endemics
and of other species restricted to the uplands of
southeastern Australia.
Blue Lake (Australia)
Blue Lake , lying at 1,900 m MSL, is in the same
region as Lake Cootapatamba, near Mt.
Kosciusko.
Lakes in Antarctica
The USGS database of Antarctica at http://
geonames.usgs.gov/antform.html lists a number
of frozen lakes in Antarctica. Most of them do
not have elevations listed. But a few of them do.
A small lake at 550 m MSL on the uppermost
Koettlitz bench, situated 0.5 mile east of
Blackwelder Glacier in Victoria Land. It had
been named in recognition of the glacial geomorphological work done in the Koettlitz Glacier
area by Troy L. of the University of Alaska. It
was near this lake that members of the VUWAE,
1960–1961, found a note left by somebody,
reporting observations on glacial erratics (named
by the VUWAE party).
6 Lakes of the World