Gaet’ale pond is the saltiest, naturally-occurring water body on earth with salinity of 43%. Located near the Dallol Crater in the Danakil Depression (Afar, Ethiopia), the pond is situated over a thermal spring. Roughly semi-circular with a diameter of about 197 feet, it was formed after an earthquake. The water in Gaet’ale Pond is more than 12 times saltier than the water in the world’s oceans, which have a salinity of approximately 3.5%
One such feature is Gaet’ale Pond, the largest of a series of small bodies of water a few miles from Dallol, one of the hottest inhabited locations on Earth. The roughly semi-circular lake has a diameter of about 197 feet. According to locals, it was formed after an earthquake in January 2005.
Despite its balmy 122-to-155-degree Fahrenheit temperature, Gaet’ale Pond is certainly not the place for a hot dip in the water. It often belches out toxic gases, as evidenced by the dead insects and birds often found near its shores, and researchers consider it a dangerous—and potentially lethal—health hazard for human visitors.
Picture Credit : Google