This is one of the most beautiful and astronomical places that has ever existed in the country. also, this is one of the most unique lakes in India. you might be wondering why the lake is unique right? Those who think that this is just a lake like another then they are absolutely wrong. Actually, this lake formed later but it was a crater first. Yeah, right. Meanwhile, the craters are like on the Moon, the same as on earth. let me give you a minute to digest the fact, that it is real. Well, the story behind this lake is so beautiful and this definitely makes you fall in love with its beauty.
This Lonar crater lake in India is the third largest crater formation in the world. The lake is situated in the bulandh district of Maharashtra. As the water filled up in the crater, it makes it a one-of-a-kind travel spot in the world. The lake spreads across 113 hectares of land. Even the research studies revealed that the minerals found in the Lonar Lake soil are very similar to those found in the rocks and soil from Moon brought back during the Apollo Program.
There is no surprise that this crater lake formed Some 52,000 years ago or so when a huge asteroid hit the lands in Bulandh district in Maharashtra making it the third largest crater formation in the world. To this date, it is logged as the world’s largest basaltic impact crater. This crater is a result of a meteor striking the surface of the earth, the Lonar Lake is one of Maharashtra’s best-kept secrets. For perspective, the meteor weighed 2 million tons and was traveling at an estimated speed of 90,000 mph. The diameter of the crater is approximately 3900 ft or 1.2 km. The oval shape represents the fact that the asteroid hit the area at an angle of 30-40 degrees.
Previously, over many years Lonar Crater was thought to be volcanic in origin, due to its location in a basalt field made from volcanic rock dating back to 65 million years. However, the presence of maskelynite, a glass that is only formed from high-velocity impact, points towards its extraterrestrial origin.
Lonar Crater is inside the Deccan Plateau which is a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions some 65 million years ago. Its location in this basalt field previously said it was a volcanic crater. Today, the Lonar Crater is the result of a meteorite impact that we are seeing. The water present in the lake is both saline and alkaline.
Lonar Lake was created by the impact of a comet or an asteroid. The presence of plagioclase that long has converted into maskelynite or contains planar deformation features confirmed the impact origin of this crater. The presence of impact deformation of basalt layers comprising the rim, of shocked breccia which is inside the crater of shatter cones, and of the non-volcanic ejecta blanket surrounding the crater all supports the impact origin of Lonar Lake. Well, Earlier thermoluminescence analyses gave a result that the crater was formed 52,000 years, while a recent argon-argon dating study revealed that the crater is much older; it could be 570 000 ± 47 000 years old. This old age is in line with the degree of erosion of the crater rim.
If you have heard about Ambar Lake, there is a small circular depression at a distance of around 700 m from the main lake, believed to be caused by a fragment of the main meteor. There is a Hanuman temple near this lake, and the idol made up of rock is said to be highly magnetic. The water from Ambar Lake is being cleared out by the local farmers. This lake is also called Chhota (little) Lonar.
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If we talk about the lake ecosystem, then The site has 160 birds, 46 reptiles, and 12 mammal species. Resident and migratory birds such as black-winged stilts, grebes, red-wattled lapwings, shelducks or European migrants, shovelers, herons, brahminy ducks, teals, rollers or blue jays, baya weavers, parakeets, hoopoes, larks, tailorbirds, magpies, robins, and swallows are found on the lakeside. Among reptiles, the monitor lizard is the prominent reptile there. The lake is also the home of thousands of chinkara, peafowls, and gazelles. The area of 3.83 km2 (1.48 sq mi) was declared as Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary by the government on 20 November 2015.
