Rift Valley lakes
The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the East African Rift that runs north-south through the eastern side of the African continent from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south. These lakes include some of the oldest, largest, and deepest lakes in the world. Many are freshwater ecoregions of great biodiversity, while others are alkaline "soda lakes" supporting highly specialised organisms.
The Rift Valley lakes are well known for the evolution of at least 800 cichlid fish species that live in their waters. More species are expected to be discovered.[1]
The World Wildlife Fund has designated these lakes as one of its Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation.
In this article, the major lakes are listed, generally in order from north to south, and more detailed articles on each lake can be accessed through the linked names.
Contents
Geology
The East African Rift came into being approximately 40 million years ago as the African tectonic plate began to split.[citation needed] Lakes such as Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika have formed in the various valleys of the rift zone, including the huge Lake Victoria.
Ecology
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Although these lakes contribute comparatively little greenhouse gas emission, there is a need to reduce the deforestation rate of surrounding areas and restore cleared areas. These forests provide carbon sinks for greenhouse gases and, therefore, mitigate climatic changes.
Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes
The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are the northernmost of the African Rift Valley lakes. In central Ethiopia the Great Rift Valley splits the Ethiopian highlands into northern and southern halves, and the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes occupy the floor of the rift valley between the two highlands. Most of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes do not have an outlet, and most are alkaline. Although the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes are of great importance to Ethiopia's economy, as well as being essential to the survival of the local people, there were no intensive and extensive limnological studies undertaken of these lakes until recently.[2]
The major ones are
- Lake Abaya (areal extent 1,162 square kilometres (449 sq mi), elevation 1,285 metres (4,216 ft), maximum depth 13.1 metres (43 ft)), the largest Ethiopian Rift Valley lake
- Lake Chamo (areal extent 551 square kilometres (213 sq mi), elevation 1,235 metres (4,052 ft), maximum depth 14 metres (46 ft))
- Lake Zway or Dambal (areal extent 485 square kilometres (187 sq mi), elevation 1,636 metres (5,367 ft), maximum depth 8.9 metres (29 ft))
- Lake Shala (areal extent 329 square kilometres (127 sq mi), elevation 1,558 metres (5,112 ft), maximum depth 266 metres (873 ft)), the deepest Ethiopian Rift Valley lake
- Koka Reservoir (areal extent 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi), elevation 1,590 metres (5,220 ft), maximum depth not listed)
- Lake Langano (areal extent 230 square kilometres (89 sq mi), elevation 1,585 metres (5,200 ft), maximum depth 46 metres (151 ft))
- Lake Abijatta (areal extent 205 square kilometres (79 sq mi), elevation 1,573 metres (5,161 ft), maximum depth 14 metres (46 ft))
- Lake Awasa (areal extent 129 square kilometres (50 sq mi), elevation 1,708 metres (5,604 ft), maximum depth 10 metres (33 ft))
Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, lies in the Ethiopian highlands north of the Rift Valley; however, it is not a Rift Valley lake.[3]
Eastern Rift Valley lakes (Kenya and Tanzania)
South of the Ethiopian highlands, the rift valley splits into two major troughs. The Eastern Rift is home to the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, while most of the Central African Rift Valley lakes lie in the Western Rift. The Kenyan section of the Rift Valley is home to eight lakes, of which 3 are freshwater and the rest alkaline. Of the latter, the shallow soda lakes of the Eastern Rift Valley have crystallised salt turning the shores white, and are famous for the large flocks of flamingo that feed on crustaceans.
- Lake Turkana (6405 km2, elevation 360 m, freshwater) is the largest of the Kenyan lakes, on the border of Kenya and Ethiopia.
- Lake Logipi is a shallow hot-spring fed soda lake in the Suguta Valley just south of Lake Turkana.
- Lake Baringo (80 sq miles, elevation 1000 m) freshwater, second largest of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes,
- Lake Bogoria (34 km2, elevation 990 m) shallow soda lake, a national preserve
- Lake Nakuru (40 km2, elevation 1759 m) shallow soda lake, has been a national park since 1968
- Lake Elmenteita, shallow soda lake
- Lake Naivasha (160 km2 – varies somewhat with rainfall, elevation 1,890 m), freshwater lake, is the highest in this group.
- Lake Magadi, shallow soda lake near the southern border with Tanzania.
The Tanzanian section of this group has alkaline lakes:
- Lake Natron, shallow soda lake which has categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as the East African halophytics ecoregion.
- Lake Manyara,
- Lake Eyasi, shallow soda lake
- Lake Makati, shallow soda lake
Western or Albertine Rift Valley lakes
The lakes of the Western or Albertine Rift, with Lake Victoria, include the largest, deepest and oldest of the Rift Valley Lakes. They are also referred to as the Central African lakes. Lakes Albert, Victoria, and Edward are part of the Nile River basin.
Lake Victoria (elevation 1134 m), with an area of 68,800 km2, is the largest lake in Africa. It is not in the rift valley; it occupies a depression between the eastern and western rifts, formed by the uplift of the rifts to either side. Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi are sometimes collectively known as the African Great Lakes.
The Western Rift Valley lakes are fresh water and home to an extraordinary number of species. Approximately 1,500 cichlid fish (Cichlidae) species live in the lakes. In addition to the cichlids, populations of Clariidae, Claroteidae, Mochokidae, Poeciliidae, Mastacembelidae, Centropomidae, Cyprinidae, Clupeidae and other fish families are found in these lakes. They are also important habitats for a number of amphibian species, including Amietophrynus kisoloensis, Bufo keringyagae, Cardioglossa cyaneospila, and Nectophryne batesii.
- Lake Albert (5300 km2, elevation 615 m) is the northernmost lake in the western rift.
- Lake Edward (2325 km2, elevation 912 m) drains north into Lake Albert
- Lake Kivu (2220 km2, elevation 1460 m) empties into Lake Tanganyika via the Ruzizi River.
- Lake Tanganyika (32,000 km2, elevation 773 m) is the largest and deepest of the Rift Valley lakes (more than 1400 m), and is the second deepest fresh water lake on the planet (after Lake Baikal).[1] Below roughly 200 m depth, its water is anoxic, and devoid of life besides anoxic bacteria.[3] It is very sensitive to climate.[4] It is part of the Congo River basin, feeding into the River Congo via the Lukuga River.
Southern Rift Valley lakes
The Southern Rift Valley lakes are like the Western Rift Valley lakes in that, with one exception, they are freshwater lakes.
- Lake Rukwa (about 5670 km2 but quite variable) in Tanzania is the alkaline exception, lying south-east of Tanganyika, and has no outlet.
- Lake Malawi (30,000 km2, elevation 500 m), the second largest and second deepest of the Rift Valley lakes at over 700 m, is drained by the Shire River, a tributary of the Zambezi River. Also known as Lake Nyasa.
- Lake Malombe (450 km2) is on the Shire River
- Lake Chilwa (1750 km2, elevation 622 m) has no outlet but extensive wetlands. It is the southernmost of the Rift Valley lakes.
Other lakes of the Great Rift Valley
- Lake Mweru (5120 km2,[5] elevation 922 m) lies in the Lake Mweru-Luapula graben which is a branch off the Albertine rift.
- Lake Mweru Wantipa (1500 km2, elevation 930 m) is a marshy lake between lakes Tanganyika and Mweru, and is endorheic but may overflow into Lake Mweru at times of very high flood.
References
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Hydrobiologia, 407: 45-58 Limnological annual cycle inferred from physical-chemical fluctuations at three stations of Lake Tanganyika. Plisnier P.-D., Chitamwebwa D., Mwape L., Tshibangu K., Langenberg V. and E. Coenen 1999.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A%3A1003762119873
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
