A photograph of Lake Vann in eastern Turkey taken by astronauts from the International Space Station has won the NASA “2021 Earth Championship” online poll. The blue vortex and the deep blue water of the lake offer a serene and imaginative view.
In the photo named “Lake Van”, NASA’s Earth Observatory said that Lake Van produces a lot of organic carbon during the spring and fall when plankton and aquatic plants are proliferating. From a bird’s-eye view from space, the lake appears to have several cloudy plumes that look like whirlpools, attracting attention.
Astronaut Kate Rubins took a photo of Lake Vane from the International Space Station on Sept. 12, 2016, which became the subject of an online vote in NASA’s Tournament 2021. This photo was voted “Best Earth Photo” of the year in NASA’s Tournament 2021 online poll.
“A total of 32 photos were selected in four categories for the Tournament Earth 2021, and online voting was open since March 8, with 930,000 people voting in five rounds. Another finalist, “Stars in Motion,” was taken over South America and the South Atlantic Ocean in 2012.
NASA Earth Observatory said that Lake Vann, the world’s largest soda lake, has no outlet and its water disappears due to evaporation, with a pH of 10 and high salinity.
The water of Lake Vann near Ercis is shallow, but other parts of the lake are up to 450 meters deep. Climate change, volcanic eruptions and tectonic activity have caused the lake to drop hundreds of meters over the past 600,000 years.
Alkaline lakes often contain high concentrations of carbonates. The “swirls” and dark blue water, including those in the photo, contain mainly calcium carbonate, detrital material and some organic matter. Lake Vane also contains the largest known deposits of extant microbial rocks.
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