An impact crater lake is a lake inside a depression caused by the impact of a meteor. It is also known as an annular lake in cases where the water body is shaped like a ring, as many impact crater lakes are.
Examples
One of the largest impact crater lakes is Lake Manicouagan in Canada; the crater is a multiple-ring structure about 100 km (60 mi) across, with its 70 km (40 mi) diameter inner ring its most prominent feature; it contains a 70 km (40 mi) diameter annular lake, surrounding an inner island plateau, René-Levasseur Island. It is Earth's sixth-largest confirmed impact crater according to rim-to-rim diameter.[1]
List
| Lake |
Location
|
| Africa
|
| Lake Bosumtwi |
Ghana
|
| Tswaing crater |
South Africa
|
| Asia
|
| Karakul |
Tajikistan
|
| Lake Cheko (possibly created in 1908 with the Tunguska event) |
Siberia, Russia
|
| Lake El'gygytgyn |
Chukotka, Russia
|
| Lonar Lake |
India
|
| Europe
|
| Dellen |
Sweden
|
| Karikkoselkä |
Finland
|
| Keurusselkä |
Finland
|
| Lake Kaali |
Estonia
|
| Lake Lappajärvi |
Finland
|
| Lake Siljan |
Sweden
|
| Lake Yanisyarvi |
Karelia, Russia
|
| Mien |
Sweden
|
| Morasko meteorite nature reserve (five of the seven craters contain lakes) |
Poland
|
| Paasselkä |
Finland
|
| Sääksjärvi |
Finland
|
| Saarijärvi crater |
Finland
|
| Suvasvesi |
Finland
|
| North America
|
| Clearwater Lakes (lake-filling paired impact craters: Lac à l'Eau Claire Est, Lac à l'Eau Claire Ouest) |
Quebec, Canada
|
| Couture crater |
Quebec, Canada
|
| Gilmour and Tecumseh Lakes, Brent crater |
Ontario, Canada
|
| Gow crater |
Saskatchewan, Canada
|
| Lake Manicouagan (artificially enlarged by a dam) |
Quebec, Canada
|
| Lake Wanapitei |
Ontario, Canada
|
| Mistastin crater |
Labrador, Canada
|
| Pilot crater |
Northwest Territories, Canada
|
| Pingualuit crater (formerly called Chubb Crater and later New Quebec Crater) |
Quebec, Canada
|
| West Hawk Lake |
Manitoba, Canada
|
| Oceania
|
| Acraman crater (ephemeral playa lake) |
South Australia, Australia
|
| Shoemaker crater |
Western Australia, Australia
|
See also
References