[meteorite-list] India`s Lonar Impact Crater in Peril
From: drtanuki <drtanuki_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Nov 16 22:38:30 2005 Message-ID: <20051117033828.90166.qmail_at_web53213.mail.yahoo.com> Dear List, This was forwarded to me ; the persons on the list that are interested in impact craters may find this of interest. Best, Dirk Ross...Tokyo > > Lonar's declining salinity cause for worry, say > experts > Correspondent : G. Chandrashekhar > SOURCE : The Indian Express, Wednesday, October 19, > 2005 > > > Pune, October 18: LONAR lake, Buldhana district's > unique geological feature, has fascinated scientists > for decades. The formation of the saline lake has > been widely attributed to a meteor impact. But > recent > studies of the water by scientists from Agharkar > Research Institute (ARI), Pune, say the lake is > losing its unique chemical properties to human > interference. > > Also, the salinity has been decreasing at an > alarming > rate, which may lead to extinction of several > microbial species that thrive in it. ''In 10 years, > the salinity has come down drastically - tenth of > what > it used to be,'' says ARI microbiologist Pradnya > Kanekar. The studies were conducted between > November 1993 and January 2002. > > A concerned Kanekar says the ph rate (which > determines > the acidic or alkaline nature of a substance) has > come > down. ''It will adversely affect > the unique ecosystem of the lake. Many varieties of > halophilic (salt loving) and alkaliphilic (alkaline > system loving) microbes survive in the water. > They will be endangered by the change.'' She warns, > '' > Lonar will become like any freshwater lake in the > region.'' > > The lake is fed by many sweetwater springs that > originate at the top of the hills surrounding the > lake. Kanekar says human interference like removal > of > salt from the lake's bed during summer and pipes > that > discharge fresh water into it could be the reasons > for > the salinity going down. > > Her concern is shared by Geological Survey of > India's > senior deputy director-general (operations) and > Lonar > expert K.G. Bhoskar, who is likely to initiate a new > study. ''Usually, the salinity changes due to rain. > However, if there has been a steady decline in > salinity, it is cause for concern,'' said Bhoskar. > But > there are bureaucratic wheels that will have to > roll. ''We can only make suggestions to the > government > which will have to take appropriate action,'' he > added. > > Lonar's birth > > LONAR is the only crater lake found in basaltic > rock. > It is suspected to have been formed after a meteor > impact. The saline lake is 100 meters deep > with a diameter of 1,830 meters. Studies by GSI > geologists and scientists the world over indicate > that > the lake was formed some 15,000 to 30,000 years > ago. > > Received on Wed 16 Nov 2005 10:38:28 PM PST |
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