Karakul (Tajikistan)

The karakul or Kara -Kul is a lake in eastern Tajikistan (Central Asia ) in the autonomous province of Gorno-Badakhshan.

Geography

The about 380 square kilometers, septic terminal lake located in the highlands of the Pamir.

There he lies south of the Trans - Alai about 15 km west of the border with the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang, and about 225 km (depending on distance) west of the Chinese city of Kashgar on 4020 m height. The Kara -Kul is surrounded by many high mountains. From the north it is accessible via the Kyzyl -Art Pass ( 4270 m) on the Pamir Highway. At its eastern shore is Karaart.

A large peninsula that spreads from the south coast to the north, and an island, the north it adjoins or is located south of the north coast, divide the lake into two basins of unequal size, the smaller eastern or that only a maximum of 19 m deep, and the larger or Western, which has up to 230 m depth. The average depth is 112 m.

The lake has several tributaries but no outlet, because it is located in a spacious pool.

Ecology

The lake water has due to the lack of runoff a salinity of about 10 g / l and is therefore classified as brackish water. The water temperature in summer to 13 ° C, the pH of the water is 7.3 to 8.0.

It is the only species in the Karakul Lake comes before the Karakul loach ( Noemacheilus lacusnigri ) that can be sized to 5.2 cm. They also inhabited the tributaries of the lake. Fishing is not operated.

Impact crater of a meteorite

The lake is located within a created by a meteorite impact crater, measuring about 52 km in diameter; its age is estimated to be five million years. The impact crater was only discovered in the analysis of satellite images.