The natron, which was used in Egyptian mummifi cation, helps to preserve their bodies, causing eerie stone-like fi gures to occasionally wash up onto the shore. The Lake’s alkalinity reaches a pH of more than 12, making the surrounding bedrock composed of alkaline, sodium-dominated trachyte lavas that were laid down during the Pleistocene period. Only one species of fish, the tilapia, is tough enough to live in the lake, but most other animals that venture into the water will die and become encrusted with salts when water levels drop. Natron Lake has high levels of evaporation left behind natron, and trona (sodium, carbonate, decahydrate, sesquicarbonate dehydrate). The lake’s distinctive colour comes from the microorganisms that thrive on the salt within, but there aren’t many other creatures that can survive these extreme conditions. The water is also a very warm 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees ahrenheit), but can sometimes reach a scolding 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit). In fact, Lake Natron was originally a much larger freshwater lake, but as the hot, dry climate evaporated much of the water, it shrank and became very salty.

The lake’s salt crust changes colour from red to pink or orange depending on the microorganisms present.Īdditional salts are also fed into the lake from nearby hot springs, and because the lake has no outlet, it is all left behind as the water evaporates.

Ph of lake natron