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Mysterious Lake Suddenly Appears In Desert


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Mysterious lake appears in Tunisian desert

The lake appeared in the Tunisian desert like a mirage; one minute there was nothing but scorching sand, the next a large expanse of turquoise water.

For locals, roasting in the 40C heat, the temptation to cool off in the inviting water quickly overcame any fears about the mysterious pool.

Hundreds flocked to what quickly became known as the Lac de Gafsa or Gafsa beach to splash, paddle, dive, and fling themselves from rocks into the lake, ignoring warnings that the water could be contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals, riddled with disease or possibly radioactive. Even after the water turned a murky green, they arrived in droves, undeterred.

"Some say it is a miracle, while others are calling it a curse," Lakhdar Souid, a Tunisian journalist, told France 24 television.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/mysterious-lake-tunisian-desert-turquoise-green-sludge

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Im sure the land developers will move in soon to build 'Holiday Homes' ;)

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I didn't bother to look, but it would be interesting to see if the body of water is on google earth. This reminds me of the mystery disappearing lake in Virginia. It was in the movie Dirty Dancing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Lake_%28Virginia%29

Mountain lake is an interesting and short read int he wiki but that does not cover the disappearing act it has:

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/watersheds/mountainlake.html

Even more unusual is that Mountain Lake completely disappears at times, leaving behind just a lake bottom that becomes a grassy meadow. When Christopher Gist came through the area in 1751 on his way to explore lands claimed by the Ohio Company, he was the first to record the existence of the lake. He wrote in his journal, with the precision of a surveyor recording directions of travel
In 1768, settlers recorded just a spring in a valley with a grassy meadow. It was a good location for watering cattle and providing them salt as a dietary supplement, and the settlers named the location Salt Pond Mountain... but the "missing" lake caused the settlers to question the honesty of Gist's records of his explorations.

Just 17 years later the lake was gone.

The lake has come and gone several times since then and the refilling of the lake is associated with small earthquakes in the area.

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Being a natural phenomena, you can imagine what would have happened in ancient or biblical times if a lake appeared overnight, in the desert, as it did!

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I would air on the side of caution on this one. The old look (or test the water) before you leap adage.

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Yeah, might seem inviting, and I fully understand how that could be.

But, there is a suggested element of danger. Hope that get's figured out.

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Craters in Siberia, lakes in the desert. What's going on?

The water should be easy enough to test for radioactivity.

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"Some say it is a miracle, while others are calling it a curse,"

LOL! I stubbed my toe and the next day this lake appeared. It's evil I tell you, EVIL!

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So those people swimming might become *mutants*

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Possibly contaminated and carcinogenic.... :cry:

Even radioactive maybe! Yikes

"This lake is located in an area rich in phosphate deposits, which leave residue that is sometimes strongly radioactive," said journalist Lakhdar Souid.

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Speaking of disappearing lakes - the Lake Peigneur was not a mystery, but it was a hell of a spectacle.

Look at this gigantic whirlpool taking tugboats and barges with it>>

http://youtu.be/0Wx-c0KW-XU

I don't know why but sinkholes, for me, are alway a bit scary to watch - and especially when its in a lake.

Look at this, the whole, long, trees just effin disappears >>

http://youtu.be/a7cOSzEKvrQ

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So those people swimming might become *mutants*

Tunisia is about to get their version of the X-men.

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Speaking of disappearing lakes - the Lake Peigneur was not a mystery, but it was a hell of a spectacle.

Look at this gigantic whirlpool taking tugboats and barges with it>>

[media=]http://youtu.be/0Wx-c0KW-XU[/media]

I don't know why but sinkholes, for me, are alway a bit scary to watch - and especially when its in a lake.

Look at this, the whole, long, trees just effin disappears >>

This was a scary/interesting clip! Thanks :tu: for sharing!

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Any legitatment responses or ideas lol?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Surely this has to be a ground table of water that has found its way to the surface somehow? That would be my first thought given the clear lack of precipitation or other local water sources that could have flowed in this direction. I definitely wouldn't be swimming in it though! lol :no:

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