News: Iran has used cloud-seeding over the Urmia Lake basin to address the country’s severe drought.
About Lake Urmia
- Location: It is a large oligotrophic and extremely hypersaline lake located in Iran.
- It lies in the Armenian Highlands, between the provinces of Azerbaijan in Iran and west of the southern portion of the Caspian Sea
- It is the largest lake in the Middle East and the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth.
- The lake is surrounded by mountains in the west and north, and plateaus in the south and east.
- Feeding rivers: The inflow of water in the lake is from rivers like the Talkheh, Zarīneh, and Sīmīneh.
- Area: The lake covers an area ranging from 2,000 to 2,300 square miles.
- Elevation: It lies at an elevation of 4,183 feet (1,275 meters) above sea level.
- Protection status: The Lake, along with its 102 islands were protected to create Urmia Lake National Park in 1975.
- Features
- Lake Urmia is known for its extremely salty water, which is one-fourth as salty as the Dead Sea.
- Main salts in the lake are chlorine, sodium, and sulfates.
- A unique feature of Lake Urmia is its changing colors in certain seasons.
- The high salinity and microscopic activities cause the water to turn red and orange, creating a striking landscape.
- The lake also has impressive salt dunes, adding to its natural beauty.
- Lake Urmia is known for its extremely salty water, which is one-fourth as salty as the Dead Sea.
- Threats: Fluctuating water levels and reduced inflow due to climate change, water diversion, and human activity have raised concerns about the lake’s future sustainability.
