Red Lake (Croatia)

Red Lake
Crveno Jezero (Croatian)
Location of Red Lake in Croatia.
Location of Red Lake in Croatia.
Red Lake
Coordinates43°27′11″N 17°11′48″E / 43.45306°N 17.19667°E / 43.45306; 17.19667
Typeformer cave
Basin countriesCroatia
Surface area2.7 hectares (6.7 acres)[1]
Average depth245 m (804 ft)
Max. depth287 metres (942 ft)
Surface elevation522 m (1,713 ft)
SettlementsImotski

Red Lake (Croatian: Crveno jezero) is a sinkhole containing a karst lake near the city of Imotski, Croatia. It is known for its numerous caves and high cliffs, reaching over 241 metres (791 ft) above normal water level and continuing below the water level. The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 530 metres (1,740 ft) with a volume of roughly 25–30 million cubic metres,[2] thus it is the third largest sinkhole in the world.[2] Water drains out of the basin through underground waterways that descend below the level of the lake floor. The deepest known point of the lake is 4 metres (13 ft) below sea level.[1]

The sinkhole is named after the reddish-brown colour of the surrounding cliffs,[3] coloured by iron oxides.

Like the nearby Blue Lake, it is presumed that the lake emerged when the ceiling of a large cave hall collapsed.[3]

The lake is inhabited with endemic and endangered spotted minnow (Delminichthys adspersus)[4] and Imotski spined loach (Cobitis illyrica).[5][6] In the dry period of the year, this fish can be occasionally seen in surrounding springs, rivers and lakes, suggesting that there is an underground connection between Red Lake and other water bodies.[2]

At the 13th International Congress of Speleology in 2001, new findings were revealed. An inflow cave-shaped canal that measured approximately 30 × 30 metres was discovered in the eastern part of the lake at a depth of 175 metres (574 ft).[7]

References

  1. ^ a b Ozimec, Jalžić & Jelić 2017, p. 36.
  2. ^ a b c "Crveno Jezero - Red Lake". Wondermondo.
  3. ^ a b "Natural beauties". Split and Dalmatia county Tourist Board. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
  4. ^ Ozimec, Jalžić & Jelić 2017, p. 38.
  5. ^ Ćosić, Braco (14 October 2022). "Na dnu Crvenog jezera u Imotskom u zamke živolovke uhvaćeni prvi špiljski organizmi!". slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Cobitis illyrica". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ^ Garasic, Mladen (2001). "New Speleohydrogeological Research of Crveno jezero (Red Lake) near Imotski in Dinaric Karst Area (Croatia, Europe) - International speleodiving expedition "Crveno jezero 98"" (PDF). Croatian Speleological Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2015-11-24.

Sources