Ancient lake reappears in Death Valley after record-breaking rains | California
An ancient lake that disappeared in Death Valley national park after record-breaking rains has reappeared.
The temporary lake, informally known as Lake Manly, has emerged once again at the bottom of the Badwater Basin in California, located 282 ft below sea level. The basin is the lowest point in North America. National Park Service.
Repeated storms from September to November filled the flat with runoff, creating a thin layer of water. This year’s version is smaller and shallower than the one seen two years ago, when the remnants of Hurricane Hilary flooded the area and even briefly made kayaking possible there.
The park was delivered in just two months more rainfall usually more than during a year. According to the National Weather Service, 2.41 inches of rain fell in Death Valley from September through November. Only November brought 1.76 inches, surpassing the 1923 record of 1.7 inches.
Between 128,000 and 186,000 years ago, glaciers covered the Sierra Nevada. Meltwater from these ice sheets fed rivers that flowed into a huge valley lake, the original Lake Manly, which was once approximately 160 km long.
Today, the basin is generally dry and its surface is cracked by the sun and wind. But recent flooding has transformed the desert once again, giving visitors a glimpse of what the desert looked like a thousand years ago.
Experts also warned of broader environmental changes occurring in Death Valley. As temperatures soared to around 130F (54.4C) in recent years, so-called heat tourists flocked to experience the extreme conditions firsthand. Rising temperatures have raised concerns about risks to native plants, birds and wildlife.
More than 2 inches of rain fell in August 2023. single day Previous rainfall records were broken in Death Valley. Flooding washed out the trails and forced the park to close until mid-October. In July of the same year, the valley broke temperature records, reaching temperatures of 128F (53.3C). The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 134F (56.7C) in July 1913 in the same part of the park.
In 2016, a series of storms combined with heavy rains brought a rare super bloom of millions of wildflowers to Death Valley. The National Park Service says it’s too early to predict whether current conditions will cause the yellow bloom to reappear.
