Nature & Environment
Climate Change Didn't Change 'God's Bathtub': Australian Blue Lake Pristine for 7000 Years
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jun 05, 2013 12:26 PM EDT
In a world where so much of nature is affected by humans, it's surprising--if not impossible--to find a section of Earth that's still pristine. Yet researchers have now discovered that a lake in Queensland has been virtually untouched by changes in climate for the past 7,000 years.
The lake, named Blue Lake, is located in the national park on North Stradbroke Island, the second largest sand island in the world. Known for its clear, blue waters, the lake is essentially a climate refuge for numerous species, according to The Australian. It's so pristine that you can see straight to the bottom--35 feet below the surface.
The researchers weren't actually studying whether or not the lake had been affected by climate change. Instead, they were trying to figure out how freshwater systems respond to drought, according to ABC News. During the course of their research, though, they found that there has been little shift in depth, shoreline or water chemistry of Blue Lake for many years.
"To our knowledge, this is the only lake like this in Australia that has shown such stability over such a long period of time," said Cameron Barr, one of the researchers, in an interview with ABC News. "We expected some change, given the magnitude of environmental changes over that period, so it was a surprise to find almost none."
In order to actually make these findings, the researchers studied the lake's water discharge, water quality and comparisons of historical photos over the past 117 years. They also examined fossil pollen and algae in order to better understand the lake's history over the past 7,500 years, according to The Australian.
Despite the fact that the region experienced significant shifts toward a drier climate, Blue Lake has remained virtually the same. In fact, the lake probably provides significant habitat for species escaping surrounding conditions. Yet there's one big reason that the lake has remain unchanged: current. There's a very large current of water that cycles through the body of water and then discharges. This, in turn, allows the lake to get rid of any excess nutrients rather than keeping them stored within its waters.
That said, there are factors that can affect the lake in the future. The increased extraction of groundwater could affect Blue Lake and the surrounding area. Yet with proper conservation efforts, the area could remain unchanged for hundreds of more years to come.
The findings are published in the journal Freshwater Biology.
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First Posted: Jun 05, 2013 12:26 PM EDT
In a world where so much of nature is affected by humans, it's surprising--if not impossible--to find a section of Earth that's still pristine. Yet researchers have now discovered that a lake in Queensland has been virtually untouched by changes in climate for the past 7,000 years.
The lake, named Blue Lake, is located in the national park on North Stradbroke Island, the second largest sand island in the world. Known for its clear, blue waters, the lake is essentially a climate refuge for numerous species, according to The Australian. It's so pristine that you can see straight to the bottom--35 feet below the surface.
The researchers weren't actually studying whether or not the lake had been affected by climate change. Instead, they were trying to figure out how freshwater systems respond to drought, according to ABC News. During the course of their research, though, they found that there has been little shift in depth, shoreline or water chemistry of Blue Lake for many years.
"To our knowledge, this is the only lake like this in Australia that has shown such stability over such a long period of time," said Cameron Barr, one of the researchers, in an interview with ABC News. "We expected some change, given the magnitude of environmental changes over that period, so it was a surprise to find almost none."
In order to actually make these findings, the researchers studied the lake's water discharge, water quality and comparisons of historical photos over the past 117 years. They also examined fossil pollen and algae in order to better understand the lake's history over the past 7,500 years, according to The Australian.
Despite the fact that the region experienced significant shifts toward a drier climate, Blue Lake has remained virtually the same. In fact, the lake probably provides significant habitat for species escaping surrounding conditions. Yet there's one big reason that the lake has remain unchanged: current. There's a very large current of water that cycles through the body of water and then discharges. This, in turn, allows the lake to get rid of any excess nutrients rather than keeping them stored within its waters.
That said, there are factors that can affect the lake in the future. The increased extraction of groundwater could affect Blue Lake and the surrounding area. Yet with proper conservation efforts, the area could remain unchanged for hundreds of more years to come.
The findings are published in the journal Freshwater Biology.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone