Buzz
This compilation highlights various volcano lakes, which come into existence through different geological processes. One common formation is a crater that fills with water, while another occurs when a volcanic eruption empties its magma chamber, causing the earth above it to collapse and form a large depression known as a caldera, which eventually becomes filled with water. These lakes have all been shaped by explosive events, yet today they stand as beautiful and majestic, with a potential for danger still lingering. Each lake carries its unique story.
10. Ijen Lake
Ijen Lake is a stunning crater lake located in East Java, Indonesia, nestled within a series of stratovolcanoes in the Ijen Volcano. Spanning a width of 1 kilometer, this acidic lake boasts a vibrant turquoise hue. The lake is also a center for sulfur mining, with an active vent on one side that continuously releases sulfur, which is then collected and carried out of the crater in baskets. Molten sulfur is channeled through ceramic pipes, where it solidifies into bright yellow deposits as it cools on the crater floor. [Image Source]
9. Coatepeque Caldera
Coatepeque Caldera is a volcanic caldera located in El Salvador, formed by a series of massive eruptions that occurred around 72,000 and 54,000 years ago. Following these two major eruptions, cinder cones and volcanic domes developed, along with extensive lava flows on the western edge of the caldera. On the eastern side lies a beautiful crater lake known as Lake Coatepeque, covering approximately 26 km², making it one of the largest lakes in El Salvador. The lake's borders are dotted with hot springs, and in the middle of the lake sits Teopan Island, once a significant sacred Mayan site.
8. Lake Towada
Lake Towada, Japan's largest crater lake, ranks as the 12th largest lake in the country. Situated within an active volcanic caldera, the lake was formed after a major eruption around 13,000 years ago. Interestingly, Lake Towada sits in a double caldera, as a subsequent eruption about 5,400 years ago caused another caldera to collapse beneath the lake. The volcano’s eruptive history extends into recorded times, with the most recent eruption occurring around 1,000 years ago, unleashing catastrophic ash and pyroclastic flows that devastated crops and brought a harsh winter, leading to a severe famine.
7. Mount Katmai
Mount Katmai is a complex stratovolcano located on the Alaskan Peninsula in southern Alaska. At its center, it holds a caldera filled with a lake about 4 km in diameter. This caldera was created by the Novarupta eruption of 1912, and its rim rises to a height of 6,716 feet. Little was known about the volcano prior to this monumental eruption, largely due to the inaccessibility of the region, though nearby villages in the 1800s recorded occasional sightings of smoke emanating from the area.
The 1912 eruption of Mount Katmai was one of the two largest eruptions of the 20th century (the other being Mount Pinatubo in 1991). The eruption lasted 60 hours and took place about 6 miles from the mountain, in an active vent. This violent event led to the collapse of the caldera directly within the mountain's crater, forming the crater caldera lake we see today.
6. Laach Lake
Laach Lake, or Laacher See, is a stunning caldera lake, measuring about 9 km in diameter. It is located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, not far from the towns of Koblenz (24 km), Bonn (37 km), Andernach (8 km), and Mayen (11 km), and just 8 km from the Rhine River. The caldera was formed by the catastrophic Laacher See eruption, which took place around 12,900 years ago. The eruption released around 6 km³ of magma and sent nearly 16 km³ of tephra into the atmosphere. With a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6, it was comparable to the massive eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, which ejected less than 10 km³ of tephra. The Laacher See eruption triggered a period of global cooling, and tephra from the event can still be found throughout Europe, bringing with it rare minerals in the surrounding area.
5. Lake Taupo
Lake Taupo is located on New Zealand's North Island and holds the title of the country's largest lake. Spanning an area of approximately 616 km², it is believed to have formed about 26,500 years ago. The eruption that led to the creation of Lake Taupo is the largest known eruption in the past 69,000 years, with a VEI of 8. It released around 1,170 km³ of material into the atmosphere, resulting in the collapse of the caldera that formed the lake. Following this, the volcano erupted roughly 27 times, with the most recent major eruption occurring around 180 CE, releasing 30 km³ of material in just 5 minutes, at a VEI 7. The eruption's column would have been twice as high as that of the Mount St. Helens eruption, and historical accounts from China and Rome mention the sky turning red. Although the volcano is now considered dormant, it is likely to awaken after several centuries.
4. Lake Toba
Lake Toba is a massive caldera lake located on Sumatra Island in Indonesia. Stretching over 100 km in length and 30 km in width, it holds the distinction of being Indonesia's largest lake as well as the largest volcanic lake in the world. The lake was formed around 70,000 years ago following a colossal eruption of a supervolcano in the largest volcanic explosion seen in at least 25 million years. With a VEI rating of 8, the eruption triggered a global winter that wiped out much of the human population at the time, creating a population bottleneck in Central and Eastern Africa and India. This event has had a lasting impact on the genetic diversity of humans today.
3. Lake Nyos
Lake Nyos is a 2 km long crater lake located in the northwestern region of Cameroon. Beneath the lake lies a magma chamber that continually releases carbon dioxide into the water, converting it into carbonic acid. Over millennia, this process has led to the lake becoming saturated with carbon dioxide. On August 2, 1986, a landslide triggered the sudden release of 1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, sending it rising at speeds of around 100 km per hour and spilling over the lake's edge. The resulting cloud suffocated over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock within a 25 km radius. This tragic event marked the first known instance of mass asphyxiation caused by a natural disaster. Following this, Lake Nyos was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most dangerous lake, and scientists continue to work on methods to safely degas the lake.
+ Lava Lakes
Although not technically lakes in the traditional sense, lava lakes are still of volcanic origin and hold a unique fascination. As such, I decided to include them as a bonus in this list.
A lava lake is a rare phenomenon that can occur in three distinct ways: either a new vent erupts just enough lava to partially fill an existing crater, lava flows into a depression, or a vent erupts continuously for weeks, eventually forming a crater around itself. The outcome is a lake of molten lava. Currently, there are only five known lava lakes on Earth: Erta Ale in Ethiopia, Mount Erebus in Antarctica, Kīlauea in Hawaii, Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Marum on Ambrym Island in Vanuatu.
2. Heaven Lake
Heaven Lake, located on the border between China and North Korea, sits within a caldera and spans approximately 9.82 km². This breathtakingly beautiful lake is typically covered in ice from October to June. It is also the site of a legendary creature known as the Lake Tianchi Monster. The first reported sighting occurred in 1903, when a buffalo-like creature allegedly attacked three people before retreating into the lake after being shot multiple times. In 1962, a man using a telescope claimed to have seen two creatures chasing each other in the water, a sighting that was corroborated by hundreds of others on the same day. Over the years, descriptions of the monster have evolved, with some claiming it had a human-like head atop a 1.5-meter-long neck, a white ring at the base of the neck, and gray skin. In 2007, a reporter named Zhuo Yongsheng released a 20-minute video showing six unidentified creatures swimming in the lake, capturing frames that depicted these creatures interacting for nearly an hour before retreating underwater.
1. Crater Lake
Crater Lake, located in southern-central Oregon, USA, is a striking caldera lake, famous for its intense blue hue and crystal-clear waters. It lies within Crater Lake National Park and stands as one of the cleanest water bodies in the country, with an extraordinary clarity record of 43.3 meters. Formed over 7,700 years ago after a catastrophic eruption of Mount Mazama, the lake has become a significant symbol in Klamath tribe mythology. Their stories speak of a fierce battle between Skell, the sky god, and Llao, the underworld god, during which Mount Mazama was destroyed, and Crater Lake came to exist. The lake remains sacred to the Klamath tribe, who also regard the floating stump of “Old Man of the Lake,” a tree preserved by the lake’s cold waters, as an iconic feature.
Champagne Pool is a stunning geothermal hot spring located in the Wai-O-Tapu geothermal area in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region. Its effervescent nature, caused by a constant release of carbon dioxide, gives it a bubbly appearance, earning it the name ‘Champagne Pool.’ Formed around 900 years ago after a hydrothermal eruption, this geothermal feature is relatively young in geological terms. The pool’s crater spans 65 meters (213 feet) in diameter and reaches a maximum depth of approximately 62 meters (203 feet). The water is filled with an estimated 50,000 cubic meters of geothermal fluid. Its distinctive orange tint along the edges is due to the accumulation of arsenic deposits.
Located within New Zealand's Wai-O-Tapu geothermal area, Champagne Pool is a geothermal wonder formed by a volcanic eruption approximately 900 years ago. The name ‘Champagne Pool’ comes from the continuous release of carbon dioxide, which gives the water a bubbly, effervescent quality. The pool’s diameter is 65 meters (213 feet), and its maximum depth reaches 62 meters (203 feet). With a geothermal fluid volume of about 50,000 cubic meters, the pool is one of the most notable features in the region. The striking orange hue that surrounds the pool's edges is the result of arsenic deposits.
