- Average depth: 8.6 m
- Greatest depth: 37 m
- Area: 450 square meters. km
- Elevation above sea level: 243 m
- The falling river: Avash
Lake Abbe is one of eight reservoirs located on the border between Ethiopia and Djibouti. It is the last and greatest of all. Abbe is famous for its quaint limestone columns, some of them reach a height of 50 m. These unearthly landscapes attract not only tourists but also cinematographers.
General information
Lake Abbe is one of eight reservoirs located on the border between Ethiopia and Djibouti. It is the last and greatest of all. Abbe is famous for its quaint limestone columns, some of them reach a height of 50 m. These unearthly landscapes attract not only tourists but also cinematographers.
General information
The surroundings of Lake Abbe are one of the hottest places on the planet, so the reservoir and the surrounding area are a dry desert landscape. Around only stones and clay. The average daily temperature in winter is +33 ° C, in summer - + 40 ° C. The peak of precipitation falls on summer time, the maximum amount of precipitation is 40 mm per month.
Lake Abbe is replenished by the Awash River, but its main source is the seasonal streams that pass through the salt deposits. The total area of the lake mirror is 320 square meters. km, and the maximum depth is 37 m.
What attracts Lake Abbe?
The reservoir is primarily interesting for its fantastic landscapes. The lake rises above sea level at 243 m. Next to it is the extinct volcano Dama Ali. The Abbe lake itself is located in the Afar Fault basin. In this place, three plates repel each other. Cracks appear in their thinnest places. An unusual and even fantastic landscape is added by limestone columns, which are called chimneys. Through the thin places in the plates, hot springs break through, and along with it calcium carbonate, which lingers on the surface and creates these columns. Some nozzles release steam, which adds to the scenery of surrealism.
Animal world
At first glance, it may seem that life on Lake Abbe is missing, but, to the surprise of tourists, there is an interesting fauna here. In winter, near the pond there is a large number of flamingos, and throughout the year you can always see the following animals:
- Thomson's gazelles;
- dikdikov (small antelopes);
- warthogs.
To the lake Abbe lead livestock livestock - donkeys and camels.
Interesting facts about the pond
Planning a trip to the lake, it will be interesting to learn some facts about him that will enhance the emotions from the excursion:
- Lake Abbe was three times more. Even 60 years ago its area was about 1000 square meters. km, and the water level is 5 m higher. In the 50s of the last century, the river that fed Abbe was used to irrigate fields during the drought period, so almost no water entered the lake. Thus, today's tourists, walking around the lake, walk on the land, which most recently was the bottom of Abbe.
- A new ocean. Scientists believe that after a few million years the Indian Ocean will break through the mountains and flood the depression formed in the Afar fault, where the lake is located. This will significantly change the relief of the mainland, turning the Horn of Africa into a huge island.
How to get there?
Lake Abbe is located far from populated areas, therefore it is not possible to get by buses. You can come to the lake only by off-road vehicle. The nearest city is Asayita, it is 80 km from Abbe. There is no asphalt road, so you'll need to arm yourself with a map and a compass.
The easiest way to get to the place in the tourist group. You can order a tour in Djibouti.