| Gaet'ale Pond | |
| Location: | Afar Region, Ethiopia |
| Coordinates: | 14.2133°N 40.3214°W |
| Type: | Hypersaline lake |
| Outflow: | None |
| Length: | 60m (200feet) |
| Width: | 40m (130feet) |
| Salinity: | 433 g/kg |
| Pushpin Map: | Ethiopia |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of the hypersaline lake in Ethiopia. |
Gaet'ale Pond is a small hypersaline lake located near the Dallol crater in the Danakil Depression (Afar Region, Ethiopia). It is located over a hot spring of tectonic origin and has no apparent inlet or outlet streams. The water of Gaet'ale Pond has a salinity of 43%, making it the saltiest water body on Earth.[1]
Gaet'ale Pond is the largest of a series of small ponds located approximately southeast of Dallol springs. It is crescent-shaped with a diameter of about .
According to residents of the nearby village of Ahmed'ela, an earthquake in January 2005 reactivated a thermal spring and the pond was created.[2] For this reason, its temperature of NaNC is hotter than the environment.[3]
The salts in the water of Gaet'ale Pond are mainly composed by calcium chloride at 2.72 mol/kg and magnesium chloride at 1.43 mol/kg. It also contains small amounts of Na+, K+ and ions. The total amount of dissolved solids content is 433 g/kg, or 43.3%. It also contains traces of iron(III) that form a complex with chloride, giving the water a characteristic yellow color.[1]
Bubbles of odourless gas are emitted from the lake surface. It is likely volcanically-produced carbon dioxide. Bird and insect corpses have been found around the pond, and it has been proposed that the gas may be harmful for small animals or humans.[3]