An impact crater lake is a lake inside a depression caused by the impact of a meteor. It is also known as an annular lake in cases where the water body is shaped like a ring, as many impact crater lakes are.
One of the largest impact crater lakes is Lake Manicouagan in Canada; the crater is a multiple-ring structure about 100km (100miles) across, with its 70km (40miles) diameter inner ring its most prominent feature; it contains a 70km (40miles) diameter annular lake, surrounding an inner island plateau, René-Levasseur Island. It is Earth's sixth-largest confirmed impact crater according to rim-to-rim diameter.[1]
| Lake | Location |
|---|---|
| Africa | |
| Ghana | |
| South Africa | |
| Asia | |
| Tajikistan | |
| Lake Cheko (possibly created in 1908 with the Tunguska event) | Siberia, Russia |
| Chukotka, Russia | |
| India | |
| Europe | |
| Sweden | |
| Finland | |
| Finland | |
| Estonia | |
| Finland | |
| Sweden | |
| Karelia, Russia | |
| Sweden | |
| Morasko meteorite nature reserve (five of the seven craters contain lakes) | Poland |
| Finland | |
| Finland | |
| Finland | |
| Finland | |
| North America | |
| Clearwater Lakes (lake-filling paired impact craters: Lac à l'Eau Claire Est, Lac à l'Eau Claire Ouest) | Quebec, Canada |
| Quebec, Canada | |
| Ontario, Canada | |
| Saskatchewan, Canada | |
| Lake Manicouagan (artificially enlarged by a dam) | Quebec, Canada |
| Ontario, Canada | |
| Labrador, Canada | |
| Northwest Territories, Canada | |
| Pingualuit crater (formerly called Chubb Crater and later New Quebec Crater) | Quebec, Canada |
| Manitoba, Canada | |
| Oceania | |
| Acraman crater (ephemeral playa lake) | South Australia, Australia |
| Western Australia, Australia | |