Soda Lakes
| Soda Lakes | |
|---|---|
east rim of Big Soda Lake | |
| Location | Churchill County, Nevada, US |
| Coordinates | 39°31′48″N 118°52′12″W / 39.53000°N 118.87000°W |
| Type | meromictic, volcanic crater lake |
| Primary inflows | aquifer |
| Primary outflows | evaporation |
| Max. depth | 207 ft (63 m) |
| Surface elevation | 4,104 ft (1,251 m) |
| References | |
The Soda Lakes are two lakes located northwest of Fallon, Nevada. They occupy two basaltic maar volcano craters which may have erupted in the last 1,500 years. The larger lake, called Soda Lake or Big Soda Lake, is somewhat elongated, stretching 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) in length. The smaller one, Little Soda Lake, is 200 meters (660 ft) across. Considered to be a single volcano, the combined craters are young enough that future activity cannot be ruled out. A geothermal power plant is located on the northeast flank of the volcano.
A significant increase in level of Big Soda Lake occurred in the early 20th century due to increased groundwater table. It became a meromictic lake where the deeper water no longer mixes with surface waters. New tufa formations have served as a rare research example of tufa's rate of growth within a century.