Five percent. This is the volume for which mankind has at least studied the World Ocean. An insignificant amount, which at the moment knocks down the crown of the king of nature from a person - without knowing this very nature, you cannot own it. But the scientific world consoles itself with the fact that the volumes of rivers and lakes have already been calculated to a liter, the depth has been measured, the fauna has been caught and samples of flora have been taken. But here, too, not everything is as smooth as the eminent men from science would like: there are things that they cannot explain rationally, and they give out such ridiculous versions that you are amazed. A similar fate has not passed and a number of lakes, which are very different from other reservoirs.
Erzo
The largest karst lake in the Caucasus, located in the Kudar Gorge (South Ossetia), with a diameter of about a kilometer.
It is not possible to measure the depth - Ertso does not have a constant water level, since it simply disappears every few years. The phenomenon does not at all resemble gradual drying out on hot days, and it is not tied to the time of the year - just at one moment the lake suddenly begins to grow shallow. Scientists believe that the entire volume of water goes into the karst caves of the gorge. Quite a plausible version, if you do not take into account the fact of an equally sharp filling of the reservoir. In a few days, the water takes with it everything that "lies" badly at the bottom - the remains of algae and debris. Animals are not found in Ertso, migratory birds do not land on its surface - apparently, the anomaly is absolutely unpredictable, and even animal instincts cannot predict it. The lake fills up again as quickly as it empties; moreover, the volume of water, which is given by regular rains and melt water from the mountains,clearly not enough for this pace.
Locals call it a ghost lake. Like any landmark, Erzo has its own legend, which partially "explains" the behavior of the water. Once there lived a landowner on the shores of the lake, who brought his peasants to such a need that they rebelled against him and drowned the villain in Ertso. But the spirit of the greedy and vengeful landowner did not drown - being deprived of the opportunity to torment the peasants with tribute, he has been taking water from that time on. True, the legend does not provide an explanation for her return.
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Shimozero
Another unique reservoir (by the way, also from the "breed" of karst lakes) is located in the Vologda region.
Every year the waters of Shimozero drain into the Black Pit - a karst funnel-hole located near one of the banks. Shallowing begins in mid-July, and by November, either a viscous swamp or a small pond remains from a reservoir with an average depth of 4 m. The reverse process begins with the spring melting of snow, and until July the lake is gaining strength: the maximum depth at this moment is 30 m. Unlike Ertso, fish are found in Shimozero: roach, perch and bleak. During the period of water recession, living creatures gather in a small creek on the opposite bank from the Black Pit, and wait there. In mid-July, ripples appear on the surface of Shimozero - vibration becomes a signal for the fish, and it leaves for a safe pool. "Drying out" of the lake does not depend on weather conditions - even if it rains, the water will still go away.
The official hypothesis is still the same - underground karst caves. Ufologists hold a different point of view: UFOs have been noticed many times in the Shimozero area, and enthusiasts believe that the water is used for the needs of aliens. Allegedly, under the reservoir there is an alien laboratory, which once a year replenishes its reserves at the expense of lake waters. None of the parties explains how Shimozero returns to its previous level in a short time.
Wang
3574 sq. M. Middle East Salt Lake km. and a maximum depth of about 450 m.
It is home to the only endemic species of fish of the carp family, which looks like herring, and many organisms accustomed to water with varying degrees of salinity. The area is also famous for its land animal - the Turkish Van cat. The second deepest in the Middle East, the lake has undergone serious research, carried out here in the 90s of the last century. It turned out that 18 thousand years ago there was more water in the lake - its average level exceeded 230 m, and 17 thousand years ago it abruptly disappeared. Scientists made such a conclusion based on the results of drilling. The bulk of the water simply disappeared, leaving only a small volume in the “bottom” depressions as a reminder of itself. Over time, the water flowing into the lake from the mountains and from rivers filled it again, but where it went in the past is unknown. Since the same 90s, the water level in the lake has been gradually increasing,and no meteorological service can name the cause of this phenomenon.
Urmia
Urmia was once one of the world's largest salt lakes. It is located in Iran, and, in fact, is a small sea. 20 years ago, the lake occupied an area of almost 6,000 sq. km.
Urmia is a very significant reservoir, both for the migration of birds and for agricultural activities in nearby settlements, numbering several million people. It is with the latter that scientists associate a strong reduction in the area of the lake … by 2.5 times! The volume of water also decreased enormously, by almost 70%. One could believe that such a huge amount was spent on the needs of agriculture, if not for several large enough rivers that flow into Urmia and replenish its water resources. Until 2013, all attempts by activists to take any action to save the lake ended in failure, and only two years ago the Iranian government adopted the UN program, and it was decided to restore the lake along with its lands.
Tempanos
A pretty lake with an area of about 10 thousand square kilometers, located in Chile, has provided researchers with tremendous food for thought. The lake just disappeared. Limnologists from Santiago were not too lazy, and went on a long enough journey (Tempanos is located 2000 km from the capital) to be convinced of the loss of the lake.
Attempts to attribute the disappearance of the reservoir to an earthquake were unsuccessful - seismologists threw up their hands in response to requests, no tremors were recorded during this period.
The employees of the inspection responsible for the safety of the local flora were also in a state of shock - not a trace of algae remained at the bottom. There weren't even dried stalks. Only in the center of the pit were pieces of ice, since the alpine Tempanos did not have time to completely thaw in the spring. The ubiquitous ufologists sounded the alarm: they say, this UFO stole all the water, and will return. Fortunately, the soil for such reasoning is the sea - the southern part of Chile is rich in eyewitness accounts of flying saucers. And the researchers got the impression that at the bottom of the lake, someone simply pulled out the cork, as if from a huge bathroom. Geologists have found this very "drain" - a crack, through which, with a high probability, the water left. But then what is the volume of the underground reservoir that the whole lake fits there?
Soon Tempanos began to fill again with water flowing down from the glaciers. Apparently, the plug was clogged.
Fresh water is one of the main resources. Scientists will definitely try to get to the bottom (in the literal sense) to the truth in order to find out the nature of the lakes, called ghosts. Thorough research is required, for which it will be necessary to find not only a source of funding, but also to obtain more advanced equipment. The one that the scientific world owns today is unable to cope with this mystery of nature.