Impact crater lake

{{Short description|Lake formed within an impact crater}}

{{Refimprove|date=February 2018}}

File:Manicouagan-EO.JPG, Canada]]

File:Siljan WorldWind.jpg. Lake Siljan is a large part of the southwest edge of the much-eroded crater.]]

File:Lonar Lake.jpg in India]]

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.

Examples

One of the largest impact crater lakes is Lake Manicouagan in Canada; the crater is a multiple-ring structure about {{convert|100|km|-1|abbr=on}} across, with its {{convert|70|km|-1|abbr=on}} diameter inner ring its most prominent feature; it contains a {{convert|70|km|-1|abbr=on}} 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.{{cite web|title=Impact Structures listed by Diameter (Increasing)|url=http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/Diametersort.html|publisher=PASSC|accessdate=6 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708133805/http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/Diametersort.html|archive-date=8 July 2013|url-status=dead}}

List

class="wikitable"

! Lake !! Location

scope="row" colspan="2"| Africa
Lake BosumtwiGhana
Tswaing craterSouth Africa
scope="row" colspan="2"| Asia
KarakulTajikistan
Lake Cheko (possibly created in 1908 with the Tunguska event)Siberia, Russia
Lake El'gygytgynChukotka, Russia
Lonar LakeIndia
scope="row" colspan="2"| Europe
DellenSweden
KarikkoselkäFinland
KeurusselkäFinland
Lake KaaliEstonia
Lake LappajärviFinland
Lake SiljanSweden
Lake YanisyarviKarelia, Russia
MienSweden
Morasko meteorite nature reserve (five of the seven craters contain lakes)Poland
PaasselkäFinland
SääksjärviFinland
Saarijärvi craterFinland
SuvasvesiFinland
scope="row" colspan="2"| North America
Clearwater Lakes (lake-filling paired impact craters: Lac à l'Eau Claire Est, Lac à l'Eau Claire Ouest)Quebec, Canada
Couture craterQuebec, Canada
Gilmour and Tecumseh Lakes, Brent craterOntario, Canada
Gow craterSaskatchewan, Canada
Lake Manicouagan (artificially enlarged by a dam)Quebec, Canada
Lake WanapiteiOntario, Canada
Mistastin craterLabrador, Canada
Pilot craterNorthwest Territories, Canada
Pingualuit crater (formerly called Chubb Crater and later New Quebec Crater)Quebec, Canada
West Hawk LakeManitoba, Canada
scope="row" colspan="2"| Oceania
Acraman crater (ephemeral playa lake)South Australia, Australia
Shoemaker craterWestern Australia, Australia

See also

{{portal|Lakes}}

References

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