Karakul Lake

Karakul lake

Karakul lake spread its waters in Markansu valley - one of the most driest place in Central Asia. Surrounded by high mountains which block humid air masses the valley has less than 30mm of precipitation a year which is 3 times less than in Karakoram desert. Fluctuation of temperatures is a usual thing for desserts and in Karakul lake they are just incredible. The temperature measurement taken between 1933 and 1934 shows there were only 15 frost-free days and by latest observations it is known that 67 of 100 years had no frost free periods at all.

  Karakul is kyrgyz for 'black lake' and its indeed looks black when the sun is hidden by clouds.It has an area of 380 sq km and lies at the altitude of 3914 metres above sea level. Its the most highest lake in the world excluding those in Tibet and even Titicaca lake -the biggest alpine lake in the world is located on lower altitudes. The lake has 2 basins separated by a peninsula from the south and an island in the north.The island is 8 km long and 4 km wide. The strait between them is 1 km wide. East side is 22,5 metres deep, while west basin deepest point is 236 m. 

Karakuls water level is now much lower than before, but this fact also applies to many other closed lakes of Inner Asia. N. Korjenevskiy noted that before Karakul lake was at least 60 metres above the present level. But even 37 metres is enough to create an outflow on the south where the valley ends up with flat pass towards Kokuibel valley. This means the lake was much bigger in the past and had an outflow that feed Pyanj and finally Amudaria River known in the west as Oxus. Its not exactly known when the lake had an outflow, should be an ice age, when glaciers were on much lower altitudes and some of them flow down the lake. Later the lakes territory reduced, the depths diminished, the lake lost its outflow and finally became salty.