Giant meteorite crater lake has mysteriously turned RED overnight – after 50,000 years

A METEORITE crater lake in India has baffled scientists by mysteriously changing colour over night.

Lonar Lake in India’s western Maharashtra state was formed 50,000 years ago and looked green until recent events turned it a reddish pink colour.

The colour change has been blamed on changing salt levels and an increased presence of algae in the water.

Lonar Lake is actually a popular tourist spot located around 310 miles from Mumbai.

Photos of its transformation are now circulating on social media.

The Weather Channel India tweeted alongside a photo: “Maharashtra’s world-famous Lonar Lake – the world’s third biggest formed by a meteorite hit – has mysteriously changed colour from its normal bluish-green to a baby-pink shade.

“The sudden colour change – first noticed by Buldhana Tehsildar Saipan Nadaf – has come after over two decades when it had similarly changed its hue to reddish-pink.

“Lonar Tehsildar Saipan Nadaf said local old-timers and records indicate a similar change in colour around 2000, but it did not grab much attention then.”

The lake may have changed colour before but the transformation is said to have never been this sharp.

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The lake used to look green but it changed colour overnightCredit: AFP or licensors

Water levels decreasing and warmer weather has also helped algae to take over the lake.

The algae in the lake are said to turn red when they get hotter.

Although algae is widely being blamed, officials have taken water samples from the lake to determine the exact cause.

Some experts are also linking reduced human activity due to lockdown in India as a reason for accelerating natural processes at the lake.

We won’t know for sure what caused the change until those scientific results are revealed.

Lonar Lake is classified as a National Geo-heritage Monument and has a maximum length of 6,000 foot and a maximum depth of 490 foot.

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What do you think of this meteorite crater lake mystery? Let us know in the comments…

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