Lake Mackay

Lake Mackay
(Wilkinkarra)
Wilkinkarra (Pintupi-Luritja)
From space (November 1989)
Lake Mackay (Wilkinkarra) is located in Australia
Lake Mackay (Wilkinkarra)
Lake Mackay
(Wilkinkarra)
Location on the Northern Territory and Western Australian border
LocationWestern Australia and Northern Territory
Coordinates22°30′S 128°35′E / 22.500°S 128.583°E / -22.500; 128.583
TypeSalt lake
Basin countriesAustralia
Max. length100 km (62 mi)
Max. width100 km (62 mi)
Surface area3,494 km2 (1,349 sq mi)
Map

Lake Mackay, known as Wilkinkarra to the Indigenous Pintupi people, is the largest of hundreds of ephemeral salt lakes scattered throughout the Pilbara and northern parts of the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia[1] and the Northern Territory. It is located on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert.

The lake is the largest in Western Australia and has a surface area of 3,494 square kilometres (1,349 sq mi).[2] Its elevation ranges between 355 m (1,165 ft) and 370 m (1,210 ft) above mean sea-level.[3]

  1. ^ "Largest Waterbodies". Geoscience Australia. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Australian Geoscience - Largest Waterbodies". 2009. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  3. ^ Geoscience Australia elevation data portal