Lake Meke

Lake Meke
Meke Gölü (Turkish)
Lake Meke with volcanic cone inside
Lake Meke is located in Turkey
Lake Meke
Lake Meke
Location of Lake Meke in Turkey.
LocationKarapınar, Konya Province
Coordinates37°41′07″N 33°38′28″E / 37.68528°N 33.64111°E / 37.68528; 33.64111
Lake typeVolcanic crater lake
Basin countriesTurkey
Max. length800 m (2,600 ft)
Max. width500 m (1,600 ft)
Average depth12 m (39 ft)
Surface elevation981 m (3,219 ft)
Official nameMeke Maar
Designated21 July 2005
Reference no.1618[1]

Lake Meke (Turkish: Meke Gölü) is a volcanic crater lake composed of two nested lakes located in Konya Province, central Turkey. It is a registered natural monument of the country and a Ramsar site. Lake Meke is located in Karapınar district of Konya Province. It is 9 km (5.6 mi) away from Karapınar, and 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the Konya-Adana highway E981.[2]

It was formed by the flooding of the crater of an extinct volcano, which took shape about 4 million years ago when the volcano erupted.[citation needed] About 9,000 years ago, a second eruption formed another volcanic cone inside the lake with a maar. Lake Meke now consists of two lakes with various islets. It is 800 m (2,600 ft) long and 500 m (1,600 ft) wide with a depth of 12 m (39 ft). The inner lake inside the 50 m (160 ft)-high volcanic cone is 25 m (82 ft) deep, and contains saline water. The volcanic cone island resisted erosion by the harsh weather conditions due to its massive material, and has retained its form for thousands of years.[2]

  1. ^ "Meke Maar". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference tsa1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).