The photo of a heart-shaped lake may seem like Photoshop at first glance, but scientists assure that it is quite real and its history is very sad.
Every year in February, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, a photo of a heart-shaped lake begins to “walk” on social networks – many assume that this is Photoshop, but scientists assure that the reservoir is quite real and truly IFLScience writes that it resembles “Valentine’s Day”.
Spirit Lake, also known as the Lake of Souls, is truly heart-shaped; Scientists have presented many satellite photographs as evidence. However, this was not always the case. It is known that previously the shape of the lake was not very similar to the heart: only its upper part.
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At the time, Spirit Lake was one of the most popular tourist attractions; swimmers, fishermen and just outdoor enthusiasts stayed in the houses surrounding the reservoir. But on May 18, 1980, everything changed. Once located southwest of the tourist center, St. The deadly eruption of Mount St. Helens occurred on this day.
The incredible volcanic eruption caused the bottom of the lake to rise almost 60 meters, sending debris from the landslide causing waters from the reservoir to leak onto nearby land. Gradually the water returned, forming a wider but shallower lake; It was then that the heart-shaped shape we know today emerged.
Today, Spirit Lake no longer hosts tourists; it now hosts floating logs from uprooted trees damaged by the explosion. Moreover, local authorities’ access to the reservoir is also limited: fishing and swimming are strictly prohibited, but there is an observation deck here that is opened when conditions allow.
On the science side, researchers today use Spirit Lake as a natural laboratory to study landscape restoration after volcanic eruptions. At the same time, the untouched log bed is of particular interest to researchers.
The area is of particular interest to scientists today because it has remained virtually unchanged since the volcanic eruption, according to Jim Havel, an environmental engineer who studied the lake.
Previously Focus He wrote that the name of the largest lake in the world is 10 times larger than all those currently existing combined.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.