784) Did you Know Series (42): (Part I): A visit to the Lonar Meteor impact Crater-Lake in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, only the second one of its kind in India, our visit to the Crater Lake on 12.07.2018:
For more interesting posts on the Lonar Crater Lake, please visit the following links:
For more interesting posts on the Lonar Crater Lake, please visit the following links:
Meteor strikes on Earth over the Ages:
Planet Earth has been struck by several meteor strikes which have created "impact craters" all over.
In the early years of its formation (about 4.0 billion years ago), Planet Earth was bombarded with asteroids and comets. The last of the five known events of mass extinction on Earth (about 65 million years ago) was caused by an asteroid crashing near modern day Mexico. The impact resulted in the extinction of nearly 75% of Earth's plants and animal species - including dinosaurs. This impact also resulted in wide-spread changes in the Earth's climate. The Chicxulub Crater town is evidence of this impact/event.
The last " fly-by" near Earth of an asteroid called 2002 AJ129 was recorded on 04.02.2018, when the asteroid which had a 1.1 kilometre wide diameter went by at a distance of about 4200,000 kilometres from Earth which was relatively "close" in space terms and counted as a "near-miss". This "giant rock" flew past Planet Earth at an astounding speed of over 100,000 kilometres/hour. This asteroid was counted as "potentially hazardous" as any asteroid , comet, meteoroid meteor and other moving bodies/objects of a certain width, which come within 7480,000 kilometres of Planet Earth are considered hazardous. Whew!!
Recorded meteor impacts on Planet Earth:
In the early years of its formation (about 4.0 billion years ago), Planet Earth was bombarded with asteroids and comets. The last of the five known events of mass extinction on Earth (about 65 million years ago) was caused by an asteroid crashing near modern day Mexico. The impact resulted in the extinction of nearly 75% of Earth's plants and animal species - including dinosaurs. This impact also resulted in wide-spread changes in the Earth's climate. The Chicxulub Crater town is evidence of this impact/event.
The last " fly-by" near Earth of an asteroid called 2002 AJ129 was recorded on 04.02.2018, when the asteroid which had a 1.1 kilometre wide diameter went by at a distance of about 4200,000 kilometres from Earth which was relatively "close" in space terms and counted as a "near-miss". This "giant rock" flew past Planet Earth at an astounding speed of over 100,000 kilometres/hour. This asteroid was counted as "potentially hazardous" as any asteroid , comet, meteoroid meteor and other moving bodies/objects of a certain width, which come within 7480,000 kilometres of Planet Earth are considered hazardous. Whew!!
Recorded meteor impacts on Planet Earth:
Till date, a total of 190 confirmed meteor impact craters have been recorded world-wide. The maximum number of impact craters are in Canada (32), US (28), Australia (27), Estonia (19), Finland (11), Sweden (8), Brazil (7), Ukraine (7), Algeria (4), , Kazakhstan (4), South Africa (4), Russia (4) et al.
Various terminologies:
Asteroids: These are minor planet bodies with a diameter of 1,000 km or less. Most go around the sun in orbits between Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes their orbits get distorted and they move closer to the Sun and they come closer to Planet Earth.
Comets: Unlike Asteroids, Comets are made of ice, methane, ammonia and other compounds which develop into a tail when they hurtle closer to the Sun.
Meteoroids: Space debris smaller than Asteroids are called meteoroids.
Meteorites: This is a landed Meteoroid, which has survived the fall through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on Earth.
Meteors: When a Meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it is typically vapourised and called a "shooting star" or meteor.
The Indian experience with Meteor impacts/strikes:
Various terminologies:
Asteroids: These are minor planet bodies with a diameter of 1,000 km or less. Most go around the sun in orbits between Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes their orbits get distorted and they move closer to the Sun and they come closer to Planet Earth.
Comets: Unlike Asteroids, Comets are made of ice, methane, ammonia and other compounds which develop into a tail when they hurtle closer to the Sun.
Meteoroids: Space debris smaller than Asteroids are called meteoroids.
Meteorites: This is a landed Meteoroid, which has survived the fall through the Earth's atmosphere and lands on Earth.
Meteors: When a Meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it is typically vapourised and called a "shooting star" or meteor.
The Indian experience with Meteor impacts/strikes:
India too has two Meteor Impact Craters - one is called the Lonar Crater in Buldhana district in the Indian State of Maharashtra (having a mean diameter 1.83 kilometres or about 5,900 feet) and the other one is the Dhala Crater (mean diameter 11.0 kilometres) in Shivpuri district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
The Lonar Crater/Lake was formed some 52,000 to 570,000 years ago by a meteor impact during the Pleistocene Epoch. The Lonar Lake has a mean diameter of 1.2 kilometres (about 3,900 feet) and is about 137 metres (450 feet) below the crater rim. A series of small hills surround the basin which has a circumference of about 8 kilometres (or five miles) at the top and 6 kilometres at the base. The crater has saline water in the central portion. The sides of the basin rise abruptly at an angle of about 75 degrees. The Lake is about 150 metres (450 feet) deep.
The sheer impact of the Meteorite , which was a 20,00,000 ton, 60 kilometre wide mass hurtling towards Earth at a speed of over 90,000 kilometres/hour created this vast dent in the Earth's surface.
Atop the rim, the sheer drop of the walls and the green tint of the thick, mineral-laden water in its hollow, is a rather remarkable and truly humbling sight.
The thought of the explosive force of the impact of the meteorite still rocks the imagination of the beholder of this awesome natural event. The absolute silence and stillness inside the crater gave rise to several legends and myths and people were scared to go into the crater. A number of temples have been built in and around the crater. The ones inside are quite dilapidated. The locals venerate the impact Crater as the goddess - Lonar Devi, to whom a large temple has been dedicated.
The statue of Lonar Devi inside the Lonar Devi Temple
Lonar Crater-lake is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, saline soda lake which is both saline and alkaline in nature. During dry weather, when evaporation reduces the water level, large quantities of soda are collected.
Lonar Lake lies within the only known extra-terrestrial impact crater found within the great Deccan Traps basaltic formation of India.
Historical Reference:
The Lake first found a mention in ancient Indian scriptures such as the Skanda Purana and the Padma Purana. Buldhana district where the lake is located was once a part of Samrat (Emperor) Ashok's Empire and then that of the Satyavahans. The Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas also ruled this area. During the period of the Yadavs and the Nizam, trade prospered in this area.
Going down the steep incline of 75 degrees is best described as a "slither and slide" action of the adventurous locals and trekkers, not to mention the arduous climb up the slope. It is, as if the Lonar Devi does not like to see many "adventurers" to disturb her solitude of the ages and destroy/trample upon the pristine nature of her abode. Interestingly, the steps carved on the banks of the crater/lake have crumpled many a time, lending credence to this legend.
Two small streams named Purna and Penganga drain into the lake and a well of sweet water is located on the southern side, close to the water's edge. A stream feeds the crater-lake, but no outlet has been found so far.
The water in the lake is saline and highly alkaline and was thought to be devoid of any biological growth until recently.
The water in the lake is saline and highly alkaline and was thought to be devoid of any biological growth until recently.
Interestingly, the Lonar Lake has two distinct regions that never mix - an outer neutral with different pH levels 7 and inner alkaline pH 11.
Only recently, non-symbiotic nitrogen fixing micro-organisms have been reported from this lake, which can only grow at pH 11. Interestingly, some of the bacteria and actinomycetes taken from this lake are able to grow on some components of inorganic medium containing "martian soil simulant components".
Both regions support different types of flora and fauna.
The Crater is rich in flora and fauna. The slopes are covered with tree-savannah, housing teak, Shrub savanna with Acacia which cover the crater wall. Resident and migratory birds include black-winged stilts,brahminy ducks, grebes, shelducks, shovellers, teals, herons, red-wattled lapwings, rollers or blue jays, baya weavers, parakeet hoopoes, larks, tailor-birds, magpies, robins and swallows in addition to peafowls, chinkara and gazelles. Reptiles include the monitor lizard. One can hear the calls of several birds including peacocks.
No wonder, that an area of 3.83 Square kilometres has been declared as the Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary on 20.11.2015.
The first glimpse of the blue-green lake in an almost perfectly circular crater is truly a beautiful sight. One immediately connects to the meteor strike that happened so many years ago.
A view of the Lonar Crater Lake
More images of the Lonar Crater Lake taken from the Gomukh Temple approach area
The Crater Lake has a lot of vegetation growing around it
The first glimpse of the blue-green lake in an almost perfectly circular crater is truly a beautiful sight. One immediately connects to the meteor strike that happened so many years ago.
Ancient temples within the crater:
There are a few ancient temples within the Crater around the Lonar Lake - the prominent ones being Vishnumandir, Wagh Mahadev, Mora Mahadev, Munglyacha Mandir, Kamakhya Devi, Kamaja Devi Temple, Shankar-Ganapati Temple (which is partially submerged and known for its rectangular Lord Shiva idol), Narasimha Temple and Renuka Devi Temple et al.
A pyramid shaped temple, which looks like a Vastu temple to ward off unfavourable energies
A dilapidated temple complex inside the crater
Some other ancient temple complexes inside the Crater
According to mythology, Lonar acquired its name from Lonasur, a demon who was killed by Lord Vishnu.
Where we stayed:
We stayed in two cottages at the MTDC Resort, from where one can get a good view of the Crater Lake.
The temples connected to the Lonar Crater Lake legends:
A little distance from the crater/lake are the Daityasudan Temple ( celebrating Lord Vishnu's victory over Lonasur), Gaimukh Temple (which is a confluence of the Purna and the Penganga - the two streams which empty into/feed the Lonar Lake) and the Reclining Hanuman Temple, (where the statue is carved out of a single meteoritic slab).
(Descriptions of the Daityasudan Temple, Gaimukh Temple and the Reclining Hanuman temples are covered in Part 2 of this Post)
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