World's Largest Heliotherm Lake, world record set by The Bear Lake
SOVATA, Mures county, Romania -- Situated in the Sovata resort, Mures County, at an altitude of 502 m, the Bear Lake (also called the "Ursu Lake" or the Dead Sea of Transylvania"), has an area of 40,000 square meters, which is the world record for the World's Largest Heliotherm Lake , according to the World Record Academy.
"The world's largest heliothermic lake is Bear Lake (Lacul Ursu), located in Sovata, Romania. It was formed by the collapse of a salt mine and subsequent filling by streams, resulting in a unique ecosystem where solar heat is trapped in a deep, saline layer beneath a cooler surface layer of fresh water. (AI Overview)
Features:
- It is also known for its therapeutic properties, treating conditions like gynecological, musculoskeletal, and dermatological issues.
- Despite its high salinity and high hydrogen sulfide concentration in deeper layers, the water is clean and its ecosystem is naturally self-cleaning.
- Formation: The lake formed between 1875 and 1880 after a salt mine collapsed and two streams filled the resulting gap.
- Heliothermic process: The lake's water gets warm from the sun due to a "greenhouse effect" where the cooler, less saline fresh water on top acts as an insulating layer, preventing the heat from escaping the warmer, saltier water below.
- Characteristics:
- Area: Approximately 40,235 square meters.
- Maximum depth: Over 18 meters.
- Salinity: The water is a concentrated salt solution, with salinity increasing with depth.
"Lake Ursu and the groves on the salt flats is a protected area of national interest corresponding to IUCN category III (mixed nature reserve) located in eastern Transylvania, on the territory of Mureș County.
"The natural area is an area formed by volcanic agglomerates (andesites with amphibole) and salt massifs. This includes Lake Ursu (declared a natural monument), an important heliothermal salt lake formed with the collapse of a salt mine, later filled with water from streams flowing down from the nearby slopes. In the reserve area, in addition to Lake Ursu, are also included: Lake Aluniș, Lake Paraschiva, Lake Mierlei, Lake Roșu and Lake Verde." (Wikipedia)
"In the heart of Transylvania, hidden between the peaceful, wooded hills of Sovata, lies a true natural wonder: Lake Ursu. With features that make it unique in Europe, it attracts many visitors, interested not only in its fairy-tale landscapes, but also in the peaceful atmosphere it offers to all who come here," the Valea Verde Retreat says.
"Over the years, the lake has become a tourist destination of reference, a place where nature shows its full beauty through the intense color of the water, the fresh air and the vegetation surrounding this sanctuary of relaxation.
"The resort of Sovata is surrounded by lush vegetation, with deciduous and coniferous forests spreading over the surrounding domed hills and mountain slopes. The wooded area creates a comforting atmosphere and is a natural filter that purifies the air, giving it a freshness of its own."
"The lake, famed throughout the world for its healing powers, covers 4 hectares in the shape of an outstretched bearskin and is 18 meters deep. The layer close to the surface of the water of heliothermic lakes, due to the sunshine, warms up to high temperatures," the clevelandimagyarokert.org says.
"The phenomenon is created only in the case of salt lakes if the creeks pouring in and the precipitation form a layer of freshwater on the surface, which does not mix because its density is lower than that of the salt water below it.
"Its surface salinity is 100 g/l, which exponentially increases with depth. The water can reach a temperature of 35 degrees centigrade due to the heliothermic phenomenon: the fresh water of two small brooks that flow into Bear Lake form a 10–15 cm layer on top of the saltwater."
The largest heliotherm lake in the world, the Bear Lake (the Ursu Lake) has an area of 40,000 square meters, a depth of 18 meters and an average salinity of 250 grams / liter. Ursu Lake is the only heliothermal lake in Europe.
The phenomenon of heliometry means that a fresh water insulating layer forms on the surface of the lake which keeps the heat in the salt water and, furthermore, prevents heat from the atmosphere. These phenomena were discovered around 1900.
Lake is known for treating rheumatic, endocrinological and cardiovascular diseases. The sludge from the bottom of the lake is used in many treatments.
"Sovata is a town in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. Three villages are administered by the town: Căpeți, Ilieși , and Săcădat. In 2004, the village of Sărățeni broke away to form an independent commune. As well as being a spa town, Sovata is on the route of the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail, which also passes through the village of Săcădat.
"Sovata lies at the foot of the Gurghiu Mountains, at an altitude between 475 and 530 m (1,558 and 1,739 ft). It is situated between the river Corund and the valley of the Târnava Mică. The river Sovata discharges into the Târnava Mică in the town.
"The geological events in 1875 gave birth to the Bear Lake, which is unique in Europe, its water being helio-thermal[definition needed] and salty, with purported therapeutic effects for chronic gynaecological symptoms, severe rheumatic pains, peripheral nervous system, and post-accidental motor diseases." (Wikipedia)
Photos: World's Largest Heliotherm Lake, world record set by The Bear Lake
(2) Facebook/Lacul Ursu Sovata
(3,4) vILA aNnA
(5)
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