We bring you the latest in our ongoing series of stories about lake-related mysteries: apparently, a large, deep lake has unexpectedly (who ever expects this sort of thing?) materialized in the middle of the Tunisian desert.
Our North African correspondents write:
The lake is just over a hectare in size and 10-18m deep. It is presumed that a small earthquake fractured a natural dam holding an artificial reservoir allowing the water to reach the surface. However, the aquifer has not been found - the theory relies more on the absence of other credible explanations than anything else.
More troubling than the lake's unexplained formation, perhaps, is that people are flocking to swim in it -- despite potentially grave dangers. The lake, it seems, may harbor potentially toxic algae -- and, due to the presence of nearby phosphate mines, the waters may be radioactive.
You can see a swell photo of the lake here.
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