Badwater Basin
24.02.2024
Badwater Basin , Daily Current Affairs , RACE IAS : Best IAS Coaching in Lucknow
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For the Prelims:About Badwater Basin,Key facts about Death Valley |
Why in the news?
In the parched expanse of North America’s driest region, Badwater Basin has defied expectations by lingering and expanding as an ephemeral lake.
About Badwater Basin:
- It is endorheic in nature meaning water flows into it but not out, typically resulting in rapid evaporation and ephemeral lakes.
- It is the lowest point in North America at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level.
- However, increased precipitation over the past six months has disrupted this pattern.
- It is nestled within the Death Valley in North America.
- Manly Lake was formed in August 2023 after Hurricane Hilary.
- While the lake initially shrank as expected, it surprisingly persisted through the fall and winter months.
- Its resurgence came in February 2024, when a powerful atmospheric river replenished its waters.
- Death Valley’s average annual rainfall of only 51 millimeters, received a remarkable 125 mm in the last six months.
Key facts about Death Valley
- It is located in southeastern California in the United States.
- It lies near the undefined border between the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert.
- Most rainfall is blocked by the mountains to the west, so Death Valley is extremely arid.
- It is the lowest, hottest, and driest portion of North America, noted for its extremes of temperature and aridity.
Source: Down to earth