The lava flow releases natron – a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Any birds that happen to take a dive and don’t make it out become calcified in a hardened, stonelike husk. Around 7,650 feet tall, this is the only known active volcano that discharges lava rich in carbonatite. The whole chemical composition is extremely alkaline, with pH levels of 10.5 close to matching ammonia (NH3). It is in the Gregory Rift, which is the eastern. Now what’s making this lake so rich in alkaline level is a volcano in northeastern Tanzania called Ol Doinyo Lengai, or the ‘Mountain of God’, sitting in the Rift valley, above Lake Natron. Lake Natron is a salt or alkaline lake located in north Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region in Tanzania. The lake is not for everyone, as only few life forms can survive in this level of concentration. Its pH levels are almost 10.5 - as high as that of ammonia - and temperatures here can go up to 60 degrees Celsius. However, unlike the famous Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea, Lake Natron has extremely alkaline water. This in turn results in building of high concentrations of salt and other minerals in the lake. It’s an endorheic lake that allows precipitation to collect within the water body but doesn’t allow it to flow out. The lake falls within the Lake Natron Basin Wetlands of International Importance Ramsar. Rich in algae, blood red water, barren landscape, and chemical composition are some of the characteristics that define this deadly lake. The surrounding country is dry and receives irregular seasonal rainfall. These high temperatures, coupled with very variable salt content, the lake does not support much wildlife. A post shared by Maria Chiara Pozzato Natron stretches for 56 kilometres over northern Tanzania’s Arusha region. The lake’s temperatures can be said to reach up to 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) Aside from the temperatures, the pH levels of the lake can reach 10, which is very alkaline.

Lake natron ph level