Crveno Jezero
Encyclopedia
Red Lake is a sinkhole
containing a karst
lake near the city of Imotski
, Croatia
. It is known for its numerous caves and remarkably high cliffs, reaching over 241 metres above normal water level and continuing below the water level. The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 530 metres with a volume of roughly 25-30 million cubic meters, thus it is one of the largest sinkholes in the world. Water drains out of the basin through underground waterways that descend below the level of the lake floor.
The sinkhole is named after the reddish-brown color of the surrounding cliffs, colored by iron oxides.
Like the nearby Blue Lake
, it is presumed that the lake emerged when the ceiling of a large cave
hall collapsed.
The lake is a habitat of the near-endemic fish Delminichthys adspersus (Heckel, 1843). In the dry period of the year this fish can be occasionally seen in surrounding springs, rivers and lakes, suggesting that there is an underground connection between Red Lake and other water bodies.
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
containing a karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
lake near the city of Imotski
Imotski
Imotski , is a small town situated on the northern side of Biokovo massif, Dalmatian hinterland, Croatia. The town was first mentioned as Imotski for the first time in the 10th century and it was held by the Turks from the fall of Bosnia until 1717 when it was captured by the Venetians. The town...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It is known for its numerous caves and remarkably high cliffs, reaching over 241 metres above normal water level and continuing below the water level. The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 530 metres with a volume of roughly 25-30 million cubic meters, thus it is one of the largest sinkholes in the world. Water drains out of the basin through underground waterways that descend below the level of the lake floor.
The sinkhole is named after the reddish-brown color of the surrounding cliffs, colored by iron oxides.
Like the nearby Blue Lake
Blue Lake (Croatia)
Blue Lake is a karst lake located near Imotski in southern Croatia. Like the nearby Red Lake, it lies in a deep sinkhole possibly formed by the collapse of an enormous underground cave. The total depth from the upper rim is around 220 meters, while water depth varies with season...
, it is presumed that the lake emerged when the ceiling of a large cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
hall collapsed.
The lake is a habitat of the near-endemic fish Delminichthys adspersus (Heckel, 1843). In the dry period of the year this fish can be occasionally seen in surrounding springs, rivers and lakes, suggesting that there is an underground connection between Red Lake and other water bodies.