Chott el Djerid is the largest salty drainage basin in southern Tunisia. Chott el Jerid is a seasonal lake that is completely dry for most of the
year. Its sun-baked surface, composed of a hard crust of sodium
chloride, conceals sources of underground water and the area has a vivid
red colour due to the high iron content. 'Chott' is the word used in Tunisia for lakes that stays dry through the hot season, but which has some water in the winter. Chott el Jerid covers 5,000 sq km, and over one thousand years ago, was part of the Mediterranean Sea. The lake can be crossed by foot or car, though this can be precarious because the salt crust is not always firm. It is easily accessed and has a causeway built across it, the part on the eastern side is called Chott el Fejej.
 |
| Photo by © Joe Scarangella - LINK |
No comments:
Post a Comment