Current:Home > InvestNASA shares new data on Death Valley's rare 'Lake Manly' showing just how deep it got-InfoLens
NASA shares new data on Death Valley's rare 'Lake Manly' showing just how deep it got
View Date:2024-12-23 11:54:47
NASA is sharing new data on the rare and mysterious lake that formed in North America's driest area, Death Valley, that shows just how big it got.
The desert in southeastern California about two hours west of Las Vegas received enough rain to form a lake so deep that for a few weeks visitors could kayak in the Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
People have been flocking to the valley to see the rare lake, which was dubbed "Lake Manly."
On March 4, the park service announced the lake was closed to boating, and it has remained so. As of April 21, the lake is only a few inches deep, according to the park service.
But new images from NASA, released Tuesday, show just how deep the temporary lake got earlier in the year.
NASA findings on Lake Manly
NASA used the U.S.-French Surface Water and Ocean Topography, or SWOT, satellite to calculate the depth of the lake and track how it changed from February to March.
"The analysis found that water depths in the lake ranged from about 3 feet (1 meter) to less than 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) over the course of about 6 weeks," the news release said.
First a lake, now wildflowers:Death Valley in California is now covered with colorful wildflowers in bloom- What to know
NASA first released satellite images of the lake in February.
According to the release, water levels, which NASA said came from California storms that brought "record amounts of rainfall," were calculated by subtracting land elevation from the water level data collected by SWOT.
"The researchers found that the water levels varied across space and time in the roughly 10-day period between SWOT observations," the release said.
According to NASA, the valley's lake differs in a few ways from many of the lakes around the world. Unlike other lakes, Lake Manly is:
- Temporary.
- Relatively shallow.
- Can be moved a couple of miles by strong winds.
"Since there isn’t typically water in Badwater Basin, researchers don’t have permanent instruments in place for studying water in this area," the release said. "SWOT can fill the data gap for when places like this, and others around the world, become inundated."
Lake Manly outlasted expectations
According to USA TODAY's earlier reporting, "Lake Manly" outlasted experts' expectations. The lake arrived with the last bit of Hurricane Hillary in August and lasted because of the "atmospheric river" storms that brought an abundance of rain.
Though boating is no longer permitted in the now-shallow lake, the National Park Service said Sunday that "visitors can still see beautiful reflections of the mountains in the water." The notice added that visitors can walk in the water but asked patrons to "not walk in muddy areas where you will leave footprints."
This isn't the first time the lake appeared in the valley. Lakes have come and gone in the valley for thousands of years. Its watery past is what left behind the valley's scenic terraced shorelines.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta and Dinah Voyles Pulver
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz
veryGood! (6)
Related
- ‘COP Fatigue’: Experts Warn That Size and Spectacle of Global Climate Summit Is Hindering Progress
- NFL schedule today: Everything to know about Week 3 games on Sunday
- Co-founder of Titan to testify before Coast Guard about submersible that imploded
- Breaking Through in the Crypto Market: How COINFEEAI Stands Out in a Competitive Landscape
- Eminem, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, N.W.A. and Janet Jackson get Songwriters Hall of Fame nods
- FBI finds violent crime declined in 2023. Here’s what to know about the report
- Chiefs show their flaws – and why they should still be feared
- The Trainers at Taylor Swift's Go-to Gym Say This Is the No. 1 Workout Mistake
- Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
- Two houses in Rodanthe, North Carolina collapse on same day; 4th to collapse in 2024
Ranking
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison dies at 86
- Target's new 'Cuddle Collab' line has matching Stanley cups for your pet and much more
- Climbing car sales, more repos: What's driving our 'wacky' auto economy
- White Sox lose 120th game to tie post-1900 record by the 1962 expansion New York Mets
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Take the Day Off
- New York City interim police commissioner says federal authorities searched his homes
- OPINION: Robert Redford: Climate change threatens our way of life. Harris knows this.
- Oklahoma vs Tennessee score: Josh Heupel, Vols win SEC opener vs Sooners
Recommendation
-
Justine Bateman feels like she can breathe again in 'new era' after Trump win
-
Florida sheriff deputy arrested, fired after apparent accidental shooting of girlfriend
-
Lionel Messi sparks Inter Miami goal, but James Sands' late header fuels draw vs. NYCFC
-
Travis Kelce's Mom Donna Kelce Has a Hat Bearing Tributes to Taylor Swift and Her Son
-
Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
-
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ scares off ‘Transformers’ for third week as box office No. 1
-
Pilot killed in midair collision of two small planes in Southern California
-
Caitlin Clark endures tough playoff debut as seasoned Sun disrupt young Fever squad