Will there be live fish in the desert? No kidding! If there is no water in the desert, how can the fish survive?
But on Earth, there is such a desert. This is the Brazilian Lak ismalaHesse Desert. The dunes are studded with thousands of lakes, like blue pearls. Flocks of silver-glowing fish swim among the "pearls", which makes people can't help but have a dreamlike feeling.
How did desert lakes form? Where do the fish come from?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > desert</h1>
The plane flew toward the northern coast of Brazil. At this time, the sky is clear and the sun is shining. At the window, you can see the blue sea at a glance. Why is there a white ribbon on the coast?
This ribbon is the famous lake shore of the Lak is malahasas desert. It is located in the Brazilian state of Marano. It's a desert close to the coast. These white sand dunes "expand" inland from the coast and stretch for about 50 kilometers, forming a desert area of hundreds of square kilometers. From the air, the undulating sand dunes resemble a long white ribbon and a "white cloth" that dries on the beach.
How did this thin "streamer" come about? It should be known that Brazil's tropical rainforest area ranks first in the world, and freshwater resources account for 30% of the world's total. It can also be said that it is one of the wettest and rainiest countries in the world. The La cova-Malahese Desert is surrounded by tropical rainforest. The dense rainforest is wet and rainy, which has a great impact on the surrounding environment. Like the rainforests of Brazil, the rainfall in this desert region is staggeringly high. Every year, a large number of rain clouds pour 1600 mm of rain, which is 300 times the precipitation of the Sahara Desert! According to the definition of desert, only areas with an average annual precipitation of less than 250 mm can be called deserts. So, strictly speaking, the Lak ismalaHessais Desert is not a desert. But curiously, the Lak ismalaHesses Desert is as barren as the other deserts. Why?
Why didn't the abundant rainfall turn this 300-square-kilometer desert into rainforest?
The reason is that the sand looks white. The sand turned out to be white stone. They have been washed by rivers and seawater for many years, gradually turning into grains of sand and being "settled" in the desert by strong winds. According to scientists, this sand is very rough, has almost no water storage capacity, and cannot provide nutrients for plant growth. Therefore, despite the abundant rainfall on the shores of the Lake in the Lak is Malahases Desert, plants are reluctant to "settle" here. Even if the birds accidentally leave plant seeds here, they will not germinate.
Although there is no grass in this desert, it is inconceivable that when the rainy season comes, dark blue lakes will appear among the dunes. These lakes are large and small. The large ones are more than 90 meters long and nearly 3 meters deep, and the small ones are more than 10 meters long and more than 1 meter deep. According to statistics, there are nearly a thousand of these lakes. They complement the white sand dunes. From a distance, they are green and white, elegant and pure, like a colorful oil painting. Sometimes strong winds blow, rustle and ripple on the lake; white sand and clear water make people wonder if they are in the desert or on the beach. Most of the tourists who come here will go to the lake to take a dip. When you go there for a swim, you don't have to worry about others grabbing your pool because there are pools everywhere.
How did these pearl lakes come about?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" > the mystery of the formation of a thousand lakes</h1>
When the rainy season comes, the desert is covered with endless rain like the surrounding rainforest. In just a few months, it rained 1600 mm in the sky. They quickly filled the gaps between the grains of sand, gathering among the dunes. As a result, a beautiful blue lake appeared.
Due to evaporation, these blue lakes are saltwater lakes, both bitter and salty. In these lakes, however, swarms of fish can be seen swimming around, jumping and enjoying a happy time. Also, if you're lucky, you can see clumsy turtles and clams in the sun by the lake.
In addition to fish, there are also people living around the dunes. There are two small oases on the dunes, and 90 local residents live in too small villages. They live in earthen houses with palm leaf roofs. Like the dunes, they change their lives with the changing seasons: during the dry season, people collect fiber from the dry coastal forests near the dunes, raise chickens, cattle, sheep, and grow cassava, soybeans, and cashews; when the rainy season comes, crops are difficult to grow, so villagers go to the sea and live by the sea to fish on the canopy. They sold pickled and dried Atlantic silver carp to traders, who in turn transported them to the city to sell.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="16" > where the fish come from</h1>
The blue lakes in the desert, though beautiful, resemble passers-by. They come and go very quickly.
Every year after the rainy season, the terrible dry season comes. At this time, there was no rain in the desert and the sun was shining. Under the scorching sun, temperatures in the desert can sometimes reach as high as 50 ° C. In the intense heat wave of the equator, the combined action of sunlight, high temperature and wind makes the water of the blue lake evaporate little by little, and the water surface can drop at a rate of 1 meter per month. Soon, these beautiful lakes will gradually "thin" and some will even dry up completely.
When the blue lagoon dries up, lively fish, turtles and mussels mysteriously disappear from the desert. It wasn't until the rainy season of the following year, when the Blue Lake reappeared, that these adorable elves reappeared in the lake. It was like they never left the Blue Lagoon. It's amazing.
Where do these fish come from? What's more, how do they "inherit" the dry lake water?
It turns out that from January to June every year, the rainy season comes, and the blue lakes in the sand sea appear one after another. In July, the area received its maximum rainfall, with continuous torrential rains causing the level of the Negro River near the desert to soar. The river flows into the desert, connecting the blue lakes into a vast ocean. As a result, the fish in the river, along with turtles and mussels, swam along the river into the blue lake. After the river receded, they had no time to retreat and had to settle down in the lake. In the lake, they feed on other fish or insect larvae in the sand.
However, scientists observe that in addition to the regular annual "transport" of fish on the Negro River, the Blue Lagoon has many "indigenous peoples" who rely on their extraordinary abilities to escape heat and drought. For example, a South American toothfish can "hibernate" in the mud when the dry season comes, and then come out to give birth when the rainy season comes. More fish adapt to the harsh natural environment with the technique of "wildfire boundless, spring breeze". Before the dry season arrives, they lay many eggs and bury them deep under the sand. Next year, when the rainy season comes and the lake is full again, the eggs hatch into small fish, full of vitality – although adult fish die of lack of water during the dry season, but it does not hinder the reproduction of offspring.