In Living Color: Multihued Lakes
Blue is so yesterday … that is, for lakes. Good thing our planet is filled with a rainbow of ponds. From deep-black to scarlet and even purple-tinted, these stunning images of serene, picturesque lakes come in all the colors of the rainbow.
Perito Moreno Glacier
This breathtaking photo shows a view of the Perito Moreno Glacier as it looms above the surface of Lake Argentino, or "Lago Argentino," in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The glacier is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, located in the south west of Santa Cruz province.
Emerald Lake
This green-colored lake is located deep in the lush forests of Austria.
Peyto Lake
Peyto Lake, located in the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, is famous for its turquoise waters. Many factors can influence a lake's color, including type and amount of algae growth, water temperature and mineral runoff from surrounding mountains. For example, in glacial regions such as the Canadian Rockies, finely ground rock particles can turn some lakes an unusually beautiful azure color, according to scientists Janet Fischer and Mark Olson of Franklin & Marshall College, Penn.
Simbad Lake
The Atacama Desert of Northern Chile borders Bolivia and is the driest desert in the world, according to NASA. Located within the Atacama Desert, the otherworldly Simbad Lake is surrounded by amber-colored sand. The sand's red hue is due to its algae and mineral content, and its water can turn scarlet too — its floating algae produces bright red pigments in order to that protect themselves from the hot desert sun's damaging UV radiation.
A Shock of Green
The crystal clear water of this lake, nestled by the Dolomites mountain range of north-eastern Italy, allows for the electric-green algae at its shallow bottom to show through to the surface.
Black Lake
This black lake is located in a volcano crater in Flores, Indonesia. Its water fills the old cone of the still-active Kelimutu volcano, and the lake gets its mysterious, onyx appearance from volcanic ash particles that seep into the water from below.
Lake Tekapo
The surreal, pastel hue of Lake Tekapo is the result of finely ground rock particles coming from the waters of melted glaciers. Located in the South Island of New Zealand, the lake's name derives from the Maori words "Taka," which translates to "sleeping mat," and "Po," which means "night."
Reflection Lake
This beautiful photo of Reflection Lake was taken at dawn as the early morning mist floated over the water, casting a purple haze. The lake is located in Mount Rainier National Park in west-central Washington.
Gem Green Lake
Tongariro, New Zealand's oldest national park, boasts an emerald-green lake. Located near the volcanic sites of New Zealand's central North Island, the lake gets its unique color from ash and rock particles that have seeped into its water.
Mono Lake
The unusual rock formations that jut out of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra are called tufa. The greatest concentration of these unique "towers," which occur naturally and are made of limestone, is located at the south end of Mono Lake. In the photo above, the moon rises over the dark ivory tower.
