Lake Elton
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Lake Elton (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is a salt lake in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, near the border with Kazakhstan. It has an area of Template:Conv and is normally about Template:Conv deep, and about Template:Conv in spring. Its surface is Template:Conv below sea level.[1] The lake's name originates from the Mongol language: “Altyn-Nor” (Golden Bottom). Long ago local nomads used the lake's mineral-rich mud for skin and respiratory treatments.[2] For centuries, Lake Elton was a favorite location for Russian rulers and nobles. One can still see remnants of Empress Yekaterina II's “bath” there.[2]
It is the largest mineral lake in Europe and one of the most mineralized in the world. The lake is filled with a saturated salt solution. Mineralization is Template:Conv. Salt, extracted from the lake since the early 18th century, is used for the production of magnesium chloride.[3] The water contains Dunaliella salina algae that give a reddish shade to the lake. At the bottom of the lake are salt deposits (mainly NaCl, KCl) and beneath them, a layer of mineral hydrogen sulfide mud.
Transportation
A bus ride can be taken from Volgograd (6 hours mostly because of long stops in rural towns) and also by train from Saratov and Astrakhan (also 6 hours) can lead travelers to the area.
History
Salt was excavated from Elton beginning in the early eighteenth century.[4] Before 1865 the government was the excavator; from 1865 to 1882 the lake was heavily used by private businesses.
A spa resort has been located near the lake since 1910 and a sanatorium since 1945. Sulfide silt mud and brine from Elton are claimed to have anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, analgesic, relaxing and revitalizing properties.[5]
Elton Ultra Trail Run
The Elton Ultra Trail is one of Russia's toughest races. There are two distances of Template:Conv and Template:Conv. It was first organized in 2014.
References
External links
Template:VolgogradOblast-geo-stub
- ↑ Эльтон (озеро), Great Soviet Encyclopedia
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