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'{{short description|Body of water in Venezuela}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Lake Maracaibo | image = Satelites image of Lake Maracaibo.png | caption = Satellite image of Lake Maracaibo | image_bathymetry = Lake Maracaibo map-en.svg | caption_bathymetry = Map | coords = {{coord|09|48|57|N|71|33|24|W|region:VE_type:waterbody_scale:1250000|display=inline,title}} | type = [[Ancient lake]], Coastal saltwater, bay | inflow = [[Catatumbo River]] | outflow = [[Gulf of Venezuela]] | catchment = | pushpin_map = Venezuela | basin_countries = Venezuela | length = {{convert|210|km}} | width = {{convert|121|km}} | area = {{convert|13512|km2|abbr=on}} | depth = | max-depth = {{convert|35|m|abbr=on}} | volume = {{convert|280|km3|acre.ft|abbr=on}} | shore = | elevation = {{convert|0|m|abbr=on}} | cities = [[Maracaibo]], [[Cabimas]], [[Ciudad Ojeda]] }} '''Lake Maracaibo''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: Lago de Maracaibo) is a brackish lake located in northwestern [[Venezuela]], between the states of [[Zulia]], [[Trujillo (state)|Trujillo]], and [[Mérida (state)|Mérida]]. Hydrologically, it is a semi-enclosed [[bay]] off the coast of the [[Gulf of Venezuela]]. Lake Maracaibo is commonly considered a lake, though due to its current geological characteristics, it should not be considered as such. With a surface area of {{convert|13512|km2|abbr=on}}, it is the largest lake in [[South America]] and one of the oldest on Earth, having formed disputably as a lake 36 million years ago in the [[Andes Mountains]]. The lake is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela to the north by a narrow [[Spit (landform)|spit]]. It is fed by numerous rivers, the biggest being the [[Catatumbo River]]. The fault in the northern section has collapsed and is rich in oil and gas resources. It is Venezuela's main oil producing area and an important fishing and agricultural producing area. [[Eutrophication]] caused by [[oil spill|oil pollution]] is a major environmental problem facing the lagoon. The area around the lagoon is inhabited by a quarter of the country's population and is also the place with the most frequent lightning on earth. The famous [[Catatumbo lightning]] can illuminate nighttime navigation. ==Geology== Lake Maracaibo is located within the [[eponym]]ous [[Maracaibo Basin|basin]] and is one of the oldest lakes on earth. It was formed 36 million years ago when the faults collapsed when the Andes were uplifted in the late [[Eocene]].<ref name="ESA, 2005" /><ref name="QuinnWoodward2015" /> In the geological history, sea water and fresh water have alternated many times, and have flooded the area.<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015" /> At the end of the [[Last Glacial Period|last glacial period]], the sea level rose, connecting Lake Maracaibo directly with the [[Atlantic Ocean]],<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Luis Boscán, Fausto Capote, José Farias |date=2021-08-25 |title=Salinidad del agua en el epilimnion del Lago de Maracaibo |url=https://zenodo.org/record/5256653 |language=es |publisher=Observador del Conocimiento |pages=81–89 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.5256653 |access-date=2022-03-15}}</ref> and the lighter fresh water floated on the heavier salt water, causing nutrients to be deposited on the bottom of the lake,<ref name="nasa2">{{cite news |author1=Nola Fernandez Acosta |date=2004-06-23 |title=Duckweed Invasion in Lake Maracaibo |language=en-US |work=[[NASA]] |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/4654/duckweed-invasion-in-lake-maracaibo |accessdate=2022-04-22}}</ref> resulting in the accumulation of more than a five kilometer thick deposit of sediment on the bedrock.<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015" /> In the [[Pliocene]], the depression of today's Lake Maracaibo reached what would be practically its current form. The numerous rivers that flow into the lake have been defining its banks, especially those that form the southern delta of the lake, where the [[Escalante River (Venezuela)|Escalante]], [[Catatumbo River|Catatumbo]] and Santa Ana rivers converge. Lake Maracaibo is located in the [[Maracaibo Lowlands|Maracaibo lowland]] in the faulted basin between the [[Perija Mountains]] and the Merida Mountains of the Eastern Cordillera Mountains in northwestern Venezuela.<ref name="a1">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=中國大百科全書 |title=马拉开波湖 |edition=第一版 |url=https://h.bkzx.cn/item/49424?q=%E9%A9%AC%E6%8B%89%E5%BC%80%E6%B3%A2%E6%B9%96 |accessdate=2022-04-19| language = zh-CN}}</ref><ref name="b2">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=中國大百科全書 |title=马拉开波湖 |edition=第二版 |url=https://h.bkzx.cn/item/219678?q=%E9%A9%AC%E6%8B%89%E5%BC%80%E6%B3%A2%E6%B9%96 |accessdate=2022-04-19| language = zh-CN}}</ref> The lake is in the shape of a vase.<ref name="ESA, 2005">{{Cite web | url = http://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Earth_from_Space_Maracaibo_Venezuela | title = Earth from Space: Maracaibo, Venezuela | date = 2005-05-20 | work = [[ESA]] | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20191206052731/http://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Earth_from_Space_Maracaibo_Venezuela | archive-date = 2019-12-06| language = en}}</ref> It is 210 kilometers long from north to south, 121 kilometers wide from east to west,<ref name="britannica4">{{cite encyclopedia | url= https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Maracaibo | title= Lake Maracaibo | encyclopedia=[[britannica]]| date=2016-06-16 | access-date=2016-12-06 | language = en-GB}}</ref><ref name="Publishing2010">{{cite book|author=John P. Rafferty|title=Lakes and Wetlands: A "Juvenile Nonfiction Book"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fdKcAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA192|date=2010-10-01|publisher=britannica Publishing|isbn=978-1-61530-403-5|page=192|language = en}}</ref> covers an area of 13,512 square kilometers, the deepest is 35 meters,<ref>{{cite book|author=Merriam-Webster|title=webster|date=2016|url=https://archive.org/details/webstersnewgeogr00merr/page/727|isbn=978-0-87779-446-2|page=727| language = en-US}}</ref> the shore length is about 1000 kilometers, and the volume is about 280 cubic kilometers.<ref name="a1" /><ref name="b2" /> The largest river entering the lake, the [[Catatumbo River]], enters the lake from west to east, providing 57% of the water entering the lake. In addition to the influence of the prevailing wind, the lake water circulates counterclockwise.<ref name="Publishing2010" /><ref name="QuinnWoodward2015">{{cite book|author1=Joyce A. Quinn|author2=Susan L. Woodward|title=Earth's Landscape: An Encyclopedia of the World's Geographic Features |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ErkxBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA397|date=2015-02-03|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-446-9|page=397| language = en}}</ref> There are also the Santa Ana River, [[Chama River (Venezuela)|Chama River]], [[Motatán River]], [[Escalante River (Venezuela)|Escalante River]], and about fifty other rivers which drain into it.<ref name="a1" /><ref name="b2" /> Lake Maracaibo is deep in the south and shallow in the north. The northern half of the lake, which looks like a bottleneck, is 55 kilometers long.<ref name="ESA, 2005"/><ref name="Publishing2010"/> The southeastern edge of the lake basin with a flat bottom is steep and the northwestern edge is gentle.<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015"/> It is slightly salty due to the influence of tides, and the overall [[salinity]] is between 1.5 and 3.8%.{{Inconsistent|date=December 2023|reason=Further in this paragraph the salinity is given as 10 times lower. Possibly parts per thousand (‰) here.}}<ref name="ESA, 2005"/><ref name=britannica4/>{{failed verification|date=December 2023}} The Catatumbo River forms a bird-foot-shaped [[River delta|delta]] in the southwest of the lake basin, and the surface lake water in the delta has a salinity of only 0.13%. However, the intrusion of seawater from the mouth of the lake makes the salinity of the bottom lake water higher, reaching 0.2-0.3%.<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015"/> The north is connected with the [[Gulf of Venezuela]], and the [[Spit (landform)|spit]] at the mouth of the lake extends for about 26 kilometers.<ref name=britannica4/> == Climate == The annual average temperature of the lake area is 28&nbsp;°C,<ref name="b2" /> the precipitation is more in the south and less in the north, and the average annual rainfall in the south is 1400&nbsp;mm.<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015" /> The mountain wind from the Andes at night contacts the warm and humid air on the lake surface, forming an average of 297&nbsp;mm per year. The meteorological phenomenon known as [[Catatumbo lightning]] takes place in southern part of the lake, characterized by a continuous series of lightnings that are almost continuous and silent. This makes Lake Maracaibo the place with the most frequent lightning on earth. There are about 233 lightning strikes per square kilometer in a year on average.<ref name="nasa1">{{cite news |author1=Molly Porter |title=Earth's New Lightning Capital Revealed |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2016/earths-new-lightning-capital-revealed.html |accessdate=2022-04-22 |work=[[NASA]] |date=2006-05-02|language = en-US}}</ref> The nocturnal thunderstorms occur on average about 297 days per year. At its peak in September, the lake area can experience up to 280 lightning strikes per hour,<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015" /><ref name="nasa1" /> approximately 28 lightning strikes per minute, lasting up to 9 hours, and is capable of illuminating nighttime navigation.<ref name="nasa3">{{cite news |author1=Agnieszka Gautier |title=The Maracaibo beacon |url=https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/sensing-our-planet/the-maracaibo-beacon |accessdate=2022-04-24 |work=[[NASA]] |date=2021-04-19|language=en-US}}</ref> ==History== The aboriginal {{ill|Añú|es|Pueblo añú}} people who lived on the banks of the lake refer to it as Coquivacoa. The tribes of [[Wayuu people|Wayuu]], [[Caquetio|Caquetíos]], and Quiriquires also lived in the area. When Italian navigator [[Amerigo Vespucci]] and Spanish explorer [[Alonso de Ojeda]]'s fleet sailed here on August 24, 1499 (the first time Europeans entered this area), the [[stilt house]]s in which the Añú lived in reminded Vespucci of the Italian city of [[Venice]], so he named the region ''Veneziola'' (''Venezuela'' in Spanish), or "Little Venice".<ref name=eco2>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Columbia Encyclopedia]] |title=Maracaibo, Lake |edition=第六版 |url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/ma/MaracaibL.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061221215258/http://www.bartleby.com/65/ma/MaracaibL.html |archive-date=2006-12-21 |accessdate=2006-12-02|isbn=0-7876-5015-3|language = en-US}}</ref> Spain made two attempts to establish settlements around the lake in 1529 and 1569, but it was not until 1574 that the city of [[Maracaibo]] was successfully established. On July 24, 1823, Venezuela won the famous [[Battle of Lake Maracaibo]] on the lake during the [[Venezuelan War of Independence]].<ref name=hy3>{{cite encyclopedia | url= https://www.britannica.com/place/Maracaibo | title= Maracaibo, Venezuela | encyclopedia=[[britannica]]| date=2016-06-16 | access-date=2022-04-19 |language = en-GB}}</ref> The original depth of the lake mouth, which was only more than 4 meters deep, was increased to 8 meters after dredging in the 1930s, and the 3-kilometer-long stone breakwater was further increased to 11 meters after its completion in 1957, allowing ocean-going tankers to enter the lake,<ref name=britannica4/> At the same time, the northern part, which was originally fresh water, became brackish.<ref name=nasa4>{{cite news |author1=Michael Carlowicz |title=Troubled Waters |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148894/troubled-waters |accessdate=2022-04-24 |work=[[NASA]] |date=2021-09-25}}</ref> The 8,678-meter [[General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge]] over the lake connecting Maracaibo and Santa Rita was completed in 1962.<ref name=b2/><ref name=eco2/> ==Industry== Lake Maracaibo is rich in oil and gas resources and is known as the "oil lake".<ref name=b2/> The first Spaniards who arrived used tar seeping from the lake to fill ship cracks.<ref name=nasa3/> The Maracaibo oil field was discovered in 1914,<ref name=dn3>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=denstoredanske |author1=Helle Askgaard|author2=Per Nielsen|title=Maracaibo |url=https://denstoredanske.lex.dk/Maracaibo|accessdate=2022-04-26|language = da}}</ref> the first oil well was constructed in 1917, and large-scale exploitation began in 1922.<ref name=b2/> The oil fields are concentrated in the northeast and northwest of the lake, and the oil-producing layers are mainly [[Tertiary]] sandstone and [[Cretaceous]] limestone, with a hydrocarbon-bearing area of 1,300 square kilometers,<ref name=a1/> mainly concentrated in the coastal waters 105 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide in the east of the lake.<ref name=britannica4/> Maracaibo on the northwest coast is the capital of [[Zulia State]], the second largest city in Venezuela and an important oil export port in the world.<ref name=hy3/> The lake area is also an important fishing and agricultural production area in Venezuela, supporting more than 20,000 fishermen, many of whom live in colorful traditional stilt houses built with iron sheets on the lake.<ref name=nasa3/> The main crops on the south bank of the lake are bananas, peanuts, cocoa, coconut, sugar cane and coffee, the western shore of the lake developed dairy industry.<ref name=a1/><ref name=fr3/> Lake Maracaibo and the Catatumbo River are the main traffic lines for the transportation of commodities in the nearby area,<ref name="Publishing2010"/><ref name=eco2/> and the city of Maracaibo is the transshipment center of coffee produced in the Andes.<ref name=dn3/> The waterway can pass through large sea-going ships and oil tankers, exporting crude oil and agricultural and livestock products from the Andean mountains and lakes.<ref name=a1/> The Lake District is home to a quarter of Venezuela's population,<ref name=nasa3/> and with the influx of farmers from the nearby Andes, the population of the Lake District increased from about 300,000 in 1936 to over 3.62 million in 2007.<ref name=fr3>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=universalis |title=Bassin de Maracaibo |url=https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/bassin-de-maracaibo/|accessdate=2022-04-21|language = fr}}</ref> ==Nature== Lake Maracaibo possesses highly oxygenated waters which makes it rich in algae, and in turn fishes, making it very biologically diverse. It is home to clams, [[Callinectes sapidus|blue crabs]], shrimps and other aquatic products,<ref name="QuinnWoodward2015"/> and is also home to two endangered aquatic mammals, the [[West Indian manatee]] and the [[Amazon river dolphin]]. About 145 species of fish inhabit the lake,<ref>{{cite news |author1=María Luisa Paúl |title=Oil slicks and algae blooms marring Venezuela’s largest lake are visible from space |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/07/oil-pollution-lake-maracaibo-venezuela/ |accessdate=2022-08-20 |work=Washington Post |date=2021-10-07}}</ref> including many endemic species such as the Maracaibo half-hooked catfish (''[[Hypostomus maracaiboensis]]''),<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Hemiancistrus|species=maracaiboensis|year=2014|month=11}}</ref> the Maracaibo hairy catfish (''[[Trichomycterus maracaiboensis]]''),<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Trichomycterus|species|maracaiboensis|year=2014|month=11}}</ref> the Maracaibo Lake Lamont catfish (''[[Lamontichthys maracaibero]]''),<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Lamontichthys|species=maracaibero|year=2014|month=11}}</ref> Lake Maracaibo tetra (''[[Bryconamericus motatanensis]]''),<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Bryconamericus|species=motatanensis|year=2014|month=1}}</ref> and Maracaibo wolf anchovies (''[[Lycengraulis limnichthys]]'') living in surface waters.<ref>{{FishBase|genus=Lycengraulis|species=limnichthys|year=2012|month=6}}</ref> The lake has been drilled about 14,000 times, and more than 15,000 miles of oil and gas pipelines criss-cross the lake floor, but most of these pipelines are half a century old, with oil leaking from many aging underwater pipes.<ref name="ESA, 2005"/><ref name=nasa4/> Before the 1950s, the lake water could still be used directly for domestic use, but then due to the intrusion of tidal salt water caused by the widening of the lake mouth channel, the salinity of the northern lake area increased by about 1,000%, and the south also increased by 300-500%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|url=https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/boletin/article/view/214|title=Contaminación salina del Lago de Maracaibo: Efectos en la calidad y aplicación de sus aguas|date=1973|journal=Boletín del Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas|volume=9|access-date=2021-12-13|language=es|issn=2477-9458|author1=Luis Boscán|author2=Fausto Capote|author3=José Farias}}</ref> Also there are the big cock of Jonny sins == Contamination == {{Overlay|image=Maracaibo MSI 2021.jpg|width=250|height=250|float=right|legend1title=|overlay1=Algae bloom|overlay1left=70|overlay1top=190|overlay1colour=#409b3e}}In lakeside towns such as the city of Maracaibo, the lake water is contaminated with [[E. coli]] from feces, oil pollution, and [[eutrophication]] caused by agricultural sewage discharged into the lake, as well as domestic and industrial wastewater, resulting in the [[Algal bloom|blooms]] of [[duckweed]] and [[green algae]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0378-18442009000500004&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es|title=Nitrógeno y fósforo totales de los ríos tributarios al sistema lago de Maracaibo, Venezuela|year=2009|publisher=Interciencia|pages=308–314|access-date=2021-12-14|language=es|issn=0378-1844|author=Rivas, Zulay}}</ref> The presence of large amounts of duckweed blocks the passage of sunlight, significantly affecting biological cycles, preventing the development of native algae and plant species. Additionally, duckweed residues accumulate at the bottom, generating a layer of organic elements that produces large amounts of ammonium, methane and other compounds whose saturation causes eutrophication of the waters. In the spring of 2004, heavy rains fell in the Lake Maracaibo basin, causing a large influx of fresh water into the lake. This caused nutrients originally deposited on the bottom of the lake to float to the surface of the lake, which in turn allowed the duckweed to rapidly multiply and triggered a bloom that lasted for up to eight months. The blooms were noted in June to have covered 18% of the lake, and the local government had to begin spending about $2 million per month on cleanup work.<ref name="nasa2" /><ref name="nasa4" /> {{Annotated image|image=Maracaibo OLI 2021.jpg|image-width=2000|image-left=-1300|image-top=-1000|float=right|caption=|height=250|width=250|annotations={{Annotation|50|100|Oil slicks|font-size=15|color=yellow}}}} Numerous [[oil spill]]s, at least partly attributed to deficient maintenance, and the indiscriminate discharge of sewage without prior treatment, have significantly deteriorated the water quality, to the point that in some parts of the Zulia area, the water presents levels of contamination that are very dangerous for health.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Briñez |first=Nilda Bermúdez |date=January 2006 |title=Los derrames de petróleo en el Lago de Maracaibo entre 1922 y 1928 (Oil spills in Maracaibo Lake between 1922 and 1928) |url=http://www.saber.ula.ve/bitstream/handle/123456789/23171/articulo7.pdf;jsessionid=70BBFD04E985B53C89D06D0818BC273D?sequence=1 |journal=Universidad de Los Andes. Procesos Históricos. Revista Semestral de Historia, Arte y Ciencias Sociales (University of the Andes. Historical Processes. Biannual Journal of History) |issue=9}}</ref> Within the existing polluting activities, the [[Coal mining|mining]] of mineral coal has started more recently, which further contaminates the basin with pollutants. Likewise, the so-called ''cañadas'', which are random drainage courses, drag large amounts of garbage from the human settlements that are in their path to the lake. In addition to this, residential waste such as plastic bags and bottles are also added. These pollutants all eventually get carried into the lake.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basura y plástico tienen en "coma" nuestro Lago (Trash and plastic have our lake in a "coma") |url=http://www.panorama.com.ve/ciudad/Basura-y-plastico-tienen-en-coma-nuestro-Lago-20171001-0029.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002163716/http://www.panorama.com.ve/ciudad/Basura-y-plastico-tienen-en-coma-nuestro-Lago-20171001-0029.html |archive-date=2 October 2017 |access-date=3 August 2023 |website=Panorama}}</ref> == Islands == There are many islands in the lake. Some primarily consist of [[sedimentary rock]], such as the Zapata, Pescadores, and San Carlos islands (which is geographically a peninsula), while others like Toad have tectonic origins. The majority of the islands are located in the area of the Tablazo Bay and forms the {{ill|Almirante Padilla municipality|es|Municipio Almirante Padilla}}. The islands of Burro, Providencia, Hijacal, Pájaros, and the artificial islands are located at the neck of the lake and belong to other municipalities. Natural islands of Lake Maracaibo: * {{ill|San Carlos Island (Peninsula)|es|Península de San Carlos}} * {{ill|Zapara Island|es|Isla de Zapara}} * [[Toas island|Toas Island]] * {{ill|Providence Island (Venezuela)|lt=Providence Island|es|Isla de Providencia (Venezuela)}} * {{ill|Pescadores Island|es|Isla de Pescadores (Venezuela)}} * {{ill|Los Pájaros Island|es|Isla Los Pájaros}} * Burro Island * Hicacal Island Artificial islands of Lake Maracaibo: * {{ill|Dorada Island|es|Isla Dorada}} - Residential complex in the Coquivacoa Parish of the city of Maracaibo. * {{ill|La Salina Island|es|Isla La Salina}} - Island created for the filling of oil tankers in the city of Cabimas. The only island in the sack of the lake. == Bridge == {{Main|General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge}} The {{convert|8678|m}} long [[General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge]] connects the western and eastern coast of the lake together. It held the record for being the longest [[Cable-stayed bridge|cable-stayed]] concrete bridge in the world at the time of its inauguration in 1962. Located in the southern part of the Strait of Maracaibo, it is a vehicles-only bridge that accommodates both directions of traffic, while its height allows for the passage of vessels up to 45 meters in height. == Photos == {| align="center" border="0" |<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="150"> File:Sunset at Congo Mirador (23978940929).jpg|Sunset at Congo Mirador File:General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge view from the lake to Cabimas side.jpg|General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge File:Lenteja Acuatica en el Paseo del Lago, Maracaibo.jpg|Lenteja Acuatica in lake File:Catatumbo Lightning (136348001).jpeg|Catatumbo Lightning </gallery> |} ==References== {{reflist|32em}}{{Authority control}} [[Category:Lake Maracaibo| ]] [[Category:Ancient lakes]] [[Category:Maracaibo basin]] [[Category:Bays of Venezuela]] [[Category:Geography of Zulia]]'