From blue to red: Santa Maria del Oro Lagoon located in volcanoc crater changes color in Mexico

The mystic Santa Maria del Oro lagoon has turned brownish-red overnight, surprising locals and residents of Nayarit, Mexico.

The Santa Maria del Oro Laguna, nearly 2.25km long and 1.2km wide, is located inside a volcanic crater.

The crater lake, also known as the ‘Enchanted Lagoon’ contains fresh water that constantly changes color, from blue to bright green. A bit like this lake in Canada…

However, this is the first time that the lagoon has turned brownish-red…

As reported by Volcano.si.edu: “The scenic lake-filled Santa María del Oro maar lies between Sangangüey and Ceboruco volcanoes in the Tepic-Chapala graben.

“The topographically indistinct outer flanks of the maar give little hint to the dramatic 400 m drop into the Laguna Santa María crater lake. The roughly 3-km-wide maar was erupted through older Miocene rhyolitic ashflow tuffs of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

“Little is known of the geology or age of Santa María del Oro, but it occurs near the alignment of cinder cones extending from Sangangüey and may have a similar Pleistocene age. Pyroclastic-surge deposits from Santa María del Oro occur in valleys to the north and in some cases along the walls of the crater.”

So what’s going on there?

According to scientists, the color change is natural and due to this year’s colder temperatures…

The colder and denser water that normally sits at the bottom of the lake is upwelling to the surface of the lake thus changing its’ color…

So there is no fear of contamination, pollution… There is no discharge of anything poisonous… But water sample have been sent to investigation in order to determine if this brownish-red water contains any pathogens or dangerous microorganisms.

Althoug having some powerful healing powers, this water could now be infested by evil little critters ready to kill you!

I would wait the end of this rusty ‘natural phenomenon’ before having a swim again! So this change of color doesn’t indicate a nearby eruption? [Contextos]

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