The salt plain turned into a lake

The central part of the Australian continent is sunny, dry and desert. In some places, only 140 liters of rain per square meter falls a year – too little to permanently supply watercourses and tanks. Water often evaporates before it reaches rivers and lakes. Every few years, however, there are rainfall so abundant that the desert changes its face for a moment.

In 2025, extreme rainfall in Queensland caused an increase level Water on rivers flowing towards Lake Eyre (called by the native inhabitants of Kati Thanda). It “collects” water from about one sixth Australian continent. Flood waters began to flow towards him in March, covering hundreds of kilometers of the desert.

This process was captured in satellite photos NASA. The paintings have been colored to show the shores of the lake. You can see the filling of the tank on Fr.D April 29 to June 12. Within a few weeks, the water reached the bays in the southern part of the lake – these are the lowest points on the Australian continent, located about 15 meters below sea level.

When Lake Eyre is filled, it becomes the largest water reservoir of Australia. It is also one of the largest saltwater lakes in the world.

For most of the year, the Eyre lake bowl is dry and covered with convertible salt. Over the past 160 years, the lake has only been filled only three times. Rainfall at Queensland at the beginning of this year was extremely high, and lower temperatures prevailing in the region can help limit evaporation. However, according to the residents, for the lake to fill completely, at least two more rainy years are needed.

The influx of water brings with it a wealth of wild nature. Artemie appears – miniature crustaceans, whose eggs can remain sleeping in dry soil for years – excavations and freshwater crabs that adapted to this environment. The newly created oasis also attracts migrating birds: pelicans, crumple and many other species.