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Pink lake near Cranbrook, Australia. Over the past 50 years SW Australia has seen a climatic shift (rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall) that has reduced favorable agricultural conditions about 100 miles south-westwards towards the sea. The clearing of native vegetation over the previous 100-150 years has increased soil salinity as deeply stored salt was washed into valleys and streams. The drying climate has slowed salinisation but made it more difficult to farm and graze sheep in the West Australian Wheatbelt, which is already experiencing large variations in grain yields with more expected in the future. The ancient lakes in the area are prone to both flood and drought, with an increasing tendency toward dry. At the end of the dry season, many of the lakes turn various shades of pink with algal blooms.

Filename
STNMTZ_20180403_0173.tif
Copyright
©2018 George Steinmetz
Image Size
6008x4000 / 68.8MB
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Climate Change
Pink lake near Cranbrook, Australia. Over the past 50 years SW Australia has seen a climatic shift (rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall) that has reduced favorable agricultural conditions about 100 miles south-westwards towards the sea. The clearing of native vegetation over the previous 100-150 years has increased soil salinity as deeply stored salt was washed into valleys and streams. The drying climate has slowed salinisation but made it more difficult to farm and graze sheep in the West Australian Wheatbelt, which is already experiencing large variations in grain yields with more expected in the future. The ancient lakes in the area are prone to both flood and drought, with an increasing tendency toward dry. At the end of the dry season, many of the lakes turn various shades of pink with algal blooms.

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