The Turkana Basin is located at the northern end of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, a trench that runs north to south in the African country. A primary feature of the Turkana Basin is Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake in the world. Surrounding the body of water, which is a stopover for migrant waterfowl as well as a breeding ground for the Nile crocodile, the landscape and climate are arid with areas devoid of life. Besides the lake, the region is known around the world for its extensive fossil deposits that have led scientists to a greater understanding of the evolution of the human species. more: education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/
Lake Turkana’s unique chemistry
Extending from northern Kenya into southern Ethiopia, Lake Turkana is a body of water with a handful of distinctions. Surrounded by arid, harsh terrain, Lake Turkana is the largest permanent desert lake in the world—stretching almost 250 kilometers (155 miles) from north to south. The lake is also known for its striking turquoise color, leading to its nickname, the "Jade Sea." more: education.nationalgeographic.com/education/news/weird-waters/
What we think of as Lake Turkana has only been around for the past 200,000 years—the blink of an eye in geologic terms. The expanding and receding shores of the lake have provided food and water to organisms for millions of years.
Today, scientists study the stratigraphy—layers of rocks and sediment—of the Turkana basin to better understand the age of fossils discovered there. Stratigraphy also provides clues to the ancient paleoenvironments these organisms encountered when they were alive. more: education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/
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