Pyramid Lake in northeastern Nevada developed eerie green swirls that could be seen from space.
The 125,000-acre Pyramid Lake develops an algal bloom almost every year, but 2024 has become “one of the most active bloom events seen in years.”
Images of the lake were taken by NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite and the Paiute Tribe identified that the main reason for this year’s spooky color was higher than normal levels of Nodularia spumigena.
This is a type of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, that is commonly found in warm, brackish bodies of water and has been responsible for the green hues of the water each year.
Although it may look pretty, algae can release dangerous toxins like microcystin that irritate the skin and cause kidney and liver damage if ingested.
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe monitors the lake’s algae levels and is now warning the public to avoid coming into contact with the water at all costs.
“We always want to make sure people are aware of this, so they don’t remove their animals or restrict them and have their own drinking water,” Aaron Bill, the tribe’s natural resources water quality program manager. the department told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Bloom material is decomposing and releasing the toxin microcystin into the water, indicating the shift toward normal conditions that may take 2 to 3 weeks to normalize,” the tribe said.
Pyramid Lake, northeast of Nevada, developed a rich, eerie shade of green that could be seen from space.
Pyramid Lake is located approximately 35 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada, and attracts a wide variety of fish and birds, making it a popular spot for wildlife enthusiasts.
It is also one of the last remains of an ancient body of water called Lake Lahontan, which existed until the last ice age and is the only remaining habitat for the endangered cui-ui fish.
The lake’s shallow, warm waters also make it an ideal breeding ground for algae blooms.
“It looks like split pea soup, but it’s that army green color,” Bill said to the science fiction chronicle.
And although the lake routinely experiences cyanobacteria blooms each summer or fall, the storms that developed in mid-October of this year “caused a lot of wave action, and that did a good job of breaking up the material, getting it to settle.” at the bottom of the lake,” Bill said.
A water quality analysis by the San Francisco Estuary Institute revealed that chlorophyll-a and cyanobacteria had increased between late September and mid-October, with the colors peaking around October 15.
Algae plays an important role in keeping lakes fertile and healthy by preventing the sun’s rays from reaching the lake bed, which in turn reduces aquatic algae that would block oxygen and effectively suffocate the lake.
However, the flowers are highly toxic and have been responsible for making visitors sick with rashes, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Pyramid Lake is part of a larger ancient lake that existed until the last ice age. Experience algae blooms every year in summer or fall.
When microcystin is inhaled, it breaks open in the stomach and can cause serious health problems, from rashes and diarrhea to vomiting, breathing problems, liver damage and neurological effects.
The toxin can also cause neurological problems when it crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters the brain.
Nodularia spumigene also has the potential to produce toxins such as nodularin, which primarily targets the liver and can cause cytoskeletal damage and necrosis that can lead to hemorrhage and death if consumed at high levels.
There is no definitive date for when algal blooms began appearing in Pyramid Lake, but historical records show that they have been occurring for a long time.