Lake containing millions of rainbow stones

Lake McDonald is not only the largest, longest and deepest lake in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, but it is also blessed with colorful rocks hidden under the clear water, creating a rare, shimmering beauty.

Glacier National Park is located in the state of Montana, USA, bordering Canada, is home to more than 700 lakes, of which only 131 have names, 200 lakes are larger than 2 hectares, and more than a dozen lakes have an area of ​​thousands of acres surrounded by mountain ranges.

Colorful stones at McDonald Lake. (Photo: Internet)

The water in these lakes is very clear. This is because the low temperatures over the years prevent the growth of plankton. It is not unusual to see every detail of the lake bottom at a depth of more than 9m.

One of the most striking features of some of the lakes here is the presence of rocks and pebbles of various colors both under the water surface and on the lake shore. These rocks range in color from dark red to dark brown, green to blue, yellow, purple, etc. The most prominent of these is Lake McDonald located in the west of the park.

The lake water is clear due to the lack of plankton. (Photo: Internet)

Lake McDonald is not only the largest lake with a surface area of ​​over 2,000 hectares, it is also the longest (over 15km), as well as the deepest (141 metres) of the lakes in Glacier National Park.

According to the book "Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park" by Vicky Spring and Tom Kirkendall:

"The color of rocks is determined by the presence or absence of iron. The bright red rocks along the Grinnel Glacier trail are the result of mineral deposits in shallow seas where iron is oxidized by rising tides. Rocks with this color often have old ripples or ancient mud cracks."

Green rocks form in deeper water than red rocks. Although these rocks contain the same amount of iron, they are not exposed to oxygen and are therefore less susceptible to oxidation.

Rocks in shallow water are often dark red due to oxidation. (Photo: Internet).

Bluestone is found in abundance in Otokomi Lake, while darkstone is found mainly on the shores of Lake McDonald and along the McDonald Creek. Around Trout Lake, there is a concentration of red and greenstone rich in iron.

These rocks are found throughout Glacier National Park and were created at different times. When the glaciers came, they broke the large rocks into small pieces and carried them away. Many of the smaller rocks were then deposited in lakes, including small mountain lakes, and filled the lake beds. Water erosion has smoothed the rocks and gravel, making them cleaner and smoother.

According to Khoahoc.tv