A 1,400-hectare lake in Chile disappeared overnight.

The vast Lake Riesco in the southernmost Patagonia province of Chile suddenly dried up in a short period of time, baffling scientists.

Lake Riesco in Patagonia, Chile, with an area of ​​1,400 hectares, dried up overnight. Photo: Mysterious Universe.

According to Mysterious Universe, these are photos of Lake Riesco.located in the Blanco River valleyPhotos taken before and after May 30th show the lake's water receding without leaving any trace. Before disappearing completely, Lago Riesco had an average depth of 72 meters and a maximum depth of 130 meters.

Scientists have yet to explain why the lake has disappeared. Photo: Mysterious Universe.

Scientists have yet to determine the cause of the lake's drying up. The volcanoes in the area remain stable and show no unusual activity. One hypothesis suggests that Lake Riesco may have dried up because it lies atop the large Liquiñe-Ofqui fault line, which stretches 1,200 km across southern Chile.

This fault line frequently causes earthquakes, but no significant seismic activity was recorded before Lake Riesco disappeared. Researchers also found no sinkholes or fissures that could have drained the lake.

Another, less convincing hypothesis, put forward by Marcio Villouta Alvarado, head of the Patagonia Provincial Public Works Department, is that the drought was caused by the El Niño phenomenon affecting the area. Average rainfall in the lake region this year is only 34% of the annual average. This could explain the lower-than-normal water level, but it doesn't explain why the lake disappeared overnight.

According to VNE