Lonar Lake in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra is a:

Lonar Lake is a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a crater formed when a meteorite struck the Earth. It is located at Lonar in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra.

Formation:

The crater was created by a high-velocity meteorite impact. Its age has been estimated at about 50,000 years in older studies, while more recent dating suggests it may be about 35,000 to 50,000 years old.

Unusually, it is one of the very few large impact craters in the world formed in basalt rock, the same type of volcanic rock found on the Moon and Mars. This makes it very valuable for scientists studying craters on other planets.

Size:

• The crater is about 1.8 km in diameter and about 150 metres deep.
• The lake inside it has a diameter of about 1.2 km.

Features of the lake:

• Its water is both saline (salty) and highly alkaline (pH about 10 to 10.5).
• Rare micro-organisms and algae that can survive in these conditions live in it.
• In 2020, the colour of the lake changed from green to pink, which scientists linked to the growth of salt-loving micro-organisms (Haloarchaea) due to increased salinity.

Recognition:

• Lonar Lake has been declared a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance).
• The area is a wildlife sanctuary and a National Geo-heritage Monument.

Temples around the lake:

There are several ancient temples around the lake, including the Daitya Sudan temple, built in the Hemadpanti style by the Yadava dynasty.

Why not the other options?

• ✗A lagoon is a coastal water body separated from the sea by a sand bar or reef.
• ✗A kettle lake forms in a hollow left by a melting block of glacial ice.
• ✗Lonar is a natural lake, not a reservoir.