Death Valley’s Ancient Ice Age Lake Returns After Record-Breaking Rainfall — Nearly 2 Inches Fell Across The Desert

In addition to holding the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth, featuring moving rocks, and being considered one of the best places for stargazing, Death Valley is also home to a strange phenomenon that occurs under the right conditions. Lake Manly is a pluvial lake that stretches across roughly 1,600 square kilometers and has returned after more than a year since it last formed. The reason? Record rainfall that left 1.76 inches of water in the area, according to an official report from the *National Park Service.* Repeated storms between September and November flooded the flats with runoff, creating a shallow layer of water. This year’s lake is smaller than the one seen two years ago after Hurricane Hilary, when kayaking was briefly possible. In just two months, the park received more rain than it typically does in an entire year. An ancient natural wonder beneath Death Valley’s flats ---------------------------------------------------------- During the late Pleistocene, when mammoths roamed the Earth, this basin held a body of water that stretched roughly 90 miles long and up to 600-700 feet deep, when climate patterns favored more rain and runoff from surrounding mountains. That ancient version dried up as the climate warmed and became more arid, leaving behind thick salt crusts and the perfectly flat Badwater Basin we know today. Today’s Lake Manly only forms after unusually [heavy storms.](https://secretlosangeles.com/what-to-do-on-a-rainy-day-in-la/) Because it fills so rarely and stays very shallow, often only a few inches to a couple of feet, it’s not technically a “swimming lake,” even when visible. Most of the time, the National Park Service doesn’t allow visitors to enter the water, in order to protect delicate [salt flats](https://secretlosangeles.com/amboy-mojave-desert-landmarks/) from footprints and drag marks that can scar the landscape for years. Source: https://secretlosangeles.com/death-valley-lake-manly-returns/