Which of the following statements with reference to Lake Turkana is/are correct?

1. It is the largest desert lake in the world.
2. The lake is situated in South Sudan along the eastern fringe of the Sahara desert.
3. The lake is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also referred to as the ‘Jade Sea’.

Select the answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct, and Statement 2 is incorrect

• Changes in Lake Turkana’s water levels affected fault movement & magma generation in Lake Turkana.
• It is the world’s largest permanent desert lake and the largest alkaline lake, mainly situated in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Its northern end extends into Ethiopia.

Statement 3 is correct

• Known as “Jade Sea” for its turquoise colour, its basin was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The Turkana Basin is a significant paleoanthropological site, often referred to as the “Cradle of Humankind” due to numerous hominin fossil discoveries. Three rivers, Omo, Turkwel, and Kerio, feed the lake, with the Omo River contributing nearly 90% of the total inflow. It has the world’s largest breeding colony of Nile crocodiles.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard