An impact crater lake is a lake inside a depression caused by the impact of a meteor. It is also known as an annular lake in cases where the water body is shaped like a ring, as many impact crater lakes are.

Lake Manicouagan in Quebec, Canada
A satellite photograph of the Siljan Ring. Lake Siljan is a large part of the southwest edge of the much-eroded crater.
Lonar Lake in India

Examples

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One of the largest impact crater lakes is Lake Manicouagan in Canada; the crater is a multiple-ring structure about 100 km (60 mi) across, with its 70 km (40 mi) diameter inner ring its most prominent feature; it contains a 70 km (40 mi) diameter annular lake, surrounding an inner island plateau, René-Levasseur Island. It is Earth's sixth-largest confirmed impact crater according to rim-to-rim diameter.[1]

List

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Lake Location
Africa
Lake Bosumtwi Ghana
Tswaing crater South Africa
Asia
Karakul Tajikistan
Lake Cheko (possibly created in 1908 with the Tunguska event) Siberia, Russia
Lake El'gygytgyn Chukotka, Russia
Lonar Lake India
Europe
Dellen Sweden
Karikkoselkä Finland
Keurusselkä Finland
Lake Kaali Estonia
Lake Lappajärvi Finland
Lake Siljan Sweden
Lake Yanisyarvi Karelia, Russia
Mien Sweden
Morasko meteorite nature reserve (five of the seven craters contain lakes) Poland
Paasselkä Finland
Sääksjärvi Finland
Saarijärvi crater Finland
Suvasvesi Finland
North America
Clearwater Lakes (lake-filling paired impact craters: Lac à l'Eau Claire Est, Lac à l'Eau Claire Ouest) Quebec, Canada
Couture crater Quebec, Canada
Gilmour and Tecumseh Lakes, Brent crater Ontario, Canada
Gow crater Saskatchewan, Canada
Lake Manicouagan (artificially enlarged by a dam) Quebec, Canada
Lake Wanapitei Ontario, Canada
Mistastin crater Labrador, Canada
Pilot crater Northwest Territories, Canada
Pingualuit crater (formerly called Chubb Crater and later New Quebec Crater) Quebec, Canada
West Hawk Lake Manitoba, Canada
Oceania
Acraman crater (ephemeral playa lake) South Australia, Australia
Shoemaker crater Western Australia, Australia

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Impact Structures listed by Diameter (Increasing)". PASSC. Archived from the original on 8 July 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2012.