Palm Lake
| Palm Lake | |
|---|---|
| Lake Palm, Lake Coco | |
 Palm Lake in 2008 | |
| Palm Lake 2022 Palm Lake from above in 2022 | |
| Location | Flint Island, Kiribati |
| Group | Flint Lakes Group |
| Coordinates | 11°25'17"S 151°49'19"W |
| Type | Shallow Brackish Lake |
| Etymology | Coconut Palms |
| Max. length | 189m (620ft) |
| Max. width | 146m (479ft) |
| Surface area | 12,837m2 (138,176ft2) |
| Average depth | 0.4m (1.3ft) |
| Max. depth | 1.7m (5.5ft) |
| Surface elevation | +0.3m (+0.9ft) |
| Islands | 3 |
| Settlements | None |
Geography
Palm Lake is the largest lake in Flint Island, and is a somewhat triangular shape, with thin channels of water in the south-western area. The lake is very shallow, with its deepest point in the south-east not even being 2 metres deep (6.5 feet). Water levels in Palm Lake fluctuate very commonly, typically every couple of 2-5 years. The past 3 low water level periods in 2009, 2019 and 2021 only saw the Woods Shallows in the northern area become exposed, but a really dry 2007 period saw even more areas become exposed in the channels, south-east and south-west. From 2013 to 2014 there were a large amount of weeds and lily pads in the lake that have since disappeared for unknown reasons. There are 3 islands in the lake, Maxwell Island, Houlder Island and Kremen Island. Maxwell and Houlder are formed by the channels of water in the South-West of the lake, while Kremen is a small circular island in the South-East of the lake with a singular palm tree. Maxwell and Houlder are named after the 2 companies that once owned settlements on Flint Island. There are 2 peninsulas that jut into the lake, Magellan Peninsula and Kepler Peninsula, named after Ferdinand Magellan, who discovered Flint Island and Angela Kepler who contributed significantly to research on Flint Island.
History
Palm Lake is believed to be the last remnant of a lagoon that surrounded a young atoll-like Flint Island. Eventually as Flint Island grew, the lagoon shrank into the Palm Lake we know today.
The Lake is confirmed to have been known about for at least 144 years since 1878 when it is clearly shown in a German survey sketch of Flint Island. The lake was mentioned in records of The Lick Observatory-Crocker Expedition to Flint Island in 1908, and in a small paper about the island in 1934 and again in 1966. In 2008 Angela K. Kepler did an expedition to Flint Island, where she took the highest quality photo of the lake at ground level to date.
Gallery
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AKK 2008 photo of Palm Lake -
Palm Lake in 1934 (Colourized)
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Satellite map of Palm Lake in 2022
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Map of Palm Lake with text
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German Survey map of Flint Island (1878) with palm lake visible
References
The Lick Observatory-Crocker Expedition to Flint Island
German 1878 Map Of Flint Island
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