The Science Behind The Beautifully Bizarre Spotted Lake In Canada

Though constantly inundated with different mind-blowing visuals from the internet and media, it's nice to be reminded that sometimes Mother Nature can produce some of the best visual effects. The strange phenomenon of the Spotted Lake in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie but is actually one of the rarest naturally occurring phenomena on Earth.

A perfect confluence of natural factors enables the Canadian lake to form colorful spots that are both beautiful and odd. Unsurprisingly, a few scientific processes are happening under the surface. Just like the Northern Lights or nacreous clouds that occur at higher latitudes, the Spotted Lake has been studied by scientists who have uncovered the cause of the blue and green spots on the lake's surface. 

What may surprise you, however, is that the Spotted Lake is more than just a cool scene. It's also an important site for geological scientific study with a rich history and cultural significance for the people there.

The colorful circles on the Spotted Lake's surface are a myriad of minerals, including sulfates, calcium, and sodium. As the water evaporates in the lake during the summer, the salt and mineral deposits become more concentrated, hardening and forming the circles that give the lake its distinct look.

Unlike a typical or exorheic lake — which is drained from an outflowing river — the Spotted Lake is an endorheic lake with no outflow. It receives its water supply from underground springs, rain, and melting snow in winter. As the weather heats up and the water evaporates, it leaves behind mineral deposits like magnesium sulfate, which crystallizes in the summer.

The minerals found in each deposit determine the color of the spots. For instance, green dots are made of magnesium sulfate and calcium carbonate, while blue spots are made up of mostly just magnesium sulfate. Overall, the lake comprises eight different kinds of minerals, including small amounts of silver and titanium.

While the Spotted Lake's visual phenomenon is reason enough for scientists to study it, the lake is also scientifically significant for a number of other factors. As the conditions to form the lake are incredibly rare, geologists have studied the lake's mineral deposit changes over time. In addition, the lake is located in the Okanagan Valley next to the Thompson Plateau, an area with high tectonic activity, which has provided geologists studying the surrounding areas with unique data points. 

The Spotted Lake's contributions to geology aren't the only way scientists study the area. A study published in the National Library of Medicine also studied life in the hypersaline environment of the Spotted Lake. This study provided clues to whether life can exist in highly salinated bodies of water, like the paleolakes found on Mars. Interestingly enough, studying microbial structures in bacteria and other organisms found in the Spotted Lake can provide scientists with more clues as to whether life can exist on other planets.

In addition to being a neat scientific phenomenon, the Spotted Lake also holds important cultural significance to the Syilx People of the Okanagan Nation (the original indigenous people of the area). Originally named kłlilx'w, the lake is considered sacred and has been long used for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. Today, the lake is still celebrated by the Syilx Okanagan Nation as an important pillar in their cultural beliefs.

In the 1910s, during World War I, the Spotted Lake was dredged by Canada to collect minerals used in ammunition production for the war effort. In addition, the minerals in the lake have also been extracted for use in spa treatments, which has led some to claim that the lake used to be more vibrant. In 2001, the Okanagan National Alliance Chiefs Executive Council purchased Spotted Lake and 22 hectares of land around it to help preserve and restore it, ensuring its beauty for generations to come.