QUICK FACTS
Name: Lake Natron
Location: Northern Tanzania
Coordinates: -2.332009081285983, 36.03373896004504
Why it's incredible: The lake is so alkaline, it burns the skin and eyes of most animals and turns some to "stone."
Lake Natron has a chemical makeup that is so harsh, it is uninhabitable for most creatures. It is a "soda" lake, meaning it has high levels of dissolved sodium and carbonate. Due to this high concentration of salts and minerals, the lake's pH can reach 10.5, which is almost as caustic as ammonia solution — and animals that die on the shores of Lake Natron are preserved as calcified mummies as a result.
