Abano Mineral Lake Natural Monument ( ka, აბანოს მინერალური ტბა, tr) is a small
karst lake
Karst lakes are formed as the result of a collapse of caves, especially in water-soluble rocks such as limestone, gypsum and dolomite. This process is known as karstification. They can cover areas of several 100 square kilometres. Their shallow l ...
in
Kazbegi Municipality
Kazbegi ( ka, ყაზბეგის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the region of Mtskheta-Mtianeti in east-north Georgia.
The main settlement is Stepantsminda, accounting for about half of the total ...
in
Truso valley on the left bank of
Terek River, to the east of the village
Abano at 2,127 m above sea level.
Lake characteristics
The lake was created by a
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
filled underground stream flowing to the surface through carbonate rocks from the
late Jurassic period. The lake "boils" loudly with carbon dioxide bubbles bursting. The outflow of the stream is 2.5 million liters per 24 hours. The total surface area of the lake is 0.04 ha. The emission of gas in calm weather causes carbon dioxide to accumulate in lower levels. Small animals
suffocate when they get near the lake, which is why there are dead animals there, such as mice, lizards, frogs and some birds.
It is part of ''Kazbegi Protected Areas''
Kazbegi
Support Programme for Protected Areas in the Caucasus - Georgia (SPPA-Georgia) along with