Lake Mezzano ( it, Lago di Mezzano; lat, Lacus Statoniensis) is a small
crater lake
Crater Lake (Klamath language, Klamath: ''Giiwas'') is a volcanic crater lake in south-central Oregon in the western United States. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The ...
of central
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, of
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
origin, which was formed 400,000 years ago.
The lake has a circular shape typical of
crater
Crater may refer to:
Landforms
*Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet
*Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surfac ...
lakes. Its surface area is 475,000 m² the altitude of its surface is 452 m and has a perimeter of 2,516 m.
The emissary which leaves Lake Mezzano is river Olpeta, that is an affluent to Fiora.
The lake lies in the territory of the community of
Valentano
250px, View of Valentano.
Valentano is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Viterbo, in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is from the provincial capital, Viterbo.
left, 220px, Rocca Farnese in Valentano.
The placename is of uncertain ori ...
(
VT).
In the 1980s an archaeologic campaign brought back to light a number of historical and prehistorical findings. Many of those are now exhibited in the ''Museo della Preistoria e della Rocca Farnese'' in Valentano.
Calderas of Italy
Volcanic crater lakes
Lakes of Lazio
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