Lake Gregory makes desert appear poorly prepared
Lake Gregory in northwestern Australia filled after a fierce wet season. Therefore, the Great Sandy Desert now faces awkward questions about whether its name is merely aspirational. Meanwhile, the lake declined to comment. It had spent the day being blue in public.
Images from the International Space Station and NASA satellites showed blue and green water among tan dunes. From orbit, the landscape looks serene. However, from the ground, the desert has reportedly asked who authorised this much contrast.
The lake is around 16 kilometres long. In addition, it sits within brackish wetlands in the Paruku Indigenous Protected Area. It is the only permanent waterbody there. Consequently, it is the reliable colleague among seasonal puddles.
Sand enters formal consultation
Traditional Owners manage the area. Distant viewers enjoyed the rare sight of a desert that seemed to have lost control of the bath. Nevertheless, several dunes favour a tidy return to beige. None has proposed moving the water by hand.
“It is a difficult time for sand,” said Len Drysdale of the Institute for Keeping Landscapes On Brand. “People expect heat, glare and the faint impression they have made a mistake. Instead, they find a lake with the confidence of a minor royal.”
NASA said the images reveal the dramatic effects of a heavy wet season. Therefore, officials at the Great Sandy Desert accepted the evidence. However, they will continue to identify as dry until somebody moves the water into a PowerPoint.
Meanwhile, the weather remains pleased to have done its job. It has no intention of apologising to sand. Finally, the desert will issue visitors with a revised map and a towel. It will also remind them that nature never approved the marketing copy. Lake Gregory remains magnificently full and is considering charging the dunes for the view.
Read the real story: NASA Earth Observatory on Lake Gregory
