Kanbeshbuloq meteorite lake

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Lake Kanbeshbuloq

Nestled in the southwestern part of Baysun, Surkhandarya Province, on the border with Turkmenistan, lies the enchanting Lake Kanbeshbulak. Due to its location near the border, access to this stunning lake is only possible from the village of Akrabot in the Kashkadarya region. To reach it, one must divert from the M-39 highway and navigate an additional 40 kilometers of winding ascents and descents.

The landscapes along the journey are breathtaking, characterized by lush juniper forests clinging to the slopes of Mount Tyubere-Oland, small drying ponds surrounded by dense vegetation, and a road that meanders through the mountainous terrain. The lake itself is situated in a basin, measuring 800 by 650 meters, and rests at an altitude of 1,700 meters above sea level. According to one theory, this lake was formed as a result of a meteorite impact. Numerous signs of meteorite falls can be observed along a unified trajectory leading to the lake from the north to the south.

In the soil and river sand at the Takhakaracha Pass in the Karatyubinsky Mountains, there is an abundance of tektites—small glassy bodies formed under extreme temperatures from the impacts of meteorites, whether from outer space or terrestrial sources. In the mountains surrounding the Kashkadarya basin to the east, large, palm-sized, vesicular, and glassy meteorite fragments can be found, often scattered in clusters across areas with a diameter of about five meters, alongside other stones of clearly cosmic origin.

By analyzing the sequence of fragment falls, their sizes, and the distances between impact points, scientists have concluded that a substantial meteorite must have fallen in the Hamkan area, creating a crater that subsequently filled with water, thus giving rise to Lake Kanbeshbulak. The shattered, explosion-like red sandstones that form the slopes of the lake further indicate the meteorite origin of the lake’s basin. Additionally, geological analysis of the rocks in the lake’s vicinity suggests that the lake could not have formed naturally through water erosion or tectonic activity.

Further south, on the limestone plateau at the foothills of the Syzystau Mountains, distinctive traces of meteorite impacts can be observed—known as “broken plate structures.” The largest of these are arranged in a chain running from north to south. These structures are clearly visible from space, with estimated dimensions reaching up to 200 meters. The entire area encompassing these structures spans approximately one and a half kilometers.

Lake Kanbeshbulak, with a diameter of around 800 meters, located in the Hamkan area in the western part of Surkhandarya Province, Uzbekistan, is a unique natural monument that has remained largely unexplored from this perspective. It presents an exceptional opportunity for ecological tourism.

Location: Surkhandarya Province, Baysun District, Hamkan area.
Coordinates: 38°04’55.4″N 66°43’31.0″E