![](\"http:\/\/www.esa.int\/var\/esa\/storage\/images\/esa_multimedia\/images\/2016\/09\/alakol_lake\/16144238-1-eng-GB\/Alakol_Lake_small.jpg\")
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\nLarge chunks of broken ice float in east-central Kazakhstan\u2019s Alakol Lake in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image from 5 April 2016.\n<\/p>\n
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\nThis salt lake usually freezes for about two months at the end of winter, and breaks up in early spring \u2013 as we can see happening here. The lake\u2019s mineral-rich water and mud is considered to be therapeutic, and tourists often visit the lake\u2019s northern shores to remedy skin ailments.\n<\/p>\n
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\nAlakol means \u2018multicoloured lake\u2019 \u2013 and we can clearly see varying shades of green and blue depending on the depth, sediments flowing in from rivers and streams and phytoplankton. The two smaller, shallower lakes to the northwest are Kosharkol and Sasykkol.\n<\/p>\n
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\nThe Alakol\u2013Sasykkol lake system is both a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is an important migratory stop and nesting area for a variety of water birds, including the Dalmatian Pelican and Greater Flamingo.\n<\/p>\n
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\nIn the lower-left corner of the image we can see agricultural structures in an alluvial fan. The triangular fan is formed when water runoff from the Dzungarian Alatau mountains (not pictured) hits the plain and spreads out, leaving behind fertile soil.\n<\/p>\n
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