Garabogazköl
| Garabogazköl | |
|---|---|
| Kara-Bogaz-Gol | |
| Garabogazköl (Turkmen) | |
Kara-Bogaz Gol from space, September 1995 | |
| Location | Turkmenistan |
| Coordinates | 41°21′07″N 53°35′43″E / 41.35194°N 53.59528°E |
| Surface area | 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi) |
Garabogazköl (also spelled Kara-Bogaz-Gol; "Black Strait Lake"), or Garabogazköl Aylagy ("Black Strait Lake Bay"), is a shallow, highly saline lagoon off the Caspian Sea in northwestern Turkmenistan. The lagoon has a variable surface area typically about 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi). It is very shallow, with an average depth of 10 meters. It is separated from the Caspian Sea by a narrow, rocky ridge having a very narrow opening through which the Caspian Sea waters flow into it. There is likely a subterranean highly saline water flow when there is less evaporation in winter. The lagoon's volume fluctuates seasonally, accentuated by its salt evaporation ponds and seasonally dry salt pans.
The city of Garabogaz lies nearby, about 50 km (31 mi) north of the channel between the main Caspian basin and the Garabogazköl lagoon.