Emerald Lakes

About

The Emerald Lakes (Māori: Ngā Rotopounamu, lit. 'Pounamu-hued lakes') are a group of small lakes in Tongariro National Park, named for their distinctive colour. The lakes are the result of water filling explosion craters near the summit of Mount Tongariro, with the colour coming from minerals dissolved from the surrounding landscape, particularly calcium carbonate. The lakes are visible to hikers on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing when they begin their descent from the highest point of that track, at an altitude of 1,886 metres (6, 188 ft). The lakes have previously been infested with Juncus bulbosus, invasive to New Zealand, however since 2019 the New Zealand Department of Conservation have sought to control the weed, which has decreased to undetectable levels due to this work.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.