Lake Eyre

Lake Eyre, officially known as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, is the largest endorheic lake in Australia.

It is located in the arid and remote landscapes of eastern-central Far North South Australia, approximately 700 km north of Adelaide. Covering an area of up to 9500 km2, it has the lowest natural point on the Australian continent, standing at approximately 15 m below sea level.

Situated in the Lake Eyre Basin, the lake has a characteristic salt pan caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation of the trapped waters. Even in the dry season, there is usually some water remaining in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, collecting in over 200 smaller sub-lakes within its margins. The average rainfall in the area is 100 to 150 millimetres per year.

The salinity in the lake increases as the salt crust dissolves over a period of six months during a major flood, resulting in a massive fish kill. When the lake is over 4 m deep, it is no saltier than the sea.

Named after Edward John Eyre, the lake's official name was changed in December 2012 to combine the name "Lake Eyre" with the Aboriginal name, Kati Thanda. The Arabana people hold the native title over the lake and surrounding region.

Floods occur regularly in Lake Eyre, with a 1.5 m flood happening typically every three years, a 4 m flood every decade, and a fill or near fill a few times a century. The water in the lake evaporates quickly, with a minor or medium flood drying by the end of the following summer. The highest flood of 6 m occurred in