Here’s Why The Chinese ‘Dead Sea’ Turns Blood Red

Tourists are flocking to China’s Yuncheng Salt Lake after it recently turned blood red.

The lake is also known as ‘China’s Dead Sea’ due to it’s high salt content, which means people can easily float on the surface, RT reports.

Though it looks like the aftermath of a mass sea bloodshed, it is in fact algae which is causing the red hue.

A rise in temperature and light intensity caused organisms called dunaliella salinas to recently turn red.

Mohammad Tourian, a scientist at the University of Stuttgart, said:

In the marine environment, Dunaliella salina appears green.

However, in conditions of high salinity and light intensity, the micro-algae turns red due to the production of protective carotenoids in the cells.

The red river in the Shanxi Province is particularly striking compared to its unaffected half on the opposite side of the road.

Locals have been taking advantage of the lake’s high salinity, collecting crystals for more than 4000 years.

UNILAD