Earth’s Largest Lake in History Lands in Guinness Book of Records

The Guinness Book of World Records has officially recognized the Paratethys as the largest lake in Earth’s history. This immense lake, also known as Lake Paratethys, held a staggering ten times more water than all of today’s lakes combined.

Vladimir Laskarev first used the term “Paratethys” in 1924. Initially, his definition covered fossils and sedimentary strata from the Neogene system of the sea. Later on, this definition was expanded to include the Oligocene series as well, according to Wikipedia.

During its peak, the Paratethys spanned from Austria in the west to Turkmenistan in the east, covering a vast area of 1.08 million square miles (2.8 million square kilometers). The lake contained an astonishing 407,000 cubic miles (1.77 million cubic kilometers) of water, as reported by Gizmodo.

The detailed measurements were published in Scientific Reports in 2021, and now, the lake’s monumental scale is officially recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Paratethys existed about 11.6 million years ago

Approximately 11.6 million years ago, Paratethys was a thriving ecosystem. This ancient lake was home to smaller and massive species alike. Among these was the Cetotherium riabinini, the smallest-known baleen whale.

The surrounding swamplands were inhabited by the Deinotherium, a giant among its elephantine relatives, as reported by Gizmodo.

Over millions of years, Paratethys gradually dried up, losing over one-third of its water and about two-thirds of its surface area. This significant transformation occurred over a 350,000-year period, concluding approximately 7.65 million years ago, as reported on the Guinness World Record website.

11 million years ago: Paratethys, the largest lake the Earth has ever seen, with unique fauna. https://t.co/R7aI8LHcbn pic.twitter.com/bFb8U4e3Gf

— Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) December 21, 2023

The Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea now stand as major remnants of this once-massive lake. Dan Palcu, an earth scientist at Utrecht University, emphasized that our exploration of the Paratethys goes beyond mere curiosity. It reveals an ecosystem that was highly sensitive to changes in climate.

Studying the upheavals this ancient mega lake faced due to climate shifts provides us with valuable insights. These can help us understand and address current and future challenges in dealing with environmental crises, such as the issues faced by the Black Sea, according to Palcu.

The methane in the Black Sea’s sediments can be released

The sediments in the Black Sea contain methane that is currently trapped. However, climate change could trigger the release of this methane into the atmosphere, as mentioned in the release.

Conversely, the Black Sea can also serve as a carbon sink, storing greenhouse gases. The disappearance of the Paratethys provides important lessons on how ongoing climate change might impact our water sources and the environment, as reported by Gizmodo.