Water levels in the world’s largest soda lake, Van, in eastern Turkey, continue to fall. The recent water decline exposed microbialites on the lake’s surface, which are carbonate muds formed by microbes. Microbialites appear more frequently in various regions with each passing day, particularly in the village of Incekaya on the shores of Lake Van in Tatvan.

The aerial view was visually stunning; however, it also revealed the size of the decline in the water levels.

Mücahit Tarlan-Hakan Okay