A rare phenomenon that is attracting the attention of scientists and tourists in California's Death Valley National Park: Lake Manly - the remains of an ancient lake that stretched nearly 160km and was more than 180m deep over 100,000 years ago - has reappeared.
The special thing is that where the lake re-formed was Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, located up to 86m below sea level.
Under normal conditions, Badwater Basin is just a barren, cracked saltwater island under the harsh heat. But after a series of storms in the fall and winter, this area has begun to accumulate water again, forming a farm lake but enough to " awaken" memories of a completely different climate period in the Death Valley.
According to the US National Park Service, from September to November, the Death Valley recorded total rainfall of more than 61mm - a figure considered a record for one of the driest places on the planet.
In November alone, rainfall reached 44.7mm, surpassing the old record that had existed for more than a century, established in 1923.
It was this unusual rain that caused water to begin to accumulate into Badwater Basin, forming Manly Lake - named after geologist William Lewis Manly, who crossed the death Valley in the 19th century.
Although the water level in many areas is still very shallow, not even enough to cover the lake, the appearance of the lake surface is still considered a rare and symbolic event.
In recent years, Manly Lake has been "performed" many times in a more spectacular way. In 2023, after Hurricane Hilary swept across the western United States, the amount of water poured in was enough to make a lake about 60cm deep, allowing tourists to kayak on the land famous for... no water.
In February 2024, after a special winter with 51 consecutive "athospheric rivers" flowing into California, the lake was replenished with at least 30cm of water.
Scientists say the continued return of Manly Lake reflects increasingly obvious climate changes. The Death Valley is known for its average rainfall of just a few dozen milligrams per year, but extreme weather phenomena - from weak tropical storms to atmospheric rivers - are making rainfall models more unpredictable.
However, heavy rain also brings many consequences. Many roads in the Death Valley National Park have been closed due to mud, crushed stone and flash flood remnants, making traffic impassable.
The park management board said that most of the famous attractions are still open, but visitors need to be especially cautious, watching updated information about road conditions and local flooding risks.
For researchers, Manly Lake is not only a rare landscape phenomenon but also a wheel of time to better understand the climate history of North America. As for tourists, witnessing a "ghost lake" appearing in the middle of the most arid desert in the world is an experience that can be encountered once in a lifetime.
