Zminje Lake
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| Zminje Lake | |
|---|---|
| Zminje Jezero / Змиње језеро (Serbo-Croatian) | |
 | |
| Location | Durmitor National Park, Montenegro |
| Coordinates | 43°09′20″N 19°04′12″E / 43.1554516°N 19.0701279°E |
| Type | Glacial lake |
| Primary inflows | Three small springs, precipitation and snowmelt |
| Primary outflows | Sinking into a ponor and evaporation |
| Basin countries | Montenegro |
| Max. length | 230 m (750 ft) |
| Max. width | 123 m (404 ft) (max) |
| Surface area | 0.0167 km2 (0.0064 sq mi) (summer) |
| Average depth | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) (avg) |
| Max. depth | 7.7 m (25 ft) |
| Water volume | 41,773 m3 (1,475,200 cu ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,495 m (4,905 ft)[1] – 1,520 m (4,990 ft) |
| Location | |
 Location in Durmitor National Park | |
Zminje Lake (Serbo-Croatian: Zminje Jezero / Змиње језеро), meaning the Snake Lake, is a small glacial lake located in the Durmitor National Park in Montenegro. It is situated at the headwaters of the Mlinski Creek, below the slopes of Crvena Greda Mountain. The lake is surrounded by a dense, centuries-old forest of spruce and other conifers.[2][3][4]
The lake basin is of glacial origin, with its formation also influenced by tectonic activity and karst processes due to the underlying limestone terrain.
Water levels fluctuate seasonally, with high water in spring and autumn, but amplitudes are small as a ponor (sinkhole) at the lake's edge acts as a natural regulator. The lake is fed by three small springs, precipitation, and snowmelt. The water is cold, with surface temperatures around 11–15 °C in summer, and is characterized by high purity, a dark green color, and good transparency up to 4.2 meters.[1]