Loughareema in Northern Ireland is known as “The Vanishing Lake” because it can disappear and refill within hours due to its mysterious underground drainage system. Three streams flow into the lake, but the only way out is through a drain at the bottom that gets blocked and unblocked regularly, causing dramatic water level changes. The lake can be full in the morning and empty by lunch because of this drain and an underground system that carries water to a spring 1.6 miles away. Scientists still don’t understand how this drainage system works or when it formed.
Water flows in along with debris that eventually blocks the drain, causing water levels to rise. When the pressure gets high enough, it suddenly unblocks the drain, and the lake empties rapidly. A small road runs through the middle of the lake, though it’s now elevated so cars can pass even when water levels are high. The area is surrounded by a blanket bog, which is a treeless, waterlogged peatland.
Source: Live Science
