The chimneys are called limestone towers, and they formed over thousands of years as hot water bubbled up from underground and slowly built rings of minerals on the lake floor. As the lake level dropped over time, the towers were left standing in the open air. Steam still rises from cracks in many of them because the ground underneath is still warm.
Flamingos love Lake Abbe. Every morning and evening, flocks of them wade through the shallow salty water on their long pink legs, filtering tiny creatures from the water with their curved beaks. Seeing hundreds of flamingos against a backdrop of steaming stone chimneys makes the landscape look even more like science fiction.
The lake sits on the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia. Because so much water evaporates here, a thick crust of white minerals – a bit like chalk – covers parts of the ground. Walking across it makes a satisfying crunch underfoot. The sky is enormous and very blue, and on clear nights the stars are spectacular.
Scientists study Lake Abbe because it is changing. Less rain and more evaporation mean the lake is slowly getting smaller. By studying it, researchers learn more about how our planet's climate and landscape change over long periods of time.