The lake that retreats

Desert mirages

In The World of Wonders, distant trees and houses seem reflected in the desert air. What makes the horizon look like a scene repeated?

Desert mirages

The book says light from the sky reflects across the plain, making the ground look like a sheet of water.

Desert mirages

The World of Wonders attributes the effect to intensely heated sand and air layers of different densities; their boundary can act like a reflector.

Desert mirages

In the book’s account, travellers move toward the apparent lake, but the lake-like view retreats as they advance.

Desert mirages

The World of Wonders says the lake-like view fades at sunset. Its wonder lies in a distant scene that seems to promise water, then vanishes from reach.

The lake that retreats

Explorer des sujets liés