10 Mysterious Places on Earth Where Water Vanishes

9. Lake Waiau: Hawaii's High-Altitude Mystery

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Perched at 13,020 feet on Mauna Kea, Lake Waiau is one of Hawaii’s few natural lakes. Between 2010 and 2013 it shrank to a puddle, then rebounded after heavy rains in 2014. The cause of the rapid drop is unclear; drought was present, but not unprecedented. The lake’s sensitivity offers a crucial indicator of climate change in high-mountain Pacific ecosystems and holds deep cultural significance for Native Hawaiians.