This steaming lake is the most dangerous treasure in human history.
Experts say the temperature of the water in the lake is always around 400 degrees C due to the influence of volcanic magma.
Extremely powerful types of acids that have corroded rock and soil make the bottom of the lake only full of precious metals that are not corroded by acid, such as gold, silver, and platinum.
This Taupo volcanic region has 18 lakes, and each lake is a huge treasure. Experts estimate that gold reserves at each lake are worth about 2.7 million USD, in addition to 8 tons of silver exploited each year, equivalent to 3.6 million USD.
In particular, this treasure will never run out. After mining, precious metal reserves will continue to recover as minerals in the soil continue to erode.
But even if the treasure has no limit, the exploitation is impossible in the present time. The toxic chemical environment is just a hindrance, but mainly because these reservoirs are located under some geothermal power plants - the main source of electricity for New Zealanders.
In order to exploit the treasure, the power plants will have to be shut down, the power supply to neighboring residents will be cut.
According to Stuart Simmons, a geologist at the University of Utah, to exploit this huge treasure without affecting geothermal power, we need to develop new technologies to separate gold from water. .
Taupo Volcano is part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone volcanic region that stretches over 300km and remains active for nearly 300,000 years. The nearest eruption of Lake Taupo volcanic region was about 1,800 years ago.