Darfur lake is a 'mirage'

摘要

"Water find may end Darfur war," proclaimed headlines last week, describing a claim by researchers at Boston University in Massachusetts to have identified the site of an ancient lake in northern Darfur that could imply extensive groundwater reserves. But geologists speaking to Nature dismissed the hype, pointing out that the lake dried up thousands of years ago and that it will not necessarily be surrounded by aquifers holding ancient water. Furthermore, they say that the lake was identified in the 1800s, and that its size and shape were detailed over a decade ago.