Where does the water in the lake come from?

The island of Pantelleria is characterized by highly fractured volcanic rocks, which allow rainwater to infiltrate the subsoil without obstacles and without creating springs, except on the coast. The infiltrated rainwater floats on the seawater because it is less dense and lighter than saltwater. The lake is the result of the emergence of water that infiltrates or rises from the subsoil, mixing with hot fluids from the magma chamber (mainly water and carbon dioxide). This process favors the rise of deep water, contributing to the formation of the lake's brackish waters. Salinity varies from 10 to 25 grams per liter during the year. The lake's water supply is therefore of three types: meteoric water (direct rain on the lake, surface runoff, infiltration into the soil); deep hot water, called "juvenile"; seawater. Fluctuations in the lake level depend mainly on variations in precipitation.