Editing Lake Van (section)

==Hydrology and chemistry==
[[File:Akhtamar Island on Lake Van with the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Akdamar Island|Akdamar]] Island and the [[Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Aghtamar|Holy Cross Cathedral]], a 10th-century Armenian church and monastic complex. [[Mount Artos]] (Mt. Çadır) is seen in the background.]]

Lake Van is {{convert|119|km}} across at its widest point. It averages {{convert|171|m|ft}} deep. Its greatest known depth is {{convert|451|m|ft}}.{{sfn|Degens|Wong|Kempe|Kurtman|1984}} The surface lies {{convert|1640|m|ft}} above sea level and the shore length is {{convert|430|km|mi}}. It covers {{convert|3755|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and contains (has a volume of) {{convert|607|km3}}.{{sfn|Degens|Wong|Kempe|Kurtman|1984}}

The western portion of the lake is deepest, with a large basin deeper than {{convert|400|m|ft|abbr=on}} lying northeast of [[Tatvan]] and south of [[Ahlat]]. The eastern arms of the lake are shallower. The Van-Ahtamar portion shelves gradually, with a maximum depth of about {{convert|250|m|ft|abbr=on}} on its northwest side where it joins the rest of the lake. The Erciş arm is much shallower, mostly less than {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}, with a maximum depth of about {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Wong|Degens|1978}}{{sfn|Tomonaga|Brennwald|Kipfer|2011}}

The lake water is strongly [[alkaline]] ([[pH]] 9.7–9.8) and rich in [[sodium carbonate]] and other salts. Some is extracted in [[salt evaporation pond]]s alongside, used in or as [[detergent]]s.{{sfn|Sarı|2008}}