Chapter 02 of 5
The Pulsing Lake
A liquid map that expands fivefold, swallowing forests and plains.
- Geographic Scale
The Shrinking Giant
During the dry season, the Tonle Sap is a modest 2,500 square kilometers. It is Southeast Asia's largest lake, yet it is merely resting.
- Massive Expansion
A Fivefold Growth
When the monsoon hits, the lake swells to over 12,000 square kilometers. Its surface area increases by roughly 500% in a single season.
- Vertical Shift
Rising Tides
The water depth jumps from a shallow 1 meter to a staggering 10 meters. The flat plains become a deep, vast inland sea.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
By roughly what percentage does the surface area of the Tonle Sap expand during the monsoon season?
💧 Where the Rivers Flow Backward
- 01The Great ReversalWitness the Mekong's massive monsoon pulse force a river to flow backward.
- 02The Pulsing LakeA liquid map that expands fivefold, swallowing forests and plains.
- 03Life on the VerticalHow 10-meter stilts and buoyant foundations define Cambodian architecture.
- 04The Flooded ForestNavigating a submerged jungle that feeds a nation through rich biodiversity.
- 05A Rhythm Under SiegeHow distant upstream dams threaten the heartbeat of the lower Mekong.