MELRHIR, CHOTT

lake in northeastern Algeria. Lying almost entirely below sea level, the Chott Melrhir is a marshy, saline lake that fluctuates in area with the seasons; usually, it is more than 80 miles (130 km) wide eastwest. The Melrhir occupies the westernmost of a series of depressions extending into the Sahara from the Gulf of Gabs, Tunisia. The lowest point in Algeria, 131 feet (40 m) below sea level, is near the lake's centre.