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A meromictic lake is a lake which has layers of water that do not intermix. In ordinary,
holomictic lake Holomictic lakes are lakes that have a uniform temperature and density from surface to bottom at a specific time during the year, which allows the lake waters to mix in the absence of stratification. Details Holomictic lakes mix at least occas ...
s, at least once each year, there is a physical mixing of the surface and the deep waters. The term ''meromictic'' was coined by the Austrian Ingo Findenegg in 1935, apparently based on the older word ''holomictic''. The concepts and terminology used in describing meromictic lakes were essentially complete following some additions by
G. Evelyn Hutchinson George Evelyn Hutchinson (January 30, 1903 – May 17, 1991) was a British ecologist sometimes described as the "father of modern ecology." He contributed for more than sixty years to the fields of limnology, systems ecology, radiation ecolog ...
in 1937.


Characteristics

Most lakes are ''holomictic''; that is, at least once per year, physical mixing occurs between the surface and the deep waters. In so-called monomictic lakes, the mixing occurs once per year; in dimictic lakes, the mixing occurs twice a year (typically spring and autumn), and in polymictic lakes, the mixing occurs several times a year. In meromictic lakes, however, the layers of the lake water can remain unmixed for years, decades, or centuries. Meromictic lakes can usually be divided into three sections or layers. The bottom layer is known as the ''monimolimnion''; the waters in this portion of the lake circulate little, and are generally hypoxic and saltier than the rest of the lake. The top layer is called the ''mixolimnion'', and essentially behaves like a holomictic lake. The area in between is referred to as the chemocline, also called the chemolimnion. The lack of mixing between layers creates radically different environments for organisms to live in: among the consequences of this stratification, or stable layering, of lake waters is that the bottom layer receives little oxygen from the atmosphere, hence becomes depleted of oxygen. While the surface layer may have 10 mg/L or more dissolved oxygen in summer, the depths of a meromictic lake can have less than 1 mg/L. Very few organisms can live in such an oxygen-poor environment. One exception is
purple sulfur bacteria The purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) are part of a group of Pseudomonadota capable of photosynthesis, collectively referred to as purple bacteria. They are anaerobic or microaerophilic, and are often found in stratified water environments including h ...
. These bacteria, commonly found at the top of the monimolimnion in such lakes, use sulfur compounds such as
sulfides Sulfide (British English also sulphide) is an inorganic anion of sulfur with the chemical formula S2− or a compound containing one or more S2− ions. Solutions of sulfide salts are corrosive. ''Sulfide'' also refers to chemical compounds la ...
in photosynthesis. These compounds are produced by decomposition of organic sediments in oxygen-poor environments. The monimolimnion is often rich in phosphorus and nitrogen. These factors combine to create an ideal environment for bacterial growth. The mixolimnion can have similar qualities. However, the types of bacteria that can grow at the surface are determined by the amount of light received at the surface. A meromictic lake may form because the basin is unusually deep and steep-sided compared to the lake's surface area, or because the lower layer of the lake is highly saline and denser than the upper layers of water. Stratification in meromictic lakes can be either endogenic or ectogenic. Endogenic means the patterns seen in the lake are caused by internal events, such as organic matter accumulating in the sediments and decaying, whereas ectogenic means the patterns seen are caused by external causes, like an intrusion of saltwater settling in the
hypolimnion The hypolimnion or under lake is the dense, bottom layer of water in a thermally- stratified lake. The word hypolimnion is derived from the Greek "limnos" meaning "lake". It is the layer that lies below the thermocline. Typically the hypolimnio ...
, preventing it from mixing. The layers of sediment at the bottom of a meromictic lake remain relatively undisturbed because there is little physical mixing and few living organisms to agitate them. There is also little chemical decomposition. For this reason, cores of the sediment at the bottom of meromictic lakes are important in tracing past changes in climate at the lake, by examining trapped pollen grains and the types of sediments ee_Proxy_(climate).html" ;"title="Proxy_(climate).html" ;"title="ee Proxy (climate)">ee Proxy (climate)">Proxy_(climate).html" ;"title="ee Proxy (climate)">ee Proxy (climate) When the layers do mix for whatever reason, the consequences can be devastating for organisms that normally live in the mixolimnion. This layer is usually much smaller in volume than the monimolimnion. When the layers mix, the oxygen concentration at the surface will decrease dramatically. This can result in the death of many organisms, such as fish, that require oxygen. Occasionally, carbon dioxide or other dissolved gases can build up relatively undisturbed in the lower layers of a meromictic lake. When the stratification is disturbed, as could happen from an earthquake, a limnic eruption may result. In 1986, Lake Nyos disaster, a notable event of this type took place at
Lake Nyos Lake Nyos ( ) is a crater lake in the Region of Cameroon, located about northwest of Yaoundé, the capital. Nyos is a deep lake high on the flank of an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain along the Cameroon line of volcanic activit ...
in Cameroon, causing nearly 1,800 deaths. While it is mainly lakes that are meromictic, the world's largest meromictic basin is the Black Sea. The deep waters below do not mix with the upper layers that receive oxygen from the atmosphere. As a result, over 90% of the deeper Black Sea volume is anoxic water. The
Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asi ...
is anoxic below . The
Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
is persistently stratified, with dense, highly saline water comprising the bottom layer, and large areas of hypoxic sediments (see Baltic Sea hypoxia).


List of meromictic lakes

There are meromictic lakes all over the world. The distribution appears to be clustered, but this may be due to incomplete investigations. Depending on the exact definition of "meromictic", the ratio between meromictic and holomictic lakes worldwide is around 1:1000.


Africa

*
Lake Nyos Lake Nyos ( ) is a crater lake in the Region of Cameroon, located about northwest of Yaoundé, the capital. Nyos is a deep lake high on the flank of an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain along the Cameroon line of volcanic activit ...
and
Lake Monoun Lake Monoun is a crater lake (maar) in West Province, Cameroon, that lies in the Oku Volcanic Field. On August 15, 1984, a limnic eruption occurred at the lake, which resulted in the release of a large amount of carbon dioxide () that killed 3 ...
in Cameroon *
Lake Kivu Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which ...
in
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equat ...
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Lake Tanganyika in
Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Gr ...
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zambia * Lake Malawi, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania


Antarctica

*
Lake Vanda Lake Vanda is a lake in Wright Valley, Victoria Land, Ross Dependency, Antarctica. The lake is long and has a maximum depth of . On its shore, New Zealand maintained Vanda Station from 1968 to 1995. Lake Vanda is a hypersaline lake with a salini ...
in
Ross Dependency The Ross Dependency is a region of Antarctica defined by a sector originating at the South Pole, passing along longitudes 160° east to 150° west, and terminating at latitude 60° south. It is claimed by New Zealand, a claim accepted only ...
* 21 lakes, including
Organic Lake Organic Lake is a lake in the Vestfold Hills in eastern Antarctica. It was formed 6,000 years ago when sea levels were higher; it is isolated, rather shallow , meromictic, a few hundred meters in diameter and has extremely salty water. It has the h ...
in Vestfold Hills


Asia

*
Lake Shira Lake Shira is a meromictic lake (the water layers do not mix), located in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia. The lake covers an area of in a steppe landscape in the Minusinsk Hollow. Height above sea level , a relatively flat intermountain area ...
in the Republic of Khakassia,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
* Keracut Beach Lake,
Penang National Park The Penang National Park ( Malay: ''Taman Negara Pulau Pinang''; تامن نݢارا ڤولاو ڤينڠ; Chinese: 槟城国家公园; ''Bīnchéng guójiā gōngyuán''; Tamil: பினாங்கு தேசியப் பூங்காக ...
, northwest
Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
island, Malaysia *
Jellyfish Lake Jellyfish Lake ( pau, Ongeim'l Tketau, lit=Fifth Lake) is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island in Palau. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands, a group of small, rocky, mostly uninhabited islands in Palau's Southern Lagoon, between Koror and ...
, on
Eil Malk Eil Malk or Mecherchar is the main island of the Mecherchar Islands, an island group of Palau in the Pacific Ocean. In a more narrow sense, just the southeastern peninsula of Mecherchar is called Eil Malk. Geography Eil Malk is located 23 kilo ...
in Palau * Zigetangcuo Lake, a crenogenic lake in
Nagqu Nagqu (also Naqu, Nakchu, or Nagchu; ; ) is a prefecture-level city in the north of the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet. On May 7, 2018, the former Nagqu Prefecture was officially declared the sixth prefecture-level city in Tibet after Lhasa, ...
, Tibet, China. It is the meromictic lake located at the highest altitude. * Kaptai Lake, in
Rangamati Hill District Rangamati Hill District ( Chakma:𑄢𑄋𑄟𑄖𑄴𑄳𑄠 ;) is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is ...
, at the southeastern part of Bangladesh. It was created by constructing a dam at Kaptai to set up a hydroelectric power plant. * Lake Matano,
Sulawesi island Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu A ...
, Indonesia


Australia

* Lake Fidler, in the
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, abbreviated to TWWHA, is a World Heritage Site in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering , or almost 25% of Tasmania. It is also one of the last ex ...


Europe

* (Alpine lakes in the Austrian province of
Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carin ...
; studied by Ingo Findenegg in the 1930s). *
Alatsee Alatsee is a meromictic lake A meromictic lake is a lake which has layers of water that do not intermix. In ordinary, holomictic lakes, at least once each year, there is a physical mixing of the surface and the deep waters. The term ''meromic ...
(small alpine lake in Germany's state of
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
, near the city of
Füssen Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau cas ...
and
Neuschwanstein Castle Neuschwanstein Castle (german: Schloss Neuschwanstein, , Southern Bavarian: ''Schloss Neischwanstoa'') is a 19th-century historicist palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. T ...
) * Lake in Finland * Lake in Finland *
Lough Furnace Lough Furnace () is a tidally-influenced, meromictic, saline lagoon in County Mayo, Ireland, located south of Lough Feeagh. It receives freshwater inflow from the upstream Lough Feeagh at the base of the Burrishoole Catchment and tidal input of ...
in Ireland * Salvatnet, Kilevann, Tronstadvatn, Birkelandsvatn, Rørholtfjorden, Botnvatn, Rørhopvatn and Strandvatn lakes in Norway * Czarne Lake in
Drawa National Park Drawa National Park ( pl, Drawieński Park Narodowy) is located in north-western Poland, on the border of Greater Poland, Lubusz and West Pomeranian Voivodeships. The park is a part of the huge Drawsko Forest (Puszcza Drawska), which lies on the ...
, Poland * Lake Mogilnoye in Murmansk Oblast of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
* Lakes El Tobar and La Cruz in Spain *
Lake Cadagno __NOTOC__ Lake Cadagno (Italian: ''Lago di Cadagno'') is a meromictic lake in the Piora valley (canton of Ticino), Switzerland. As one of a few meromictic lakes in Europe, it is the object of numerous scientific studies. The Piora valley - located ...
, crenogenic, in Switzerland, and the location of the Alpine Biology Center *
Lac Pavin Lac Pavin is a meromictic crater lake located in the Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a popul ...
and in France * The Black Sea is also considered to be meromictic.


North America

* Canada ** Lake McKay in Ottawa, Ontario ** Lakes A and C1 on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut **
Blackcat Lake Blackcat Lake is a small meromictic lake in Haliburton, Ontario. The lake has a mean depth of , and its watershed covers . The lake is regularly stocked with trout. In 2004 a proposal to make the Clear Lake Conservation Reserve a World Heritage ...
near
Dorset, Ontario Dorset is a small community located on the boundary between the Algonquin Highlands Township in Haliburton County, Ontario and Lake of Bays Municipality in Muskoka District, Canada. Dorset was originally called Cedar Narrows. In 1859 Francis Ha ...
, in Frost Centre **
Crawford Lake Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...
near
Milton, Ontario Milton ( 2016 census population 110,128) is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Between 2001 and 2011, Milton was the fastest growing municipality in Canada, with a 71.4% increase in popu ...
** Picard Lake near Lakehurst, Ontario ** Mahoney Lake in the
Okanagan Valley The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part ...
, British Columbia **
McGinnis Lake McGinnis is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alan Loy McGinnis (1933–2005), American Christian psychotherapist and author * Austin MacGinnis (born 1995), American football player * Benoît McGinnis, Canadian actor * Charles M ...
in
Petroglyphs Provincial Park Petroglyphs Provincial Park is a historical-class provincial park situated in Woodview, Ontario, Canada, northeast of Peterborough. It has the largest collection of ancient First Nations petroglyphs (rock carvings) in Ontario. The carvings we ...
, Ontario **
Pink Lake A pink lake is a lake that has a red or pink colour. This is often caused by the presence of salt-tolerant algae that produces carotenoids, such as ''Dunaliella salina'', usually in conjunction with specific bacteria, which may vary from lake t ...
in
Gatineau Park Gatineau Park (french: Parc de la Gatineau) is a federal park located in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Administered by the National Capital Commission as part of the National Capital Region, Gatineau Park is a wedge of land extendin ...
, Quebec **
Powell Lake Powell Lake is a lake in the northern Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, adjacent to the city of Powell River, which sits on the low rise of land forming a natural dam between the lake and the Strait of Georgia. The lake flow ...
in the town of Powell River, British Columbia ** Sunfish Lake near Waterloo, Ontario ** Little Round Lake (Ontario) in
Central Frontenac, Ontario Central Frontenac is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada in the County of Frontenac. Central Frontenac was created in 1998 through an amalgamation of the Townships of Hinchinbrooke, Kennebec, Olden and Oso. Communities There are 28 communiti ...
** Teapot Lake,
Heart Lake Conservation Area Heart Lake Conservation Area (HLCA) occupies 169 hectares (418 acres) in the Etobicoke Creek watershed, within the City of Brampton, Ontario. It is owned and managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). HLCA’s diverse ecosys ...
,
Brampton, Ontario Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it the ...
. See also
Heart Lake (Ontario) Heart Lake is a lake located in the northern part of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Heart Lake along with Teapot Lake (0.7 hectares / depth) are kettle lakes with the latter being a unique meromictic lake.http://www.trca.on.ca/dotAsset/148584.pdf T ...
* Central America **
Lake Atitlán Lake Atitlán ( es, links=no, Lago de Atitlán, ) is a lake in the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range. The lake is located in the Sololá Department of southwestern Guatemala. It is known as the deepest lake in Central Amer ...
,
endorheic lake An endorheic lake (also called a sink lake or terminal lake) is a collection of water within an endorheic basin, or sink, with no evident outlet. Endorheic lakes are generally saline as a result of being unable to get rid of solutes left in the ...
in the department of
Sololá __NOTOC__ Sololá is a city in Guatemala. It is the capital of the department of Sololá and the administrative seat of Sololá municipality. It is located close to Lake Atitlan. The name is a Hispanicized form of its pre-Columbian name, one spe ...
, Guatemala * United States ** Ballston Lake, north northwest of
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City. ...
** Big Soda Lake, Nevada **
Brownie Lake Brownie Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and within the city limits of Minneapolis. It is the northernmost lake in the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes (Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, and Lake Harriet). It is ...
near Minneapolis, Minnesota ** Canyon Lake near
Big Bay, Michigan Big Bay is an unincorporated community in Marquette County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. As of the 2020 census, ...
**
Chapel Lake A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...
, in
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 miles (67 km) along the shore of Lake Superior and covers . The park has extensive views of the hilly sho ...
, near
Munising, Michigan Munising ( ') is a city in Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Alger County. The city is partially surrounded by Munising Township, but the two are administered auto ...
** Great Salt Lake near
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, t ...
, Utah ** Green Lake (New York), Green Lake and Round Lake National Natural Landmark, Round Lake in Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse, New York ** Hot Lake (Washington), Hot Lake in Okanogan County, Washington, Okanogan County, Washington (state), Washington ** Irondequoit Bay near Rochester, New York, is also considered meromictic; use of road salt has been cited as the main reason for its change ** Knaack Lake, Wisconsin ** Lake Mary (Wisconsin), Lake Mary, in the northwest corner of Vilas County, Wisconsin, Vilas County, Wisconsin ** Mystic Lakes, Lower Mystic Lake in Arlington, Massachusetts, Arlington and Medford, Massachusetts ** Redoubt Lake near Sitka, Alaska; one of North America's largest meromictic lakes ** Soap Lake in Washington


References


External links


"Density Stratification"
part of an educational websit
Water on the Web
operated by the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Retrieved 11-March-2007.
photo-outing.com review over Pantai Kerachut with Memomictic lake
{{portalbar, Lakes Lakes by type Meromictic lakes, *