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 occasionally, in contrast to
meromictic lakes. Most lakes on Earth are holomictic; meromictic lakes are rare, although they may be less rare than commonly thought.
Amictic lakes are sealed off by ice and never mix.
There are four types of holomictic lakes:
*
Polymictic (mixing many times annually)
* Cold
Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting negative stratification)
* Warm Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting positive stratification)
*
Dimictic
A dimictic lake is a body of freshwater whose difference in temperature between surface and bottom layers becomes negligible twice per year, allowing all strata of the lake's water to circulate vertically. All dimictic lakes are also considered hol ...
(mixing twice annually)
* Oligomictic (mixing less than once annually)
See also
*
Thermocline
*
References
External links
"Circulation: annual patterns of dimictic lakes" at Encyclopædia Britannica Online
Lakes by type
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