LUNDS

UNIVERSITET
Lund tekniska Hgskola Teknisk Vattenresurslra

Advanced Hydrology VVRN05

Lake classification based on origin, water balance, nutrients

Written by: Diego Gonzlez Course Coordinator: Magnus Persson Date: 05/11/2011

Table of Contents:
Introduction.3 Lakes types according Nutrients.4 o Oligotrophic lakes.4 o Eutrophics lakes.4 o Mesotrophics lakes...4 o Hypereutrophics lakes...4 Water Balance.5 o Endorheic lakes..6 o Exorheic lakes.6 Origin....6 o Tectonic lakes..6 o Volcanic lakes..6 o River erosion7 o Glaciar lakes..8 o Artificial lakes..8

References.9

Introduction
Most of the lakes on Earth are fresh water and the vast majority of lakes in the world is in the northern hemisphere at high latitudes. An example of this is thatCanada owns 60% of the world's lakes. But not all the world's lakes are equal orthe same type. We can found many types of classification for the lakes, as nutrient concentration, origin, water balance, salinity, circulation or duration of the lake. It helps us to visualize relationships between different lakes and compare. Some are well know, as like origin or water balance, also called drainage, but other are not well known, as like nutrient or salinity. In this report well deal 3 differents types of classification, which are Origin, Water Balance and Nutrient Concentration, which can be considered more important clasifications.

1.Nutrient Concentration
This classification is based on the productivity of the lakes or some might say on the nutrient richness of the lake, or otherwise, the level of organism that we can found them. The scale varies between a lake rich in nutrients, which implies that usually have a very poor water clarity, and lake poor in nutrients, that is a lake with water really clear. This is divided into 4 types: 1.1 Oligotrophics: In a few words we can explain this type like a low nutrients concentration, which implies low fertility, but also these lakes oligotrophic have a lot of oxygen in all of the depth, from surface to bottom, this thanks to the low number of bacteria and microorganisms, exist a little consumption of oxygen. This lake contain a low concentration of nutrient required for plants growth, only a small portion of aquatic vegetation grows in those lakes, usually very small plant or microorganism like phytoplankton, bacteries, zooplankton for example. But thank to this, often have very clear waters, with high drinking-water quality. As a result of the low organic activity into the lake, there is little accumulation of sediment or organic material at the bottom of the oligotrophic lakes, usually the bottom of this lakes are sandy and rock, being basin formed of the same materials, reducing the entry of nutrients. Generally, this directly affects agriculture because the water lacks nutrients necessary for growing. Almost always are deep and cold water, generally this types of lakes are common in cold regions and often have many fish species, that need well-oxygenated waters and preferably cold places. 1.2 Eutrophics: This lakes are the opposite of the oligotrophic lakes, they are rich in nutrients, so their productivity of organism and microorganism is higher, producing that the visibility of water is very poor and obtaining bad readings in secchi's disk. This also creates a food chain, where the small fishes feed on zooplankton and the big fishes eat the little ones, in turn, generate high levels of organic matter, which goes to the bottom. These sediments or organic matter is food for the bacterias, and therefore these bacterias can use up much or all of the oxygen from the lower depths of these lakes. Also, because high levels of nutrients and sediments in the bottom, in the depth eutrophic lakes exist a lot of weed. In a few words, lake full of live. 1.3 Mesotrophics: Could be called a transition stage, where is between oligotrophic and eutrophics lakes. As oligotrophic lake accumulates sediments and organic matter, it begins to transform into eutrophic lake. This transformation or process generally takes thousands of years, and in most cases goes hand in hand with the human intervention. The mesotrophic lake is intermediate in most characteristics between the oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes, The plankton production is intermediate, therefore, we have some organic matter production and less consume of oxygen in the bottom. Water is almost clear and have small amount of weed in depth. 1.4 Hypereutrophic: As they move through the years for the eutrophics lakes, they accumulate sediments and nutrients, leading to extreme characteristics of eutrophic lakes, with a lot of weed in their funds, the clarity of water is very low, thanks to the large amount of sediments and organic matter. The number of fish and aquatic animals, varies with the amount of oxygen in the water. These lakes are usually caused by humans, either by industrial drainage, landfill or agricultural use, which sum sediment and nutrients in the lakes.

 fig.1
Phosphorus and Chlorophyll concentration & Secchi Disk Depth Characteristics of the Trophic Classification of Lakes Measured Parameter Total Phosphorus (mg/m3) Chlorophyll (mg/m3) Secchi Disk Depth (m) Average Range Average Range Average Range Oligotrophic 8 3.0-17.7 1.7 0.3-4.5 9.9 5.4-28.3 Mesotrophics 26.7 10.9-95.6 4.7 3-11.0 1.5 1.5-8.1 Eutrophics 84.4 16-386 14.3 3-78.0 2.45 0.8-7.0

2.Water Balance

Most people think that it is called lakes only when these have outflow by a river, but the lake has many ways to evacuate water. May lose water through infiltration, evaporation and evacuating flow by a river. Rarely a lake will have all of forms to evacuate water. That is why in this classification is divide in endorheic and exorheic lakes. The water balance equation is: Where, VOL is the lake volumen, A the surface area, who depend of h (lake level), Q the surface flow, Qgw is groundwater flow, P is precipitation on the lake and E is evaporation from the lake.

fig.2 Overland flow is very minor compared to river inflow (negligible).

2.1 Endorheic Lakes: These are the lakes that not evacuate large quantities of water through surface runoff or infiltration, but by evaporation of water from the watershed. Usually this type of lakes is defined by its affluents, as the water level and salinity depends on it. The affluent 6epres carry 6epresi salts who catch in the basins and take them to the lakes, which tend to contain fed up salinity, becoming 6epr lakes in some cases. Moreover, the administration of the affluent the 6epresi human, modify or alter the levels of lakes, according to the consumption or use that give. Naming some of the most important lakes on this classification are the Caspian Sea, Chad lake and Dead Sea, 6epre others. Is a lake where dominates the discharge by evaporation and the inflow is through precipitations and 6epres that flowing into it. The water balance is:

2.2 Exorheic lakes: Most lakes in the 6epre are in this category and are 6epresi that the people are more familiar. The contribution of precipitation and evaporation arent significant compared to the inflow and outflow of the 6epres, and neither are the contribution of groundwaters, being the water balance the follow:

As you can see these type of lakes are dominated by the affluent, which vary according the climate, altering the levels or depth of the lakes. The depth or levels of water (h) affect directly the outflow, as that as the lake have more level, more water discharge and less level, less is discharge.

3.Origin
3.1 Tectonic lake: These lakes are typically formed in the geological fault line, where the plates meet, creating a sort of waves in the earths crust, due the pressure. This causes raising of land or called horsts and between them form a 6epresin of land, called graben, where trapped portion of the sea. The formation of these lakes take a thousands years. Some of the deepest, oldest and largest lakes correspond to those formed by tectonic failure or graben. 3.2 Volcanic lakes: These lake are formed where the ejected magma or eruption, leaving a crater due to the collapse of the magmatic chamber (fig.5). This eruption is caused by contact of grounwater and lava or magma. the dimensions of these lakes vary between 60-2000 m of long and 10-100 m of depth, as shown aren't very depth. Often in the boards and walls of the lake we can found magmatic matter and pyroclastics.

fig.3

One of the way to filled of water is by rainfall or through the constribution of groundwater. The water level is stabilized when de balance is achieved between inflow, such as rainfall, and outflow,such as evaporation and filtration, and sometimes overflow or outflow from the surface.

fig.4 The water of volcanic Lake is almost always acidic, with many volcanic gases, giving a greenish color, as shown in fig. 4.(*Lake Rano Kau, Easter Island, Chile). fig.5

Some representatives of these types of lakes are Lake toba (Indonesia), being the longest volcanic lake in the world with 1000 km2 app., and Ojos del Salado (Chile), which is the highest lake in the world, with 6893 km in height.

3.3 River Erosion: Are lakes that result from transporting of sediments by river. The strenght and caudal that travel with the river can lead to extensive erosion, forming the basin where the lake was later found. The sediments transported by these rivers are deposited downstream, so as to form a sort of dam, diverting the river and forcing a formation of the lake, called Lake side. Another way for the rivers to form lakes is flooding the lakes also can be formed in a mouth of river or deltas, because the sediments transported close the natural course of the river, causing water stagnation. They are usually young lakes and disappear with flooding or increased flow from the affluents.

3.4 Glaciar Lake: They are common in North America and in places that crossed by many glaciers in the last Ice age, such as Scandinavia, Patagonia and Siberia. With the weight and pressure of the ice, that covered the lands, and its subsequent withdrawal, erodes the soil surface, where the ice melts and forms lakes. When the glaciers retreated, they often leave blocks of ice in the cavities, between so-called 'drumlins'. Due to the isolation of these lakes, usually form a biological community or ecosystem, which is of great biological and ecological interest. The water of these lakes is a whitish or greenish, due to the presence of particles, favoring the existence of algae. Examples of glaciers lakes: The 5 great lakes in USA and Canada (fig.6) , alpine lakes, like lake Geneva or Zrich.

fig.6 3.5 Artificial Lake: The reservoirs or dams, are artificial lakes formed by accumulation of water in one place to the human use. The reservoirs can occupy or flood fertile areas or populated areas, coverning a significant portion of land. To foresee that no damage or harm the environment, it becomes an environmental impact study, where are seen the advantages and disadvantages of placing a dam somewhere. The main characteristic of these reservoirs, is that they can regulate the outflow, depending on the use of it. Can be used in most cases to generate electricity, but also serves as ornamental form, recreational activities(fishing for example) or just water supply for agriculture or human consumption. In the fig.7 shows the Three Gorges Dam, the largest in the world located in China with capacity of 39.3 km3.

fig.7

References:
Notes of Professor Lars Bengtsson http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_endorreico http://www.mlswa.org/lkclassif1.htm http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_glaciar http://course1.winona.edu/nmundahl/420/documents/420lakeorigins.ppt http://www.lakescientist.com/learn-about-lakes/how-lakes-differ/lake-originssss.html http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lago_artificial#Embalses_artificiales