Blowdown Lake in the mountains near Pemberton, British Columbia

Oeschinen Lake in the Swiss Alps

A lake (from Latin lacus) is an inland body of water, not part of the ocean, that is larger and deeper than a pond. Pemberton is a village north of Whistler in the Pemberton Valley of British Columbia in Canada, with a population of 2192 Oeschinen Lake (German Oeschinensee) is a Lake in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, 4 km east of Kandersteg in the Oeschinen valley The Swiss Alps (Schweizer Alpen Alpes suisses Alpi svizzere Alps svizras are the central portion of the Alps Mountain range that lies within An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that Globally, lakes are greatly outnumbered by ponds: of an estimated 304 million standing water bodies worldwide, 91% are 1 hectare (2. 5 acres) or less in area (see definition of ponds) ^[1]. A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that Small lakes are also much more numerous than big lakes: in terms of area, one third of the world's standing water is represented by lakes and ponds of 10 hectares (25 acres) or less. However, large lakes contribute disproportionately to the area of standing water with 122 large lakes of 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) or more representing about 29% of the total global area of standing inland water.

Until recently, there has been considerable uncertainty about defining the difference between lakes and ponds. For example, limnologists have defined lakes as waterbodies which are simply a larger version of a pond, or which have wave action on the shoreline, or where wind induced turbulance plays a major role in mixing the water column. None of these definitions completely excludes ponds and all are difficult to measure. For this reason there has been increasing use made of simple size-based definitions to separate ponds and lakes. In the United Kingdom, for example, the charity Pond Conservation - which works to protect all types of freshwater ecosystem - has defined lakes as waterbodies of 2 hectares (5 acres) or more in area ^[2]. Elsewhere, other workers have treated lakes as waterbodies of 5 hectares (12 acres) and above, or 8 hectares (20 acres) and above (see definitions of pond). A pond is a body of water smaller than a Lake, both being examples of Terrain features Although the term pond is universally used to describe waterbodies that Charles Elton, one of the founders of ecology, regarded lakes as waterbodies of 40 hectares (99 acres) or more, a value somewhat larger than modern studies would suggest appropriate ^[3].

The vast majority of lakes on Earth are fresh water, and most lie in the Northern Hemisphere at higher latitudes. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the In ecology the environment of a lake is referred to as lacustrine. Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of Large lakes are occasionally referred to as "inland seas", and small seas are occasionally referred to as lakes. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. Smaller lakes tend to put the word "lake" after the name, as in Green Lake, while larger lakes often invert the word order, as in Lake Ontario, at least in North America. Green Lake is a freshwater Lake in north central Seattle Washington, USA, within Green Lake Park Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. In some places, the word "lake" does not correctly appear in the name at all (e. g. , Windermere in Cumbria). Windermere is the largest natural Lake in England. It has been one of the country’s most popular places for holidays and summer homes since 1847 when the Kendal Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy

Over 60% of the world's lakes are in Canada; this is because of the deranged drainage system that dominates the country. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The license plate of the Canadian province of Manitoba used to claim "100,000 lakes" as one-upmanship on Minnesota, whose license plates boast of it being the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America

Finland is known as The Land of the Thousand Lakes (actually there are 187,888 lakes in Finland, of which 60,000 are large),^[4] and the U.S. state of Minnesota is known as The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers

Only one lake in the English Lake District is actually called a lake; other than Bassenthwaite Lake, the others are all "meres" or "waters". The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest Lakes in the Lake District of England. Mere in British English refers to a Lake that is broad in relation to its depth e Only six bodies of water in Scotland are known as lakes (the others are lochs): the Lake of Menteith, the Lake of the Hirsel, Pressmennan Lake, Cally Lake near Gatehouse of Fleet, the saltwater Manxman's Lake at Kirkcudbright Bay, and The Lake at Fochabers. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A loch (usually Lough as a name element outside Scotland) is a body of Water which is either a Lake or The Lake of Menteith ( Scottish Gaelic "Loch Innis MoCholmaig" or until the 20th century the Loch of Menteith, is a Loch in The Lake of the Hirsel or Hirsel Lake is an artificial body of water near Coldstream in Berwickshire in Scotland. Pressmennan Lake is a Lake in East Lothian in Scotland. It is an artificial reservoir constructed in 1819. Gatehouse of Fleet ( Gd Taigh an Rathaid) is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which has existed since the mid-1700s although the area Kirkcudbright, (kɚˈkuːbriː ("Kirr Coo Bree" (Cille Chuithbeirt is a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway. Of these only the Lake of Menteith and Cally Lake are natural bodies of fresh water.

Most lakes have a natural outflow in the form of a river or stream, but some do not and lose water solely by evaporation or underground seepage or both. "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there They are termed endorheic lakes (see below). An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin

The term "lake" is also used to describe a feature such as Lake Eyre, which is a dry basin most of the time but may become filled under seasonal conditions of heavy rainfall. Lake Eyre (pronounced "air" is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately ( AHD) below sea level and on the rare occasions that it fills the

Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for hydro-electric power generation, recreational purposes, industrial use, agricultural use, or domestic water supply. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's Body or Mind. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

Evidence of extraterrestrial lakes exists; "definitive evidence of lakes filled with methane" was announced by NASA as returned by the Cassini Probe observing the moon Titan, which orbits the planet Saturn. Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA / ESA / ASI Robotic spacecraft mission currently studying the planet Saturn and its TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Titan (ˈtaɪtən, or as

Origin of natural lakes

Ipperwash Beach, Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

There are a number of natural processes that can form lakes. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A recent tectonic uplift of a mountain range can create bowl-shaped depressions that accumulate water and form lakes. This article discusses the geologic usage for the philosophical or architectural usage see Architectonics ' Or see Plate tectonics. The advance and retreat of glaciers can scrape depressions in the surface where water accumulates; such lakes are common in Scandinavia, Patagonia, Siberia, and Canada. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The most notables examples are probably the Great Lakes of North America. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border.

Lakes can also form by means of landslides or by glacial blockages. An example of the latter occurred during the last ice age in the U. S. state of Washington, when a huge lake formed behind a glacial flow; when the ice retreated, the result was an immense flood that created the Dry Falls at Sun Lakes, Washington. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In central Washington, on the opposite side of the Upper Grand Coulee from the Columbia River, and at the head of the Lower Grand Coulee resides a three and Sun Lakes State Park is a camping park with of freshwater shoreline at the foot of Dry Falls, which is located near Coulee City Washington. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Salt crystals, on the shore of Lake Urmia, Iran

Salt lakes (also called saline lakes) can form where there is no natural outlet or where the water evaporates rapidly and the drainage surface of the water table has a higher-than-normal salt content. Lake Urmia ( Daryacheh-ye Orumieh; ارومیه گولو, ارومیه گولی ancient name Lake Matiene) is a Salt lake in northwestern Iran For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of Water which has a concentration of Salts (mostly Sodium chloride) and other minerals significantly The water table is the level at which the ground water pressure is equal to Atmospheric pressure. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants Examples of salt lakes include Great Salt Lake, the Caspian Sea, the Aral Sea, and the Dead Sea. Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the US state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere the fourth-largest terminal The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between

Small, crescent-shaped lakes called oxbow lakes can form in river valleys as a result of meandering. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake water body formed when a wide Meander from the mainstem of a River is cut off to create a lake The slow-moving river forms a sinuous shape as the outer side of bends are eroded away more rapidly than the inner side. Eventually a horseshoe bend is formed and the river cuts through the narrow neck. This new passage then forms the main passage for the river and the ends of the bend become silted up, thus forming a bow-shaped lake.

Crater lakes are formed in volcanic calderas which fill up with precipitation more rapidly than they empty via evaporation. Crater Lake is a Caldera Lake located in the US state of Oregon. A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption An example is Crater Lake in Oregon, are located within the calderas of Mount Mazama. Crater Lake is a Caldera Lake located in the US state of Oregon. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption Mount Mazama is a destroyed Stratovolcano in the Oregon part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range. The caldera was created in a massive volcanic eruption that led to the subsidence of Mount Mazama around 4860 BC.

Some lakes, such as Lake Jackson in Florida, USA, come into existence as a result of sinkhole activity. Lake Jackson is a shallow prairie lake on the north side of Tallahassee in Leon County Florida with two major depressions or Sinkholes A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or Cenote, is a natural depression

Lake Vostok is a subglacial lake in Antarctica, possibly the largest in the world. Lake Vostok (восток "east" is the largest of more than 140 subglacial Lakes found under the surface of Earth's southern-most A subglacial lake is a Lake under a Glacier, typically an Ice cap or Ice sheet. The pressure from the ice atop it and its internal chemical composition mean that if the lake were drilled into a fissure could result that would spray somewhat like a geyser. A geyser is a Hot spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accomplished by a vapour phase

Most lakes are geologically young and shrinking since the natural results of erosion will tend to wear away the sides and fill the basin. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Exceptions are those such as Lake Baikal and Lake Tanganyika that lie along continental rift zones and are created by the crust's subsidence as two plates are pulled apart. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Lake Tanganyika is a large Lake in central Africa (3° 20' to 8° 48' South and from 29° 5' to 31° 15' East A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault. In Geology, Engineering, and Surveying, subsidence is the motion of a surface (usually the Earth's surface as it shifts downward relative to These lakes are the oldest and deepest in the world. Lake Baikal, which is 25-30 million years old, is deepening at a faster rate than it is being filled by erosion and may be destined over millions of years to become attached to the global ocean. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia The World Ocean, world ocean, or global ocean is the interconnected system of the Earth 's Oceanic (or marine) Waters The Red Sea, for example, is thought to have originated as a rift valley lake. The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. A rift valley is a linear-shaped lowland between highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic Rift or fault.

Types of lakes

One of the many artificial lakes in Arizona at sunset

• Periglacial: Part of the lake's margin is formed by an ice sheet, ice cap, or glacier, the ice having obstructed the natural drainage of the land. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Periglacial is an adjective referring to places in the edges of glacial areas normally those related to past Ice ages rather than those in the modern era An ice sheet is a mass of Glacier Ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50000 km² (20000 mile²) An ice cap is an Ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km² of land area (usually covering a highland area "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from a given area
• Subglacial: A lake which is permanently covered by ice. A subglacial lake is a Lake under a Glacier, typically an Ice cap or Ice sheet. Ice is a Solid phase, usually crystalline, of a Non-metalic substance that is liquid or gas at Room temperature, such as Ammonia They can occur under glaciers, ice caps, or ice sheets. There are many such lakes, but Lake Vostok in Antarctica is by far the largest. Lake Vostok (восток "east" is the largest of more than 140 subglacial Lakes found under the surface of Earth's southern-most They are kept liquid because the overlying ice acts as a thermal insulator retaining energy introduced to its underside by friction, by water percolating through crevasses, by the pressure from the mass of the ice sheet above, or by geothermal heating below. Liquid is one of the principal States of matter. A liquid is a Fluid that has the particles loose and can freely form a distinct surface at the boundaries of The term thermal insulation can refer to materials used to reduce the rate of Heat transfer, or the methods and processes used to reduce heat transfer Friction is the Force resisting the relative motion of two Surfaces in contact or a surface in contact with a fluid (e Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object Geothermal heating has been used since the time of the Roman Empire as a way of heating Buildings and Spas by utilizing sources of hot Water
• Glacial lake: a lake with origins in a melted glacier. A glacial lake is a Lake with origins in a melted Glacier. Glacial lakes can be green as a result of pulverized minerals ( Rock flour) that support
• Artificial: A lake created by flooding land behind a dam, called an impoundment or reservoir; by deliberate human excavation; or by the flooding of an excavation incident to a mineral-extraction operation such as an open pit mine or quarry. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge A dam is a barrier that divides waters. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water while other structures such as Floodgates, Levees A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use Open-pit mining, also known as opencast mining and open-cut mining and strip mining, refers to a method of extracting rock or Minerals A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or Minerals are extracted Some of the world's largest lakes are reservoirs.

A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands

• Endorheic, also called terminal or closed: A lake which has no significant outflow, either through rivers or underground diffusion. Keukenhof (ˈkøːkənˌhɔf in Dutch: Kitchen garden also known as the Garden of Europe is situated near Lisse, Netherlands, and is the world's The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Any water within an endorheic basin leaves the system only through evaporation or seepage. Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e Soil mechanics is a discipline that applies principles of Engineering mechanics, e These lakes, such as Lake Eyre in central Australia or the Aral Sea in central Asia, are most common in desert locations. Lake Eyre (pronounced "air" is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately ( AHD) below sea level and on the rare occasions that it fills the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i
• Meromictic: A lake which has layers of water which do not intermix. A meromictic Lake has layers of water which do not intermix In ordinary " Holomictic " lakes at least once each year there is a physical mixing of the surface The deepest layer of water in such a lake does not contain any dissolved oxygen. The layers of sediment at the bottom of a meromictic lake remain relatively undisturbed because there are no living organisms to stir them up.
• Fjord lake: A lake in a glacially eroded valley that has been eroded below sea level. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity.
• Oxbow: A lake which is formed when a wide meander from a stream or a river is cut off to form a lake. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake water body formed when a wide Meander from the mainstem of a River is cut off to create a lake They are called "oxbow" lakes due to the distinctive curved shape that results from this process.
• Rift lake: A lake which forms as a result of subsidence along a geological fault in the Earth's tectonic plates. A rift lake is a Lake formed as a result of subsidence related to movement on faults within a Rift zone an area of Extensional tectonics in Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere Examples include the Rift Valley lakes of eastern Africa and Lake Baikal in Siberia. The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the Great Rift Valley formed by the East African Rift which runs through the whole eastern side of the African Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving
• Underground: A lake which is formed under the surface of the Earth's crust. An underground lake or a subterranean lake is a lake which is formed under the surface of the Earth's crust Such a lake may be associated with caves, aquifers, or springs. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter An aquifer is an underground layer of Water -bearing Permeable rock or unconsolidated materials ( Gravel, Sand, Silt, or Clay A spring is a point where Groundwater flows out of the ground and is thus where the Aquifer surface meets the ground surface

The crater lake of Volcán Irazú, Costa Rica

• Crater: A lake which forms in a volcanic caldera or crater after the volcano has been inactive for some time. The Irazú Volcano ( Volcán Irazú) is an Active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Crater Lake is a Caldera Lake located in the US state of Oregon. A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption Water in this type of lake may be fresh or highly acidic and may contain various dissolved minerals. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved In Computer science, ACID ( Atomicity Consistency Isolation Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that Database transactions are In many places mineral water is often colloquially used to mean Carbonated water (which is usually carbonated mineral water as opposed to tap water Some also have geothermal activity, especially if the volcano is merely dormant rather than extinct. In Geology, geothermal refers to heat sources within the planet
• Lava: A pool of molten lava contained in a volcanic crater or other depression. Lava lakes are large volumes of molten Lava, usually Basaltic, contained in a vent Volcanic crater, or broad depression Lava lakes that have partly or completely solidified are also referred to as lava lakes.
• Former: A lake which is no longer in existence. Such lakes include prehistoric lakes and lakes which have permanently dried up through evaporation or human intervention. Stone Age Paleolithic See also Paleolithic, Recent African Origin, Early Homo sapiens, Early human migrations "Paleolithic" Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e Owens Lake in California, USA, is an example of a former lake. Owens Lake is a large Dry lake in eastern California 's Owens Valley, located about south of Lone Pine California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Former lakes are a common feature of the Basin and Range area of southwestern North America. Basin and range is a geologic term for a type of Topography characterized by a series of separate and parallel mountain ranges with broad valleys interposed extending
• Shrunken: Closely related to former lakes, a shrunken lake is one which has drastically decreased in size over geological time. Lake Agassiz, which once covered much of central North America, is a good example of a shrunken lake. Lake Agassiz was an immense Glacial lake located in the center of North America. Two notable remnants of this lake are Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis. Lake Winnipeg is a very large ( Lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, about north of the city Lake Winnipegosis ( see Lake Winnibigoshish) is a large (5370 km² Lake in central North America, in Manitoba, Canada
• Eolic: A lake which forms in a depression created by the activity of the winds. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's)

Characteristics

Lake Mapourika, New Zealand

Lakes have numerous features in addition to lake type, such as drainage basin (also known as catchment area), inflow and outflow, nutrient content, dissolved oxygen, pollutants, pH, and sedimentation. Lake Mapourika is located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A nutrient is food or chemicals that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism's metabolism which must be taken in from its environment Oxygen saturation is a relative measure of the amount of Oxygen that is Dissolved or carried in a given medium Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of

Changes in the level of a lake are controlled by the difference between the input and output compared to the total volume of the lake. Significant input sources are precipitation onto the lake, runoff carried by streams and channels from the lake's catchment area, groundwater channels and aquifers, and artificial sources from outside the catchment area. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations Output sources are evaporation from the lake, surface and groundwater flows, and any extraction of lake water by humans. As climate conditions and human water requirements vary, these will create fluctuations in the lake level.

Lakes can be also categorized on the basis of their richness in nutrients, which typically affects plant growth. Nutrient-poor lakes are said to be oligotrophic and are generally clear, having a low concentration of plant life. An oligotrophic Ecosystem or environment is one that offers little to sustain Life. Mesotrophic lakes have good clarity and an average level of nutrients. Mesotrophic lakes are lakes with an intermediate level of productivity greater than Oligotrophic lakes but less than Eutrophic lakes Eutrophic lakes are enriched with nutrients, resulting in good plant growth and possible algal blooms. A eutrophic lake (Eu meaning good/well and trophic meaning food/nutrients is a lake with high Primary productivity, the result of high Nutrient content An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of Algae in an aquatic system Hypertrophic lakes are bodies of water that have been excessively enriched with nutrients. These lakes typically have poor clarity and are subject to devastating algal blooms. Lakes typically reach this condition due to human activities, such as heavy use of fertilizers in the lake catchment area. Such lakes are of little use to humans and have a poor ecosystem due to decreased dissolved oxygen.

Due to the unusual relationship between water's temperature and its density, lakes form layers called thermoclines, layers of drastically varying temperature relative to depth. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature The density of a material is defined as its Mass per unit Volume: \rho = \frac{m}{V} Different materials usually have different The thermocline (sometimes metalimnion) is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of water such as an ocean or lake in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth Fresh water is most dense at about 4 degrees Celsius (39. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 2 °F) at sea level. When the temperature of the water at the surface of a lake reaches the same temperature as deeper water, as it does during the cooler months in temperate climates, the water in the lake can mix, bringing oxygen-starved water up from the depths and bringing oxygen down to decomposing sediments. Deep temperate lakes can maintain a reservoir of cold water year-round, which allows some cities to tap that reservoir for deep lake water cooling. Deep lake water cooling uses cold water pumped from the bottom of a lake as a Heat sink for climate control systems.

Lake Teletskoye, Siberia

Since the surface water of deep tropical lakes never reaches the temperature of maximum density, there is no process that makes the water mix. Lake Teletskoye (Озеро Телецкое Altay: Алтын Кӧл Altyn-Köl, literally "Golden Lake" is the largest lake in the Altay Mountains Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The deeper layer becomes oxygen starved and can become saturated with carbon dioxide, or other gases such as sulfur dioxide if there is even a trace of volcanic activity. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Exceptional events, such as earthquakes or landslides, can cause mixing, which rapidly brings up the deep layers and can release a vast cloud of toxic gases which lay trapped in solution in the colder water at the bottom of the lake. This is called a limnic eruption. A limnic eruption, also referred to as a lake overturn, is a rare type of Natural disaster in which Carbon dioxide (CO2 suddenly erupts from An example of such a release is the disaster at Lake Nyos in Cameroon. Lake Nyos is a Crater lake in the Northwest Province of Cameroon. The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. The amount of gas that can be dissolved in water is directly related to pressure. As the previously deep water surfaces, the pressure drops, and a vast amount of gas comes out of solution. Under these circumstances even carbon dioxide is toxic because it is heavier than air and displaces it, so it may flow down a river valley to human settlements and cause mass asphyxiation.

The material at the bottom of a lake, or lake bed, may be composed of a wide variety of inorganics, such as silt or sand, and organic material, such as decaying plant or animal matter. Traditionally inorganic compounds are considered to be of mineral not biological origin Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles Organic matter (or organic material) is Matter that has come from a once-living Organism; is capable of The composition of the lake bed has a significant impact on the flora and fauna found within the lake's environs by contributing to the amounts and the types of nutrients available.

Limnology

Main article: Limnology

Lake Billy Chinook, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon. Limnology (from Greek Λίμνη limne, "lake" and λόγος logos, "knowledge" is the division of Hydrology that studies inland The Cove Palisades State Park is a State park in eastern Jefferson County, Oregon, near Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Limnology is the study of inland bodies of water and related ecosystems. Limnology (from Greek Λίμνη limne, "lake" and λόγος logos, "knowledge" is the division of Hydrology that studies inland Limnology divides lakes into three zones: the littoral zone, a sloped area close to land; the photic or open-water zone, where sunlight is abundant; and the deep-water profundal or benthic zone, where little sunlight can reach. Littoral refers to the coast of an ocean or sea or to the banks of a river lake or estuary The photic zone or euphotic zone ( Greek 'well lit' is the depth of the water in a Lake or Ocean, that is exposed to sufficient Sunlight The profundal zone is a deep zone of a Body of water, such as an Ocean or a Lake, located below the range of effective light penetration The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a Body of water such as an Ocean or a Lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface The depth to which light can reach in lakes depends on turbidity, determined by the density and size of suspended particles. Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles ( suspended solids) that are generally invisible to the Naked eye In marine and freshwater Ecology, a particle is a small object A particle is in suspension if its weight is less than the random turbidity forces acting upon it. In Chemistry, A suspension is a Heterogenous fluid containing Solid particles that are sufficiently large for Sedimentation. Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles ( suspended solids) that are generally invisible to the Naked eye In Physics, a force is whatever can cause an object with Mass to Accelerate. These particles can be sedimentary or biological in origin and are responsible for the color of the water. Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of Biotic material or biological derived material is any Natural material that is originated from living organisms Decaying plant matter, for instance, may be responsible for a yellow or brown color, while algae may cause greenish water. In very shallow water bodies, iron oxides make water reddish brown. Biological particles include algae and detritus. Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms In Biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material (as opposed to dissolved organic material Bottom-dwelling detritivorous fish can be responsible for turbid waters, because they stir the mud in search of food. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Piscivorous fish contribute to turbidity by eating plant-eating (planktonivorous) fish, thus increasing the amount of algae (see aquatic trophic cascade). A Piscivore is a carnivorous animal which lives on eating Fish. Plankton consist of any drifting Organisms ( Animals Plants Archaea, or Bacteria) that inhabit the Pelagic zone of Trophic cascades occur when Predators in a Food chain suppress the abundance of their Prey, thereby releasing the next lower Trophic level from The light depth or transparency is measured by using a Secchi disk, a 20-centimeter (8 in) disk with alternating white and black quadrants. The Secchi disk, created in 1865 by Pietro Angelo Secchi, is a circular disk used to measure water transparency in Oceans and Lakes The depth at which the disk is no longer visible is the Secchi depth, a measure of transparency. The Secchi disk is commonly used to test for eutrophication. Eutrophication is an increase in chemical Nutrients -- typically compounds containing Nitrogen or Phosphorus -- in an Ecosystem, and may occur For a detailed look at these processes, see lentic system ecology.

A lake moderates the surrounding region's temperature and climate because water has a very high specific heat capacity (4,186 J·kg⁻¹·K⁻¹). Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Specific heat capacity, also known simply as specific heat, is the measure of the heat energy required to increase the Temperature of a unit quantity In the daytime, a lake can cool the land beside it with local winds, resulting in a sea breeze; in the night, it can warm it with a land breeze. Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's) A sea-breeze (or onshore breeze) is a Wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts A sea-breeze (or onshore breeze) is a Wind from the sea that develops over land near coasts

See also: Lake aeration

How lakes disappear

Lake Chad in a 2001 satellite image, with the actual lake in blue, and vegetation on top of the old lake bed in green. Pond aeration or lake aeration is the process of increasing the oxygen content of the water Lake Chad (in French Lac Tchad) is a historically large shallow lake in Africa, whose size has varied greatly over the centuries Above that, the changes from 1973 to 1997 are shown.

A lake may be infilled with deposited sediment and gradually become a wetland such as a swamp or marsh. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog A swamp is a Wetland featuring temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject Large water plants, typically reeds, accelerate this closing process significantly because they partially decompose to form peat soils that fill the shallows. Phragmites australis, the common reed, is a large perennial grass found in Wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the Conversely, peat soils in a marsh can naturally burn and reverse this process to recreate a shallow lake. Turbid lakes and lakes with many plant-eating fish tend to disappear more slowly. A "disappearing" lake (barely noticeable on a human timescale) typically has extensive plant mats at the water's edge. These become a new habitat for other plants, like peat moss when conditions are right, and animals, many of which are very rare. Sphagnum is a Genus of between 151-350 species of Mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in Peat bogs Gradually the lake closes, and young peat may form, forming a fen. Peat is an accumulation of partially Decayed Vegetation matter. A fen is a type of Wetland fed by surface and/or groundwater Fens are characterized by their water chemistry which is neutral or Alkaline Fens are different In lowland river valleys, where a river can meander, the presence of peat is explained by the infilling of historical oxbow lakes. A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse also known as an oxbow loop or simply an Oxbow. An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake water body formed when a wide Meander from the mainstem of a River is cut off to create a lake In the very last stages of succession, trees can grow in, eventually turning the wetland into a forest. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria

Some lakes can disappear seasonally. These are called intermittent lakes and are typically found in karstic terrain. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone A prime example of an intermittent lake is Lake Cerknica in Slovenia. Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west

Sometimes a lake will disappear quickly. On 3 June 2005, in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia, a lake called Lake Beloye vanished in a matter of minutes. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Nizhny Novgorod Oblast (Нижегоро́дская о́бласть Nizhegorodskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an Oblast Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Beloye (Белое is a large freshwater Lake in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. News sources reported that government officials theorized that this strange phenomenon may have been caused by a shift in the soil underneath the lake that allowed its water to drain through channels leading to the Oka River. Oka (Ока́ is a River in central Russia, the largest right Tributary of the Volga. ^[5]

The presence of ground permafrost is important to the persistence of some lakes. According to research published in the journal Science ("Disappearing Arctic Lakes," June 2005), thawing permafrost may explain the shrinking or disappearance of hundreds of large Arctic lakes across western Siberia. The idea here is that rising air and soil temperatures thaw permafrost, allowing the lakes to drain away into the ground.

Neusiedler See, located in Austria and Hungary, has dried up many times over the millennia. Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedlersee Fertő tó is the second largest Steppe lake in Central Europe, straddling the Austrian �� Hungarian border Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic As of 2005, it is again rapidly losing water, giving rise to the fear that it will be completely dry by 2010. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two.

Some lakes disappear because of human development factors. The shrinking Aral Sea is described as being "murdered" by the diversion for irrigation of the rivers feeding it. The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i

See also: Prairie Lake

Extraterrestrial lakes

Io exhibits extraordinary variations in color and brightness as shown in this color-enhanced image. A prairie lake is a somewhat shallow Lake that will empty naturally during dry periods allowing a variety of land plants to flourish in the rich nutrients on the lake bottom

At present the surface of the planet Mars is too cold and has too little atmospheric pressure to permit the pooling of liquid water on the surface. Geologic evidence appears to confirm, however, that ancient lakes once formed on the surface. It is also possible that volcanic activity on Mars will occasionally melt subsurface ice creating large lakes. Under current conditions this water would quickly freeze and evaporate unless insulated in some manner, such as by a coating of volcanic ash.

Jupiter's small moon Io is volcanically active due to tidal stresses, and as a result sulfur deposits have accumulated on the surface. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Io (ˈaɪoʊ, or as Greek Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Some photographs taken during the Galileo mission appear to show lakes of liquid sulfur on the surface. Galileo was an Unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the Planet Jupiter and its moons Named after the Astronomer

There are dark basaltic plains on the Moon, similar to lunar maria but smaller, that are called lacus (singular lacus, Latin for "lake") because they were thought by early astronomers to be lakes of water. The lunar maria (singular mare, two syllables are large dark Basaltic plains on Earth 's Moon, formed by ancient Volcanic eruptions Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.

Photographs taken by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft on July 24, 2006, give strong evidence for the existence of methane or ethene lakes on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA / ESA / ASI Robotic spacecraft mission currently studying the planet Saturn and its A spacecraft is a Vehicle or machine designed for Spaceflight. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Methane is a Chemical compound with the molecular formula. It is the simplest Alkane, and the principal component of Natural gas. Structure This Hydrocarbon has four Hydrogen Atoms bound to a pair of Carbon atoms that are connected by a Double bond. TemplateInfobox Planet.--> Titan (ˈtaɪtən, or as

Notable lakes

• The largest lake in the world by surface area is the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. With a surface area of 394,299 km² (152,240 mi²), it has a surface area greater than the next six largest lakes combined.
• The deepest lake is Lake Baikal in Siberia, with a bottom at 1,637 m (5,371 ft). Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Its mean depth is also the highest in the world (749 m)
  It is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume (23,000 km³), and the second longest (about 630 km from tip to tip).
• The longest freshwater lake is Lake Tanganyika, with a length of about 660 km (measured along the lake's center line). Lake Tanganyika is a large Lake in central Africa (3° 20' to 8° 48' South and from 29° 5' to 31° 15' East
  It is also the second deepest in the world (1,470 m) after lake Baikal.
• The world's oldest lake is Lake Baikal, followed by Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania). Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia Lake Tanganyika is a large Lake in central Africa (3° 20' to 8° 48' South and from 29° 5' to 31° 15' East Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya
• The world's highest lake is an unnamed pool on Ojos del Salado at 6,390 metres (20,965 ft). Ojos del Salado is a massive Stratovolcano in the Andes on the Argentina - Chile border and the highest Volcano in the world at. ^[6] The Lhagba Pool in Tibet at 6,368 m (20,892 ft) comes second. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European ^[7]
• The world's highest commercially navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia at 3,812 m (12,507 ft). Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. It is also the largest freshwater (and second largest overall) lake in South America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a
• The world's lowest lake is the Dead Sea, bordering Israel, Jordan at 418 m (1,371 ft) below sea level. The Dead Sea (יָם הַ‏‏מֶ‏ּ‏לַ‏ח, "Sea of Salt"البَحْر المَيّت, "Dead Sea" is a salt lake between For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern It is also one of the lakes with highest salt concentration. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants
• Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area (82,414 km²). Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is also the third largest by water volume. However, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan form a single hydrological system with surface area 117,350 km², sometimes designated Lake Michigan-Huron. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Lake Michigan-Huron is a designation given to the body of water (part of the North American Great Lakes) traditionally considered to be two separate lakes Lake Michigan All these are part of the Great Lakes of North America. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border.
• Lake Huron has the longest lake coastline in the world: about 2980 km, excluding the coastline of its many inner islands. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great
• The largest island in a freshwater lake is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, with a surface area of 2,766 km². An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Lake Manitou, located on Manitoulin Island, is the largest lake on an island in a freshwater lake. Lake Manitou is the largest Lake on Manitoulin Island in Canada.
• The largest lake located on an island is Nettilling Lake on Baffin Island. Nettilling Lake ( is a cold freshwater Lake located toward the south end of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Baffin Island (ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᒃ Qikiqtaaluk, Île de Baffin Old Norse: Helluland) in the territory of Nunavut is the largest member
• The largest lake in the world that drains naturally in two directions is Wollaston Lake.
• Lake Toba on the island of Sumatra is located in what is probably the largest resurgent caldera on Earth. Lake Toba ( Danau Toba) is a Lake and Supervolcano, 100 km long and 30 km wide and 505 m Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470000 km² and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001
• The largest lake located completely within the boundaries of a single city is Lake Wanapitei in the city of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Lake Wanapitei occupies a Meteorite crater in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Greater Sudbury (2006 Census population 157857 is a city in Northern Ontario, Canada. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
  Before the current city boundaries came into effect in 2001, this status was held by Lake Ramsey, also in Sudbury. Lake Ramsey is a Lake in Sudbury, Ontario, located near the city's Downtown core
• Lake Enriquillo in Dominican Republic is the only saltwater lake in the world inhabited by crocodiles. Lake Enriquillo is a lake in the Dominican Republic, it is one of only a few saltwater Lakes in the world inhabited by crocodiles Lake Enriquillo The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae)
• Lake of the Ozarks is one of the United States largest man made lakes, created by the Bagnell Dam ^[8]

Largest by continent

The largest lakes (surface area) by continent are:

• Africa - Lake Victoria, also the second largest freshwater lake on Earth. The Lake of the Ozarks is a large man-made Reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of The Ozarks in central Missouri Bagnell Dam impounds the Osage River in the US state of Missouri, creating the Lake of the Ozarks. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Lake Victoria or Victoria Nyanza (also known as Ukerewe and Nalubaale) is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 It is one of the Great Lakes of Africa. The Great Lakes of Africa are a series of Lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African
• Antarctica - Lake Vostok (subglacial)
• Asia - Caspian Sea, also the largest on Earth. Lake Vostok (восток "east" is the largest of more than 140 subglacial Lakes found under the surface of Earth's southern-most The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. However, Europe-Asia border is conventionally drawn through it - the largest entirely in Asia is Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal (о́зеро Байка́л Ozero Baykal, ˈozʲɪrə bʌjˈkɑl Байгал нуур Baygal nuur) is in Southern Siberia in Russia
• Australia - Lake Eyre
• Europe - Lake Ladoga, followed by Lake Onega, both located in northwestern Russia. Lake Eyre (pronounced "air" is the lowest point in Australia, at approximately ( AHD) below sea level and on the rare occasions that it fills the Lake Ladoga (Лáдожское Óзеро Ladozhskoye Ozero; Laatokka is a Freshwater Lake located in Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Lake Onega (also known as Onego, Онежское озеро Onezhskoe ozero, i Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
• North America - Lake Michigan-Huron
• South America - Lake Titicaca, which is also the highest navigable body of water on Earth at 3,821 m above sea level. Lake Michigan-Huron is a designation given to the body of water (part of the North American Great Lakes) traditionally considered to be two separate lakes Lake Michigan Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Bolivia and Peru.

Note: Lake Maracaibo is considered by far the largest lake in South America. Lake Maracaibo is a large Brackish Lake in Venezuela at. It is connected to the Gulf of Venezuela by Tablazo Strait (55km on the northern edge It, however, lies at sea level with a relatively wide opening to sea, so it is better described as a bay.

See also

• List of lakes
• List of world's largest lakes
• List of largest lakes of Western Europe
• List of world's deepest lakes
• Loch
• Lough
• Pond
• Limnology
• Lagoon
• Liman
• Slough (wetland)
• Mere (lake)
• Geography
• Tarn
• Deep lake water cooling
• Angling
• Lake monster

References

External links

• Lakes Database
• Lake Classification Systems
• UKLakes Database
• LV Lakes Database
• Midwest Lakes Policy Center
• Kashmir lakes
• Ponds and Lakes : definitions
• Some interesting Islands and Lakes