Lake stratification

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake stratification is the separation of lakes into three layers:

1. Epilimnion - top of the lake.
2. Metalimnion (or Thermocline) - middle layer that may change depth throughout the day.
3. Hypolimnion - the bottom layer.

The thermal stratification of lakes is a change in the temperature at different depths in the lake. Temperatures change from season to season to create a cyclic pattern that is repeated from year to year.

If the stratification of water lasts for extended periods, the lake is meromictic.

[edit] External links

• "Density Stratification", part of an educational website Water on the Web operated by the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Retrieved 11-March-2007.
• Lake Stratification in Lake Lanier and its effects on the Chattahoochee River