Lakes in the World

Introduction to Lakes

Lakes are larger bodies of water with outlet through a river or stream. Lakes may have their origin through tectonic activity, volcanic activity, river, glacier and wave action or sometimes meteoric origin. Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal and Wular Lake have been formed by earth movements. Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world. Caspian Sea is the largest salt water lake in the world.

Lagoon lakes are formed by wave deposition. Chilika Lake is the largest lagoon lake in India. Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is believed to be formed by depression created by meteor impact which hit during Pleistocene Epoch.

Lake Toba on the island of Sumatra is the largest resurgent caldera on Earth. Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan is the largest salt water lake in India. Finland is known as land of thousand lakes.

Key Characteristics:

• Inland water bodies, larger than ponds.
• May be permanent or seasonal.
• Exist in various environments – glacial valleys, rift zones, volcanic craters, or coastal plains.

Differences:

• Lakes vs Ponds: Lakes are deeper and larger.
• Lakes vs Lagoons: Lagoons are shallow water bodies along coastlines, often separated from the sea by barriers.

Global Distribution of Lakes

• Uneven Distribution: Concentrated in regions shaped by glacial, tectonic, or volcanic activity.
• Examples: Numerous lakes in Canada, Finland, East African Rift, and Tibetan Plateau.
• Lakes are rare in arid and desert areas unless seasonal or artificial.

Classification of Lakes Based on Origin/Formation

A. Tectonic Lakes

Formed due to Earth’s crustal movements like folding, faulting, and warping.

• Examples:
  • Lake Titicaca (Peru-Bolivia)
  • Caspian Sea (world’s largest enclosed lake)

B. Rift Valley Lakes

Formed in depressions created by tectonic faulting.

• Examples:
  • Lake Tanganyika
  • Lake Malawi
  • Dead Sea

C. Glacial Lakes

Formed by the action of glaciers during ice ages.

• Types:
  • Cirque/Tarn Lakes: Small round lakes in glacial hollows.
  • Rock-Hollow Lakes: Formed by glacial erosion.
  • Moraine-Dammed Lakes: Water trapped behind glacial deposits.
• Examples: Finland’s glacial lakes, Lake District (UK)

D. Volcanic Lakes

Formed by volcanic activity, where craters, calderas, or lava flows trap water.

• Crater Lakes: Water fills extinct volcanic craters (e.g., Crater Lake, USA)
• Caldera Lakes: Formed in collapsed volcanic cones.
• Lava-Blocked Lakes: Created by lava obstructing river flow.
• Example: Lonar Lake (India), Crater Lake (USA)

E. Erosional Lakes

Formed due to removal of soluble or loose materials.

• Karst Lakes: Occur in limestone regions due to chemical erosion.
• Wind-deflated Lakes: Formed by wind erosion in arid regions (e.g., Great Basin, USA)

F. Depositional Lakes

Created by sediment deposition by rivers or seas.

• Fluvial (River): Ox-bow lakes formed by meandering rivers.
  • Example: Mississippi, Ganga Basin
• Marine (Coastal): Lagoon lakes formed by sandbars.
  • Example: Lake Chilika, Vembanad

G. Barrier or Damming Lakes

Formed by landslides, glacial debris, or lava blocking water flow.

• Example: Lakes in Shiwalik Hills, moraine-dammed lakes in Himalayas.

H. Artificial (Man-made) Lakes

Constructed for water storage, irrigation, power generation, recreation.

• Reservoirs: Dams (e.g., Gobind Sagar, Lake Mead)
• Mining Lakes: Abandoned mining pits (e.g., Malaysia)
• Fish Culture Lakes: Designed for aquaculture.

Classification Based on Water Characteristics

Freshwater Lakes

• Contain less than 0.5 parts per thousand salt.
• Most common in temperate and tropical zones.
• Examples: Great Lakes (USA-Canada), Lake Victoria

Saline (Salt) Lakes

• High salinity due to evaporation exceeding inflow.
• Found in arid and semi-arid regions.
• Examples: Dead Sea, Great Salt Lake, Aral Sea

Classification Based on Permanence

Permanent Lakes

• Water remains throughout the year.
• Examples: Rift Valley Lakes like Lake Tanganyika

Temporary (Ephemeral) Lakes

• Seasonal, often dry up in summer or drought.
• Examples: Playas or inland basins in deserts

Classification Based on Drainage Patterns

Exorheic Lakes

• Have outflows to rivers or oceans.
• Examples: Lake Victoria (drains into Nile)

Endorheic Lakes

• No natural outflow; water lost through evaporation or seepage.
• Tend to be saline.
• Examples: Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Dead Sea

Importance and Uses of Lakes

Economic Uses

• Hydroelectric Power: Reservoirs like Hirakud, Bhakra Nangal
• Agricultural Irrigation: Source of water for farms.
• Domestic & Industrial Water Supply: e.g., Kolleru Lake

Navigation & Transport

• Inland Navigation: Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway

Flood Control and River Regulation

• Lakes help buffer seasonal floods and store excess rainwater.

Climate Moderation

• Influence temperature, humidity, and rainfall in nearby areas.

Tourism and Recreation

• Sites for boating, fishing, bird watching, etc.
  • Examples: Lake Chilika, Dal Lake, Dead Sea

Source of Food and Minerals

• Fisheries: e.g., Sturgeon in Caspian, Salmon in Great Lakes
• Minerals: Salt (Dead Sea), Borax (Mojave Desert)

Biodiversity and Ecology

• Lakes like Chilika and Loktak are Ramsar Sites, rich in wildlife and migratory birds.

Major Lakes Around the World

By Surface Area

• Lake Superior (North America)
• Lake Victoria (Africa)
• Lake Huron and Lake Michigan (North America)

By Volume

• Lake Baikal (Russia) – largest by volume
• Lake Tanganyika (Africa)
• Lake Superior (USA-Canada)

By Depth

• Lake Baikal – deepest in the world (1,637 m)
• Lake Tanganyika – second deepest

By Salinity

• Dead Sea – extremely high salinity
• Great Salt Lake, USA

. World’s Highest and Lowest Lakes

• Highest Lake (overall): Crater lake at Ojos del Salado (~6,390 m), Andes
• Highest Large Lake: Pumoyong Tso, Tibet (5,018 m)
• Highest Navigable Lake: Lake Titicaca (3,812 m) – Peru-Bolivia
• Lowest Lake: Dead Sea (−423 m)

Important Lakes in India

Natural Lakes

• Wular Lake (J&K) – largest freshwater lake
• Vembanad Lake (Kerala) – longest lake

Artificial Reservoirs

• Gobind Sagar (Bhakra Dam)
• Hirakud Reservoir (Mahanadi River)

Saline Lakes

• Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan)
• Pulicat Lake (AP-TN border)

Ramsar Sites / Biodiversity Hotspots

• Chilika Lake (Odisha)
• Loktak Lake (Manipur) – famous for Phumdis (floating islands)