Holomictic lake

Lake zones
Littoral zone Limnetic zone Profundal zone Benthic zone
Lake stratification
Epilimnion Metalimnion Hypolimnion Destratification
Lake types
Holomictic lake Monomictic lake Dimictic lake Polymictic lake Meromictic lake Amictic lake
See also
Aquatic ecosystems Wild fisheries
v t e

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.^[1] Most lakes on Earth are holomictic; meromictic lakes are rare, although they may be less rare than commonly thought.^[2] Amictic lakes are sealed off by ice and never mix.

There are five types of holomictic lakes:^[3]

Polymictic (mixing many times annually)
Cold Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting negative stratification)
Warm Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting positive stratification)
Dimictic (mixing twice annually)
Oligomictic (mixing less than once annually)

References

^ Lewis, William M. Jr. (1983). "A revised classification of lakes based on mixing" (PDF). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 40 (10): 1779–1787. doi:10.1139/f83-207. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-06.
^ Hakala, A (2004). "Meromixis as a part of lake evolution; observations and a revised classification of true meromictic lakes in Finland". Boreal Environment Research. 9 (1): 37.
^ Kevern, Niles R.; King, Darrell L.; Ring, Robert (1996). "Lake Classification Systems - Part 1". The Michigan Riparian.