Deeper waters are changing less consistently than surface waters in a global analysis of 102 lakes
Abstract
Globally, lake surface water temperatures have warmed rapidly relative to air temperatures, but changes in deepwater temperatures and vertical thermal structure are still largely unknown. We have compiled the most comprehensive data set to date of long-term (1970–2009) summertime vertical temperature profiles in lakes across the world to examine trends and drivers of whole-lake vertical thermal structure. We found significant increases in surface water temperatures across lakes at an average rate of + 0.37 °C decade−1, comparable to changes reported previously for other lakes, and similarly consistent trends of increasing water column stability (+ 0.08 kg m−3 decade−1). In contrast, however, deepwater temperature trends showed little change on average (+ 0.06 °C decade−1), but had high variability across lakes, with trends in individual lakes ranging from − 0.68 °C decade−1 to + 0.65 °C decade−1. The variability in deepwater temperature trends was not explained by trends in either surface water temperatures or thermal stability within lakes, and only 8.4% was explained by lake thermal region or local lake characteristics in a random forest analysis. These findings suggest that external drivers beyond our tested lake characteristics are important in explaining long-term trends in thermal structure, such as local to regional climate patterns or additional external anthropogenic influences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 25, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41598-020-76873-x
Entities
People
- Alon Rimmer
- Benjamin M. Kraemer
- Boris V. Adamovich
- Craig E. Williamson
- Dag O. Hessen
- Daniel E. Schindler
- David C. Richardson
- David P. Hamilton
- Dietmar Straile
- Don C. Pierson
- Dörthe C. Müller-navarra
- Egor Zadereev
- Eugene A. Silow
- Evelyn E. Gaiser
- Fabio Lepori
- Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer
- Hannu Huuskonen
- Helen V. Pislegina
- Ian D. Jones
- James A. Rusak
- Jasmine E. Saros
- Johanna Korhonen
- John M. Melack
- K. David Hambright
- Karl Havens
- Klaus D. Joehnk
- Kristin E. Strock
- Lesley B. Knoll
- Lewis M. Sitoki
- Margaret A. Dix
- Martin S. Luger
- Martin Schmid
- Martin T. Dokulil
- Maxim A. Timofeyev
- Michela Rogora
- Nico Salmaso
- Orlane Anneville
- Peter D. F. Isles
- Peter R. Leavitt
- Pierre-denis Plisnier
- Piet Verburg
- Rachel M. Pilla
- Rita Adrian
- Rolf D. Vinebrooke
- Ruben Sommaruga
- Scott F. Girdner
- Scott Higgins
- Shawn P. Devlin
- Stephanie J. Melles
- Stephen C. Maberly
- Steven Sadro
- Sudeep Chandra
- Svetlana V. Shimaraeva
- Timo H. Huttula
- Wendel Bill Keller
- William Colom-montero
- Wim Thiery
- Émilie Saulnier-talbot
Organizations
- Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research
- Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research
- California Air Resources Board
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Canada Research Chair
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
- Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
- Ministry of Higher Education and Research
- Ministry of Science and Higher Education
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Park Service
- National Science Foundation
- Natural Environment Research Council
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
- Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
- Queen's University Belfast
- Russian Science Foundation
- Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
- United States Army Corps of Engineers
- Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
- University of Frankfurt Institute for Social Research
- University of Innsbruck
- University of Regina
- University of Washington
- Waikato Regional Council