meromictic lake
Quick Summary
A meromictic lake is a body of water that undergoes incomplete circulation, meaning its layers do not fully mix. This is in contrast to holomictic lakes, which experience complete mixing.
Meromixis occurs when a stable salinity gradient prevents normal vertical mixing, even during seasonal temperature changes that would typically cause overturn. This can happen due to several factors:1
* Ectogenic meromixis: Intrusion of seawater or the addition of freshwater to a saline lake.1
* Crenogenic meromixis: Inflow of saline water from springs.1
* Biogenic meromixis: Salts absorbed from lake sediments.1
In meromictic lakes, the deep waters remain unmixed and can become deoxygenated.1
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