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Cirque lakes in the rockies Glaciers in headwater valleys tend to scour out a bowl shaped basin and the excavated material forms a moraine at the lake outflow that maintains the lake level after the glacier has receded. Drainage in Moraine lake was further impeded by a large landslide across the outflow Most cirque lakes are fishless unless stocked
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Large blocks of ice left behind in moraines and till mounds as glaciers melt and grow “stagnant”. As they gradually melt, they leave behind a depression in the till that fills by seepage Many of the small pothole lakes in Alberta are kettle lakes. Pothole or kettle lake formed in glacial --usually small < 30 ha, but can be quite deep--10-40 m. Watersheds are very small.
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Polygon ponds form along the Arctic coastal lowlands. Form in the summer as wedges of ice melt within the permafrost to form small polygonal basins (around 50 m across) that fill up with surface water. See Fig. 6.2 in your text Polygonal ponds near the Lena River, Russia Another type of basin associated with ice melting.
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Most of the large and old lakes in the world are Tectonic lakes Many occupy ancient basins called grabens—formed by large geological faults Rocks before faulting Lake in a symmetrical graben Lake in a tilted graben
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Lake Baikal—one of the most famous tectonic lakes in the world, has existed for over 20 million years
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Crater Lake, Oregon -589 m deep and possibly the clearest lake in the world, Transparency up to 90 m. Thermocline very deep for its size No rooted plants. Mud doesn’t accumulate on the bottom till > 90 m depth Some of the most spectacular tectonic lakes are formed in volcanic craters. Why is this lake so different from most lakes?
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Physical features of lakes that determine habitat characteristics inflow from the watershed/Catchment Water residence time Morphometry, Mean depth and volume Thermal stratification and physical mixing wind./currents/wave action Sediment deposition Light extinction
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