|
Part I Tectonic, Geological, Geochemical and Biological Framework |
Geology Section, EAWAG/ETH, CH8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
F. A. Forel (1892–1902) established the scientific discipline of limnology with his integrated study of biology, chemistry, circulation and sedimentation in modern Lake Geneva. Subsequent literature on lakes is largely separate from geology in contrast to the historical development of marine geology. Strakhov (1970) is one exception and Pia (1933) another. Classic texts which summarize the limnological view of lakes include: F. Forel (1901), F. Ruttner (1963), G. E. Hutchinson (1957), D. Ruttner (1963), G. E. Hutchinson (1957), D. Frey (1974), R. Wetzel (1983), and F. Taub (1984a). None of these however emphasize the burial and preservation of reactive organic carbon.
A lake may be defined as an inland body of standing water occupying a depression in the earth’s crust. It is larger than a pond. As such, lakes can exhibit a wide range of possible settings, sizes, chemistries, concentrations and morphologies. The Greek "Limne" which is at the root of the scientific disciplines Limnology and Limnogeology means marsh, lake or pool and by implication has been generally applied to freshwater environments. Thirteen of the world’s 40 largest lakes, and innumerable smaller ones are however without outlets and commonly quite saline. Of the largest lakes, only 20 are deeper than 400 m but these hold most of the world’s fresh lake water (23 000 km3 in Baikal). Because traditionally the study of modern lakes is linked to securing water resources for man, only a minor emphasis has been given the brackish to hyper-saline ecosystems. These, however, form important parts of the
...
This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
