1. Diel Surface Temperature Range Scales with Lake Size.
- Author
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R Iestyn Woolway, Ian D Jones, Stephen C Maberly, Jon R French, David M Livingstone, Donald T Monteith, Gavin L Simpson, Stephen J Thackeray, Mikkel R Andersen, Richard W Battarbee, Curtis L DeGasperi, Christopher D Evans, Elvira de Eyto, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, David P Hamilton, Martin Kernan, Jan Krokowski, Alon Rimmer, Kevin C Rose, James A Rusak, David B Ryves, Daniel R Scott, Ewan M Shilland, Robyn L Smyth, Peter A Staehr, Rhian Thomas, Susan Waldron, and Gesa A Weyhenmeyer
- Subjects
Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Ecological and biogeochemical processes in lakes are strongly dependent upon water temperature. Long-term surface warming of many lakes is unequivocal, but little is known about the comparative magnitude of temperature variation at diel timescales, due to a lack of appropriately resolved data. Here we quantify the pattern and magnitude of diel temperature variability of surface waters using high-frequency data from 100 lakes. We show that the near-surface diel temperature range can be substantial in summer relative to long-term change and, for lakes smaller than 3 km2, increases sharply and predictably with decreasing lake area. Most small lakes included in this study experience average summer diel ranges in their near-surface temperatures of between 4 and 7°C. Large diel temperature fluctuations in the majority of lakes undoubtedly influence their structure, function and role in biogeochemical cycles, but the full implications remain largely unexplored.
- Published
- 2016
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