Large Lakes of the World: An Inventory of Morphometric and Limnological Data
Project Number: R/ES-001-PD, Completion Report
Start Date: 9/1/1982
Completion Date: 8/31/1983
Revision Date: 12/17/1998
| Principal Investigator(s) | 1. | Charles Herdendorf, * |
| This shows the current affiliation and may not match affiliation at time of participation. * | ||
Funding Record
| Source: Ohio Sea Grant College Program | |||
| Source Fund | State Match | Pass Through | |
| Total | $ 4,800.00 | $ 3,800.00 | $ 0.00 |
Benefits & Accomplishments
Accomplishments:
This project included documentation of the distribution, origin and morphometry of the world's largest lakes. Natural lakes, fresh and salt, with a surface area greater than 500 km2 are included; 253 such lakes have been identified. Large lakes occur on all continents, except Antarctica, but nearly half of them (48 percent) are found in North America and most of these lie above the 40th parallel, attesting to the scouring action of continental glaciers. Tectonic belts, such as the Riff Valley of east Africa and the Lake Baikal region of Siberia, are the second most common loci of large lakes. Morphometric data have been compiled, including surface area, drainage basin, elevation, mean and maximum depth, volume, length and breadth, and orientation of longest axis. These data show that the large lakes of the world occupy a surface area of 1,456,000 km2 and they have an estimated volume of 202,000 km3. Large lakes account for approximately 90 percent of the total surface area and volume of water held in all lakes of the world.
This project included documentation of the distribution, origin and morphometry of the world's largest lakes. Natural lakes, fresh and salt, with a surface area greater than 500 km2 are included; 253 such lakes have been identified. Large lakes occur on all continents, except Antarctica, but nearly half of them (48 percent) are found in North America and most of these lie above the 40th parallel, attesting to the scouring action of continental glaciers. Tectonic belts, such as the Riff Valley of east Africa and the Lake Baikal region of Siberia, are the second most common loci of large lakes. Morphometric data have been compiled, including surface area, drainage basin, elevation, mean and maximum depth, volume, length and breadth, and orientation of longest axis. These data show that the large lakes of the world occupy a surface area of 1,456,000 km2 and they have an estimated volume of 202,000 km3. Large lakes account for approximately 90 percent of the total surface area and volume of water held in all lakes of the world.
Benefits:
The inventory of large lakes contributed to understanding the magnitude, diversity and values of these large lakes.
Publications & Media
| Peer-reviewed Publications | |
 | Herdendorf, C.E. 1984, Inventory of the Morphometric and Limnologic Characteristics of the Large Lakes of the World The Ohio State University, Ohio Sea Grant Tech. Bull. 17. 78 pp. (Prepared for U.S. Geological Survey, Office of International Hydrology as a contribution to the International Hydrological Program, UNESCO) |
| Herdendorf, C.E. 1982, Large Lakes of the World J. Great Lakes Res. 8(3):379-412. |
| Presentations | |
 | Boonyuen, S. and C.E. Herdendorf. 1986, Numerical Model for Estimating Fish Productivity in Large Lakes Annual meeting of Am. Soc. Limnology and Oceanography, June 1986, Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I. |
