Context

The Lake Tahoe in the US has dropped below its natural rim and halted flows into the Truckee River due to drought fueled by climate change. It is a historically cyclical event that's occurring sooner and more often than it used to.

About

Key-points

• Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and the second deepest lake in the US after Crater Lake in Oregon.
• Alpine lakes are dams or ponds at higher altitude, usually above tree line or sea level.

Impact of Climate Change on Lakes

• Less ice Covered: If the air temperature rises by 4 ° C, more than 1,00,000 lakes and pools with less ice cover are at risk of ice free winters.
• LSWT Rising: Overhead Lake Water Templates have grown worldwide, equal to or higher than the air temperature.
• Increased evaporation rate: It is projected that the global evaporation rate will increase by 16% by 2100, with regional variations depending on factors such as ice cover, stratification, wind speed and solar radiation.
• The tendency for the lakes to form separate and distinct thermal layers during warm weather is called Stratification of the lake.

• Affecting Lake Water Storage: Global lake water storage is sensitive to climate change, but with substantial regional variability, and the magnitude of future changes in lake water storage remains uncertain.