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US’s Lake Tahoe impacted by climate change

Published: 1st Nov, 2021

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.

Important Lakes in North America

  • Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lake Michigan, Superior, Ontario, Erie and Huron. 
    • The lakes provide a natural border between Canada and the United States, except for Lake Michigan.

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.
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