Summer stratification - thermal stratification, Biology

Assignment Help:

Summer Stratification - Thermal stratification

Thermal stratification is fairly pronounced during the summer seasons in most lakes of the temperate (cold) regions but is rare in lakes of tropical (hot) and subtropical regions where it occurs only in very deep lakes. This is so, because the rate of mixing of layers is very fast in case of tropical lakes whereas, the temperate lakes retain well defined layers showing different temperature. These layers do not mix rapidly. Therefore the temperate lakes exhibit clear stratification with respect to temperature. Let us understand how thermal stratification develops in water bodies and why it is maximum during the summer seasons.

In lakes the top one metre of the water surface directly absorbs around 90 per cent of the total solar radiation falling on it and is considerably more heated in the process. Consequently, the lower sub-surface layers receive progressively less radiation and remain relatively cool. Thus, the lake becomes thermally stratified, with its water forming layers due to temperature differences or thermal gradients. Thermal stratification is maximum during the summer season, primarily due to two reasons. Firstly, due to the fact that solar intensity increases during this period and it heats the surface layer greatly while the lower layers remain comparatively cool. Secondly, the thermally stratified layers offer resistance to mixing by wind. The fairly pronounced stratification of lakes developed in summer is called summer stratification or stagnation.


Related Discussions:- Summer stratification - thermal stratification

Gene pool, Natural selection can therefore mean differential reproduction a...

Natural selection can therefore mean differential reproduction among members of the sarne gene pool. We earlier said that selection would promote those alleles that give rise to ph

Fluid management in diarrhoea, Q. Fluid management in Diarrhoea? Fluid ...

Q. Fluid management in Diarrhoea? Fluid management: The key to diarrhoea management is the early replacement of fluid lost in the stools through intravenous or oral route. Whil

Describe the applications of vitamin B1, Describe the Applications of vitam...

Describe the Applications of vitamin b1 The steadily increasing consumption of white flours  (insufficiently ground and thus low in vitamin content) by large sections of the po

Consider a ph scale while answering, What is the relationship of hydrogen i...

What is the relationship of hydrogen ion concentration in tomato juice relative to lemon juice and to pure water? Be as quantitative as you can (i.e., use numbers to describe the m

Differences between genomes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, What are the dif...

What are the differences between genomes in prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes?

What are the main manifestations of leishmaniasis, What are the main manife...

What are the main manifestations of leishmaniasis? There are two major forms of leishmaniasis: cutaneous leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis (also called as kala-azar). Th

Biomolecules, indicator for testing for the presence of sugar

indicator for testing for the presence of sugar

What is gingival inflammation, What is Gingival Inflammation Areas of o...

What is Gingival Inflammation Areas of overt inflammation should be identified and the etiology investigated to initiate proper treatment.

How to explain the high level of radiation resistance, Deinococcus radiodur...

Deinococcus radiodurans is a bacterium that was isolated from cooling ponds in and around nuclear power plants. It is highly resistant to ionizing radiation. Propose a hypothesis t

Reduction in the birth rate, State three conditions in a society which coul...

State three conditions in a society which could contribute to a reduction in the birth rate. Birth rate might be decreased by (i) later marriages (as smaller families), (

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd