We Bet You Didn’t Know That New York Is Home To One Of The Only Meromictic Lakes In America
You might’ve read that headline and wondered what the heck a meromictic lake is. In most lakes in America, the different layers of water mix intermittently. In a meromictic lake, there is no mixing that occurs and the layers stay completely separate at all times. This is pretty rare, and only a few of these unique lakes are located in the country. One of these rare lakes is right here in New York: the beautiful Ballston Lake, which shares its name with the town it is located in.
Most lakes follow seasonal cycles as the temperature changes, in which the waters intermix. Some only mix once a year, other mix multiple times a year, often in regular cycles.
However, the much rarer meromictic lakes contain clearly-defined layers that never mix. There are only around 20 known lakes of this type in the United States, and we're lucky to have a few in New York.
Since the bottom levels of the water in a meromictic lake never rise to the surface, the lower levels have almost no oxygen. This results in a harsh environment that particular bacteria thrive in, ones that do not require much oxygen for survival.
Meromictic lakes are typically caused by either a high level of saline in the lower levels of the water (causing it to be much denser than the upper layers) or lakes with unusually high sides.
Since there is little sediment disturbed at the bottom of a meromictic lake (because no organisms live in the lowest layers), they're very useful for scientists. The scientists can study the sediment and track temperature changes over the years.
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. Practically all of her free time is spent trapping and fixing stray cats. She also likes reading, playing Pokemon Go, and going to concerts. Her dog Cece is the best dog in the whole world. You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com