Steppe lake

A steppe lake is a final lake with a shallow basin and strongly fluctuating water level , which is mainly dependent on precipitation and evaporation. Its catchment area forms an endorheic basin, i. H. a self-contained water system that does not drain into an ocean.

Many steppe lakes have increased salinity due to the lack of runoff . Smaller steppe lakes are also known as salt lakes . Numerous such bodies of water, such as the Lange Lacke , are designated as nature reserves .

The following table shows the numerical difference between steppe lakes and other lakes:

lake	Steppe lake	surface	maximum depth	middle deep	volume
Balaton	Yes	594 km²	12.5 m	3.25 m	1.9 km³
Lake Constance	No	536 km²	254 m	90 m	48 km³
Lake Neusiedl	Yes	285 km²	1.8 m	1 m	0.325 km³
Müritz	No	112 km²	31 m	6.5 m	0.737 km³

Examples of steppe lakes

Europe 's largest steppe lake is Lake Balaton (Balaton) in front of Lake Neusiedl . The Neusiedler See is a steppe lake that is strongly influenced by climatic fluctuations, so it was completely dried out between 1860 and 1868. In Central Europe there are steppe lakes mainly in Burgenland and in Hungary there are smaller steppe lakes such as Lake Velence and Lake Zicksee .

• Aral Sea (Russia - Central Asia )
• Lake Balkhash (Kazakhstan)
• Hulun Lake (China)
• Lop Nor (China, dried out)
• Mar Chiquita (Argentina)
• Tagalala Lake (Tanzania)
• Lake Titicaca (Peru)
• Lake Urmia (Iran)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hermann Guthe, Hermann Wagner: Textbook of Geography . Hahn, Hanover 1920, p. 449 ( Textarchiv - Internet Archive ).
2. ↑ different labeling . In: Brockhaus' Kleines Konversations-Lexikon . 5th edition. Volume 1, F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig 1911, p.  89 .
3. ↑ Andreas von Heßberg, Waltraud Schulze: Chinese Silk Road: Travel between Xi΄an, Ürümqi and Kashgar - With Taklamakan, Tian Shan and Altai . Trescher Verlag, 2014, ISBN 978-3-89794-259-2 , pp. 22 ( books.google.de - excerpt).
4. ^ Enrique H. Bucher: Mar Chiquita (Argentina). Global Nature Fund, 2019, accessed May 24, 2020 .