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Morphometric study of lake basins from the Indian subcontinent: A critical review

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Abstract

Lakes from the Indian subcontinent are ecosystems of vital importance as they contain high levels of biodiversity which is threatened by multiple anthropogenic pressures and the impacts of ongoing global warming. The present review article examines the morphometric features of 35 lakes from the Indian subcontinent and explores the links between lake morphometry, sediment distribution in the lake bottom, and degradation of the lake ecosystem. For this purpose, a series of lake morphometric parameters such as Schindler’s ratio (SR), dynamic ratio (DR), relative depth (RD), shoreline development index (SDI) and energy factor (EF) were calculated. In addition, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on morphometric parameters, which identified (i) lake size and (ii) water depth as the key parameters that influence sediment distribution at the lake bottom. Our findings also implied that the lakes with higher SR values (e.g., Shilloi, Anchar, Pulicat, and Tso Kar Lakes) are prone to water quality degradation due to inputs from much larger catchments as compared to their lake water volume. However, a detailed understanding of modern lake processes (such as water mixing and evaporation) is required to decipher the link between the degradation status of the lake and the cumulative response of both the lake and catchment processes. Furthermore, the high fetch length and DR for relatively shallow lakes such as Chilika, Kolleru, Loktak, and Pulicat suggest that the sediment distribution is more likely to be affected by wind-induced mixing effects, whereas in deeper lakes (e.g., Tso Moriri, Phoksundo, Rara), the role of wave action is minimal. Conversely, in the small-shallow lakes, the role of peripheral wave activity is the dominant phenomenon that controls the sediment resuspension and redistribution within the basin. Further, the majority of the studied lakes show high SDI values (>1.5) suggesting irregular shorelines, which favours the development of complex littoral habitats, either due to anthropogenic activity or increased sediment supply from the surface runoff. This parameter also highlighted the importance of an effective sampling design that reflects the spatial variability of sediment behaviour in various parts of the lake. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt in the Indian subcontinent to utilise morphometric indices for understanding the lake’s degradation status and the role of excessive anthropogenic activity in influencing shoreline habitats.

Research highlights

  1. 1.

    Morphometric investigation of 35 Lakes from India–Nepal region has been done.

  2. 2.

    Lake size and water depth are crucial factors which control the sediment distribution in the lake basin.

  3. 3.

    The present review article focuses on the utilisation of morphometric parameters of lakes to understand the sediment distribution in the lake basin.

  4. 4.

    This study improves our understanding of the lake sensitivity with morphometric parameters and helps to build the framework for the lake management studies.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Lars Håkanson for the useful discussion. We also thank the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology for providing the necessary environment for the research. PKM is thankful for the financial support provided by DST-INSPIRE Faculty (Grant number: DST/INSPIRE/04/2015/002769).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33 GMS Road, Dehradun, 248 001, Uttarakhand, India

    Shweta Singh

  2. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Athens, Sounio Ave., 19013 Anavyssos, Attiki, Greece

    Konstantinos Stefanidis

  3. Department of Geology, School of Sciences, Cluster University of Jammu, Jammu, 180 001, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Praveen K Mishra

Author notes

  1. Deceased on 10th May 2021.

    • Shweta Singh

  2. Supplementary material pertaining to this article is available on the Journal of Earth System Science website (http://www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Journal_of_Earth_System_Science).

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    SS and PKM: Designed the research, interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript. KS: provided critical review and comments on the draft and technical expertise on data analysis.

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    Correspondence to Praveen K Mishra.

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    Supplementary material pertaining to this article is available on the Journal of Earth System Science website (http://www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Journal_of_Earth_System_Science).

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    Singh, S., Stefanidis, K. & Mishra, P.K. Morphometric study of lake basins from the Indian subcontinent: A critical review. J Earth Syst Sci 132, 29 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-02030-9

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