This large lake (‘Plattensee’ in German) in Western Hungary, has an area of 596 km2, a length of 70 km and an average depth of 3.30 m. It was created by the interaction of several forces of nature. Its basin was formed by wind, alluvial deposits and volcanic activity after the basin developed in a tectonic rift.
The average annual precipitation on Lake Balaton and the surrounding area is 600–700 mm. In the driest year there was 450 mm and in the wettest one, 1100 mm. The shallow water follows rapidly the changes in air temperature. Thus Lake Balaton is pleasantly warm during the summer and freezes early in the winter. Owing to high water temperatures during the summer and frequent winds, there is substantial evaporation, amounting to an annual rate of 870–920 mm.
From the surrounding catchment of 5174 km2 area a number of streams discharge into the lake (the most important is the Zala River with a mean discharge of 6.9 m3 s−1). Precipitation on the lake surface and inflow from the...
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Bibliography
Németh, Gy., 1988. Hungary. A complete guide, 3rd edn, Corvina, Budapest.
Sómlyody, L. et al., 1983. Eutrophication of shallow lakes: Modeling and management. The Lake Balaton case study. IIASA Collaborative Proceedings Series CP83-S3, Laxenburg.
Starosolszky, O¨., 1979. Study trip to Lake Balaton Travel Guide for Hydraulic Engineers, VIZDOK.
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Starosolszky, Ö. (1998). Lake Balaton, Hungary. In: Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Lakes. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht . https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4497-6_140
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4497-6_140
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