Introduction
There are 100 million lakes in the world larger than 0.01 km2. Lakes can be classified in different ways, according to their geological origin, to their trophic state (see Trophic Lake Classification in the Encyclopedia), which is according to the biological status, according to the thermal regime (see Thermal Regime of Lakes and Stratification in Lakes ), which is related to the climate, or according to the hydrological conditions relating to the character of the in- and outflows (see Water Balance of Lakes and Hydrological Classification of Lakes). In this entry, lakes are classified according to their geological origin. A lake is formed when water fills a depression. A depression can have been formed in different ways. Lakes are mainly created as consequences of tectonic, glacial, or fluvial processesbut there might also be other processes involved. Tectonic lakes are deep. Glacial lakes are found where there has been land ice. The glacial lakes are rather shallow and...
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Bengtsson, L. (2012). Classification of Lakes from Origin Processes. In: Bengtsson, L., Herschy, R.W., Fairbridge, R.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lakes and Reservoirs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4410-6_245
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