Description
Lake sediment comes in all shapes and sizes depending on the bedrock geology of an area and the land uses in the watershed. Some lakes have really hard bottom substrates made up of ledge, boulders, cobbles, or small rocks mixed with course-grained sand. Other lakes have more organic substrates that are a mix of soft organic matter, resembling a peaty matrix, or one that conjures the thought of chocolate pudding consistency. Still, there are many lakes with a range of sediment types depending on location in the waterbody.
Whatever the composition of your lake bottom, it is rich in both life and the legacy of past life in the lake. It is even representative of landscape uses over time in the watershed, and beyond that, sediments are cataloging global level change at the micro-level with chemical memory.
In this issue of LakeLine, we explore the make-up and nuances of lake sediments, and the secrets they hold.
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