There are around 117 million lakes covering about 4% of earth’s total land surface. Finland alone is home to 1,87,000 lakes, so it is also known as ‘The Land of a Thousand Lakes.’ The Caspian is the world’s largest inland lake located in central Asia, having an area of 386,000 square km.
How Many Different Types of Lakes Are There
1. Meteorite Lakes
2. Tectonic Lakes
3. Volcanic Lakes
4. Glacial Lakes
5. Fluvial Lakes
6. Landslide Lakes
7. Aeolian Lakes
8. Shoreline Lakes
9. Anthropogenic Lakes
10. Solution Lakes
11. Cirque Lakes or Tarns
12. Organic Lakes
Examples: Lonar Lake in India, Lake Elgygytgyn in north-east Siberia Examples: Caspian Sea in central Asia, the sea of Aral in between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Examples: Lake Toba in Sumatra in the caldera of Toba super volcano, Crater Lake in Oregon in the caldera of Mount Mazama, Malheur Lake in Oregon (created when lava restricted the flow of Malheur River) Example: Jökulsárlón in Iceland, the Great Lakes of North America Examples: Carter Lake of Iowa in Missouri River, Lake Chicot of Arkansas in Mississippi River Examples: Quake Lakes in the US that formed as a result of 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake Examples: Moses Lake in the USA Examples: Shoreline Lake in California Mining activities can also result in the formation of lakes, when abandoned mine pits are flooded by precipitation or seepage and they cannot drain the water, it eventually forms pit lakes. The water contains high acid sulfate and high levels of dissolved metals. Examples: Lake Kariba in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Williston Lake in Canada (human-made reservoirs); lakes formed in the diamond mines of South Africa (due to mining activities). Another type of solution lakes can also be formed due to the collapse of caves that are made of water-soluble rocks; this type of lake is called karst lake. They can cover large areas of up to several hundred square kilometers. Examples: Dalmatian coast of Croatia and Florida
