Climate Change: World's Lakes are Rapidly Warming, Threatening Freshwater Ecosystems

The world's lakes are rapidly warming, thanks to climate change. Scientists have taken a closer look at temperatures and found that the warmer weather is threatening freshwater supplies and ecosystems.

This latest study is the largest of its kind, and is the first to use a combination of satellite temperature data and long-term ground measurements. A total of 235 lakes, representing more than half of the world's freshwater supply, were monitored for at least 25 years. This revealed the changes that these lakes were undergoing over time.

The study itself found that lakes were warming an average of .61 degrees Fahrenheit each decade. That's greater than the warming rate of either the ocean or the atmosphere, and it can have profound effects.

For example, algal blooms, which can ultimately rob water of oxygen, are projected to increase 20 percent in lakes over the next century as warming rates increase. Algal blooms that are toxic to fish and animals would increase by 5 percent. If these rates continue, emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that's 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide on 100-year time scales, will increase by 4 percent over the next decade.

"Society depends on surface water for the vast majority of human uses," said Stephanie Hampton, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Not just for drinking water, but manufacturing for energy production, for irrigation of our crops. Protein from freshwater fish is especially important in the developing world."

The results suggest that large changes in lakes are already happening. As temperatures rise, productivity in these lakes continues to decline. This is important to note when setting climate goals now and in the future.

The findings are published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

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