List of lakes by depth
These articles lists the world's deepest lakes.
Lakes ranked by maximum depth
This list contains all lakes whose maximum depth is reliably known to exceed 400 metres (1,300 ft)
Geologically, the Caspian Sea, like the Black and Mediterranean seas, is a remnant of the ancient Tethys Ocean. The deepest area is oceanic rather than continental crust. However, it is generally regarded by geographers as a large endorheic salt lake. Of these lakes, 10 have a deepest point above sea level. These are Issyk-Kul, Crater Lake, Quesnel Lake, Sarez Lake, Lake Toba, Lake Tahoe, Lake Kivu, Nahuel Huapi Lake, Lake Van, and Lake Poso.
Continent color key | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africa | Antarctica | Asia | Eurasia | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America |
Name | Country | Region | Depth | Depth2/area | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(meters) | (feet) | |||||
1. | Baikal[1] | Russia | Southern Siberia | 1,642 | 5,387 | 9.22×10 −6 |
2. | Tanganyika | Tanzania Democratic Republic of the Congo Burundi Zambia |
African Great Lakes | 1,470 | 4,823 | 8.1×10 −6 |
3. | (Caspian Sea[2]) | Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Azerbaijan Russia Iran |
Caspian Endorheic basin | 1,025 | 3,363 | 1.68×10 −6 |
4. | Viedma | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province |
~900 |
~2953 |
N/D |
4. | Vostok[3] | Antarctica | Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet | ~900 | ~2953 | 8.94×10 −6 |
6. | O'Higgins-San Martín[4] | Chile Argentina |
Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) | 836 | 2,742 | 2.63×10 −5 |
7. | Malawi | Malawi Mozambique Tanzania |
African Great Lakes | 706 | 2,316 | 4.1×10 −6 |
8. | Issyk Kul | Kyrgyzstan | Tien Shan Mountains | 668 | 2,192 | 8.46×10 −6 |
9. | Great Slave | Canada | Northwest Territories | 614 | 2,015 | 3.72×10 −6 |
10. | Crater[5] | United States | Oregon | 594 | 1,949 | 8.16×10 −5 |
11. | Matano | Indonesia | Southern Sulawesi | 590 | 1,936 | 4.61×10 −5 |
12. | General Carrera-Buenos Aires[6] | Chile Argentina |
General Carrera Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) | 586 | 1,923 | 1.36×10 −5 |
13. | Hornindalsvatnet | Norway | Vestland | 514 | 1,686 | 7.2×10 −5 |
14. | Quesnel | Canada | British Columbia | 511 | 1,677 | 3.13×10 −5 |
15. | Sarez | Tajikistan | Gorno-Badakhshan | 505 | 1,657 | 5.66×10 −5 |
15. | Toba | Indonesia | Sumatra | 505 | 1,657 | 1.5×10 −5 |
17. | Tahoe | United States | California and Nevada | 501 | 1,645 | 2.26×10 −5 |
18. | Argentino | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province | 500 | 1,640 | 1.33×10 −5 |
19. | Salvatnet | Norway | Trøndelag |
482 |
1,581 |
6.93×10 −5 |
20. | Kivu | Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda |
African Great Lakes | 480 | 1,575 | 9.24×10 −6 |
21. | Grand Lake[7] | Canada | Newfoundland |
475 |
1,558 |
N/D |
22. | Nahuel Huapi | Argentina | Río Negro Province and Neuquén Province | 464 | 1,523 | 2.02×10 −5 |
23. | Hauroko | New Zealand | Southland (South Island) | 462 | 1,516 | 5.82×10 −5 |
24. | Cochrane / Pueyrredón[6] | Chile Argentina |
Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) | 460 | 1,509 | 2.55×10 −5 |
24. | Seton | Canada | British Columbia |
460 |
1,509 |
N/D |
24. | Lake Tinn | Norway | Telemark | 460 | 1,509 | 6.41×10 −5 |
27. | Adams | Canada | British Columbia | 457 | 1,499 | 3.9×10 −5 |
28. | Chelan | United States | Washington (state) (state) | 453 | 1,486 | 3.9×10 −5 |
28. | Mjøsa | Norway | Innlandet and Akershus |
453 |
1,486 |
2.33×10 −5 |
30. | Van[8] | Turkey | Eastern Anatolia Region | 451 | 1,480 | 7.36×10 −6 |
31. | Poso | Indonesia | Sulawesi | 450 | 1,476 | 2.5×10 −5 |
32. | Fagnano | Argentina Chile |
Tierra del Fuego | 449 | 1,473 | 1.77×10 −5 |
33. | Great Bear | Canada | Northwest Territories | 446 | 1,463 | 2.53×10 −6 |
34. | Manapouri | New Zealand | Southland (South Island) | 444 | 1,457 | 3.73×10 −5 |
35. | Como | Italy | Lombardy | 425 | 1,394 | 3.52×10 −5 |
35. | Te Anau | New Zealand | Southland (South Island) | 425 | 1,394 | 2.29×10 −5 |
37. | Tazawa | Japan | Akita Prefecture (Honshu) | 423 | 1,387 | 8.31×10 −5 |
38. | Khantayskoye | Russia | Krasnoyarsk Krai |
420 |
1,378 |
N/D |
38. | Wakatipu | New Zealand | Otago (South Island) | 420 | 1,378 | 2.47×10 −5 |
40. | Colico | Chile | Araucanía Region |
416 |
1,365 |
N/D |
41. | Superior | Canada United States |
Ontario (Canada) and Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin (United States) | 406 | 1,332 | 1.42×10 −6 |
Lakes ranked by mean depth
Mean depth can be a more useful indicator than maximum depth for many ecological purposes. Unfortunately, accurate mean depth figures are only available for well-studied lakes, as they must be calculated by dividing the lake's volume by its surface area.[9] A reliable volume figure requires a bathymetric survey.[9] Therefore, mean depth figures are not available for many deep lakes in remote locations.[9] The average lake on Earth has the mean depth 41.8 meters (137.14 feet)[9]
The Caspian Sea ranks much further down the list on mean depth, as it has a large continental shelf (significantly larger than the oceanic basin that contains its greatest depths).
This list contains all lakes whose mean depth is reliably known to exceed 100 metres (328 ft).
Continent colour key | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africa | Antarctica | Asia | Eurasia | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America |
Name | Country | Region | Depth | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(meters) | (feet) | ||||
1. | Baikal[1] | Russia | Southern Siberia | 744.4 | 2,442 |
2. | Tanganyika | Tanzania Democratic Republic of the Congo Burundi Zambia |
African Great Lakes | 570 | 1,870 |
3. | Vostok[3][10] | Antarctica | Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet | 432 | 1,417 |
4. | General Carrera-Buenos Aires[6] | Chile Argentina |
General Carrera Province
(Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) |
400 |
1,312 |
5. | Crater[5] | United States | Oregon | 352.8 | 1,157 |
6. | Tahoe | United States | California and Nevada | 307.6 | 1,009 |
7. | Adams | Canada | British Columbia, (Shuswap) | 299 | 981 |
8. | Malawi | Malawi Mozambique Tanzania |
African Great Lakes | 292 | 958 |
9. | Tazawa | Japan | Honshu | 280 | 919 |
10. | Issyk Kul | Kyrgyzstan | Tien Shan Mountains | 278.4 | 913 |
11. | Shikotsu | Japan | Hokkaido |
265.4 |
871 |
12. | Crveno[7] | Croatia | Imotski Area |
245 |
804 |
13. | Kivu | Democratic Republic of the Congo Rwanda |
African Great Lakes | 240 | 787 |
13. | Matano[7] | Indonesia | Sulawesi | 240 | 787 |
15. | Hornindalsvatnet[7] | Norway | Vestland | 237.6 | 780 |
16. | Quilotoa | Ecuador | Cotopaxi Province |
220 |
722 |
17. | Toba[7] | Indonesia | Sumatra | 216 | 707 |
18. | Heaven | China North Korea |
Jilin Province (China) and Ryanggang Province (North Korea) |
213 |
699 |
19. | (Caspian Sea[2]) | Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Azerbaijan Russia Iran |
Caspian Endorheic basin |
211 |
692 |
20. | Karakul | Tajikistan | Pamir Mountains | 210 | 689 |
21. | Sarez | Tajikistan | Gorno-Badakhshan | 201.8 | 662 |
22. | Kurile | Russia | Kamchatka Peninsula |
195 |
640 |
23. | Fagnano | Argentina Chile |
Tierra del Fuego |
193.8 |
636 |
24. | Todos los Santos | Chile | Los Lagos Region |
192.7 |
632 |
25. | Lake Tinn[7] | Norway | Telemark | 190 | 623 |
26. | Dead Sea | Jordan Palestine Israel |
Middle East |
188.4 |
618 |
27. | Llanquihue | Chile | Llanquihue Province and Osorno Province |
183.7 |
603 |
28. | Chapo | Chile | Los Lagos Region |
183.1 |
601 |
29. | Maggiore | Italy Switzerland |
Lombardy, Piedmont (Italy) and Ticino (Switzerland) |
177.4 |
582 |
30. | Ranau | Indonesia | Sumatra | 174 | 571 |
30. | Teletskoye | Russia | Altai Mountains | 174 | 571 |
32. | Brienz | Switzerland | Bern |
173 |
568 |
33. | Lundevatnet[7] | Norway | Rogaland and Agder |
172 |
564 |
34. | Slocan | Canada | British Columbia, (West Kootenay) | 171 | 561 |
34. | Van | Turkey | Eastern Anatolia Region |
171 |
561 |
36. | Te Anau | New Zealand | Southland, South Island |
168.8 |
554 |
37. | Lácar | Argentina | Neuquén Province |
167 |
548 |
38. | Riñihue | Chile | Valdivia Province |
162 |
531 |
39. | Nimpkish | Canada | British Columbia,(Vancouver Island) |
161 |
528 |
40. | Azure | Canada | British Columbia, (Wells Gray) | 157.2 | 516 |
41. | Nahuel Huapi | Argentina | Río Negro Province and Neuquén Province |
157 |
515 |
41. | Quesnel | Canada | British Columbia, (Likely and Horsefly) | 157 | 515 |
43. | Suldalsvatnet[7] | Norway | Rogaland |
156 |
512 |
44. | Argentino | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province |
155.4 |
510 |
45. | Ohrid | North Macedonia Albania |
Balkans | 155 | 508 |
45. | Salvatnet[7] | Norway | Trøndelag |
155 |
508 |
47. | Atitlán[7] | Guatemala | Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre |
154 |
505 |
47. | Como[11] | Italy | Lombardy |
154 |
505 |
49. | Geneva[7] | Switzerland France |
Vaud, Geneva, Valais (Switzerland) and Haute-Savoie (France) | 153.4 | 503 |
50. | Jökulsárlón[7] | Iceland | Vatnajökull National Park |
153 |
502 |
51. | Harrison | Canada | British Columbia, (Coast Mountains) |
151.4 |
497 |
52. | Mjøsa | Norway | Innlandet and Akershus |
150 |
492 |
53. | Menéndez | Argentina | Chubut Province |
149.9 |
492 |
54. | Manapouri | New Zealand | Southland, South Island |
149 |
489 |
54. | Singkarak | Indonesia | Western Sumatra | 149 | 489 |
56. | Lake Superior | Canada United States |
Ontario (Canada) and Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin (United States) | 147 | 482 |
57. | Chelan | United States | Washington (state) (state) |
144 |
472 |
58. | Huechulafquen | Argentina | Neuquén Province |
142 |
466 |
58. | Pend Oreille | United States | Idaho |
142 |
466 |
60. | Nemrut | Turkey | Bitlis Province |
140 |
459 |
61. | Storsjøen[7] | Norway | Innlandet |
139 |
456 |
62. | Khövsgöl | Mongolia | Nearby the, Eastern Sayan Mountains |
138 |
453 |
63. | Mashū | Japan | Hokkaido |
137.5 |
451 |
64. | Lonar | India | Deccan Plateau |
137 |
449 |
64. | Ørsdalsvatnet | Norway | Rogaland |
137 |
449 |
66. | Garda | Italy | Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino |
136 |
446 |
66. | Thun | Switzerland | Bern |
136 |
446 |
68. | Ikeda | Japan | Kyushu |
135 |
443 |
69. | Lugano | Switzerland Italy |
Ticino (Switzerland) and Lombardy (Italy) |
134 |
440 |
70. | Loch Ness[7] | United Kingdom | Scotland, Caledonia | 132 | 433 |
71. | Oppstrynsvatnet[7] | Norway | Vestland |
130.9 |
429 |
72. | Wakatipu | New Zealand | Otago, South Island |
130 |
427 |
73. | Breimsvatnet[7] | Norway | Vestland |
129 |
423 |
74. | Mainit | Philippines | Mindanao |
128 |
420 |
75. | Yelcho | Chile | Palena Province |
127.6 |
419 |
76. | Great Central | Canada | British Columbia, (Vancouver Island) | 124 | 407 |
76. | Iseo | Italy | Lombardy |
124 |
407 |
78. | Greve | Chile | Southern Patagonian Ice Field |
123.3 |
405 |
79. | Anderson | Canada | British Columbia, (Lillooet) |
121.7 |
399 |
80. | Bandak[7] | Norway | Telemark |
121 |
397 |
81. | Fyresvatnet | Norway | Telemark |
120 |
394 |
81. | Kanas | China | Xinjiang, Altay Prefecture |
120 |
394 |
81. | Towuti | Indonesia | Southern Sulawesi |
120 |
394 |
84. | Garibaldi | Canada | British Columbia, (Coast Mountains) | 119 | 390 |
85. | Toya[7] | Japan | Hokkaido |
117 |
384 |
86. | Hauroko | New Zealand | Southland, South Island |
116.7 |
383 |
87. | Mabel | Canada | British Columbia, (Shuswap) |
114 |
374 |
88. | Poteriteri | New Zealand | Southland, South Island |
113.1 |
371 |
89. | Mascardi | Argentina | Río Negro Province |
111 |
364 |
89. | Puelo | Argentina | Chubut Province |
111 |
364 |
91. | Lake Taupō[7] | New Zealand | Waikato, North Island |
110 |
360 |
92. | Öskjuvatn[7] | Iceland | Highlands of Iceland |
109 |
358 |
93. | Chilko | Canada | British Columbia, (Chilcotin) |
108 |
354 |
94. | Titicaca | Peru Bolivia |
Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia) | 107 | 351 |
95. | Tatlayoko | Canada | British Columbia, (Chilcotin) |
106.4 |
349 |
96. | Seton | Canada | British Columbia, (Lillooet) |
106.2 |
348 |
97. | Gander | Canada | Newfoundland | 105.4 | 346 |
98. | Guinas | Namibia | Oshikoto Region, Tsumeb |
105 |
344 |
98. | Kauhakō Crater[12][13] | United States | Hawaii, (Molokai) | 105 | 344 |
98. | Maninjau | Indonesia | Central Sumatra |
105 |
344 |
101. | Walen | Switzerland | St. Gallen and Glarus |
104.7 |
343 |
102. | Lucerne | Switzerland | Central Switzerland |
104 |
341 |
103. | Rivadavia | Argentina | Chubut Province |
103.7 |
340 |
104. | Takla | Canada | British Columbia, (Mount Blanchet) |
103.1 |
338 |
105. | Cochrane / Pueyrredón[6] | Chile Argentina |
Capitán Prat Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) |
101.8 |
334 |
106. | Clearwater[7] | Canada | British Columbia, (Wells Gray) |
101.6 |
333 |
107. | Futalaufquen | Argentina | Chubut Province |
101 |
331 |
108. | Hāwea[7] | New Zealand | Otago, South Island |
100.5 |
330 |
109. | Nueltin[7] | Canada | Nunavut and Manitoba |
100 |
328 |
109. | Rara | Nepal | Karnali Province |
100 |
328 |
109. | Taal | Philippines | Southern Luzon |
100 |
328 |
109. | Viedma | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province |
100 |
328 |
Greatest maximum depth by continent
- Africa — 1: Tanganyika, 2: Malawi, 3: Kivu
- Antarctica — 1: Radok (surface lake); Vostok (subglacial lake)[3]
- Asia — 1: Baikal, 2: Issyk Kul, 3: Matano
- Eurasia — 1: Baikal, 2: Caspian Sea, 3: Issyk Kul
- Europe — 1: Hornindalsvatnet, 2: Salvatnet, 3: Lake Tinn
- North America — 1: Great Slave, 2: Crater, 3: Quesnel
- Central America — 1: Atitlán, 2: Chicabal
- Oceania — 1: Hauroko, 2: Manapouri, 3: Te Anau
- Australia — 1: St Clair
- South America — 1: Viedma, 2: O'Higgins/San Martín, 3: General Carrera-Buenos Aires
Greatest mean depth by continent
- Africa — 1: Tanganyika, 2: Malawi, 3: Kivu
- Antarctica — 1: Vostok[3]
- Asia — 1: Baikal, 2: Tazawa, 3: Issyk-Kul
- Europe — 1: Crveno, 2: Hornindalsvatnet, 3: Lake Tinn
- North America — 1: Crater, 2: Tahoe, 3: Adams
- Oceania — 1: Te Anau, 2: Manapouri, 3: Wakatipu
- South America — 1: General Carrera-Buenos Aires, 2: Quilotoa, 3: Fagnano
See also
- List of lakes by area
- List of lakes by volume
- List of largest lakes of Europe
Notes
Note: Lake depths often vary depending on sources. The depths used here are the most reliable figures available in recent sources. See the articles on individual lakes for more details and data sources.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lake Baikal is also the largest freshwater lake by volume.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Caspian Sea is generally regarded by geographers, biologists and limnologists as a huge inland salt lake. However, the Caspian's large size means that for some purposes it is better modeled as a sea. Geologically, the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean seas are small oceans, remnants of the ancient Tethys. Politically, the distinction between a sea and a lake may affect how the Caspian is treated by international law.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lake Vostok in Antarctica is a subglacial lake with a depth ranging from 510 to 900 meters.
- ↑ *CECS, Depth sounding of Lake O'Higgins/San Martín[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Crater Lake in Oregon has a maximum depth of 594m, based on its USGS benchmark surface elevation of 1883m. The US National Park Service publishes different values (1881m for surface elevation, and 592m for the maximum depth). The technical basis of the values determined by the USGS is documented in Bacon, C. R.; Gardner, J. V.; Mayer, L. A.; Buktenica, M. W.; Dartnell, P.; Ramsey, D. W.; Robinson, J. E. (2002). "Morphology, volcanism, and mass wasting in Crater Lake, Oregon". GSA Bulletin 114 (6): 675–692. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(2002)114<0675:MVAMWI>2.0.CO;2. OCLC 4642976847, 196656627. ISSN 0016-7606. Bibcode: 2002GSAB..114..675B. http://gsabulletin.gsapubs.org/content/114/6/675. Retrieved 2013-07-08. (Subscription content?)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Murdie, Ruth E.; Pugh, David T.; Styles, Peter; Muñoz, Miguel (1999), "Heatflow, Temperature and Bathymetry of Lago General Carrera and Lago Cochrane, Southern Chile", Extended Extracts of the Fourth International Symposium on Andean Geodynamics, Gottingen, Germany 04-06/10/1999, Paris: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, pp. 539–542, http://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers09-03/010022648.pdf
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 Walter K. Dodds; Matt R. Whiles (23 September 2010). Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and Environmental Applications of Limnology. Academic Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-0-12-374724-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=Ht4O0Uez3KAC&pg=PA141. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ↑ Degens, E.T.; Wong, H.K.; Kempe, S.; Kurtman, F. (June 1984), "A geological study of Lake Van, eastern Turkey", International Journal of Earth Sciences (Springer) 73 (2): 701–734, doi:10.1007/BF01824978, Bibcode: 1984GeoRu..73..701D
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cael, B. B.; Heathcote, A. J.; Seekell, D. A. (2017). "The volume and mean depth of Earth's lakes" (in en). Geophysical Research Letters 44 (1): 209–218. doi:10.1002/2016GL071378. ISSN 1944-8007. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/2016GL071378. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
- ↑ Dow, Christine; McCormack, Felicity; Cook, Sue (July 17, 2016). "What Lies Beneath Antarctica's Ice? Lakes, Life and the Grandest of Canyons". The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/what-lies-beneath-antarcticas-ice-lakes-life-and-the-grandest-of-canyons-61748.
- ↑ Buzzi (1997), Documento dell'Istitutoitaliano di idrobiologia, https://books.google.com/books?id=DdYaAQAAIAAJ&q=profondit%C3%A0+media+lago+di+como&pg=PA94
- ↑ Maciolek, J. A. (April 30, 1982), Lakes and Lake-like Waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago, Occasional Papers of Berenice P. Bishop Museum, 25, ftp://ftp.soest.hawaii.edu/thomaski/kauhako/maciolek_opbm1982.pdf[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ Coombs, C. R.; Hawke, B. R.; Wilson, L. (1990), "Terrestrial analogs to lunar sinuous rilles - Kauhako Crater and channel, Kalaupapa, Molokai, and other Hawaiian lava conduit systems", Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Proceedings 20: 195, Bibcode: 1990LPSC...20..195C, http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1990LPSC...20..195C&db_key=AST&page_ind=2&plate_select=NO&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_GIF&classic=YES
Sources
External links
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List of lakes by depth.
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