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Mapping global lake dynamics reveals the emerging roles of small lakes.

ABSTRACT: Lakes are important natural resources and carbon gas emitters and are undergoing rapid changes worldwide in response to climate change and human activities. A detailed global characterization of lakes and their long-term dynamics does not exist, which is however crucial for evaluating the associated impacts on water availability and carbon emissions. Here, we map 3.4 million lakes on a global scale, including their explicit maximum extents and probability-weighted area changes over the past four decades. From the beginning period (1984-1999) to the end (2010-2019), the lake area increased across all six continents analyzed, with a net change of +46,278 km², and 56% of the expansion was attributed to reservoirs. Interestingly, although small lakes (<1 km²) accounted for just 15% of the global lake area, they dominated the variability in total lake size in half of the global inland lake regions. The identified lake area increase over time led to higher lacustrine carbon emissions, mostly attributed to small lakes. Our findings illustrate the emerging roles of small lakes in regulating not only local inland water variability, but also the global trends of surface water extent and carbon emissions.

SUBMITTER: Pi X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9526744 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mapping global lake dynamics reveals the emerging roles of small lakes.

Pi Xuehui X Luo Qiuqi Q Feng Lian L Xu Yang Y Tang Jing J Liang Xiuyu X Ma Enze E Cheng Ran R Fensholt Rasmus R Brandt Martin M Cai Xiaobin X Gibson Luke L Liu Junguo J Zheng Chunmiao C Li Weifeng W Bryan Brett A BA

Nature communications 20221001 1

Lakes are important natural resources and carbon gas emitters and are undergoing rapid changes worldwide in response to climate change and human activities. A detailed global characterization of lakes and their long-term dynamics does not exist, which is however crucial for evaluating the associated impacts on water availability and carbon emissions. Here, we map 3.4 million lakes on a global scale, including their explicit maximum extents and probability-weighted area changes over the past four ...[more]

PMID: 36182951

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Mapping global lake dynamics reveals the emerging roles of small lakes.

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Mapping global lake dynamics reveals the emerging roles of small lakes.

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