Which of the following is the characteristic of the epilimnion?
- AMiddle layer of a pond
- BBottom layer of a river
- CBottom layer of a lake
- DTop-most layer in a thermally stratified lake
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
Thermal stratification of lakes refers to a change in the temperature at different depths in the lake due to the varying density of water with temperature. A thermally stratified lake is divided into three distinct layers:
1. Epilimnion: The top-most layer of water, which is warmer, lighter, and well-oxygenated.
2. Metalimnion (Thermocline): The middle layer where temperature drops rapidly with depth.
3. Hypolimnion: The bottom-most layer of water, which is colder and denser.
1. Epilimnion: The top-most layer of water, which is warmer, lighter, and well-oxygenated.
2. Metalimnion (Thermocline): The middle layer where temperature drops rapidly with depth.
3. Hypolimnion: The bottom-most layer of water, which is colder and denser.