Lacustrine

Summary

Lacustrine environments are typically low-energy, having well-sorted beds of clay, silt and sometimes carbonates. Due to the calm sedimentary environment, lacustrine deposits are dominated by lamination and bedding indicative of the regular fluctuation of seasons (Tchouatcha et al., 2021). Lacustrine deposits can be used to determine the climatic, environmental, and tectonic forces that acted on the region in the geologic past. Studying lacustrine deposits can offer insight on past Global climate, comparable to the data collected from ice cores or ocean sediments (Schnurrenberger et al., 2003). Some researchers even use deposits to study the paleoseismicity of regions. Earthquakes can create lacustrine turbidites, which are unique among the predominantly low-energy structures typically found in lakes (Daele et al., 2015). Lacustrine deposits can also provide information on more recent events, such as seasonal variations in temperature, precipitation, and major weather events. 

Lakes form in a variety of ways; some lakes form due to tectonics by rifting or faulting, while others are formed from increased fluvial activity filling an empty basin. Lakes can also form in the craters of dormant or extinct volcanos, or within new basins created from volcanic activity. Many lakes appear to have formed from glacial activities, like moraine and ice damming. Today we find that of the 25 largest lakes in the world, 10 were formed from glacial activities, 7 formed within craters, and 4 were formed by rifting. Lacustrine sediments of ancient lakes suggest that the largest ancient lakes ranged in size from 100,000 km2 to 300,000 km2 (Boggs, 2014).