Predicting bathymetric features of lakes from the topography of their surrounding landscape

Estimating the distribution of water across the landscape is critical to understanding how local aquatic biogeochemical processes may upscale to regional or continental scales. Whereas technology to estimate the areal extent of inland waters has improved dramatically, predictions of lake bathymetry still rely primarily on correlations with lake area that lack a mechanistic underpinning. Using topographically diverse regions of Quebec (Canada), we developed a model for predicting lake volume and depth that relies on geographic data that are widely available, which can be easily adapted to other regions. We found that the average change in relief between the surrounding terrestrial landscape and the lake surface to be the best predictor of bathymetric properties (lake volume, lake depth). Unlike previous models, our method provides a clear mechanistic link between relief outside and within the perimeter of a lake that is supported by basic geographic principles. This model will be useful in estimating the v...

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