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.
| Continent color key | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | Asia | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America | Antarctica |
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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.[10] A reliable volume figure requires a bathymetric survey.[10] Therefore, mean depth figures are not available for many deep lakes in remote locations.[10] The average lake on Earth has the mean depth 41.8 meters (137.14 feet)[10]
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 | Asia | Europe | North America | Oceania | South America | Antarctica |
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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: Caspian Sea), 3: Issyk Kul, (3: Matano)
- 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
- 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
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.
- Lake Baikal is also the largest freshwater lake by volume.
- 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.
- Lake Vostok in Antarctica is a subglacial lake with a depth ranging from 400 to more than 900 meters.
- 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
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- 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, Bibcode:1984GeoRu..73..701D, doi:10.1007/BF01824978, S2CID 128628465
- Cael, B. B.; Heathcote, A. J.; Seekell, D. A. (2017). "The volume and mean depth of Earth's lakes". Geophysical Research Letters. 44 (1): 209–218. doi:10.1002/2016GL071378. hdl:1912/8822. ISSN 1944-8007. S2CID 132520745. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. 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. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- Buzzi (1997), Documento dell'Istitutoitaliano di idrobiologia
- Maciolek, J. A. (April 30, 1982), Lakes and Lake-like Waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago (PDF), Occasional Papers of Berenice P. Bishop Museum, vol. 25
- 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