What is the natural aging of a lake by nutrient?


What is the natural aging of a lake by nutrient? The process of nutrient accumulation and enrichment of lakes is called eutrophication. This aging process is a natural process in the life of all freshwater lakes: all lakes, even the most pristine, will accumulate nutrients and sediments over long scale timeframes.


What is the aging process of a lake?

Lake aging is the natural process by which a lake fills in over geologic time with erosional materials carried in by tributary streams, with materials deposited directly from the atmosphere, and with materials produced within the lake itself.


What are the three stages in the life of a lake?

Over a very, very long time, the lake will accumulate sediment and move from being a young oligotrophic lake, to middle-aged and mesotrophic, to old and eutrophic, and finally the lake will 'die' once it has completely filled in.


What is the lifespan of a lake?

Lakes lifespans are limited, as rivers dump their sediment into them and dead plant material builds up on the lake bottom. Most lakes are less than 10,000 years old.


What is the natural aging process observed in lakes and ponds?

Eutrophication is the process of increased productivity of a lake as it ages. Often this process is greatly accelerated by human influence and is termed cultural eutrophication.