This article lists lakes with a water volume of more than 100 km3, ranked by volume. The volume of a lake is a difficult quantity to measure.[1] Generally, the volume must be inferred from bathymetric data by integration. Lake volumes can also change dramatically over time and during the year, especially for salt lakes in arid climates. For these reasons, and because of changing research, information on lake volumes can vary considerably from source to source. The base data for this article are from The Water Encyclopedia (1990).[2] Where volume data from more recent surveys or other authoritative sources have been used, that usage is referenced in the respective entry. The total volume of Earth's lakes is 199,000 km3.[1]
The volumes of the lakes below vary little by season. This list does not include reservoirs; if it did, six reservoirs would appear on the list: Lake Kariba at 26th, Bratsk Reservoir, Lake Volta, Lake Nasser, Manicouagan Reservoir, and Lake Guri.
Estuaries and lagoons are not included either. Examples: Lake Melville (estuary) and Lake Maracaibo (lagoon), comparable with Lagoa dos Patos.
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008) |
|
Name | Country | Region | Surface area | Water volume | Salinity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Caspian Sea[3] | Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan Azerbaijan Russia Iran |
Caspian Endorheic basin | 371,000 km2 (143,000 sq mi) | 78,200 km3 (18,800 cu mi) | 1.2% |
Baikal[4] | Russia | Southern Siberia | 31,722 km2 (12,248 sq mi) | 23,600 km3 (5,700 cu mi) | Fresh |
Tanganyika | Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Zambia | African Great Lakes | 32,900 km2 (12,700 sq mi) | 18,900 km3 (4,500 cu mi) | Fresh |
Superior |
Canada, United States |
North American Great Lakes | 82,100 km2 (31,700 sq mi) | 11,600 km3 (2,800 cu mi) | Fresh |
Malawi | Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania | African Great Lakes | 29,600 km2 (11,400 sq mi) | 7,725 km3 (1,853 cu mi) | Fresh |
Vostok | Antarctica | Under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet | 15,690 km2 (6,060 sq mi) | 5,400±1,600 km³ (~1,300 cu mi) | Fresh |
Michigan[n 1] | United States | North American Great Lakes | 58,000 km2 (22,000 sq mi) | 4,920 km3 (1,180 cu mi) | Fresh |
Huron[n 1] | Canada,
United States |
North American Great Lakes | 59,600 km2 (23,000 sq mi) | 3,540 km3 (850 cu mi) | Fresh |
Victoria | Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya | African Great Lakes | 68,800 km2 (26,600 sq mi) | 2,700 km3 (650 cu mi) | Fresh |
Great Bear[10] | Canada | Northwest Territories | 31,153 km2 (12,028 sq mi) | 2,236 km3 (536 cu mi) | Fresh |
Issyk-Kul | Kyrgyzstan | Tien Shan Mountains | 6,236 km2 (2,408 sq mi) | 1,730 km3 (420 cu mi) | 0.6% |
Ontario | Canada, United States | North American Great Lakes | 18,960 km2 (7,320 sq mi) | 1,710 km3 (410 cu mi) | Fresh |
Great Slave[11] | Canada | Northwest Territories | 27,200 km2 (10,500 sq mi) | 1,580 km3 (380 cu mi) | Fresh |
Ladoga | Russia | Leningrad Oblast, Republic of Karelia | 17,700 km2 (6,800 sq mi) | 908 km3 (218 cu mi) | Fresh |
Titicaca | Peru,
Bolivia |
Puno Region (Peru) and La Paz Department (Bolivia) | 8,372 km2 (3,232 sq mi) | 893 km3 (214 cu mi) | Fresh |
General Carrera-Buenos Aires[12] |
Chile,
Argentina |
General Carrera Province (Chile) and Santa Cruz Province (Argentina) |
1,764 km2 (681 sq mi) |
705 km3 (169 cu mi) | Fresh |
Van[13] | Turkey | Armenian Highlands | 3,755 km2 (1,450 sq mi) | 607 km3 (146 cu mi) | 2.3% |
Kivu | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda | African Great Lakes | 2,700 km2 (1,000 sq mi) | 569 km3 (137 cu mi) | Fresh |
Erie | Canada,
United States |
North American Great Lakes | 25,667 km2 (9,910 sq mi) | 480 km3 (120 cu mi) | Fresh |
Khövsgöl | Mongolia | Nearby, Eastern Sayan Mountains | 2,760 km2 (1,070 sq mi) | 480 km3 (120 cu mi) | Fresh |
Onega | Russia | Leningrad Oblast, Republic of Karelia, Vologda Oblast | 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi) | 295 km3 (71 cu mi) | Fresh |
Winnipeg | Canada | Manitoba | 24,514 km2 (9,465 sq mi) | 284 km3 (68 cu mi) | Fresh |
Nipigon[14] | Canada | Ontario | 4,848 km2 (1,872 sq mi) | 248 km3 (59 cu mi) | Fresh |
Toba[15] | Indonesia | Sumatra | 1,130 km2 (440 sq mi) | 240 km3 (58 cu mi) | Fresh |
Canada |
Nunavut and |
2,279 km2 (880 sq mi) |
228 km3 (55 cu mi) |
Fresh | |
Argentino | Argentina | Santa Cruz Province | 1,466 km2 (566 sq mi) | 220 km3 (53 cu mi) | Fresh |
Canada | Saskatchewan and Alberta |
7,850 km2 (3,030 sq mi) |
204 km3 (49 cu mi) | Fresh | |
Turkana | Kenya,
Ethiopia |
African Great Lakes | 6,405 km2 (2,473 sq mi) | 204 km3 (49 cu mi) | 0.24% |
Chile | Llanquihue Province and Osorno Province |
860 km2 (330 sq mi) |
158 km3 (38 cu mi) | Fresh | |
Vänern | Sweden | Västergötland, Dalsland, Värmland | 5,650 km2 (2,180 sq mi) | 153 km3 (37 cu mi) | Fresh |
Tahoe | United States | California and Nevada | 496 km2 (192 sq mi) | 151 km3 (36 cu mi) | Fresh |
Canada | Quebec | 2,164 km2 (836 sq mi) | 150 km3 (36 cu mi) | Fresh | |
Dead Sea | Jordan, Palestine, Israel | Southern District, West Bank, Balqa Governorate, Madaba Governorate, Karak Governorate | 810 km2 (310 sq mi) | 147 km3 (35 cu mi) | 34% |
Albert | Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo | African Great Lakes | 5,300 km2 (2,000 sq mi) | 132 km3 (32 cu mi) | Fresh |
Fagnano |
Argentina, Chile |
645 km2 (249 sq mi) |
125 km3 (30 cu mi) | Fresh | |
Viedma |
Argentina | Santa Cruz Province |
1,193 km2 (461 sq mi) |
119 km3 (29 cu mi) | Fresh |
Iliamna | United States | Alaska | 2,622 km2 (1,012 sq mi) | 115 km3 (28 cu mi) | Fresh |
Nettilling | Canada | Nunavut, (Baffin Island) | 5,066 km2 (1,956 sq mi) | 114 km3 (27 cu mi) | Fresh |
Canada |
Nunavut |
1,887 km2 (729 sq mi) |
113 km3 (27 cu mi) |
Fresh | |
Balkhash | Kazakhstan | Karaganda Region, Jambyl Region and Almaty Region | 16,400 km2 (6,300 sq mi) | 112 km3 (27 cu mi) | 0.3% (variable) |
Nicaragua | Nicaragua | Rivas Department, Granada Department and Río San Juan Department | 8,264 km2 (3,191 sq mi) | 108 km3 (26 cu mi) | Fresh |
China |
Qinghai Province |
4,583 km2 (1,770 sq mi) |
108 km3 (26 cu mi) | 1.4% (variable) |
In 1960, the Aral Sea was the world's twelfth-largest known lake by volume, at 1,100 km3 (260 cu mi). However, by 2007 it had shrunk to 10% of its original volume and was divided into three lakes, none of which are large enough to appear on this list.[17]
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