Extreme water level changes in global lakes revealed by altimetry satellites since the 2000s

Abstract

Global climate change can significantly affect lake systems. However, our understanding of extreme events in lake water levels on a global scale remains relatively limited. In this study, we conducted a quantitative analysis of extreme water level events in 245 lakes worldwide over the past three decades utilising altimetry satellite-derived water level records. These lakes are broadly categorised as reservoir, endorheic, or permafrost-fed lakes. Moreover, we assessed the spatiotemporal differences in extreme water level events among the different lake types. We then conducted a preliminary analysis of the relationship between extreme events in lake water levels and meteorological variables, as well as large-scale climate oscillations, to understand the driving forces behind their occurrence. Our findings revealed that in the past two decades and under the definition of extreme events employed in this study, the proportion of lakes experiencing extreme water level events annually exhibited a cyclic fluctuation of approximately ten years, rather than the anticipated increase. Moreover, the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme water-level events varied among the different types of lakes. Extreme events in lake water levels were closely related to evaporation and temperature. The implications of this study are potentially profound, and include forecasting lake ecology, understanding the ramifications of climate change, and facilitating sustainable water resource management.

Keywords

• Extreme water level
• Lake
• Climate change
• Global