{{lake stratification topics}} '''Polymictic lakes''' are holomictic lakes that are too shallow to develop thermal stratification; thus, their waters can mix from top to bottom throughout the ice-free period. Polymictic lakes can be divided into '''cold polymictic lakes''' (i.e., those that are ice-covered in winter), and '''warm polymictic lakes''' (i.e., polymictic lakes in regions where ice-cover does not develop in winter).<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1139/f83-207 | last = Lewis | first = William M. Jr. | year = 1983 | title = A revised classification of lakes based on mixing | journal = Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences | volume = 40 | issue = 10 | pages = 1779–1787 | url = http://cires.colorado.edu/limnology/pubs/pdfs/Pub058.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090306140542/http://cires.colorado.edu/limnology/pubs/pdfs/Pub058.pdf | archive-date = 2009-03-06 }}</ref> While such lakes are well-mixed on average, during low-wind periods, weak and ephemeral stratification can often develop.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Woolway|first=R. Iestyn|last2=Meinson|first2=Pille|last3=Nõges|first3=Peeter|last4=Jones|first4=Ian D.|last5=Laas|first5=Alo|date=2017-02-02|title=Atmospheric stilling leads to prolonged thermal stratification in a large shallow polymictic lake|journal=Climatic Change|volume=141|issue=4|pages=759–773|doi=10.1007/s10584-017-1909-0|issn=0165-0009|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Xing|first=Zikun|last2=Fong|first2=Derek A.|last3=Yat-Man Lo|first3=Edmond|last4=Monismith|first4=Stephen G.|date=January 2014|title=Thermal structure and variability of a shallow tropical reservoir|journal=Limnology and Oceanography|volume=59|issue=1|pages=115–128|doi=10.4319/lo.2014.59.1.0115|bibcode=2014LimOc..59..115X|issn=0024-3590|doi-access=free|hdl=10356/100083|hdl-access=free}}</ref>
==See also== * Amictic lake * Holomictic lake * Meromictic lake * Monomictic lake * Dimictic lake * Thermocline * {{portal-inline|Lakes}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-36 "Circulation: annual patterns of dimictic lakes" at Encyclopædia Britannica Online]
Category:Lakes by type
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