Proglacial Lakes - Freezing of Lakes and the Evolution of their Ice Cover - page 181

Fig. 6.4 A cryoconite hole in the western Dronning Maud Land, initiated by windblown sediment
from the Basen nunatak. The vertical meter stick is 2 cm wide with 10 cm long white- and red
sections

6.2 Epiglacial Lakes

6.2.1 Occurrence of Epiglacial Lakes

Epiglacial lakes are found along the grounded edges of glaciers and ice sheets, and, in
nunataks, on the surface or at the foot (Fig. 6.2 ). The presence of a depression in the
ground at the glacial edge is a necessary condition for their formation. A drainage system
is also needed for the glacial meltwater to take care of the water renewal. On the surface of
nunataks there are seasonal snow patches and small glaciers to act as water sources. The
size of epiglacial lakes varies from small ponds to large lakes. After the Last Glacial
Maximum, about 10,000 years ago, the present Baltic Sea was a large, epiglacial lake of
the Weichselian Ice Sheet, called the Baltic Ice Lake (e.g., Lepp

ä ranta and Myrberg

2009).
Epiglacial lakes form parts of glacial drainage systems and are common in glaciated
regions. In Antarctica, this is the most common lake type and these lakes are found even
deep in the interior of the continent. Precipitation also contributes to their water budgets.