What is Limnogeology?

Lake basins are dynamic systems with both response and records of environmental interactions; this is the guiding theme of the International Association of Limnogeology (IAL). IAL links those who realize that the study of lake basins, both modern and ancient, is important and topical. Limnogeology is a young geoscience with a unique and valuable place among frontier research topics. Limnogeology will maintain such an exciting and prominent position well into this century because the discipline provides information needed for many high priority fields.

The prospects and opportunities in Limnogeology are growing rapidly on three fronts:

The resource industries are increasingly interested in lake basins, particularly the renewed exploration activities in the oil patch.
Paleoclimate questions are driving a global look at Quaternary lake basins, including new initiatives for deep drilling.
Climatic influences on modern lakes and their biota complement these studies. Global change questions also stimulate interests in the paleogeography of past continental configurations. Detailed sedimentologic analysis of modern and ancient lake sequences is crucial in understanding the effects of tectonic vs. climatic influences on lake sedimentation.
Not the least is the exciting potential of lake basins in the understanding and synthesis of biological evolution of nonmarine organisms of all kinds. Perhaps lakes of extremes were cauldrons of biodiversity.

The study of lake basins is not just a subdiscipline, but also a systems perspective much like paleooceanography with special realization that the rules of sedimentation in lakes are very different than for marine environments. These relate to the short residence time and variability of waters, importance of basinal landscape and geological interactions, very different interpretations of stable isotope profiles, difficulties of correlation and paleobiological endemism, rapidity of changes, and the physical instability of the ecosystem.

The value of limnogeology data has led to the creation of a global compilation known as GGLAB (compilation of the Global Geological Record of Lake Basins). The GGLAB project is aimed at genesis of a global outline of all lacustrine basins organized by geologic time-windows, with links to key references. GGLAB continues to grow, although the pace has been slowed by the newness of the field and resulting shortage of limnogeologists. Fortunately, our numbers are growing for reasons stated above. GGLAB is an integral effort of IAL and expansion will increase non-linearly because of growth of the subdiscipline.

Technically, GGLAB publications are separate activities with respect to IAL, but GGLAB publications are closely linked with our data initiative. The database is in the process of transfer onto more accessible software if you have not previously done so. PLEASE send a summary of your favorite lake basins by email to Beth Gierlowski-Kordesch (gierlows@ohiou.edu) (see GGLAB Corner for the format). Also, please send reprints of lake publications to the address on the IAL home page - the GGLAB database will include lake references.