Lagoon vs Lake
Water is available to mankind in many forms such as rainwater, through water bodies, and also in the form of snow and ice. There are many types of water bodies and lakes happen to be great sources of water for humans. We know that lakes are water bodies that are surrounded by land on all sides. There is another water body called lagoon that has many similarities with lakes to confuse some people. This article takes a closer look at the two different types of water bodies to remove confusion from the minds of the readers.
Lagoon
Lagoon is a water body that is formed near coastal areas. It is shallow and has a small link with sea or the ocean though it is also separated from the ocean water with reefs or a low sandbank. Water from these water bodies can be transported back to the oceans and water from oceans into these lagoons through inlets that cut through the barriers that are mostly sandbanks. Being shallow water bodies, there is a lot of effect on the salinity and the temperature of the water in lagoons with evaporation and precipitation. A logon is called leaky when there is unimpaired exchange of water from the ocean with the help of tidal channels that are wide. It can be a choked lagoon as it is connected with ocean with a long and narrow channel.
Lake
A lake is a still water body surrounded by land from all sides except a side where it is fed by a river, stream or any other moving body of water. Lakes are far away from oceans and seas, and they are inland water bodies that are larger and deeper than similar water bodies called ponds. Though still, lakes receive water and are also drained by rivers or other streams. Lakes are found in all parts of the world, and those close to mountains are natural lakes. Lakes can also be manmade. Most of the lakes around the world are freshwater lakes.
What is the difference between Lagoon and Lake?
• A lagoon, though it looks like a lake, is a shallow water body near coastal areas and receives water from the ocean, and it is separated from the ocean by barrier islands made of sand.
• A lake is a water body that is still or slow moving and is away from the oceans.
• Lakes are mostly freshwater lakes that are formed at the foothills of mountains.
• Lakes are surrounded by land on all sides though they are fed and drained into a river or any other stream.
• Lagoon is a type of saltwater lake that is formed by the waves of the ocean.
• Lagoon is close to the ocean, whereas lakes are far away from oceans.
• Lagoon is saltwater body, whereas lakes are mostly freshwater bodies.
• There are close to 2 million lakes around the world, whereas there are far less lagoons.
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