Linguistically, there are notable similarities: lake, lago, lac, lough. But beyond that and the fact that they all contain fresh water, lakes come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes. From the shallow lakes of far Eastern Oregon's high desert to the cleft in the Earth's crust that is Lake Baikal, the diversity boggles the mind.
And so does our dependence upon lakes to maintain health for all kinds of creatures and the ecosystems in which they live. In short, we can't live without them.
John Richard Saylor, who researches the interfaces between air and water, gives a tour demonstrating the importance of these bodies of water in Lakes: Their Birth, Life, and Death.
The author visits with a crash course in understanding lakes.