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A meromictic lake has layers of water which do not intermix. The deepest layer of water in such a lake does not contain any dissolved oxygen. The layers of sediment at the bottom of a meromictic lake remain relatively undisturbed because there are no living organisms to stir them up.This type of lake may form for a number of reasons:
- the basin is unusually deep and steep-sided compared to the lake's surface area
- the lower layer of the lake is highly saline and so denser than the higher levels of water
Bacteria which use sulphur compounds in photosynthesis rather than water can be found in some meromictic lakes.
Some examples of meromictic lakes are:
The Black Sea is also considered to be meromictic.
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