Enhanced heating effect of lakes under global warming

Yuanlin Qiu, Jie Chen (), Deliang Chen, Wim Thiery, Daniel Mercado-Bettín, Lihua Xiong, Jun Xia and R. Iestyn Woolway
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Yuanlin Qiu: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management
Jie Chen: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management
Deliang Chen: Department of Earth System Science
Wim Thiery: Department of Water and Climate
Daniel Mercado-Bettín: Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes
Lihua Xiong: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management
Jun Xia: State Key Laboratory of Water Resources Engineering and Management
R. Iestyn Woolway: School of Ocean Sciences

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Lakes play a crucial role in shaping both local and regional climates through heat exchange with the atmosphere. Amid global climate change, these interactions have undergone significant shifts. However, our understanding of the global heat release from lakes to the atmosphere, and its future trajectory, remains limited. In this study, we investigate changes in global lake heat release patterns and identify an amplified increase in heat release, particularly in mid to high latitudes (>45°N). This amplification is linked with a feedback mechanism, where the reduction in lake ice cover not only reduces the insulating effect between the warmer lake water and the colder atmosphere but also leads to increased heat absorption by lakes. As a result, lakes in mid-high latitudes experience a greater relative increase in heat release, primarily through upward thermal radiation, compared to lakes at lower latitudes with comparable surface water temperature increases. Additionally, seasonal variations in latent heat flux intensify the heat release during warmer seasons compared to colder ones. Future projections suggest substantially greater heat release compared to historical trends.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59291-3

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