Salsvatn
Encyclopedia
Salsvatn or Salsvatnet is a lake
in the municipalities of Fosnes
and Nærøy
in Nord-Trøndelag
county
, Norway
. With its deepest depth of 464 metres (1,522.3 ft), it is Norway
’s and Europe
’s second deepest lake, after Hornindalsvatnet
. Alternate sources give the depth as either 464 metres (1,522.3 ft) or 482 metres (1,581.4 ft) at the deepest point. The lake sits very close to the ocean, about 9 metres (29.5 ft) above sea level at the surface and reaches to a depth of 455 metres (1,492.8 ft) below sea level. It is a very large lake with an area of 44.77 square kilometres (17.3 sq mi), a volume of 6.87 cubic kilometres (1.6 cu mi), and a shoreline that is 105.61 kilometres (65.6 mi) around.
Salsvatnet is a meromictic lake, meaning that the water is permanently stratified, often without oxygen
in the lower depths (bottom water
) due to density gradient
and a lack of turnover. A meromictic lake often preserves records of the geologic past. The lower layer of the lake is highly saline
and as a result denser than the higher levels of water. Other meromictic lakes in Norway with old seawater in the lower depths include Kilevann, Tronstadvatn, Birkelandsvatn, Botnvatn, Rørhopvatn, and Rørholtfjorden.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the municipalities of Fosnes
Fosnes
Fosnes is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dun on the island of Jøa. Other villages include Salsnes and Nufsfjord.-General information:...
and Nærøy
Nærøy
Nærøy is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Nærøy is part of the Namdalen region. Norway's smallest town, Kolvereid, is the administration centre of the municipality...
in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. With its deepest depth of 464 metres (1,522.3 ft), it is Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
’s and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
’s second deepest lake, after Hornindalsvatnet
Hornindalsvatnet
Hornindalsvatnet is Norway's and Europe's deepest lake, officially measured to a depth of . Its surface is above sea level, which means that its bottom is below sea level. The village of Grodås lies at the eastern end of the lake in Hornindal and the village of Mogrenda is located on the...
. Alternate sources give the depth as either 464 metres (1,522.3 ft) or 482 metres (1,581.4 ft) at the deepest point. The lake sits very close to the ocean, about 9 metres (29.5 ft) above sea level at the surface and reaches to a depth of 455 metres (1,492.8 ft) below sea level. It is a very large lake with an area of 44.77 square kilometres (17.3 sq mi), a volume of 6.87 cubic kilometres (1.6 cu mi), and a shoreline that is 105.61 kilometres (65.6 mi) around.
Salsvatnet is a meromictic lake, meaning that the water is permanently stratified, often without oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
in the lower depths (bottom water
Bottom water
Bottom water is the lowermost water mass in a water body, by its bottom, with distinct characteristics, in terms of physics, chemistry, and ecology.-Oceanology:In oceanology, bottom water is by the ocean floor...
) due to density gradient
Density Gradient
Density gradient is a spatial variation in density over an area. The term is used in the natural sciences to describe varying density of matter, but can apply to any quantity whose density can be measured...
and a lack of turnover. A meromictic lake often preserves records of the geologic past. The lower layer of the lake is highly saline
Saline
Saline may refer to:* Salinity, the salt content of a solution** Saline water, water containing significant concentration of salts* Soil salinity, salt content of soil* Saline , a liquid with salt content to match the human body...
and as a result denser than the higher levels of water. Other meromictic lakes in Norway with old seawater in the lower depths include Kilevann, Tronstadvatn, Birkelandsvatn, Botnvatn, Rørhopvatn, and Rørholtfjorden.