Difference Between Pond and Lake

Table of Contents

There are different bodies of water and some people usually confuse one with the other. One of the common bodies of water whose definition is often assumed to be similar is the pond and lake.

While both pond and lake are both bodies of water surrounded by land, they differ in many different ways. Although professionals have not yet set a specific boundary between the two terms, there are already some differences given for both.

Pond vs Lake

The main difference between pond and lake is their depth. Lakes are usually deeper compared to ponds. The former one is also usually bigger compared to the latter one.

Limnologists, scientists who study inland bodies of water, are still arguing about the specific differences between the two terms, they have listed a few aspects that can separate ponds from lakes. Below are some of the areas where ponds are considered different from lakes.

Comparison Table Between Pond and Lake (in Tabular Form)

Parameter of Comparison	Pond	Lake
Size	Usually smaller	Most of the time bigger
Depth	Shallow	Deeper
Photosynthesis activity	More photosynthesis activities	Less activities
Presence of Aquatic life	More plants survival	Lesser plants
Temperature	Usually consistent all year round	Different layers have different temperature

What is Pond?

A pond is a shallow body of water that are can be found almost anywhere. Some ponds are natural while some are artificial and made by men for survival purposes.

Ponds are usually small and shallow which means that the sun can penetrate into its waterbed. With this, more plants and aquatic animals can survive in a pond because they can get the sun’s rays which is important for photosynthesis.

Some of the purposes of ponds include providing food for people and water that can be used in different ways. Fishes in the pond can be caught by people living near the pond and cook them for food.

The water in the pond can be used for drinking and for cleaning. They can clean their clothes and can take a bath in a pond.

Some ponds are also used for aesthetic purposes where people can go for recreation. They can put a picnic area near the pond and enjoy a nice warm afternoon with family and friends.

What is Lake?

A lake is a bigger and deeper body of water that is surrounded by water. Since they are deeper, the sun’s rays cannot sometimes reach the bottom of the waterbed which makes it difficult for aquatic animals to survive.

Which means there is lesser aquatic life with lakes. Although some plants still thrive in lakes, like in the shallow areas of the lake, they are very minimal.

Even if there are lesser aquatic life in lakes, they still offer food for people who are living around them. They are also a good source of water for their daily needs.

People also usually go swimming in the lakes since they are deeper. And when one goes swimming, they would usually feel that the deeper part of the lake is colder compared to the surface of it.

Lake usually has freshwater but some may also have salty ones just like The Great Salt Lake.

Main Differences Between Pond and Lake

In terms of size, a lake is usually bigger compared to a pond. This is the case for most ponds and lakes, although there are some bodies of water that are labeled as a pond but are bigger than lakes, these are very few. Most lakes are larger compared to any pond. So, if you ever see any body of water and you are not sure if it is a lake or pond, you can base it on the size.

Lakes are generally considered to be deeper compared to ponds which are shallow. Most limnologists would say that lakes are deeper compared to ponds. One way to know if water surrounded by land is considered a pond or a lake is to get a stick and measure the depth of the water. If it is shallow, then it may be a pond but if you poke the stick in it and still do not feel the bottom, then it is deeper and may be considered a lake.

In ponds, photosynthesis activities thrive better compared to those in lakes. Since lakes are deeper, the sun cannot penetrate into the deeper parts which makes it difficult for aquatic plants to survive. Plants need light from the sun because of the convert this to the energy that is needed for their survival. Without the sun, most plants would die. But with ponds, since it is shallow, the sun can reach all of its parts which makes it easy for plants to produce photosynthesis.

Lakes have lesser aquatic life and plants while the pond has more of them. Since photosynthesis activities are less in lakes, plants cannot survive and some fish also would need the plants for survival. Ponds have more plants and fish because of the sun’s light that is converted into energy which they use for survival.

Ponds have consistent temperatures all throughout their layers while lakes would usually change the temperature in each layer. Since ponds are shallow, they usually have the same temperature from the surface to the bottom. With lakes, the surface is usually hotter compared to the bottom which is colder. This is because it is too deep that the sun’s heat cannot each the deeper part.

Conclusion

Although ponds and lakes have a lot of similarities, they still differ in many different ways like in their size, their depth, temperature, and photosynthesis activities.

Ponds are usually smaller, shallow with a lot of plants and aquatic animals. They usually also have the same temperature from surface to bottom and from each side to the other.

Lakes are usually bigger and deeper. Since they are deeper, there is usually no life in the deeper part since the sun cannot reach the bottom.

And because of this, the deeper part of the lake would usually have different temperatures compared to the surface. Especially during the summer season, the lake’s surface is hot and the deeper parts are colder.

References

https://www.britannica.com/science/lake

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pond

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