Lake Akan | |
---|---|
阿寒湖 (Japanese) | |
The view from Mount Oakan (July 2008) | |
Location | Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan |
Coordinates | 43°27′6″N 144°5′55″E / 43.45167°N 144.09861°E |
Lake type | Dimictic |
Primary outflows | Akan River |
Catchment area | 148 km2 (57 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Japan |
Surface area | 13 km2 (3,200 acres) |
Average depth | 17.8 m (58 ft) |
Max. depth | 44.8 m (147 ft) |
Water volume | 0.23 km3 (0.055 cu mi) |
Shore length1 | 25.9 km (16.1 mi) |
Surface elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
Frozen | December to April |
Islands | 4: Ōjima, Kojima, Yaitai Island, Chūrui Island |
Settlements | Kushiro |
Official name | Akan-ko |
Designated | 8 November 2005 |
Reference no. | 1540[1] |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Lake Akan (阿寒湖, Akan-ko) is a lake in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Akan National Park and is a Ramsar Site.[2][3]
History
[edit]Volcanic activity formed the lake some 6,000 years ago, when a lava dam was formed. The lake used to have a clarity of 8–9 meters in the 1930s. Pollution from local hotspring resorts has decreased the transparency to 3–4 meters.[4]
Flora and fauna
[edit]The lake is famous for its marimo (Aegagropila linnaei), aggregations of algae that form into spherical shapes 2–30 cm in diameter. Other flora of the lake include the following:[4]
- Phragmites communis
- Nuphar sp.
- Potamogeton crispus
- Hydrilla verticillata
- Myriophyllum verticillatum
- Vallisneria gigantea
- Melosira italica
- Asterionella formosa
- Synedra
Kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are native to Lake Akan. Other fauna of the lake include the following:[4]
- Zooplankton:
- Bottom:
- Fish:
Climate
[edit]Climate data for Lake Akan (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.8 (51.4) | 16.5 (61.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 35.5 (95.9) | 34.5 (94.1) | 34.9 (94.8) | 33.9 (93.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 24.5 (76.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 11.8 (53.2) | 35.5 (95.9) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) | −3.1 (26.4) | 1.4 (34.5) | 8.1 (46.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 18.9 (66.0) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.8 (73.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 5.8 (42.4) | −1.4 (29.5) | 9.8 (49.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.0 (14.0) | −9.4 (15.1) | −4.2 (24.4) | 2.3 (36.1) | 8.5 (47.3) | 13.1 (55.6) | 17.1 (62.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 7.5 (45.5) | 0.7 (33.3) | −6.5 (20.3) | 4.3 (39.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −16.8 (1.8) | −10.8 (12.6) | −3.3 (26.1) | 2.3 (36.1) | 8.0 (46.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.9 (57.0) | 9.3 (48.7) | 2.1 (35.8) | −4.3 (24.3) | −12.1 (10.2) | −1.3 (29.7) |
Record low °C (°F) | −30.2 (−22.4) | −30.7 (−23.3) | −26.6 (−15.9) | −20.9 (−5.6) | −7.5 (18.5) | −3.3 (26.1) | 1.8 (35.2) | 3.2 (37.8) | −1.2 (29.8) | −7.6 (18.3) | −17.3 (0.9) | −26.9 (−16.4) | −30.7 (−23.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 63.2 (2.49) | 44.5 (1.75) | 70.2 (2.76) | 90.8 (3.57) | 105.7 (4.16) | 84.4 (3.32) | 103.2 (4.06) | 160.0 (6.30) | 165.7 (6.52) | 137.8 (5.43) | 85.2 (3.35) | 87.4 (3.44) | 1,197.9 (47.16) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 132 (52) | 96 (38) | 105 (41) | 54 (21) | 3 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.4) | 31 (12) | 123 (48) | 548 (216) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 10.2 | 8.9 | 11.5 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 11.4 | 12.0 | 10.5 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 126.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 12.3 | 10.4 | 12.1 | 7.0 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.9 | 13.0 | 59.2 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 97.5 | 111.9 | 137.1 | 154.0 | 169.4 | 146.3 | 132.2 | 115.7 | 110.1 | 123.3 | 110.6 | 107.3 | 1,546 |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[5][6] |
Gallery
[edit]- Lake Akan and Mount Oakan
- A few scenes in 2021
See also
[edit]- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- Ramsar sites in Japan
References
[edit]- ^ "Akan-ko". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Data Summary: Akan-ko (Lake Akan)". World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ "Ramsar Sites in Japan - Akan-ko" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ a b c "AKAN-KO (LAKE AKAN)". World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
- ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
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