Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS10 Human Activities and Their Effects on Aquatic Ecosystems (Environmental Connections; Science and Society Connections)

Date: Monday, February 12, 2001, Time: 2:15:00 PM

Location: La Cienega

Verburg, P, , University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada, pverburg@scimail.uwaterloo.ca

WATER BALANCE OF LAKE TANGANYIKA: ANNUAL AND MONTHLY LAKE LEVEL CHANGES

A water balance for Lake Tanganyika is presented and its components are discussed. Water levels were generally highest in May and lowest in November. The lake rose fastest in March to April and November to December, and fell fastest around July. Annual lake level falls were constant but rises correlated with the average rainfall recorded at four sites around the lake. Between 1929 and 1992 the average annual fall and rise were 85 and 87 cm respectively. The annual and monthly balance of tributary inflow and lake discharge was estimated from evaporation, rainfall and lake level changes. Only in June and July did outflow exceed inflow. The estimated total inflow rates for the period 1973 to 1992, an annual average 900 m3/sec, exceed those previously reported for 1920-1940 by at least 50 %, possibly due to excessive deforestation in the second half of the century. Lake wide annual evaporation amounted to 1700 mm/year. On average, about 2000 m3 enter and leave the lake per second, about 10 % of which is the Lukuga outflow.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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