Abstract
Three of the six permanent hypersaline lakes on Rottnest Island become meromictic 'hot lakes' during winter and spring. An important factor contributing to this transient stratification is a surface input of fresh water from seepages around the lakes, which overlays the existing hypersaline layer. Heat penetrates to the monimolimnion of these clear-water lakes and is trapped by the insulating effect of the overlying less-saline water. The disappearance of the stratification at the onset of summer is thought to be due to reduced freshwater input and evaporation of the less-saline mixolimnion.
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