What impact does climate change have on Lake Tahoe, which hosts some of the clearest waters in the world? This is what a recent study published in Limnology and Oceanography Letters hopes to address as a team of scientists investigated changes in ultraviolet (UV) radiation within Lake Tahoe as extreme weather like increased temperatures and dryness continues to increase worldwide. This study has the potential help researchers, climate scientists, legislators, and the public better understand the long-term implications of climate change and the steps that can be taken to mitigate them.
For the study, the researchers conducted an analysis of UV radiation within Lake Tahoe between September 2006 and December 2023 with the goal of ascertaining changes in UV radiation when compared to climate fluctuations, specifically wet-dry cycles. In the end, the researchers found that UV radiation levels increased 100 times between wet and dry cycles over the study period.
“In a wet year, UV radiation penetrates shallower,” said Dr. Shohei Watanabe, who is an associate project scientist with UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and lead author of the study. “In a drought year, more UV radiation is slicing through the water. It’s a bit like reducing the lake’s ‘sunscreen,’ making it susceptible to severe sunburn.”
Known for its radiant beauty and clear lake views, Lake Tahoe hosts travelers during the summer and winter months for water activities or skiing, respectively. It is one of the most prominent vacation spots in the world and a better understanding of how climate change could impact its beauty will help scientists keep it the clean and beautiful lake that it is.
What new connections between climate change and Lake Tahoe will researchers make in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: Limnology and Oceanography Letters, EurekAlert!
Featured Image: Lead author, Dr. Shohei Watanabe,
