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Epilimnion
Top layer of water in a thermally-stratified lake / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The epilimnion or surface layer is the top-most layer in a thermally stratified lake.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Lake_Stratification_%2811%29.svg/320px-Lake_Stratification_%2811%29.svg.png)
I. The Epilimnion
II. The Metalimnion
III. The Hypolimnion
The scales are used to associate each section of the stratification to their corresponding depths and temperatures. The arrow is used to show the movement of wind over the surface of the water which initiates the turnover in the epilimnion and the hypolimnion.
The epilimnion is the layer that is most affected by sunlight, its thermal energy heating the surface, thereby making it warmer and less dense. As a result, the epilimnion sits above the deeper metalimnion and hypolimnion, which are colder and denser. [1] Additionally, the epilimnion is typically has a higher pH and higher dissolved oxygen concentration than the hypolimnion.