noun
- Plural of epilimnion; the upper, warmer layer of water in a stratified lake or reservoir, above the thermocline.
Usage: technical; limnology
Examples
- The epilimnions of temperate lakes warm significantly during summer months.
- Fish often congregate in the epilimnions where oxygen levels are higher.
- Temperature differences between epilimnions and hypolimnions create distinct ecological zones.
- Researchers measured nutrient concentrations in the epilimnions of several glacial lakes.
- The epilimnions become depleted of oxygen as summer progresses in some stratified lakes.